Freakin' Dealer! Huntington Beach Toyota

there's a term we use in structural steel that applies here.
"clusterf*ck"

I'd be livid if the dealer did that wild west wiring to my vehicle that I purchased specifically for reliability.

Would the sales manager like it if you took a fistful of t-taps and went out to his vehicle??

That's bad. Also the screwholes in your dash -- WTF
 
teotwaki said:
Actually not impossible but not super easy either. Remove the kick panel, undo two dash screws for the push button, unplug 6 to 7 wire T-taps, undo one ground screw, cut a bunch of ty-wraps and a mile of black electrical tape, one cutout relay and you have to re-splice the power wire that the relay was cut into.
Click to expand...

I'm getting chest pains looking at that harness.

What a mess. I would've made the dealer deal with the harness that now looks like a bowl of spaghetti.
 
sure74 said:
If you wind up doing this on your own as you suggested, solder the ignition power wire, not crimp. Worth the extra time and effort for peace of mind!
Click to expand...


I agree. I was thinking about it last night and would not want to have any issues down the line with a crimp connector.
 
omegatr4 said:
Hi guys, new here and just bought a 18 SR5 and opted for the Karr security system shown in the first post to be activated (I guess they said they installed them on all the cars on the lot). Got the the system since it is mainly parked outside and wanted it to be protected against theft as I have had a car broken into in the past. After reading this thread I am worried maybe I shouldn't have had them activate it as I also bought the extended warranty. Will this alarm cause issues with the 4runner, does it do more harm than good? I don't think I am mechanically skilled enough to remove the alarm myself, so should I be worried that I have this Karr alarm on my new 4runner.
Click to expand...

See if you can get a refund. Spend the money on a better quality alarm system that can be installed by a competent tech. In the process he can remove the old crap.
 
teotwaki said:
Actually not impossible but not super easy either. Remove the kick panel, undo two dash screws for the push button, unplug 6 to 7 wire T-taps, undo one ground screw, cut a bunch of ty-wraps and a mile of black electrical tape, one cutout relay and you have to re-splice the power wire that the relay was cut into.
Click to expand...

lol it was easy for me compared to installing wires for led lights with AOB switches.
 
sure74 said:
If you wind up doing this on your own as you suggested, solder the ignition power wire, not crimp. Worth the extra time and effort for peace of mind!
Click to expand...

A properly executed crimp is where its at... Crimps done right are better than soldering for these things... Just look at almost every mechanical electrical connection in a OEM build, its all crimped.

Not trying to turn this thread into a crimp vs solder debate, but its well documented as to the pros/cons especially for automotive, aerospace, and medical applications.

The biggest challenge with crimping is owning the right tools.
 
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teotwaki said:
Actually not impossible but not super easy either. Remove the kick panel, undo two dash screws for the push button, unplug 6 to 7 wire T-taps, undo one ground screw, cut a bunch of ty-wraps and a mile of black electrical tape, one cutout relay and you have to re-splice the power wire that the relay was cut into.
Click to expand...

What a mess... id be pissed if that was my truck.

I hate it when dealers do this type of work... because they don't care about the work itself.
 
Bumbo said:
A properly executed crimp is where its at... Crimps done right are better than soldering for these things... Just look at almost every mechanical electrical connection in a OEM build, its all crimped.

Not trying to turn this thread into a crimp vs solder debate, but its well documented as to the pros/cons especially for automotive, aerospace, and medical applications.

The biggest challenge with crimping is owning the right tools.
Click to expand...

I recall that any stranded wire that may experience bending or movement is better off with a good crimp rather than soldering. The issue to arise could become work hardening and micro-cracking and possible breaking of the soldered joint due to the fatigue. For the simple mid-wire splice I am looking at there won't be any movement so I will go with soldering if I can work in that small space easily enough.

Highly agree with having good crimp tools as well as all other tools being of good quality too.
 
Dealers love to pad that bottom line. The other is the vehicle window etch. Usually hundreds of dollars. Guy has a stencil card and sprays the "etch" on the windows. Seen them do it in about 5 minutes. Typically they do the whole lot in a shot or when taking in new cars. Then "de-activate" if you refuse to buy. Glad we have a "State Dealer Board" to protect the consumers here in Colorado! :50cal:
 
teotwaki said:
I recall that any stranded wire that may experience bending or movement is better off with a good crimp rather than soldering. The issue to arise could become work hardening and micro-cracking and possible breaking of the soldered joint due to the fatigue. For the simple mid-wire splice I am looking at there won't be any movement so I will go with soldering if I can work in that small space easily enough.

Highly agree with having good crimp tools as well as all other tools being of good quality too.
Click to expand...

Sure, that's some of it...

I've had to do enough electrical repair in that area on my Silverado because the parking break actually tore though my harness. I had windows rolling down randomly, truck going into 4WD... terrible.

Its a tight area, but I found it even harder to work with a soldering iron in that confined space. Plus needing to insulate /heat shrink the joint.

You gain some additional clearance with a crimper like this... you don't need a lot of loose/free harness to make the crimp...
https://www.amazon.com/Shrink-Termi...&qid=1518553758&sr=8-1&keywords=Sea-Dog+crimp

And using adhesive lined butt connectors means you can seal it all up quickly, water tight, with just a heat gun.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H9WH1O...hn&pd_rd_r=A3DAXDJEF1H7V8KRRXP5&pd_rd_w=hh2Fa

It goes in faster, better, and easier... and this is coming from a guy that owns more $ in soldering equipment than some people spend on lifts.
 
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Seems silly to me that a dealership would spend the time to install one of these and then ask the customer if they want to buy it?

Are they provided to the dealerships at a deeply discounted price with the money to be made on the activation/monthly subscription fees?
 
12Bravo4R said:
Seems silly to me that a dealership would spend the time to install one of these and then ask the customer if they want to buy it?

Are they provided to the dealerships at a deeply discounted price with the money to be made on the activation/monthly subscription fees?
Click to expand...

I dunno what it is, but the SAME thing happened to my cousin who recently picked up a 5th Gen. They really turned it into a high pressure sell when it came to the alarm. The dealer was in San Diego.
 
stphnman20 said:
When I bought my t4r, the Karr system was already installed. They asked if I wanted the alarm system and told them no. They shrugged their shoulder and ok. This was at Lemon Grove Toyota. When I got home, I took it off myself.
Click to expand...

same here, but they activated it anyways for "free". I guess i didn't negotiate the price low enough since nothing is "free".

its such a scam.
 
Had same thing in my truck when I received it, they never even tried to sell me the alarm. Was inactive and I made them take it out and replace the trim panel that it was screwed into. They cleaned up wiring pretty good, Still frustrating to have wiring butchered on brand new truck. Was Toyota of El Cajon, must be a So Cal thing, lol..
 
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