A word of caution. The front mudguards on my 01 HL tore after appx 30K miles. I took my HL into San Francisco Toyota and they told me an object hit the mudguards so they wouldn't cover them under warranty. They were VERY RUDE! I have seen dozens on torn front mudguards on other Highlanders so I know NOTHING hit them causing this tear. Sustained pressure from freeway speeds causes the tearing. I complained to Toyota USA and they had me take my HL to City Toyota in Daly City where the service rep happily replaced them under warranty. I've left notes on other Highlanders with torn mudguards and will probably print out notices (to save writing notes when I come across these affected Highlanders) which I'll start posting on windshields. I'm not sure most owners notice their mudguards...sigh...
Thanks for the heads up! We will be keeping a close eye on our mudguards...I do lots of freeway driving!! Sorry for sounding totally stupid...but who/what is Toyota USA? (in case I also need to complain & know they listen. Is it just the main Toyota Co.contact?) Sounds like a dealership can make the decision whether to cover something under warranty or not!?!
I am considering the purchase of a V6 Highlander (Base Model), and am wondering if anyone has any experience with its towing capacities. Our tent trailer is small and weighs about 1500 pounds. Would I be OK for a 2 wheel drive, or is it necessary to have a 4 wheel drive?
I am foiled just starting the job. I am attempting to remove the round grill covers to install an after-market 5" light and can not figure it out. I have removed the one screw that came right out but what else has to be done to get it off? There seems to be a piece that squeezes together but nothing happens. Can someone help?
Has anyone installed 18" wheels with 255/55-18 tires? It appears from 3 web vendor sites that there will be no issues, but I wanted to hear from those who actually have these installed. Thanks.
I don't have 18"s, but I DO have 255/65-16 tires, so the width should be similar. Unless your new rims come with different offsets, I don't see how they could fit the rear wheels without spacers.
Thanks for the input, as always. Actually, I just spoke to an online advisor from tires.com and he verified spacers will not be needed because of the offset. As for yours with spacers, I really don't know; perhaps, because of the added width plus the non-recommended sidewall size. The size of your tires are not among those recommended for the 16" wheel (stock, 235/70, and 245/70). Oh well, whatever works, right?
I just sent pics of my HL to WAAG.com (which provided all my grill guards). Hopefully they'll post the pics soon so you can see how I have mine configured. I've done a lot of "experimentation". : )
I put the largest spacers I could on mine (30mm, I believe). This was because I installed fender flares - the wheels look MUCH better when they line up even with the flares.
I recently purchased an '03 6 cylinder base Highlander, and want to install a rear spoiler from Toyota. Would like to do myself, if possible, but am a little wary of drilling holes through body. I didn't notice any prior posts on the subject. Does anyone have any experience doing this, and/or suggestions? Just wondering if it's something I should have the dealer do, or if I can tackle myself.
I got a Toyota parts spoiler (pre-painted) from on-line dealer (toyotaparts4u.com - about $240 including install kit) and had my local Toyota shop install it. Cost about $100 for the work and they warranty for as long as I own the car. I understand that there is also a rivet involved in the installation.
I purchased a spoiler on ebay from rburns (Spoiler and Wing King) for $145 and installed it myself. Installation is easy. Four holes drilled from the outside (lining up directions are included). On the inside of the hatch there are three large plugs which are located under the drilled holes and the screws are attached through those holes into the spoiler. The fourth hole in the inside (why did Toyota not pre-drill that one?) must be drilled and plugged after the screw is attached. One person can do it, but is easier for two. The biggest issue is not dropping the spoiler which is very light and scratchable.
After taking out the screw, open the hood and view the cover from the top. There are two white plastic grommets. Using your fingers compress the tabs on either side of the grommet and push the cover forward. The white grommet can turn putting the tabs anywhere but they will be 180 degrees apart. As for the wiring, in your other post, I used a remote.
