Installing After Market Radio

[Sexus ES300]

When I bought my Lexus the LCD was screwed up, instead of paying $120 for the new LCD i went ahead and bought this; http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_15481_...n+VM9022HD.html for around $450 after dash kit etc... Ive installed a few AMRs before but not on a premium sound system, i bought this harness http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_12706_Metra+70-8112.html.

So i was wondering if I need to do anything special besides the basic install/more parts?

Thanks

[blk_on_blk]

Hmm, I'm not exactly sure what you've got there for the harness. It says, "Toyota Amp Integration Harness"... I don't know if that is the amp by-pass harness (I think it is), or the head unit interface harness (I don't think it is).

To do the install, you'll want to either bypass the amp and run your own, you'll want to integrate the factory amp (using a bypass harness, which is what I think you have), or bypass the factory amp and use the internal amp on the head unit. Either way you'll need two harnesses, one for the amp integration/bypass, and one for integrating the head unit into the power/acc/ground connections. Then you'll want to run all your peripherals an any input/output devices or access ports you want.

Other than that, it should be straight-forward install. The install in ours was a buggar, for someone already had their hands back in there and wires were cut, but it was pretty simple following a pin-out diagram to track down what was what... plus I ran a clean 12V+ power source line from the battery (fused at the battery) to ensure power draw and minimize any noise.

[Sexus ES300]

I'm just gonna go ahead and use the factory amp not the one on the head unit since it seems easier since i don't have to solder as much and bypass the factory amp, the head unit has preamp outs on it(RCA female) and the harness has 4 RCA male and 5 other wires. I didn't think i would need any other harness cause the speakers would be connected through the RCA and i have those 5 other wires to solder but again i haven't installed a head unit on a premium sound system before so I really have no idea.

[PlatinumES00]

I'm just gonna go ahead and use the factory amp not the one on the head unit since it seems easier since i don't have to solder as much and bypass the factory amp, the head unit has preamp outs on it(RCA female) and the harness has 4 RCA male and 5 other wires. I didn't think i would need any other harness cause the speakers would be connected through the RCA and i have those 5 other wires to solder but again i haven't installed a head unit on a premium sound system before so I really have no idea.

I used this harness for our 2000 to use the factory amp:

Metra 70-8113 (LEXUS ES300 1999-2001 AMP BY-PASS)

Looks like you should be OK, I think the 70-8112 is for the 97-99 ES.

some more information on my install here:

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...&hl=eclipse

[blk_on_blk]

FWIW, if I were to do the job I would bypass the factory amp and use the amp in the head unit. Reason being is that there could be a slight mismatch of impedance/voltage on the outputs vs. what the amp is looking for as inputs... and that could lead to noise, hum, and other sound quality impediments. It's actually quite simple to by pass the amp. You just create your own harness. There is a plug going into the amp (carrying power, ground, and the pre-amps signals). There is also a plug going out of the amp (carrying the amplified speaker lines). All you need to do is find a pinout diagram for these harness plugs and then match up inputs to outputs on the proper speakers and +/- wires (this done by using good quality finer gauge wire, tinning the ends, then just slide in the tinned tip into each corresponding pin hole on the harness plugs). That way, the harnesses on the back of the head unit will wire directly to the speakers... then you just wire in the head unit harness directly to the headunit's speakers. I took a peek at that head unit's specs, and it has a pretty beefy internal amp, which will drive any mid-bass/mid-range/tweeter combinations with ease.

I reworked our entire 1995 ES300's sounds system, and the only snag I ran into was the fact that the antenna is somehow wired into one of the speakers and cuts it out if anything is removed/changed back by the antenna wiring.

[Sexus ES300]

blk_on_blk, I see what your saying by using the factory amp and getting distortion but im running the stock speakers so i don't know if using that amp in the head unit would be to powerful cause i usually replace all the speakers in the car if i use a different amp, but if i do get distortion il probably by pass and wire it my self or buy a filter. As for the antenna thing im guessing you have a power antenna?

PlatinumES00 im guessing you had distortion problems/buzzing with the integration harness?

[PlatinumES00]

blk_on_blk, I see what your saying by using the factory amp and getting distortion but im running the stock speakers so i don't know if using that amp in the head unit would be to powerful cause i usually replace all the speakers in the car if i use a different amp, but if i do get distortion il probably by pass and wire it my self or buy a filter. As for the antenna thing im guessing you have a power antenna?

PlatinumES00 im guessing you had distortion problems/buzzing with the integration harness?

No distortion problems, just electrical (whine) noise which the ground loop isolators took care of.