Replacing the JBL 6-disc w/ a 2007.

[MCOjerry]

I wish I had a all blue lights. I think it would annoy me more to have blue audio and green hvac...I wonder if you can just swap out the hvac too?

What made you swap out the HU? Is the only extra functionality the MP3 compatibility, or is there something else that the HU has?

I still don't understand why Toyota would do mixed green/blue, except that they were cheap and didn't want to change out the HU colors between the Camry and Solara...now that the Camry is blue, the Solara is blue. The Camry owners get all the attention

[Down2TheC]

How it plays...

Like anything stock the MP3 playing is a bit goofy. Here's some notes if you're thinking about doing this.

- MP3 CD's load the same. When you switch to it you have about 20 seconds for it to catalog the ID3 tags and start playing.
- Like the Gen2 JBL HU, the options show all the time (i.e. RAND, REPT) and when selected they are underlined. Always found that silly.
- tag RAND to shuffle the folder you're in.
- press and hold RAND (1 sec.) to shuffle the whole CD.
- When in either RAND mode, the next song is randomized ONLY if the song ends on it's own. If you skip to next, you'll get the tune right after the one you're on. Seriously goofy. If you're skipping a song you probably wnat to move on to another album. When that happens I give the tuning knob a twirl.
- Tuning know quickly rolls through the songs. Pretty nice.
- Display shows either CD-FOLDER-SONG (i.e. 3-12-4) or any of the ID3 info. To switch you hit Text. To see the rest of the text that ran off the edge you hit and HOLD the Text button. Again... lame.
- Plastic face. The silver is less sparkly and more flat than the HVAC below it. Totally noticeable. I'm going to try to switch faces to make it match but not sure if it'll work since the old unit had the cassette. Buttons are all in the right places though.
- Older MP3 players had a problem continuing songs. This one resumes where it left off when you fire the car up. But it thinks for a bit before resuming. It also has the FF/RW buttons for scanning through MP3 tracks.
- AUX2Car works the same.

It's better than mucking about with an MP3 player in the storage bin, but I still find it a bit sad that they can't program a decent display or random feature. [rant] Back when there were two MP3 HUs on the market, I bought an AIWA. The display scrolls the text and had a dot-matrix display for making real letters. It even had an integrated AUX input. That was in 2000 I think. Can't find all that anymore. 6yrs later we have to drop $70 for an AUX and read words on a 12 segment display. We're going backward. [/rant]

[mluu510]

it's not your pic. i sat in an 07 solara. i just didn't like the text on the center console.

Yup... it all works. ID3 text comes in fine too though cut off like everything else on the lame display.
wheel controls are the same so to jump to the next folder you need to hit the HU button.
I like the tuning knob doubling as a track advance because you can zip through a couple folders with one spin. And the illumination is great. Wonder if the 07's got blue everywhere else. If so I'm jealous.

i really hate the new text labels. they're so bold and look fuzzy. but, good work, buddy.

Might be the pic. I try to go natural light when I can. Flash pics look awful that close.

[Down2TheC]

Then then next project is swapping the face. We'll see if it fits. Even though the cassette player will be vestigial I think I'd like it more. I'll add pics if it works.

[Down2TheC]

So I ripped apart the 04 HU. No way to use the face without major plastic work. The face is one molded plastic piece. Unless you chop out the section below the display, the two aren't compatible. ('04 has 5 buttons, '07 has 4, then there's the cassette issue.) I was hoping that part was removable but it's not. (unless you have a nice dremel and lots of time to kill)

On a sidenote... I'll post pics of the guts so if anyone wants to replace the LEDs you can see what you have ahead of you.

[SPF 0]

I gotta say mad upz an' nothin' but respect for ur Solarain' skillz.

[MCOjerry]

^^you said it twice and I STILL didn't understand it.

[Sebas007]

Take it off order !
For interior mods noobs like me.

Step 1
The top cover doesn't need any tool to take it off. Just put your hand on the top and use the 3 screen hole to grip it better. Pull it toward the rear end of the car.

Step 2 the central trim...pull off the little dark gray suaqre in the tranny cover then start from back. You can refer to fig A-8 of the PDF file posted by Down2Thec. Just pull it the clip will go one by one. The hand brake and shifter will be the biggest challenge to avoid. I start my car I put the tranny to manual mode and the tight hand brake the most I can to help myself.

Step 3 the bottom section...do the same has you did for Step 2...the part will come off pretty easily.

Now you have access to all you need !!

[cadillacflow]

I still don't quit understand how to get the center console moved. I'm sure you guys are explaining it to the "T", I just don't want to mess anything up. Does anyone have pics of that?? Thanks.

[Sebas007]

Have more confidence in your intelligence and yourself. Just give a try. With all the info you have here you can miss it and if you don't fell well just stop what you were doing and roll back

[Down2TheC]

You can see in my pics where the side clips are and that they are going forward (and not perpendicular to the surface)

Look really closely and you'll make out all the clips and holes that concern you. You can see it bigger if you check out my gallery in my sig. click the 640x480 pics to see the full size.

[cadillacflow]

Have more confidence in your intelligence and yourself. Just give a try. With all the info you have here you can miss it and if you don't fell well just stop what you were doing and roll back

^^Huh??

Thanks Down2TheC. My radio should be here in the next couple days. I think I see how the bottom console removes now. Like I said, I just dont want to break anything.

[PXLpainter]

Have more confidence in your intelligence and yourself. Just give a try. With all the info you have here you can miss it and if you don't fell well just stop what you were doing and roll back

^^Huh??

He's French-Canadian - LOL!

You gotta just pick out the big words and figure out the tone of what he's saying... you'll get it eventually. Lord knows I butcher the hell outta my French!!

[Sebas007]

Come on !! haha

I read again and again my answer and I see maybe 1 place where it may be wrongly interpreted. But I still don't understand how a person cannot understand the idea when 99% is good.

[crispone]

Come on !! haha

I read again and again my answer and I see maybe 1 place where it may be wrongly interpreted. But I still don't understand how a person cannot understand the idea when 99% is good.

99%? Sebas... it's ALL good, dude!



taka der looki @ duh postings untillen yuZe getz whut wheez try in 2 sey... an duh iffen it comflication whit sumptin, dooz it uhgen.

^^^ That's what Sebas MEANT to say... maybe?


(I must be bored.... )


Seriously, the trick is to pull STRAIGHT BACK toward you on a level stroke as you "draw" the center pod out. The "friction clips" are on either side, pretty high up, but once they "give", it will come right out. (I'm assuming it's the pod you are having issue with...) I used a "butter knife" to get it started the first time, but this CAN mar the dash, and I've NOT done it since. If I were to use a "tool", I'd NOT use a screwdriver, but a "broad" blade like the butter knife again, but WRAP it in electrical tape a little to give it GRIP and reduce the risk of damage... or... just get a GRIP on the pod "roof" over the outer two gages and PULL STRAIGHT BACK.

G/L.

-crisp