Fitting a Radio that works

[Sibeaddict]

Have had my surf for a couple of weeks...at last my aerial goes up and down but the dealer fitted a band expander to the Jap radio/cassette...now when i drive the radio does work in the loosest sense of the word but it is ****** awful and the display frequency has nothing to do with the station I have tuned it to....i hate bad radios.
I want to fit a CD/Radio...is there any special things I need to know, like what do i do with the band expander, and what does that look like if i need to disconnect/bypass it?
Thanx

[TOYMOTA]

Have had my surf for a couple of weeks...at last my aerial goes up and down but the dealer fitted a band expander to the Jap radio/cassette...now when i drive the radio does work in the loosest sense of the word but it is ****** awful and the display frequency has nothing to do with the station I have tuned it to....i hate bad radios.
I want to fit a CD/Radio...is there any special things I need to know, like what do i do with the band expander, and what does that look like if i need to disconnect/bypass it?
Thanx

The best thing you can do with that s##t jap radio is BIN IT.

Do the same with the expander.

Then fit a desent unit in.

[Ems and Jim]

Tear it out..... chuck it.

Go to Hellfrauds and buy the wiring adapter for a Toyota radio socket arrangement and stick another head unit in.... easy job!

Or....you could do what I did, chop off the plug and spend ages trying to work out what all the wires do

[da SLUG man]

the frequency expander is a little silver box, connected in line on the aerial connection... it also has a +ve connection (usually pink) just un plug it and cut the +ve wire.

[Sibeaddict]

Thanks for the replies...will go and get myself a decent CD/radio, to get the old toyota radio out do i have to take the dash off or should i be able to get it out from the front?? and the what connection box should i ask for? I know last time i had a cd put in our mazda they solb me a connection kit (which i never needed!) but presumably i will need one for the surf?
Thanx
Rich

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies...will go and get myself a decent CD/radio, to get the old toyota radio out do i have to take the dash off or should i be able to get it out from the front?? and the what connection box should i ask for? I know last time i had a cd put in our mazda they solb me a connection kit (which i never needed!) but presumably i will need one for the surf?
Thanx
Rich

You need to take the dash out to get at the radio.

Info on how to do it is here:

http://www.showmesome.info/hilux/workshop/dash.htm

and here:

http://www.showmesome.info/hilux/workshop/dash2.htm

The band expander doesn't work well because japanese stations are on odd decimals e.g. 88.1 whereas the UK stations are on even decimals e.g. 95.8. Even though the band expander extends the range by 20mhz generally you will always be half a decimal out.

Yes you will need the connection kit to make it easy. You could cut all the wires like I did but then it's a pain rewiring. I eventually wired to the connection kit from Halfords so that if I ever change the radio again it's easy.

Cheers