Installing an after market Multi-media player

[Goldenarm]

I know someone on this site has done this and walked away a happier man or woman. I just need to be pointed in the right direction as I am brand new to car audio. Apparently this is the wrong car to try and install a system in. If you remove the head unit you lose your climate control is how it was explained to me. There has to be a work around for this. I was also told that if you remove the head unit you must re-wire the whole audio system because you have to bypass the digital amp. This is truly frustrating so I am bringing my questions to those for have gone before me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
(2006 Avalon 6 disk changer JBL)

[00avxls]

They make a harness to retain the climate control display on the blue screen if you install an aftermarket radio. If you have a limited like I do then you need that harness plus another harness that will allow you to keep your factory amp to run your speakers. I wrote a diy install with pics to try to help out other avalon limited owners that wanted an aftermarket radio. I installed a kenwood excelon kvt-819. It's a single din 7in. flip out screen with dvd player and also added sirius and nav.

[black_sedan]

Originally Posted by 00avxls

They make a harness to retain the climate control display on the blue screen if you install an aftermarket radio. If you have a limited like I do then you need that harness plus another harness that will allow you to keep your factory amp to run your speakers. I wrote a diy install with pics to try to help out other avalon limited owners that wanted an aftermarket radio. I installed a kenwood excelon kvt-819. It's a single din 7in. flip out screen with dvd player and also added sirius and nav.

well said.

it's not completely impossible. it's more of how badly you want it. I'm an audio/video whore, so I had to have my double din unit in the avalon no matter what it takes... needless to say, i'm enjoying it. hell, i recently added a backup camera and a woofer.