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Just want to add a few things to what some members have already said about installing Tow Harness. If you already have the optional tow package. That means you have a transmission cooler under your right from fender and in the rear your wiring already has the module. All you need is the Toyota Highlander Wiring Harness P/N 8942-48870-BB. Highlander model 2004 to 2007. it fits and was 30 dollars cheaper than the Lexus part.
You do not have to take the rear compartment out. Pull the grommet on the back left side. You will see the connector with a small flashlight. Take a clothes hanger with hook. Pull the connector down and with your harness plug insert it into the connector using a long screwdriver. My grommet was reversed so I had to take it off and reverse it. I lightly tapped the wire to the long screwdriver and pushed it into the harness connector. It requires some patience . Once you get the car jacked up and something to lay on it doesn't take long.
If you do not have the tow package you can get the Curt harness from Amazon with the module but you will have to take the back compartments apart. E-Trailer shows how to install.
From Toyota Parts Express 04 to 07 Toyota Highlander Harness. Fit my 05 RX 330
Curt Harness for the ones with no tow package
This is the harness. I removed the metal bracket <br/>for my Curt Hitch.
Just so everyone knows....Not only does the Highlander wiring harness fit the RX, but the Highlander hitch also fits the RX. I think the factory hitch looks better than the aftermarket ones and the factory hitch bolts onto the frame in 10 places instead of 6.
I like the Lexus hitch but they are really expensive. Do you have a photo of the Highlander hitch?
Personally I like the look of the Toyota hitch receiver over the aftermarket one, but you are right, the Toyota is more expensive than the aftermarket one.
My 05 RX330 came with tow package, I have the little radiator on the lower side of the front bumper in the driver side but I still need the hitch receiver. I can get Curt's manufacturing hitch receiver for under $150, I called my local Toyota Dealer, not Lexus, and I was quote $300 just for the hitch receiver without the harness.
I am going to keep my eyes open in a junk yard to see if I can put my hand on a Toyota hitch receiver from a Highlander.
I have an aftermarket hitch I picked up used in great shape for $25. I picked up the Lexus wiring harness from Lexus dealer for $67. Fit perfectly, didn't have any issues putting it on.
You do not have to take the rear compartment out. Pull the grommet on the back left side.
Just to be clear, this grommet is on the outside of the vehicle, underneath the left-rear compartment, correct? You're not accessing this from inside the compartment at all.
Just to be clear, this grommet is on the outside of the vehicle, underneath the left-rear compartment, correct? You're not accessing this from inside the compartment at all.
I have done 3 of these now. While the plug can be accessed from underneath, I find it faster to do it from above. On the 07 330 I did, I lifted up the rear edge of the main tray (where the jack is), removed the grommet and pulled up the new wires. It only took 5 minutes. Hybrids are more work as the tray is bolted down. Don't remove the side trays as the instructions say. Lift up on the larger main tray that is forward of the trays closer to the hatch. Then there is room to get your hand in on the edge and go under the still in place side tray.
Just to be clear, this grommet is on the outside of the vehicle, underneath the left-rear compartment, correct? You're not accessing this from inside the compartment at all.
I'm no expert just done mine the best I could from what I read on here. On mine I had to turn the grommet around on the harness to plug in the bottom. I done mine from underneath. Yes, it plugged in the bottom side. I think the harness is made to be installed from the inside according to the grommet. I watched the e-trailer video and did not want to take out all the stuff in the rear like they did. People here said they fed it in from the bottom so that's what I did. Experimental job for me but I'm sure there are short cuts like they mention here if you do it more than once. Good luck.
You can see the grommet is made to plug from the inside.
If you have the tow package option on your RX330 and ever wondered if a cheaper wiring harness existed other than the Lexus/Toyota pre-made harness, here's a link that might help: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ml#post9137155
Just installed my harness tonight. Mine was tight to the side so it forced me to remove the left side floor piece, the tray closest to the rear door edge and the left side plastic floor storage tray.
I don't think there is ever a need to remove any of the other floor pieces. I tried to get my hand underneath soI didn't have to disassemble, but no dice.
Impossible to thread from below and try to connect from below. Others who did got extremely lucky.
I used a bent clothes hanger to reach up in the opening on bottom to reach the plug I needed. I see no reason this would not work for others if they have the same harness. The grommet on the harness had to be taken off and reversed since I installed it from the bottom. Patience is a virtue.
02-06-15, 03:30 PM
2005 RX 330 Tow Harness
