Integrated Phone Questions?

[93LSOwner]

Lexus integrated phone

I have a 1993 LS400 (don’t know much about it)

There is a phone jack in the passenger side. Maybe there was a phone in the car, or maybe there is one in every Lexus. The reason why I started this topic was because I wanted to know if anyone knows a website where I can get a used Lexus Telephone, “there are pretty hot” and in the driver side sun visor there is a little square speaker that is hooked on there, what is that? If there was a phone in the car shouldn’t there be an antenna on the upper middle back windshield.

Thank you. I couldn’t find answer to these questions in my owner’s manual or anywhere else of that matter.

[1990LS400]

I tend to think that the phone jack and little speaker were left over from a previously installed non-Lexus phone.

The early Lexus phones were analog only, hardwired into the car, had a steering wheel control left of the horn/airbag cover, and played the call through the audio system when in handsfree mode. The rear window antenna used a cable that was prewired into the car and which you can probably see if you look near the rear center of the headliner. I started out with a hardwired phone when I bought my LS in 1990 but sure wish I had switched to a handheld much sooner when I found out how much more useful they are. You could always put in a car kit for a handheld phone or just install an inexpensive phone holder. Car kits are fairly straight forward to install although some kits require removing/reinstalling quite a lot of trim and stuff to run the wires.

Consumer Reports had a good article on cell phone service in a recent issue and particularly highlighted the issues with GSM in the U.S.

I'd recommend searching the forum for "phone". I think you will find that most people are not using the original Lexus phones.

[dogboy]

I agree with 93LSOwner. I do not think what you are describing are components from a Lexus phone. It depends on where you live but more than likely you cannot get analog service anyway. Yes there are still analog phones in service but most carriers are no longer providing analog service to new customers. I know some smart A** is going to say they still can roam on too an analog signal. Yes this is true but Cell Phone companies are only providing analog service to pick up roaming revenue and to comply with the FCC regulations that say they have to keep the analog system up and running. I know this is not cell phone 101 so to make a long story short, give up on the 3-watt analog phone idea. If you would like to have a phone with hands free and all of that good stuff, by a car kit for a handheld phone. I have built some control boards that work with my CDMA phone that allow me to use the factory equipment that came with my Lexus. I spent about 6 to 8 hours doing the work. I use the original hands free and the factory speaker with mute with my handheld car kit. Also if any one has an original Lexus phone that is EE2, it is worth big money. Do some research and you will find out why!

[SW03ES]

If you wouldn't mind sharing how you made that CDMA phone work, that information would be VERY useful to all Lexus owners...

[1990LS400]

Dogboy! Did I understand you correctly that you have integrated a non-Lexus handsfree phone into the factory phone controls and wiring? If so, and based on what I'm reading on this and other Lexus forums, there are a huge number of poeple who would like to do this. I don't know if you've read my recent posts on phone topics but I'm about to attempt to integrate my Nokia CARK-91 car kit into the LS audio system using a wiring harness I ordered today from a company in the U.K. Any information on how you accomplished integrating your handsfree phone would be appreciated by lots of people. Cases of beer or better would start showing up on your doorstep! Or you could write an instruction manual and sell it.

[mejojo]

Why all the secrecy?

What is EE2 and why is it valuable? What phones are "EE2"?

Joe

[dogboy]

:chairshot: Well it is pretty simple to use the existing parts as they are. The problem is that every phone manufacture has their own way of doing things. There are so many combinations of equipment and features it is mind-boggling. I will post what the Lexus components do and the best way to interface with them. But I will draw the line at figuring out how each individual person’s equipment works. It will blow your mind how simple it really is. In regards to EE2. This is the most compromised cellular protocol. I could say more but with that said you can figure out yourself why the EE2 phone is valuable.

[michaelsn]

I have a '93 with the phone still in it. No service but I keep it there since they said that you can at least use it to dial 911 in an emergency. Once in a while I will press the buttons and hear the beeps throught the sound system and wish, oh I wish that I can plug my cell phone to it.

A diagram of the wiring for the Lexus phone system should at least get us going with an interface for newer phones. Where do we send the beer?

