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Thread: New Stereo Question

  1. #1
    Forum Newbie lyndsiedlopez's Avatar
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    Question New Stereo Question

    Hello all, I have a couple of questions about replacing the stereo in my Previa, here's the story leading up to my question (sorry I like to explain and talk a lot so it might be kind of long).

    Almost a year ago, the rear speaker on the passenger's side stopped working. It worked intermittently, whereas I would hit a bump and it would work, then hit another and it would stop. Eventually, it just stopped altogether and I figured I would just have to replace it. A few weeks ago, I finally got around to it and I took a day to take everything apart and replace the speaker.

    It still didn't work.

    I figured it might be me, considering it was the first speaker replacement I had ever done, or there was a break somewhere in the wire. I took it to my school (automotive tech major here) and we used a wire tracer to find where the wire might have been broken. My teacher told us that before we start to rip anything apart, we should take the stereo out and see if the radio frequency could still be seen there (Toyota apparently routed the wires through the headliner instead of under the carpet and he doesn't want to deal with my car anymore, long story). After finally getting the stereo free, as we pulled it out, the wire tracer started beeping, notifying us that it had found a ground signal and there was no break. We pushed the stereo back in, the connector still in, and the tracer stopped beeping, it was open again. We played with it several times before my teacher came over and pulled it all the way out. After jiggling the stereo a few times, he told us that after 18 years, the solder inside the radio, where the pins that go into the connector are, eventually break after years of vibration. He told me that I could either fix the stock stereo or get a new one, but the speaker wouldn't work until it was replaced (because of the way the stereo sits in the Previa's, at a strange angle).

    So, after all that, I need (more like want) a new stereo. There's a few I've been looking at and doing research on, but I first have a few questions that go with it. The one I really want is the Pioneer FH-X70BT, it's a little high in price at 145 dollars but it works with an Android phone and not just iPhone's like I've noticed on a lot of others. The real question is that its a double-din sized stereo. Will it fit in my 1996 Previa? It has a single-din stock radio in it right now, and underneath, it has that little cubby hole for like, a phone or something. I'm just concerned that if I go and buy the new radio, it won't fit or something.

    If anyone can help that would be great. I don't know anyone else with a Previa so therefore I don't know who to ask. Thanks for reading my story and sorry if it was a little long.

    PS: I'll add pictures of the stereo because I can't currently remember the correct name for the 'cubby hole' under it. LOL
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    Lyndsie Danielle Lopez

  2. #2
    Administrator timsrv's Avatar
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    Re: New Stereo Question

    Out of the 4 Previas I've owned 3 of them had OEM factory double din stereos. However, the newest Previa I've owned was 93 & it's very possible Toyota changed the dash for the later years. In my experience, most vehicles with a coin tray (or other type space filler) above or below a single din, will accept a double din if the space filler is removed. Here's a picture of my double din stereo being removed from my 93. Tim


  3. #3
    Forum Newbie lyndsiedlopez's Avatar
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    Re: New Stereo Question

    Oh okay, I have to say that the dash of your Previa looks EXACTLY the same as mine, not sure if anything has changed. After hearing that, I'm less concerned about the new stereo not fitting. And after I posted this last night, I googled if I would need to have a kit for the new radio. I kept finding only single-din kits that came with the space-filler and finally on Amazon, I found a single-din kit that explained that if you are installing a double-din stereo, Toyota Previa's don't need any kind of kit.

    Well maybe next week I will get the thing installed, I've never installed a stereo before so I will either attempt to do it myself, or maybe wait until spring break is over and take it to my school. Either way, it needs to be done.

    Thanks!
    Lyndsie Danielle Lopez

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    Re: New Stereo Question

    You do need a kit to install a double din, the space gap will be about 1/4" difference and you will have no way to mount the aftermarket stereo. I put a Clarion DVD Player in mine. Essentially, the kit is a bracket that attaches to either side of the unit, has the mounting holes for the factory mounting locations, and takes up the gap on either side. I got mine from CarToys, which is an aftermarket chain in the NW. In California, at least in SoCal, there is Autosound and California Car Sounds, they can sell the adaptor. Otherwise, maybe it can be ordered from CarToys website?

    You definitely need a way to mount it to the factory location, something has to hold it in place!

  5. #5
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    Re: New Stereo Question

    I expect that my '94 and your '96 are compatible mounts.

    Single DIN also will fit in the mounting bracket, though trim may not be perfect. I have a Kenwood in mine and added an aftermarket cubby in the second space.

    Worthwhile to get a wiring adapter. All of a couple dollars and saves lots of rewiring grief.

