New user, and question about Harry's (non) Hack....

4833 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by kkrishnan, Mar 20, 2003

kkrishnan

Discussion Starter · Mar 19, 2003

So, I took the plunge, and got my 2003 Prius yesterday! Silver, Cruise, Side Airbags (my wife insisted we should have that, since it is a small car, and we might hand it down to my teenager in a couple of years...), premium package (glass break, drl, floor mats etc.). Paid 20,500 USD. I think that is a good price for a brand new (24 miles) unit; I hope!

I did not get a CD player. I am very tempted to get Harry's Jensen unit (no longer called the hack, although, being a hacker myself, I think that is unfortunate!)

My question is how many on this board have installed it; and, have they had Toyota give them any grief about Warranty due to that installation?

Also, I see that the Jensen unit itself is available on the net well under $200. Do you know if Harry sells the kit separately anymore, and how much hassle it is to solder stuff? Maybe it is worth the money to avoid all that hassle?

Looking for some feedback and guidance from former (happy or otherwise) Harry owners, and from Harry himself, if he is still monitoring the board.

Thanks,

-Kal.

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jdbower

· #2 · Mar 19, 2003

Give me a weekend or two

First of all, congrats! The only way to tell ours apart right now is that I've got the navigation system.

My Jensen unit just went out via USPS

. Toyota can only give you warranty grief if:

1) The problem to be repaired is directly related to the aftermarket modification.

2) Toyota has reasonable proof that the problem was caused by a direct result of the modification.

If you install the CD player and your mass air flow sensor blows up there's not much hope of Toyota getting out of the repair. If you install it and your radio stops working, you may be out of luck. It really depends on your dealer. My Mercedes dealer doesn't give me any problems with my modifications. The Toyota dealer we bought the Prius from (not the one we'll be servicing with) tried to tell us the entire warranty would be void if we screwed up the installation of a CD player.

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kkrishnan

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 19, 2003

Thanks, Jeff, and a question about the repair service...

Good points on the warranty issue. On the other matter, I guess I thought I HAD to get it serviced from the dealership where I bought. Is that not the case? If not, what is a good way to shop around for the best service place? I take it it has to be a dealership? Maybe I could call around and see who takes the most "liberal" view of the CD installation, and go with them?

Yes, I thought about the Nav, but could not justify the close to $2K for it. I already have a laptop based GPS system that works well enough. Nice to have it integrated into the display of the Toy, but not for $2K!

Also, if anyone else has any thoughts on the Jensen unit, please keep those replies coming!

Thanks,

-Kal.

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jdbower

· #4 · Mar 19, 2003

You did the right thing

In general, car dealers don't make much off a new car sale - they make the big bucks off the service. I'm a big fan of the dealer service or, if you know what you're doing, self service with OEM or better parts - it's more expensive but you never have to worry about the "well, the last guy did a lousy job" argument. With regards to shopping around, getting some personal experiences is always the best, but I intend to just go to the closest dealer and see how they are. Luckily the dealer for my other car is right down the road from work and is great, we'll see about the Toyota guy in South Jersey.

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mrv

· #5 · Mar 19, 2003

Re: Thanks, Jeff, and a question about the repair service...

kkrishnan said:
Good points on the warranty issue. On the other matter, I guess I thought I HAD to get it serviced from the dealership where I bought. Is that not the case? If not, what is a good way to shop around for the best service place? I take it it has to be a dealership? Maybe I could call around and see who takes the most "liberal" view of the CD installation, and go with them?

Yes, I thought about the Nav, but could not justify the close to $2K for it. I already have a laptop based GPS system that works well enough. Nice to have it integrated into the display of the Toy, but not for $2K!

Also, if anyone else has any thoughts on the Jensen unit, please keep those replies coming!

Thanks,

-Kal.

The first 5 services (3yr/37500mi if the usual 7500mi/6mo schedule is used) are complimentary (free) with the Prius. Might as well go to the dealer for those...

Do you have to go to the same dealership for service that you bought the car from? no. often the service department is completely different than the sales department with regard to how good they are. Ask around, and check out the various boards for suggestions on where to go/avoid. (Dealer database over on the toyota-prius yahoogroup, service database over on hybridautoclub.com)

However, not every Toyota dealer is also a Prius-certified dealership (meaning that they have at least one Prius-trained mechanic). Be sure to check the dealer locator on the Toyota site for PRius-certified dealerships near you, or ask the service department when you contact them.

make sure that they know that your service is free. also, avoid the places that will only put 10w30 oil in your Prius - Toyota says (in the owner's and service manuals and the oil cap) that the Prius takes 5w30. for some reason some dealers are cheap/not careful and put in the different grade oil -avoid them unless they fix their mistake.

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Henry

· #6 · Mar 20, 2003

So where can I order this Jensen CD player? Retail source, web address, phone number, etc., etc. Thanks.

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jdbower

· #7 · Mar 20, 2003

Here's info for you...

When I get mine I'll try to document the installation for the group.
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/bumpelo/front.html

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harry

· #8 · Mar 20, 2003

Also, I see that the Jensen unit itself is available on the net well under $200. Do you know if Harry sells the kit separately anymore, and how much hassle it is to solder stuff? Maybe it is worth the money to avoid all that hassle?

I sell the MP3510 for $165.00 The other $150.00 is for the interface kit. It is possible to buy the interface kit separately, but very few people do. It requires that you solder the Jensen harness to the adapter board which I do for you if you buy the complete system from me.

Also my price on the stereo is competitive so you're not likely to save much. Please keep in mind that the interface kit comes with everything you need - including a video showing how to perform the installation.

Cheers,
harry

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kkrishnan

Discussion Starter · #9 · Mar 20, 2003

Sounds good...

harry said:
I sell the MP3510 for $165.00 The other $150.00 is for the interface kit

That sounds good. I did not see that breakdown on the web site. $165 for the stereo is a competitive price...

Thanks,

-Kal.

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