Michael

[lexusboy]

I have a 96 ls 400 and the previous owner had a phone built in the car. I have no use for these thing and took it all out. The only thing I could not get out is the bracket. It is located to the left of the stereo about half way up between the black plastic and the brown vinyl. I am wondering how do I get this thing out? I probably have to take apart the dash, but how do I do that?

[1990LS400]

Here is a link to how to pop out the radio in the 95 - 97 LS:

http://carstereohelp.com/stereoremovalLexusLS400str1.htm

[dogboy]

You probably have a profit bracket. When you take it out make sure that you have the radio code before hand. You can call the dealer and get it from them if you do not have it. Also be careful not scrach anything. I have taken these brackets out by leaving the radio plugged in but used a thick towel to rap the radio in. Also you will be surprised at how much work you have to got through to take out the bracket being I think there is only one or 2 screws holding it in. If you have a handheld phone you might just think of keeping the bracket in the car and using a universal holder. It is a nice location to have a phone.

[K9crew]

When you take it out make sure that you have the radio code before hand.

I'm going to remove my head unit sometime during next week and send it to a place in San Francisco to be repaired (the display is messed up). My LS goes into the body shop on 02/07 so I wanted to send in the head unit while the car's being repaired. Where do I find the radio code? Would it have come with the owner's manual on a card or something? When I leave work today I'll look in the big Lexus wallet that came with the car ... it holds all the owner's manuals and such.

Thanks

:)

[dogboy]

Ok for those of you who have expressed an interest with using the Lexus factory phone options with your current phone, I have the answer. I have built several adaptor kits for the 90-95 Lexus LS400. I hope to have a website up by the end of this week that anyone can go to. Let me know what your interest is in this product by replying to this post and I will make it worth your input. This device will allow you to use the factory mute, H/F speaker and microphone, 12V switched power, 12V power, & ground. Also I can make kits by request that can be used with phones that do not have a car kit.

[1990LS400]

Dogboy,

I sure hope the forum moderator doesn't mind since so many people are looking for a way to use their handheld phones with the factory system.

A "radio mute lead" harness that I ordered from a U.K. company last Wednesday arrived today. It is supposed to integrate a Nokia handhelds's car kit into the audio system of most Toyota/Lexus cars - or at least the ones sold in the U.K. - play the call through the front speakers and mute the radio on an incoming/outgoing call. The harness includes a mystery "black box". I'm taking it all to a phone installer tomorrow for his opinion although I may try it in our Camry first -- cheaper to fry the Camry radio than the Nakamichi!

Dogboy, I hope a lot of people will be interested in your ideas! Consider registering your with the search engines. It can take quite a while for a new site to show up in the listings if you don't pay the listing fees.

Thanks!

[dogboy]

As much as I see people pushing other products I do not think the moderator will even care. If so I have put another posting that is pretty generic up. I know about the kit that you bought from the UK. It is nice but more work to install than what I propose. With what I do you would not have to take any of the car apart other than to access the transceiver plug in the trunk. Also I am not trying to get rich off of this. I am sure if I posted how to do this on the site a lot of people would be sending me something other than beer to my door step. This is easy but a person can really do a lot of damage quick with something of this nature. So I guess we will see what happens!

[SW03ES]

Talking is fine, but if you're going to be making profit off of these things then you'll need to become an Authorised Trader. No big deal, its $40 or so a year and you can sell anything you want in the buy and sell forum, put links in your signature etc.

Pushing products you use and enjoy and pushing a product that you yourself are selling are two very different things. We have a lot of members here, and we've worked hard to get them and the site deserves to be compensated if you're gonna use it for personal gain. If you can demonstrate that you're not making a profit and simply providing a service to Lexus owners and recouping your costs, then that would be another story and the site wouldn't need to be compensated for that.

Shoot me a PM if you want to become an Authorised Trader.

[1990LS400]

I had promised that I would report back on my success in integrating my handheld Nokia's CARK-91 car kit into the audio system of our 00 LS and 98 Camry using the "45MUTETOYOTA" auto mute lead harness from the U.K. company Dashmount.com. It is supposed to mute the audio system on a call and play the call through the front door speakers. Unfortuately the harness plugs are not compatible either with the amplifier plugs on the Nakamichi in the LS or with the upgrade radio in our Camry.