I have a '01 HL Limited(JBL) and I'm dreading the extreme bass coming from the speakers. I want to upgrade my speakers(Infinity Kappa) and maybe the tweeters, but I don't know if I should change the amp or not. Am I able to change the speakers only, or do I need to get a new amp also? I heard from someone to use a crossover if I didn't want to change the amp, but I have no idea what it is. Can someone help me? For those who upgraded their systems, can you guys tell me what speakers/tweeters/amps are good and can fit on my HL?
Typically when speakers are replaced in a car, the tweeters (small ~1" speakers near the top of the front doors) are always replaced when the woofers (larger ~6" speakers near the bottom of the front doors) are replaced. These speakers (separate tweeters and woofers) are referred to as component speakers or a component speaker system, and this entire "system" must be replaced together (unless if you're a real hi-fi techno fanatic in which case you might feel savvy enough to match a new woofer to the existing tweeter). While the factory component speakers in the Highlander do not have a crossover, most after-market component speaker systems will come with a crossover network, which looks like a small enclosure with a few electronic components in it. The signal from the output of the amp is connected to the input of the crossover, and there are two outputs from the crossover, one connecting to the woofer and the other to the tweeter. The Infinity Kappa 60.5CS is an example of a component speaker system.
"I heard from someone to use a crossover if I didn't want to change the amp..." This is false information as changing the amp is completely independent of changing the speakers and hence the crossover.
The speakers in the back doors of the Highlander, however, are not components but instead (in the case of the JBL system) are coaxial, which means that the tweeter is mounted in the center of the woofer in a single speaker housing. There is no crossover (or is built-in); the output of the amp connects to the single input on the speaker housing. The Infinity Kappa 62.5I is an example of a coaxial speaker.
You don't necessarily need to buy a new amp. The conventional wisdom is that upgrading just the speakers provides the most noticeable improvement to a factory sound system. If this still doesn't produce good enough sound for your tastes, the next step would be to upgrade the amp.
You can try just upgrading the front speakers first before deciding whether to upgrade the rears.
Check-out www.crutchfield.com for further explanations of car speaker systems and for a list of the most popular car speakers available. Also check-out previous posts concerning speakers in this discussion for opinions on what speakers/amps are good choices; I've heard good things about JL Audio, both for their speakers and their amps, but the prices are high.
Best way to choose speakers is to bring a CD representative of the music you listen to with you to the car stereo shop and audition different speakers to see which ones sound good to you; play them at a loud volume level as this will affect the bass response and is typically the volume level you will be playing the sound system at when driving with ambient car noise in the background.
All of this still may not solve the bass problem you're complaining about (I assume you've tried adjusting the bass control). The Highlander cabin seems to have a modal resonance frequency possibly around 120 Hz which results in somewhat of a boomey sound from the audio system; one solution may be to add a graphic equalizer to attenuate the 120 Hz band, but this is a somewhat cumbersome solution which may or may not solve the problem. Perhaps more expensive speakers or a sub-woofer are the answer. Although I know a little bit about the technical aspects of car audio systems I'm not an experienced car audiofile, so you may need to look elsewhere for more information (but be wary of sales people pushing any particular speaker brand).
(Once you get me started talking about speakers its hard to get me to stop.)
Good names in car audio speakers are Infinity, Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, MB Quart, JL Audio and Focal Utopia depending on how much you want to spend. But note that within each manufacturer's line of speaker models the quality can differ, sometimes significantly.
Also, upon re-reading your post, your friend may have been referring to a filter when he said to add a "crossover" if you don't change the amp. Adding a filter in the form of a large non-polarized capacitor, called a bass blocker, in series with the woofer would indeed cut down on the bass, but this would have about the same affect as turning down the bass control. Many aftermarket amps have an adjustment to cut down the bass as well, but once again this can pretty much be accomplished by adjusting the bass control on the factory sound system.
In addition to checking-out previous posts concerning speakers in this discussion, you might try the "Audio system upgrades (Head units, speakers, CD changers etc.)" discussion in the Edmunds Audio Discussions discussion group, as well as other car audio discussion forums on the web.
Now I am ready to relpace the plastic dummy covers including sealed beam and use few sqirts of silicone to hold it in place. (does it cost more than 30 K to get $ 20 worth of glass? )It does not have to be hooked up, factory fog lights are only 35 Watts and light only few feet ahead.
