New guy here with some questions.

Hi all. I picked up a 2000 Tacoma a few months back after doing a bunch of research (most of it from here). I paid a little over $7500 for it, and it has about 225k miles on it. Frame and underbody have been coated in the past, and it doesn't have any major rust that I've been able to find.



I'm finally getting around to making some changes to it and thought I'd ask here for advice. The first thing I want to do is put in a new stereo, preferably something with android auto and the inputs for a backup camera. I've looked at a few models of stereo but just wanted to hear what everyone had to say about those modifications.

Second thing is that someone in the past had wired in some stuff. There was an old aftermarket security system that I removed, as well as some old lights in the bumper that don't work, and an aftermarket satillite radio kit that was hooked into the factory radio through the antenna. There was also what I think is an aftermarket amp tucked in behind the radio. I'm trying to figure out if I should attempt to undo the previous wiring or just leave it and install a new head unit. Let me know what you all think.

These are pictures of the factory radio, mystery amp, and the current state of the wiring.

 

Welcome to the taco gang! Nice pickup.

I was in the same boat as you. Previous owner loved Amazon shit (push button start, subs, and a weird alarm system) … first task I did was spend a weekend tracing all the wires and removing properly. My mindset was, in the future if I’m troubleshooting anything, I don’t want to deal with that rats nest of wires in there.

 

I’ve been dealing with that previous owners “bro’ing” of the truck. In the 3 months he owned it he added:

shitty double DIN touch screen head unit.
Viper alarm/remote start/door lock. Both installed by Best Buy.

Amongst many other idiotic cosmetic stuff.

I have to figure out how to properly uninstall the viper system as I’m pretty sure it has a decent parasitic draw. Killed my brand new AGM battery after not driving it for a week. First I would like to test to see which circuit is the parasitic draw just so I have peace of mind.

I wish broheim just left it stock.

 

The head unit is not stock for a Tacoma, but it is at least a Toyota HU. I'd be willing to bet it was some sort of dealer installed option when the truck was new. But you're likely to want to remove all of that if you're going with your own modern HU and sound system. Working around the old amp would be a pain.

 

The stereo looks factory but that amp I’m unsure of, Personally I would disconnect both of those, maybe try disconnecting what was going on with that amp but it could turn into a mess. If you do want a stereo option I got the Sony XAV-AX150 a few months ago and it’s been great. Has Apple and Android carplay and is pretty sleek. I think it was just around 200-250$.

 

I need to do this, near the trailer hitch and under the dash i have an absolute rats nest of wiring. Been saying im going to tackle it for? 4 years now?

 

This is why stock trucks are better than buying someone else's "project".

Since your factory radio is old enough to drink, I think it's time to take it out back and shoot it, then get a new radio. Ditch that mystery amp, too. Hopefully you'll be able to back track all that wiring for the amp, but at least the factory wiring looks mostly intact.

I just ordered one for my wife's Corolla from Crutchfield, they make the process super easy and they come with all the brackets, wiring and trim pieces you need. It was a little pricier than I anticipated since I really just wanted a fairly bare bones system (factory radio was loosing bluetooth connections and the touchscreen was failing), but I wanted to maintain most of the factory options like the backup camera, large touch screen, steering wheel controls, and has Android auto. I also am not willing to go with off brand names just to save a few bucks, so I went with Pioneer DMH-2660NEX.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_130DM2660/Pioneer-DMH-2660NEX.html

It doesn't play CDs liek the factory radio, but we honestly don't use CD's all that much except to play some "road trip music" for the kids. And frankly, I could do without the Raffi my daughter always asks for...

In my Tacoma I have a really simple single DIN Kenwood CD player that I got from Crutchfield well over a decade ago. Still going strong all these years later. I have a single channel amp and a 8" sub I installed behind the rear seats, but the amp gave up the ghost a couple years ago and I've just been too lazy to deal with it. I'm embarrassed to say I still have the factory door speakers. Considering just getting new door speakers and ditching the sub all together.

You don't NEED another amp to replace that mystery one. Aftermarket decks are far more powerful than the stock system, so combine that with some modern speakers and you'll likely be fine. Amps are easy enough to add to aftermarket radios if you want to later.

 

Yeah, looks like it was out of a 4Runner, or some other Toyota. I doubt a Dealer installed it. Probably just one of the previous owners trying to keep the stock look but with a HU with an amp.

https://parts.toyota.com/p/Toyota__/Radio-Control-Unit/63394374/861200C040.html

Hopefully they at least replaced the factory door speakers with something decent, too. Kinda pointless to throw an amp at those paper cone speakers, lol. If not, OP should do that.

 

nice taco

 

that is indeed the factory radio of the 2000 Tacoma Mine is the same model

 

Not according to the Toyota website I posted...

 

It was the one my local parts manger said was stock interesting .

 

I wonder if that's just what he had on hand and new it would fit. Wouldn't be the first time a parts guy (or the website for that matter) has been wrong.

My 2004 TRD doublecab had a very similar looking factory deck but no CD player. I can't remember ever seeing a Tacoma with a factory CD player.

 

... 01-04 had a factory cd player for sure. Looked identical to the OP's but without the 6 disk option.

 

Welcome aboard, you’ve come to the right place matey

 

Stock ‘04 radio



That I swapped out for this

 

Yeah, this one has definitely been touched by Bubba. I'm trying to get it mostly to stock with a few meaningful additions.

 

Thanks!

 

I just had a shop pull the alarm system in mine. I'm not confident enough with electrical work to really start digging in something like that. That being said, it looked like my alarm system was at least professionally installed. It also didn't draw on the battery, or if it did it was small enough to not drain it after a couple weeks. The stereo is another story altogether.

 

I'm going to see if I can find a wiring diagram and just get it back to factory. Then I need to find a decent stereo. That sony one you mentioned looks decent.