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2023 TRD Sport head unit upgrade question

Discussion in 'Audio & Video' started by Navyflyer72, Jul 21, 2024.

  1. Jul 21, 2024 at 4:00 PM
    #1
    Navyflyer72

    Navyflyer72 [OP] Member

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    3” lift, shields, bumper with 12k winch and 30” lightbar, storage and security additions inside, working on the bed now, looking at cap with hard shell gfc, maybe decked system, and recovery kit.
    I’m upgrading the head unit in my 2023 TRD Sport (non-JBL) to a Sony XAV-9500ES, I watched the Trail Grid Pro install on YouTube which was pretty helpful, but I was left with a few connectors from my dash not connected to anything in the provided harness. So I’m trying to figure out what these are. I searched google for a diagram that shows what each connection on the back of the stock head unit is, with no luck. Can someone tell me what the two numbered and circled connections are?

    Thanks!

    IMG_2200.jpg
     
  2. Jul 21, 2024 at 6:00 PM
    #2
    soundman98

    soundman98 Well-Known Member

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    not every connector gets used with aftermarket radios.
     
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  3. Jul 21, 2024 at 6:48 PM
    #3
    Navyflyer72

    Navyflyer72 [OP] Member

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    3” lift, shields, bumper with 12k winch and 30” lightbar, storage and security additions inside, working on the bed now, looking at cap with hard shell gfc, maybe decked system, and recovery kit.
    Yep, just trying to figure out what these are that didn’t have a matching connection. In Trail Grid Pro’s YouTube installation video he’s pretty thorough about all the connections and specifically calls out the one connector that may, or may not have a match, so having two pretty significant connectors without a match and not being mentioned seems like a pretty big oversight, or something is wrong.
     
  4. Jul 22, 2024 at 10:25 AM
    #4
    Navyflyer72

    Navyflyer72 [OP] Member

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    3” lift, shields, bumper with 12k winch and 30” lightbar, storage and security additions inside, working on the bed now, looking at cap with hard shell gfc, maybe decked system, and recovery kit.
    I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong, Soundman98, you were right. Tested it out with those connectors disconnected and as far as I can tell, everything works! Only issue I have is the camera inputs (front and rear) are pretty blurry, they weren’t this blurry on the stock head unit?

    Trail Grid Pro kit is good to go, I’m going to order the microphone kit for the overhead, when I run that I’ll make a quick install video that shows how several connectors aren’t used, and I’ll specify the year and trim and system info for my Taco. Now to add a small amp and upgrade the speakers and I’ll be done with A/V.
     
  5. Jul 22, 2024 at 10:27 AM
    #5
    Navyflyer72

    Navyflyer72 [OP] Member

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    3” lift, shields, bumper with 12k winch and 30” lightbar, storage and security additions inside, working on the bed now, looking at cap with hard shell gfc, maybe decked system, and recovery kit.
    Pics because who doesn’t like pics?

    IMG_1588.jpg
    IMG_1591.jpg
    IMG_1592.jpg
     
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  6. Jul 22, 2024 at 10:48 AM
    #6
    Navyflyer72

    Navyflyer72 [OP] Member

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  7. Jul 22, 2024 at 6:19 PM
    #7
    soundman98

    soundman98 Well-Known Member

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    glad you got it all working!

    as far as the camera quality, that's going to come down to the video system used. it's composite video, aka, 'vcr-age' technology. you likely thought the quality was better with the factory stereo because it had a lower screen resolution. the new screen has a much higher resolution, so more pixels are grouped together, making for a blurrier image. really nothing that you can do about it. the images on the youtube video looked really good to me considering the format.
     
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  8. Jul 25, 2024 at 4:24 AM
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    Navyflyer72

    Navyflyer72 [OP] Member

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    3” lift, shields, bumper with 12k winch and 30” lightbar, storage and security additions inside, working on the bed now, looking at cap with hard shell gfc, maybe decked system, and recovery kit.
    That makes a lot of sense. Wonder if there is a way to splice the front and rear camera video signals from the wolfbox rearview system and send them to the head unit where the existing front and rear camera signals go? That way when I’m reversing I can have the rear view on the 10” Sony screen rather than just on the rearview mirror?

    video signal splitter?
     
  9. Jul 25, 2024 at 6:02 PM
    #9
    soundman98

    soundman98 Well-Known Member

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    you might be able to contact bob's mirrors about that, to make a y-harness to split off the signal at the mirror, that could be ran down to the radio.

    https://www.bobsmirrors.com/
     
  10. Jul 26, 2024 at 9:40 AM
    #10
    xp0nex

    xp0nex Taco Noob

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    I only wish the cluster mini infotainment info still worked for music and then I'd be 100% satisfied. Anyway, glad it works for you!
     
  11. Aug 4, 2024 at 6:29 PM
    #11
    Mont Blanc

    Mont Blanc Well-Known Member

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    I just saw this thread, you asked a similar question to what I asked here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ammable-functions.813981/page-3#post-29401640 - I can tell you that the blue connector (1 in your picture) is the factory mic (above your head I think) - you can't use it because the power demands for it are wrong for the stereo. I ended up going with the Trail Grid Pro mic mount and was super happy with it. The #2 input is clearly a bunch of redundant connectors, probably for amps/higher end stereos (I bet your TRD Sport had one - I only have an SR5).

    I put a Kenwood DMX1037S in mine:

    [​IMG]

    Last thing on the cameras. The OEM cameras are kind of crappy, SD only. My SR5 only had the backup camera. But since I moved the DMX from a car with no external cameras and I installed a backup one on that car, I had an extra camera which I put in the front. It's the HD Kenwood CMOS-740HD, the image difference is pretty stark and since I can change cameras with the click of a button. I've wondered the ease of changing the cameras, but not enough to actually research it.
     
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2024
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  12. Aug 4, 2024 at 7:00 PM
    #12
    soundman98

    soundman98 Well-Known Member

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    the main issue is that the stock cameras are composite video. in your case, your kenwood head unit should support the kenwood upgraded camera's, and would probably be worth the effort.

    otherwise, the only composite-signal camera i've been able to locate is an alpine HCE-C1100 that would be universally compatible with some slight adjustments to voltage requirements. but i don't really have a desire to spend the coin on it to try as a solution to a problem i don't care so much about.
     
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