93 es radio problems

calrunnergirl · March 15, 2005

93 ES300

I just have to share with you all:

I've experienced a problem with the Lexus stereo's Volume control knob. One day the knob just didn't seem to work exactly right, and through the course of a few weeks I found myself having to 'jiggle' the knob more and more to get it to work right. Finally, there was no tension at all in the turning, so it was completely useless.

Lexus dealer told me that they don't service these models at all anymore at the dealership, but send them all back to the factory--read: "expensive as hell!" (Atleast a couple hundred, they said.)

So, I went to an independent car stereo shop. They hoped to fix it there, but also ended up saying that they would have to send it to the factory.

Well, there's no way I can live without music, so of course I had to just do it.

Outcome: There was a piece that had to be replaced Forgive me, I've no idea what it was called--it looks like tape with wires in it, and is somehow connected to the knob (and no, it's NOT anything that you can get to without taking the whole radio apart--believe me, I tried to find an easy fix).

This little thing ended up costing me

$250.00 USD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So...now that the cd changer door is stuck in the closed position, I am just ill with the thought of the sort of money I'll owe for this next music related problem. DARN! (I am going to try to 'reset' the changer, per the posts I've just found in this forum...)

usma09 · January 4, 2006

93 ES300

I just have to share with you all:

I've experienced a problem with the Lexus stereo's Volume control knob. One day the knob just didn't seem to work exactly right, and through the course of a few weeks I found myself having to 'jiggle' the knob more and more to get it to work right. Finally, there was no tension at all in the turning, so it was completely useless.

Lexus dealer told me that they don't service these models at all anymore at the dealership, but send them all back to the factory--read: "expensive as hell!" (Atleast a couple hundred, they said.)

So, I went to an independent car stereo shop. They hoped to fix it there, but also ended up saying that they would have to send it to the factory.

Well, there's no way I can live without music, so of course I had to just do it.

Outcome: There was a piece that had to be replaced Forgive me, I've no idea what it was called--it looks like tape with wires in it, and is somehow connected to the knob (and no, it's NOT anything that you can get to without taking the whole radio apart--believe me, I tried to find an easy fix).

This little thing ended up costing me

$250.00 USD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So...now that the cd changer door is stuck in the closed position, I am just ill with the thought of the sort of money I'll owe for this next music related problem. DARN! (I am going to try to 'reset' the changer, per the posts I've just found in this forum...)

Calrunnergirl,

I have a 92 ES 300 which is exhibiting the same problems now. That was a "ribbon cable" you had to replace in the radio. It's attached to the volume control circuit board via a zero-insertion-force connector, and wave-soldered onto the radio front panel's circuit board. The volume contol is bolted to a bracket which screws onto this circuit board. Over time, the nut on this attaching bolt works itself loose, allowing the volume control assembly to turn with the knob, which eventually rips the ribbon cable off the radio front panel's circuit board. Fortunately, there are only five conductors in this ribbon cable, so I replaced it with small wires, which I soldered onto both circuit boards. Not a job for the faint of heart or the shaky of hands, but it works.

What did you end up doing for the CD changer? I opened mine up, and saw all those darned springs and limit switches. It looks like the inside of a VCR. I'm a little gun-shy now, but maybe in a week or two I'll screw up the courage to start taking it apart. Did yours turn out to be the motor which moves the reading head back and forth, or was it something else?