Now the problem is finding 5" diameter beams.
Did anyone find anything usable including sealed beam at the low price range?
I am installing Pilot PL-362W. They fit in the holes perfectly. You need to engineer the brackets to make them work. I can be more specific if you select those. It is not too difficult.I purchased them at Autozone for $60 for the pair.
How did you fit the lights into 5" hole. Specs on the website show a diameter of 5 1/8" - did you remove the neon ring before installation or is the light with neon ring on the outside of the hole?
It is a great find - beats the $400 that dealer quoted me.
I upgraded my non-JBL system with Infinity Kappa's--triaxials in front and coaxials in back. Using factory radio only. The Kappas have accurate sound except for a harsh peak in the treble and weak bass. I lower the treble to -2 on the radio which masks the treble problem most of the time, unless your music contains much signal at the frequency where the peak is. I'm guessing this peak is near the crossover frequency around 3.5 to 4 kHz. but not sure. I use the Infinity Basslink subwoofer with it and set the crossover at 120 Hz to cover the weak bass in the Kappas. This helps some but the missing mid-bass, to me, hurts the otherwise very good sound. I read some of the posts in sounddomain.com and it appears Kappas typically have weak mid bass and harsh treble. If you don't mind buying over the Internet, there are some reputable but NOT factory authorized dealer selling Kappas for about halve the retail price. These are the same speakers as retail but warranty service is provided by the seller not Infinity. Of course if you do go this route be careful of who you're buying from--checking their reputation and policies.
There is nothing on the lamp that has to be removed. It fits right into the hole perfectly. Here is what I did: I shortened the brackets so they lined up with back of the light compartment and drilled new holes for attaching the brackets to the lamps. I then cut off the screw receptacle from the false grill and glued it back into the hole from the outside. I then took a small metal strap and drilled holes so with one end screwed into the back of the bracket and the other end using the grill screw to screw into the glued receptacle (plastic nut). The lamps are pretty snug. The one thing about this lamp setup is that the neon lights to me seem a bit tacky and I don't antcipate using them or maybe even wiring thme in.
I am installing an outside temp sensor in my base HL. Anyone know where Toyota installs the OEM sensor? Grill, behind the bumper? Think it needs to be below and/or front of engine and out of wind. Have plenty of wire and found way into engine compartment through door jamb. Thanks.
Mine's mounted or clipped to the grill. It works just fine there.Contrary to popular opinion, it does't have to be "hidden from the wind." Hope this helps.
I have the PNI V6000. Got it from Costco for $39.00. Its got digital compass, inside/outside temp, barometer and altimeter. The compass and temp are fairly accurate (the baro and altim are interesting but not easily verifiable). The outside sensor needs to readjust after the car is stopped or parked over hot pavement. Takes usually less than a minute of movement to get within 1 or 2 degrees of the announced temp from the radio. It mounts with suction cups. I placed mine on top of the ashtray cover on the console. It plugs into the power point on the console, has a battery backup and is auto illumiunated. It shuts off automatically but you do have to turn it on. Its silver and does not clash with the "hammered metal" plastic on the console. I believe there is also a more recent model (V7000?) that turns on and off with the engine.
I just installed the PIAA 510 fog lights on my '03 Highlander. After removing the plastic grill, I lined up the mounting bolt at the top of the inside of the bumper between the two holes left from the grill mount. I drilled exact size hole to accommodate the mounting bolt then placed a 11/2 " stainless washer on the other side and after a little adjusting to the light and mounting bracket it works like a charm. As far as the wiring goes I tied in to the headlights for my positive lead to keep the fog lights legal. I did not use the PIAA switch, instead I purchased a fog light switch from Toyota for about $12. and replaced the blank on the left side of the steering wheel. These lights measure about 4 inches across and that leaves about 1/2 inch all around inside the bumper opening. I didn't like that much space so I place the PIAA light grill covers that comes with the fog light kit and they did the trick. All in all it took about two hours. Good Luck to anyone else who tries this. I really like having the fog lights!!
