3rd & 4th Generation (1992–1996 & 1997–2001)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1992-1996 & 1997-2001
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
My 1995 V6 Camry has an intermittent problem with the antenna going up when I turn on the radio.
I replaced the antenna cord/sleeve with the factory part from the Toyota dealer and that seemed to help.
Now, sometimes when I press the radio "on" button the antenna fails to go up. Other times it works fine.
My thought is that it may be a problem with the switch in the radio unit. I have the 3-in-one type with the CD/cassette/radio integrated into the dash.
Do I need to replace/fix the radio unit for this problem?
My 1995 V6 Camry has an intermittent problem with the antenna going up when I turn on the radio...
Is the problem a stuck antenna (the motor is running but it doesn't want to go up), or is the problem that the motor doesn't run some times either from it not getting a signal to go up, or lack of power?
Is the problem a stuck antenna (the motor is running but it doesn't want to go up), or is the problem that the motor doesn't run some times either from it not getting a signal to go up, or lack of power?
The problem is the latter. The motor doesn't run sometimes either from not getting the signal, or lack of power.
Crutchfield. You would just replace the 2-din radio (it is a 2-din radio, right?) with an aftermarket and you would end up with a pocket under the radio. Or you could have a solid looking piece of plastic, but go for the pocket.
If you did want to stick with OEM - check out ebay or used car places online, but if you do upgrade your system you will not be disappointed. My aftermarket radio has a USB port in the front, I just load up music and podcasts directly from my computer to a flash drive, then plug the flash drive into the radio.
Crutchfield. You would just replace the 2-din radio (it is a 2-din radio, right?) with an aftermarket and you would end up with a pocket under the radio. Or you could have a solid looking piece of plastic, but go for the pocket.
If you did want to stick with OEM - check out ebay or used car places online, but if you do upgrade your system you will not be disappointed. My aftermarket radio has a USB port in the front, I just load up music and podcasts directly from my computer to a flash drive, then plug the flash drive into the radio.
Thanks for the info!
I found a pdf file on Wiki Answers that shows how to install a replacement Toyota radio with the pocket that you mention.
I believe the unit is double din (4 inches) rather than din (2 inches high). If I buy a din sized unit, I think I will need the dash "pocket" to fill in the extra space. Apparently, Crutchfield sells this item.
I would much rather have a newer style radio with either a USB connector or a slot for a PC adapter for an SD card.
How much more difficult will this be?
I am browsing Crutchfield and it looks like there are quite a few receivers that will fit. Most are din size I think.
I am not sure if I will need to splice the new radio wire harness to the one that exists in the vehicle though.
Any receiver you see in Crutchfield will be 1-din or 2-din*, if you want to be sure just enter your car's information then it will show you only receivers that will fit, which will be 95%+ of them.
As far as just swapping out the receiver goes, it's very easy. Just pop off the U-shaped ring of trim around the radio (held in with clips), remove four 10-mm bolts with a socket / 4" or 6" extension, unclip the wires in the back and it's out.
If you buy a new radio from Crutchfield, they will give you the kit which in this case will give you the pocket, as well as the harness which is a wire connection for the back. When you get it, you would connect the harness to the radio's harness using either red butt connectors or soldering - red butt connectors are much quicker and easier though. Just use a decent pair of crimpers to do the crimping. Box of red butt connectors = ~ $2, good crimpers = ~ $8, both available at your local hardware store. Anyway, after it's connected, you just plug it into the car, the other end into the radio, plug the antenna into the new radio, put the four 10-mm bolts back, pop the U-shaped trim back on, and you're done. Unless you also want to replace some speakers, and I highly recommend at least changing two. By the way, Crutchfield will send you detailed instructions on how to do all of this, plus if you get stuck you can call them, but changing the radio in this car is the easiest I've done out of the seven or so I've done.
By the way, ask your friends if anybody has ever ordered from Crutchfield. If they have, have them refer you - you'll get something like $20 off of a $200 order and your friend will get the same (no expiration for the friend's code).
Any receiver you see in Crutchfield will be 1-din or 2-din*, if you want to be sure just enter your car's information then it will show you only receivers that will fit, which will be 95%+ of them.
As far as just swapping out the receiver goes, it's very easy. Just pop off the U-shaped ring of trim around the radio (held in with clips), remove four 10-mm bolts with a socket / 4" or 6" extension, unclip the wires in the back and it's out.