    Don't know if you have the separate amp as well, but you can choose whether to use it or bypass. Two sets of connectors behind the radio. I chose to bypass and use the Kenwood's amp. Works fine. I'll be adding a sub woofer amp this year run off the Kenwood's RCA sub output.

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    Re: New Stereo Question

    as far as I could tell, there was no change in the center stack throughout all the years of the 1st gen Previa (what we did get). Yes, there are differences in some other countries, but being we're mostly Americans or Canadians here, we're talking about the ones shown in this thread

    my previa came with a single DIN OEM Fujitsu-Ten headunit, I later added on a CD deck (from ebay) and removed the storage bin beneath it... if anyone has a OEM double DIN and needs the storage bin, go to the junk yard, and you can find one.... other toyotas may use the same thing I'm pretty sure.... it is standard single DIN size, but get the factory one because it has the proper screw holes for it to mount properly



    typically, old automobile electronics die out not because of cold solder (what your instructor calls cracked solder), but due to blown or died up capacitors... it happened to my speedometer; I have rebuilt it with new parts as it's much cheaper and I keep the same mileage/condition rather than getting some junk yard crap... is it possible to replace the caps in the stock head unit? sure... is it worth it? not really, unless you're really good with electronics.... you can buy "refurbished" ones off ebay from actual stereo repair shops, that's how I ended up with my OEM Fujitsu-Ten single disc player (the OEM 3 disc changer and another single disc variant is crap)

  7. #7
    Forum Newbie lyndsiedlopez's Avatar
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    Re: New Stereo Question

    Sorry, I haven't replied in awhile. Been busy with work and school. I did get the double-din stereo I wanted and it fit perfectly. I didn't need a kit nor did I get a wiring harness, all I needed was a test light (Previa stereo wiring is strange). Thanks for all the help with that, but now the speakers sound horribly over-powered.

    How the heck do I replace these speakers with all these weird brackets?! I have a speaker zip-tied in at the moment (definitely not going to be permanent) but how can I mount new speakers in without having to make a bunch of strange modifications? The old speaker that I replaced is screwed onto the bracket with this orange, wax-like glue. Its almost like Toyota didn't want us to replace any of this stuff!



    2014-04-02 23.58.43.jpg

    2014-04-02 23.58.10.jpg

    2014-03-17 22.13.01.jpg
    Lyndsie Danielle Lopez

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    Re: New Stereo Question

    you should've used a plug and play adapter harness that way future diagnosis, removal, and head unit replacement is easy... hacking up the factory harness causes more trouble than it's worth in my years of experience wrenching all cars

    the speakers are most likely overpowered due to the fact that your van may have the external amplifier unit.... this was optional and equipped in vans with the "premium" sound system... you need to look for it and disable/bypass it somehow.... another possibility is you got the wrong impedance speakers or your setting on the headunit is mismatched... 4 ohm speakers will sound way loud on an 8 ohm setting!

    as for proper mounting of the speakers, you might be able to buy proper speaker adapters from crutchfield, but most people use a jigsaw to cut it out of MDF to make their adapter plates



    since you're still in school, another thing that they may not have taught you and is so commonly overlooked:
    your van does NOT have phillips screws in it, those screws used for the head unit/dashboard are NOT phillips screws... if you used a phillips screwdriver on these very tight screws, they will cam out and strip the screw heads! I have posted information in another post linking to information about these screws... they are called JIS screws... google it and you will understand the differences... I also suggest you add a collection of the proper screwdrivers to your toolbox if you have career plans in wrenching ;)

  9. #9
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    Re: New Stereo Question

    Sorry to bring up an old thread. But I just acquired a Previa again, finally! Tried searching threads and the closest match I can find is this one. Does anyone have the actual speaker spec's. I tried crutchfield for different years, but it's a confusing mess and I don't believe very accurate.

  10. #10
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    Re: New Stereo Question

    Are you just looking for speaker specs? FWIW, with an LE, you have 9 speakers, right? You want to replace some?

  11. #11
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    Re: New Stereo Question

    Yes, I'm just looking for speaker specs for a 95 le. Scosche only lists 91-93.

  12. #12
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    Re: New Stereo Question

    As I mentioned, my 91 LE has 9 speakers (including subwoofer). I just checked ToyoDIY, which looks like it's stable through 93, but it looks like 95 LE is a little different up front (apparently rear speakers are the same). FWIW, 95 (maybe even 94) through 97 seem to be same. ToyoDIY gives only Toyota part numbers, not specs, but it still has useful info. Do you have ToyoDIY account?

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