Stereo Muting Lead In '97es?

[digires]

Greetings,

I just bought my first Lexus on Saturday (pristine '97 ES300) and drove it from Atlanta back home to Ann Arbor today. I have a question about the stereo.

Is there a lead to mute the stereo in '97 ES 300 regular stereos? I really want to adda Bluetooth hands free kit...

Thanks for any advice,

John

[1990LS400]

I hope someone with personal experience with phones in an ES responses. I have hooked up phone kit mute wires only on a 00 LS and 98 Camry.

Was the 97 ES prewired for a Lexus phone? Check the left side of the steering wheel hup for a removable plastic blank where the phone "command module" would go. My opinion is that it is safest and easiest to hook a phone kit's mute wire to a mute point on the car's OEM phone harness.

Look at the electrical diagram for your car's audio system. Mute points on my 00 LS were labeled something like "TELMUTE" on my car's diagram.

If your car is prewired, you might find a mute point on a plug under the armrest like I did on my LS or on a connector in the trunk where I also found a mute point on my LS.

Our Camry was not prewired for a phone so I attached the phone kit's mute wire to one of the pins on the "data port" on the back of its single-DIN radio. But I know these data ports are on many Toyota branded cars beginning with the 98 model year. I had to plug a $15 Soundgate adaptor harness into the data port to get access to the radio's mute pin by scotch-locking the phone kit's mute wire to the appropriate wire on the Soundgate harness. FYI, Soundgate or similar harnesses and additional adaptors can be used to add Sat radio, MP3 players, etc. to Toyota vehicles with the 12 pin data port.

But if you car is pre-wired for a phone, that is the way to go in connecting your Bluetooth kits mute wire. PM me if you want, I have not been visiting this forum as much recently.

[1990LS400]

I noticed on http://www.lexus.ca/brochures/pov_brochure...300_English.pdf that the 97 ES was in fact prewired for a phone. If your car has a male 6-pin connector (two rows of three pins) under the center console box, it my be like the one in my LS. Search for my user name "1990LS400" and "phone" on this forum and you will find a link to a doc I wrote that has a photo of this plug with my phone kit's mute wire connected to it. I think this plug is for the Lexus Portable Plus phone but I don't know the first year Lexus cars were wired for it. If you find an unused female connector nearby, it is likely for the Lexus fixed phone -- I did not find a mute point in this connector.

[digires]

Thanks for the info Jim. I found a nice looking bluetooth handsfree kit w/ integrated GPS, and I plan on having it professionally installed. Perhaps the local Lex dealer will have the wiring diagrams? I'll call them tomorrow.

John

[1990LS400]

John, I hope you find a good pro installer. We've had more bad installs than good ones and have had interior damage and components positioned in unworkable places (speaker blocking the action of the service brake, microphone blocked by sun visor, phone holder blocking air vent, etc.).

Be sure to verify capatibility between your chosen Bluetooth kit and your phone - some kit providers like Parrot (www.driveblue.com) have compatibility info on their web sites. Howard forums can be a good place to see if there are issues with particular phones and Bluetooth kits.

Installing a kit is an interesting DIY project and is not all that difficult if you plan well and especially if you have the service manuals for your car (or do a one day $10 subscription to Toyota/Lexus on-line techinfo).

[digires]

Yikes, I probably trust myself to do it more than some unknown installer. I don't know of anybody good where I am (Ann Arbor, MI). Thanks for the caution.

John

[billyng]

I have a 97ES300 too. I am just wondering if you have installed the handsfree car kit with the muting feature? Thanks!