PIAA kit comes with a in line wire splicer and I tied it into the left side headlight power wire. Don't remember the color of the headlight wire but it was the heavy gauge and obviously the positive line into the lamp. Hope this helps.
Do you have the part number for the stock fog lamp switch? I would like to make it look as clean as possible also.
Just got our Highlander so excuse any dumb questions. Where did you run it through the firewall? I'm guessing there is a grommet or passthrough somewhere. Is the wire noted above the only one you needed to splice in? No extra relays or anything?
I can't remember the part number, but it is a lighted toggle switch with the fog light symbol printed on it. I just went into the local Toyota dealer and told him what I wanted and he looked up the part and ordered it. It is not something they usually stock. Running the wires thru the firewall was easy. Just used a piece hanger wire at the outside edge of the rubber grommet where all the wires feed thru behind the steering wheel. The PIAA kit requires three lines and the directions are very clear. Hope this helps.
I am about to dive into a stereo upgrade and would like to know if you could be a bit more specific about the infinity speakers you used in your front and rear doors. Did you have to make any modifications when mounting the speakers? Thanks for the added info.
Hi all! Just bought an 03 Highlander non Limited, and purchased the auto dimming rearview mirror as an accessory. It did not come with instructions to install. Brad 22, I see in an earlier post that you installed one and mentioned the instructions were good. Do you have some way to get me the instructions? I am very good around cars, but hate to "mess-up" something on my brand new car. Thanks!
Sorry didn't reply earlier, I don't browse this forum regularly anymore. I don't have the model numbers handy but they are the 2003 model Infinity Kappa 6.5" speakers, one triaxial set and one coaxial set. I would recommend using the coaxials set front and back, though as I've said the factory radio's rear output is low power and low fidelity so you would not loss much by skipping the rear replacement if you plan on using the factory radio.
I did not need to cut any of the vehicle's door or trim, but had to make a spacer that goes between the door and speaker to keep the speaker. Two layer thick of 3/4" particle board give about the correct thickness. You will see what I mean when you look at the factory speaker, which has a built-in spacer. BTW, the rear speakers from the factory are 5.25" but you can install 6.5" with no problems, just be aware that you need to make when making the spacers to use the hole pattern from the rear door (I learned the hard way they are not the same as the front). I found tips on removing the door panels by searching this forum.
Thanks, I also found the Highlander specific instructions, and got the mirror installed fairly easily. If anyone wants them, please post, and I will try to figure out how to post the link here. The auto-dim mirror w/compass and outside temp looks and works great! Next on my upgrade list are fog lights, which I have also seen mentioned in this forum, and will have to go back and read for suggestions. I appears that Toyota doesn't make a fog light accessory kit for the Highlander.
I also miss the auto on/off headlights that our previous (2000) Camry had. Our 2003 Camry SE doesn't have them either. :-(
try the Pilot PL-362W. They fit perfectly in the grill holes. the bracket has to be modified a bit to get them to work. These lights have color accent rings around them. I thought they were tacky and just cut off the wires. I am using a stock rocker switch that fits in the blank slot to the left of the steering wheel.
try the Pilot PL-362W. They fit perfectly in the grill holes. the bracket has to be modified a bit to get them to work. These lights have color accent rings around them. I thought they were tacky and just cut off the wires. I am using a stock rocker switch that fits in the blank slot to the left of the steering wheel. They can be seen at www.pilotautomotive.com.
When I installed aftermarket speakers, was able to retrofit the existing factory speaker spacer -- removed the factory speakers from the black plastic spacers -- the aftermarket speaker mounting holes were about 1/8" closer to the center than those of the factory speakers, but got around this by snipping the outside corners of the mounting tabs with sheet metal shears -- the screws in the spacer still secured the speaker by clamping to the outsides of these tabs, and glue was used to seal the new speakers within the spacers.
When you unlock the vehicle using the key fob, it makes two beeps, then another two when you open the other doors. When you lock the vehicle, it makes one beep. I know this sounds trivial, but it drives me crazy. It really should be the other way around.
