Right angle connector for antenna adapter? (Sony XAV-AX8000)

I have a 2019 Taco (non-JBL) with an aftermarket XAV-AX8000 installed (came with it when I purchased). The radio reception is terrible. Taking the unit out and looking around it seems that the effort to get the head unit to sit back far enough to be basically flush has mean that the antenna adapter has gotten broken.

By flush I mean the sorts of arrangements discussed here:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...l-in-3rd-gen-alpine-halo9-alternative.641617/

and, uh, "honey dicked" here:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ith-custom-flush-mount-in-2019-tacoma.657843/

At least when I wiggle the cable around it gets perfect then gets terrible again when I let the cable go slack, or it might stay good but immediately goes bad again when I try to put the unit back in.

The antenna adapter looks like it is the

$11 Metra 40-LX11 Antenna Adaptor Cable - Select 2009-Up Lexus/Toyota

Metra 40-LX11, so it has the big bayonet antenna connector that the Sony units want for the radio antenna. I can get a replacement, but I wondered if there was a right angle version of that plug available. Does anyone know what sort of connector that antenna is? I think it's the DIN antenna connector, but I'm not finding any 90° connectors for those?

Any ideas? I can move the head unit forward but I'd like it as far back as possible, but don't want to stress the connections.

Also, the blue wire on the Metra 40-LX11 isn't connected. I understand that this has something to do with powered antennas, but I'm not sure if that means antennas that pop themselves up or if it providing power to the antenna for reception or something. I read something that said it should be connected to allow for HD radio for the shark's fin antenna on the roof? Any pointers to a wiring diagram (I can crimp etc)?

 

The blue wire is typically just a "signal" wire to say that the radio is on or off, not intended to provide power. Leaving it disconnected is fine.

You might call/check with Crutchfield and see if they can point you to a solution, or check Metra's site for an adapter.

 

Thanks TenBeers. I got a replacement

$11 Metra 40-LX11 Antenna Adaptor Cable - Select 2009-Up Lexus/Toyota

Metra 40-LX11 and plugged it in. The reception doesn't vary when I wiggle the cable anymore, so that's good.

Thing is that the FM reception isn't very good. Like can't lock onto local stations and never shows HD radio. On a few threads there is a suggestion that the blue wire on the Metra 40-LX11 should be connected to power for HD reception (or similar).

Anyone know if the shark's fin AM/FM antenna is meant to be powered somehow?

If so any suggestions on where to get power for it? The XAV-AX8000 does have a blue/white cable which the manual says is REM-out, but that seems to be connected to the Maestro RR wiring harness. Splice into it?

 

Maybe @destin_meeks could answer the blue wire question for sure, but I have never heard of connecting that blue wire to improve reception. Some people use it as the signal to turn on a remote amplifier. However, it likely won't hurt anything if you tap it into the blue wire coming from the HU harness.

 

The blue wire DOES need power if there is a wire that lines up with it on the factory harness. There is a blue or blue/white wire in the Sony harness that it pairs with.

grab a Metra AAGMR and that will get you a 90 degree adapter so you don’t damage it again

 

Thanks y'all. I'll get that 90° piece too!

So currently the blue/white wire is connected (I think) into a Maestro RR, definitely it connects into the wiring harness that connects to the Maestro RR. Does that have a purpose there? If so then I'm guessing I need to join all three of those blue wires together. So is that crimping two of them into a butt connector together?

So it goes:

Head Unit <-- AM/FM Antenna Port<-- AAGMR <--

$11 40-LX11 Antenna Adaptor Cable - Select 2009-Up Lexus/Toyota

40-LX11
--- blue/white --- 40-LX11 (blue)
`-- Maestro RR (blue, currently connected)

 

I think I understand that. But basically you want the blue/white wire coming from the radio connected to the

$11 40-LX11 Antenna Adaptor Cable - Select 2009-Up Lexus/Toyota

40-LX11 blue wire. If the blue wire is currently connected to another harness, you may want to see if that connection even goes anywhere (is there a wire on the vehicle side connected to that pin on the plug?). If it does, you may need to tap the wire so both lines get a signal. If not, just move it over to the LX11. If you can't tell, hook them both up. And yes, you can just crimp them all together.

 

Thanks! Good news. The blue/white wire from the XAV-AX8000 routed into a white plastic connector, but it wasn't connected to anything in that connector (no pin on the other side of the connector. So I cut the wire about 3 inches from the head unit and used a crimp/heatshrink connector to attach it to the blue wire in the

$11 40-LX11 Antenna Adaptor Cable - Select 2009-Up Lexus/Toyota

40-LX11. Voila, radio reception much improved, stations tune properly, showing RDS (info feed) etc.

OTOH, the Metra AAGMR I picked up is a 90° connector (on one end), but it's a much smaller connector that was very loose inside the XAV-AX8000. The 40-LX11 does plug into the other end ok. So I don't think that the AAGMR fits the Sony head unit. Perhaps the AAGM does (looks more like the connector on the 40-LX11) but I'm not sure that the connector on the 40-LX11 would fit into the non 90° angle end of the AAGM. Sorry, I don't know what these different connectors real names are!

So I might not be able to push the radio back far enough to make it a nearly flush install. Or maybe the connector was never damaged and it was just the unconnected blue wire that lead to the poor reception!

 

I’m glad the blue wire worked!
As for the antenna adapter, sorry I gave you the wrong model! They look so similar online and it’s been a few years since I had everything on the wall to go look at.

44-ec6r seems to fit the bill. See if any local stereo shop has one you can look at to double check

 

Ah, right on! Thanks, yes, looks like 44-ec6r would definitely fit. I should have just opened the AAGMR box in the store, but wanted to get out of there