How to Troubleshoot a 1985 Toyota Van Stereo

Troubleshoot a 1985 Toyota Van Stereo

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Although most of the specifications for the stereos installed in Toyota's vans in 1985 are all very similar, each model is unique and will have some minor variations. With this in mind, you can save a good deal of money by troubleshooting your own stereo without spending both time and money taking your van to a professional stereo shop. With the specific stereo removal tools for your Toyota's stereo, even a novice mechanic can narrow down the problem.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Voltmeter
• Stereo removal tools
• Screwdriver
• Spare fuse

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1. • 1

     Remove the stereo from the dash in your Toyota van with stereo removal tools. These tools are typically sold with the car, or can be purchased at a Toyota dealership or auto parts store. Typically, removing the stock stereo involves partial removal of the dashboard in order to access the bolts that secure the stereo in place. Once you remove these bolts, the stereo should come out of the dashboard easily.

   • 2

     Pull out the colored tab at the back of the stereo, usually labeled "Fuse," and remove it from its housing in the stereo with a firm tug. Hold the fuse up to a light source and look to see if the wire that runs through the tab is intact. If it is unbroken, then the fuse has no problems, and you can simply put it back in its housing. If the wire is broken, however, replace the fuse with one of the same amperage.

   • 3

     Locate the red wire at the back of the stereo that runs from the stereo to the car's battery. This is the constant power wire. Touch one end of a voltmeter to this wire and touch the other end of the meter to any exposed metal surface. The meter should indicate a completed circuit by beeping or lighting up; if it does not, then you need to run a new constant power wire from its port in the stereo to the car's negative (-) battery terminal.

   • 4

     Touch one end of the voltmeter to the black wire that connects to the stereo (the ground wire) and touch the other end of the voltmeter to any exposed metal surface. Turn on both the car and the voltmeter; the meter should indicate that there is no power running through this wire. If it does not, then you have a faulty ground wire and should run a new wire from the same port behind the stereo to any exposed metal surface.