Does anyone know if this can be programmed differently ?
thank you everyone for making my HL'03 buying experience worthwhile. Just purchased a 4WD V6 not limited and would like to know where I can get good seat covers for HL interior. Have kids and dog and would like to protect original fabric.
steveg44 and ALL....I purchased the Pilot PL 362W fog lighs, and they DO fit nicely into the bumper fog light holes. I'm not sure I like the blue color of the lens, and how it goes with my Gold HL, but anyway...I made a bracket out of plumber's tape (really a narrow strip of metal with holes) and attached this to one side of the bulb with the bolts included with the lights, and the other to the hole in the bumper cutout where the false grill screwed in. Still need to figure out how to adjust them for proper alignment. BUT..first, how to wire?
I was thinking of having them on anytime the low beams were on, by simply taping into the low beam wires, and eliminating any extra relays or switches. Anyone know if this will draw too much current and lower the output of the low beams, or will this work? Seems too simple...
I want to wire in a headphone jack to our stock premium JBL 3 in 1 unit. I know it has a separate amp in the back of the HL, but I thought I'd splice into the outputs at the head unit. Anyone happen to know which wires coming out of it are the RL and RF speaker outputs? Thanks....
I had a bug guard installed on a Suburu Outback. They have a tough time in a car wash, mostly from the drying blowers. The vibrations can, and did, wear through the paint. I took mine off after about 3 months.
Comments
I've left notes on other Highlanders with torn mudguards and will probably print out notices (to save writing notes when I come across these affected Highlanders) which I'll start posting on windshields. I'm not sure most owners notice their mudguards...sigh...
I put the largest spacers I could on mine (30mm, I believe). This was because I installed fender flares - the wheels look MUCH better when they line up even with the flares.
I have a '01 HL Limited(JBL) and I'm dreading the extreme bass coming from the speakers. I want to upgrade my speakers(Infinity Kappa) and maybe the tweeters, but I don't know if I should change the amp or not. Am I able to change the speakers only, or do I need to get a new amp also? I heard from someone to use a crossover if I didn't want to change the amp, but I have no idea what it is. Can someone help me? For those who upgraded their systems, can you guys tell me what speakers/tweeters/amps are good and can fit on my HL?
Thanks!
Typically when speakers are replaced in a car, the tweeters (small ~1" speakers near the top of the front doors) are always replaced when the woofers (larger ~6" speakers near the bottom of the front doors) are replaced. These speakers (separate tweeters and woofers) are referred to as component speakers or a component speaker system, and this entire "system" must be replaced together (unless if you're a real hi-fi techno fanatic in which case you might feel savvy enough to match a new woofer to the existing tweeter). While the factory component speakers in the Highlander do not have a crossover, most after-market component speaker systems will come with a crossover network, which looks like a small enclosure with a few electronic components in it. The signal from the output of the amp is connected to the input of the crossover, and there are two outputs from the crossover, one connecting to the woofer and the other to the tweeter. The Infinity Kappa 60.5CS is an example of a component speaker system.
"I heard from someone to use a crossover if I didn't want to change the amp..." This is false information as changing the amp is completely independent of changing the speakers and hence the crossover.
The speakers in the back doors of the Highlander, however, are not components but instead (in the case of the JBL system) are coaxial, which means that the tweeter is mounted in the center of the woofer in a single speaker housing. There is no crossover (or is built-in); the output of the amp connects to the single input on the speaker housing. The Infinity Kappa 62.5I is an example of a coaxial speaker.
You don't necessarily need to buy a new amp. The conventional wisdom is that upgrading just the speakers provides the most noticeable improvement to a factory sound system. If this still doesn't produce good enough sound for your tastes, the next step would be to upgrade the amp.
You can try just upgrading the front speakers first before deciding whether to upgrade the rears.
Check-out www.crutchfield.com for further explanations of car speaker systems and for a list of the most popular car speakers available. Also check-out previous posts concerning speakers in this discussion for opinions on what speakers/amps are good choices; I've heard good things about JL Audio, both for their speakers and their amps, but the prices are high.
Best way to choose speakers is to bring a CD representative of the music you listen to with you to the car stereo shop and audition different speakers to see which ones sound good to you; play them at a loud volume level as this will affect the bass response and is typically the volume level you will be playing the sound system at when driving with ambient car noise in the background.