If you buy a new radio from Crutchfield, they will give you the kit which in this case will give you the pocket, as well as the harness which is a wire connection for the back. When you get it, you would connect the harness to the radio's harness using either red butt connectors or soldering - red butt connectors are much quicker and easier though. Just use a decent pair of crimpers to do the crimping. Box of red butt connectors = ~ $2, good crimpers = ~ $8, both available at your local hardware store. Anyway, after it's connected, you just plug it into the car, the other end into the radio, plug the antenna into the new radio, put the four 10-mm bolts back, pop the U-shaped trim back on, and you're done. Unless you also want to replace some speakers, and I highly recommend at least changing two. By the way, Crutchfield will send you detailed instructions on how to do all of this, plus if you get stuck you can call them, but changing the radio in this car is the easiest I've done out of the seven or so I've done.
By the way, ask your friends if anybody has ever ordered from Crutchfield. If they have, have them refer you - you'll get something like $20 off of a $200 order and your friend will get the same (no expiration for the friend's code).
Thanks, I appreciate the help! I do have a 10mm socet w/6 inch extension so that is good.
I just talked to Levi at Crutchfield and he indicated most of what you mentioned. He said that I could buy 100 "crimp caps" for $4 (more than enough for the job) from Crutchfield and that a screwdriver will work for the crimping of the caps. I have no experience with crimping. It sounds like you recommend that I buy a crimping tool. Is that something Home Depot would carry?
So, it sounds like the hardest parts are taking off the U-shaped bracket/cover and then crimping all the connectors from the new radio to the harness from Crutchfield.
He also said that the wires from the radio are as follows:
8 for the speakers
3 for the power
1 for the antenna
1 for the ground
I need to connect each of these to the corresponding wire in the harness from Crutchfield and then apply the crimp cap and crimp.
As we all know the devil is in the details though. I am hoping this will not be too hard for a first timer at the effort.
As far as just swapping out the receiver goes, it's very easy. Just pop off the U-shaped ring of trim around the radio (held in with clips), remove four 10-mm bolts with a socket / 4" or 6" extension, unclip the wires in the back and it's out.
I have a '96 Camry, and I think the radio mount is the same. From all I have read, there are 2 'clips', somewhere along the bottom of the trim piece? Somebody tried to remove this trim at one time and they made a mess of the trim, it's got 2 cracks in the area of the lighter socket. This looks too easy to mess up, and I want to get at my aftermarket radio/CD player, now in the dash in place of the stock unit.
Do you or anyone have a picture of the back of this trim piece, showing the 'clips', so we can get it off without damage? What is supposed to be done with the lighter/socket first? Where exactly do you pry it out, and with what tool, a flatblade screwdriver?
Thanks Heat for the installdoc link, step 2 has the picture I needed, and Mike for the additional detail.
Last edited by donbryce; 12-23-2008 at 04:21 PM.
Reason: Avoid another post
"Do you or anyone have a picture of the back of this trim piece, showing the 'clips', so we can get it off without damage? What is supposed to be done with the lighter/socket first? Where exactly do you pry it out, and with what tool, a flatblade screwdriver?"
The clips are on the bottom, right near each side. I have used a J-hook tool to pull it out, placing it on the bottom near each side and pulling outward. A dental pic should also work. You leave the lighter socket attached until the u-shaped trim piece is pulled out slightly. Then you reach behind and disconnect the electrical connectors to the lighter. The lighter itself stays in the trim piece. There should be 2 connectors; one for the lighter itself and one for the light ring around the lighter. It's really an easy job once you know where everything is. You should have the old radio out in 10 minutes or less.
The inside of the red butt connector is lead I think, you put the wires in one at a time and squeeze it with the crimper, sealing the wire inside the connector. When both wires have been put in (one in each end) and you’ve crimped it, it is very secure.
Do not try to use pliers or anything else to do the crimping – it just won’t squeeze it good enough and the wires will tend to pull out.
Example of a crimper:
Make sure it has a variable-gauge stripper built in, most will. Don’t buy the cheapest one on the shelf and you won’t need the most expensive one. Expect to pay around $8.
And yes, any hardware store, Home Depot included, will carry both the red butt connectors and the crimpers.
As far as crimp caps go… I don’t know anything about them, I’ve always used the red butt connectors.
Here’s a short tutorial on removing the U-shaped trim, the radio, etc:
Make sure it has a variable-gauge stripper built in, most will. Don’t buy the cheapest one on the shelf and you won’t need the most expensive one. Expect to pay around $8.
I purchased a "GB" crimper/wire stripper (multiple gauge) at Home Depot today for about $5.45. There was a stripper for about $10.50 but the guy there said the "GB" should work fine. Hope so.
One question. Do I need 22-16 or 22-18 AWG red butt connectors?
BTW, Crutchfield recommended the "crimp caps" over the red butt connectors, but I don't think it makes too much difference.
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