Toyota Tacoma - installation angle won't work?

[jreiter]

I have a 1999 Toyota Tacoma, and it's looking like my AVIC-D2 just isn't going to work. The problem is that the Tacoma dash is angled down slightly, thus giving the AVIC a negative vertical angle. The AVIC headunits require a 0-30 degree vertical angle; no negative angle is allowed. This means that the AVIC can't calibrate the gyros, and the nav unit simply will not work correctly. I've been driving around with it for a couple of months now, and no luck. It just complains about the vertical angle being wrong.

 

So, has anyone else had any luck installing one of these in a Tacoma? (The older Tacos, not the new re-designed models as they have a different dash which is angled upwards.) I've looked at ways to modify the dash and angle the headunit upward, but I can't see how it could be done cleanly and without cutting away a good part of the dash opening surrounding the headunit.

[socal85]

I have one installed in my 99 and have no problems, I just adjust the angle of the screen to be able to see the map. Have had mine in for some time now and the only thing that does not apper to work is the angular volociy(i dont know if that is spelled right?)

[jreiter]

Well, yeah, I've adjusted the angle of the screen to make it more viewable. It's the angle of the headunit itself that affects the gyros, though. Hmm... has yours never complained about the vertical installation angle? If you go into the Hardware Information screen (where it shows all the connection info), does it show your installation angle as okay?

 

If it's all good on yours, then I wonder why mine doesn't like it. Just to verify, your headunit does angle downward a bit, right? A couple of degrees or so?

[socal85]

mine seems to be level, the install angle in the setup screen says "ok", the only thing I could think of, is install angle set up to the face forward?

[cntrylvr79]

Socal85 if you what to fix your lack of 3d hybrid, just connect the vss wire. It's at the ecu behind the glovebox. Green/orange if I remember correctly.

[socal85]

Thanks cntrylvr79 I will try that soon. It is hard to cut/splice my factory harness.

[jreiter]

Socal85, your headunit is definitely more level than mine. Mine most definitely is angled down a few degrees, while yours does indeed look pretty level. Well heck... how did that happen? I assume you're just using the factory brackets to mount it, right? If so, we must have different brackets that angle the headunits slightly differently. Hmm... weird.

[socal85]

yes, jreiter I just took the bracket off of my factory radio and then installed it on the AVIC. Could you use some washers to shim it at an angle that would work?

[Cincycaddy]

jreiter. Any chance you mounted the left factory toyota bracket on the right and the right on the left?

 

Been a while since I've been in the bay, but I remember a Toyota or two that you could do this on and it wouldn't sit as it should in the dash.

 

Chris.

[cntrylvr79]

jreiter You sure you didn't accidentally switch the brackets or something. The factory brackets should have lined up perfectly on each side of the avic. There is also a possiblity that the angle you're talking about is a result of screwing the avic into the dash a a slight downward angle. That one has happened to me a number of times. If you look at the screw holes in the dahs you'll see plastic nipples that can cause the upper part of the radio to angle downward if the radio is set just right in the dash.

[jreiter]

I definitely know I have the brackets installed right side up. (I must've done 20 stereo installs in Tacomas over the years.) The downward angle isn't much... just barely enough to make the AVIC grumpy. I'm also pretty sure the brackets aren't stuck on those little alignment nipples. The headunit is lined up perfectly with the dash when you snap the dash back on. I'll definitely double check that, though. Maybe when I get home from work tonight I'll pop that dash back off (since it's really easy) and see what's up. I've already pulled it out a couple of times now, though, trying to figure out a solution, but I'm a bit stuck. My first thought was to stick some washers in between the bottom screws of the mounting brackets to push the bottom out a bit, thus leveling it out. Unfortunately, since the headunit is perfectly flush against the dash I don't have any room to bring the bottom of the headunit out.

[socal85]

Just took mine out and saw their are two possible screw holes. When you get off of work check to see if you are in these holes. Pic to follow. I hope you can get it to work because tacoma's with nav are cool. they shock the heck out of people when you tell'em " ya, my 99 2wd std cab tacoma has navi" good luck.

[jreiter]

Thanks for the pics, Socal! And yeah, that's exactly how I've got mine set up. You can't actually mount the brackets to the headunit using the other holes due to those little alignment pins. Also, it'd be way, way off if you did manage to. (And it'd be angled upwards!) I'm definitely going to have to take mine out again and eyeball everything.

 

And you're right, Tacos are pretty bare to have a nice navi unit in them. Now if only I could get power mirrors that didn't require me to roll the windows down and manually adjust the darn things!

[Cincycaddy]

Tip:

If you can't get it to line up and level, even when the brackets are installed correctly, grind off or flatten the alignment tabs that go into the Z1. Then take a uni-bit or a bit larger than the hole, and enlarge the holes. Now you will have some play to work with and may be able to get it to sit correctly in the dash. Just don't enlarge the holes bigger than the head of the 8mm bolt/screw.

 

Chris.

[jreiter]

Ahhh... great idea! That would allow me to push the top of the unit back, rather than pulling the bottom forward, and thus not have to modify the dash at all. Geez, why didn't I think of that?