All of this still may not solve the bass problem you're complaining about (I assume you've tried adjusting the bass control). The Highlander cabin seems to have a modal resonance frequency possibly around 120 Hz which results in somewhat of a boomey sound from the audio system; one solution may be to add a graphic equalizer to attenuate the 120 Hz band, but this is a somewhat cumbersome solution which may or may not solve the problem. Perhaps more expensive speakers or a sub-woofer are the answer. Although I know a little bit about the technical aspects of car audio systems I'm not an experienced car audiofile, so you may need to look elsewhere for more information (but be wary of sales people pushing any particular speaker brand).
Good names in car audio speakers are Infinity, Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, MB Quart, JL Audio and Focal Utopia depending on how much you want to spend. But note that within each manufacturer's line of speaker models the quality can differ, sometimes significantly.
Also, upon re-reading your post, your friend may have been referring to a filter when he said to add a "crossover" if you don't change the amp. Adding a filter in the form of a large non-polarized capacitor, called a bass blocker, in series with the woofer would indeed cut down on the bass, but this would have about the same affect as turning down the bass control. Many aftermarket amps have an adjustment to cut down the bass as well, but once again this can pretty much be accomplished by adjusting the bass control on the factory sound system.
In addition to checking-out previous posts concerning speakers in this discussion, you might try the "Audio system upgrades (Head units, speakers, CD changers etc.)" discussion in the Edmunds Audio Discussions discussion group, as well as other car audio discussion forums on the web.
Now the problem is finding 5" diameter beams.
Did anyone find anything usable including sealed beam at the low price range?
It is a great find - beats the $400 that dealer quoted me.
I read some of the posts in sounddomain.com and it appears Kappas typically have weak mid bass and harsh treble.
If you don't mind buying over the Internet, there are some reputable but NOT factory authorized dealer selling Kappas for about halve the retail price. These are the same speakers as retail but warranty service is provided by the seller not Infinity. Of course if you do go this route be careful of who you're buying from--checking their reputation and policies.
I don't really want the auto-dimming mirror, and all the stick-on jobs seem to need a battery and are only illuminated on demand by pressing a button.
Is there one out there that looks ok, is hard-wireable, and illuminated?
Tall order, I know...
Glen
These lights measure about 4 inches across and that leaves about 1/2 inch all around inside the bumper opening. I didn't like that much space so I place the PIAA light grill covers that comes with the fog light kit and they did the trick.
All in all it took about two hours. Good Luck to anyone else who tries this. I really like having the fog lights!!
Hope this helps.
Just got our Highlander so excuse any dumb questions. Where did you run it through the firewall? I'm guessing there is a grommet or passthrough somewhere. Is the wire noted above the only one you needed to splice in? No extra relays or anything?
Auto Dimming Mirror Installation Guide
Good luck! Let me know if you run into any problems.
I did not need to cut any of the vehicle's door or trim, but had to make a spacer that goes between the door and speaker to keep the speaker. Two layer thick of 3/4" particle board give about the correct thickness. You will see what I mean when you look at the factory speaker, which has a built-in spacer.
BTW, the rear speakers from the factory are 5.25" but you can install 6.5" with no problems, just be aware that you need to make when making the spacers to use the hole pattern from the rear door (I learned the hard way they are not the same as the front).
I found tips on removing the door panels by searching this forum.
Here's some helpful pictures I found:
http://www.suslow.com/neon/
Good luck.
I also miss the auto on/off headlights that our previous (2000) Camry had. Our 2003 Camry SE doesn't have them either. :-(
Does anyone know if this can be programmed differently ?
Thanks,
Craig.
Thanks,
Craig.
Thanks again,
rox4
I was thinking of having them on anytime the low beams were on, by simply taping into the low beam wires, and eliminating any extra relays or switches. Anyone know if this will draw too much current and lower the output of the low beams, or will this work? Seems too simple...
They have a tough time in a car wash, mostly from the drying blowers. The vibrations can, and did, wear through the paint. I took mine off after about 3 months.