But ... it looks like the 45MUTETOYOTA harness might work on LS400's with the standard Pioneer audio system or the Lexus Navigation system. Or at least the photos of the amplifier "A" and "B" connectors shown in the 00 LS repair manuals match the connectors on the 45MUTETOYOTA harness. Drawings of connectors "A" and "B" are at:

http://www.installdr.com/Harnesses/Toyota-Wiring.pdf

under the "87 and newer" heading.

But I am not certain. Since I can't use the auto mute lead on either of our cars I plan to see if my repair shop owner has a customer with a Nokia kit in an LS with a Pioneer or Nav system to see if he wants to try to use the harness. It looks like it should be nearly "plug and play" although the Nokia's junction box has to be within about 34 inches of the amplifier -- or the junction box would have to be repositioned or this part of the harness lengthened. Probably not a problem in the U.K. where the amplifiers are behind the glovebox or center console instead of under the passenger seat. My understanding is that adaptor kits are available for other phone manufacturer's car kits.

I will report back if my repair shop gets the auto mute lead harness to work in a non-Nakamichi LS. If it was practical, I would swap my Nakamichi for a Pioneer - but it looks like way too much work and expense.

[michaelsn]

I think dogboy is now an authorized vendor/seller in this forum. Did he ever give us his website to get more information on his phone adapters?

Michael

[bbrunelle]

New to the forum. I have been following this post very closely. However, I am not sure I have all the lastest info since the posts seem to be under various topics.

Anyhow, I have a '97 GS400 with a center consule mobile phone unit (no phone). I would like to plug in my Nokia 3595 and use the command control module.

I can't tell if my radio is a Nak or Pioneer. The only label it has on it is "Premium Sound System".

Can anyone confirm the mfg?

[bbrunelle]

Not only new, but don't know what car I have. See above. I have an LS400 not a GS.

[1990LS400]

bbrunelle,

The "Premium Sound System" is from Pioneer. Nakamichi radios have "Nakamichi" printed in about the same place on the radio's face.

I have not seen anything lately from Dogboy on adapting the Lexus phone controls for use with non-Lexus phones.

The Nokia "CARK-134: Full Car Kit" works with the Nokia 3595 according to the Nokia website. Nokia sells the kit for $149.

http://www.nokiausa.com/nokia_accessories/...431,,00.html#70

Do you have one? It looks similar to the Nokia CARK-91 kit that I installed in my 00 LS last week except that it does not appear to have a privacy handset - at least as a standard component - like the one I installed in the upper tray of the center console where the factory phone goes.

I installed the cradle for the Nokia handset on a bracket, similar to a "Pro-fit" backet, just to the right of the radio. I had to drop the headliner a bit to run the microphone wire, remove the radio, wood console trim, upper and lower console inserts, center vent, rear seat, glove box, door sills, and lots of other trim to run all the wiring -- about 10 hours of very careful planning and work. I bought a 15 foot extension cable and utilized the cell phone antenna embedded in the rear window by extending the existing cable from the right well of the trunk, under the right side door sills and above the glovebox to attach to the antenna wire at the phone cradle by the radio. The Nokia car kit junction box slipped neatly between the carpet and the console -- to the left of the ashtray and just forward of the drivers seat.

The Nokia microphone attached to the left of the garage door opener controls works well enough to allow consistent voice dialing of my Nokia 6340i.

If you can't utilize the Lexus phone controls, the above option is a pretty good alternative and beats the heck out of using a headset. Another forum participant mentioned phone car kits from Cellport that might work. Unfortunately the dealers listed on the Cellport website that I contacted do not admit to selling Cellport products.

If the "A" and "B" plugs on the amplifier match the standard Toyota plugs shown on the web site I mentioned elsewhere in this topic, my guess is that the mute cables sold by Dashmount and European companies "might" work with your standard radio system to play the call through the front speakers, mute the radio and supply power to a Nokia car kit. With some difficulty I bought one of these cables from Dashmount U.K. but I'm not ready to part with it yet since I still have some hope of getting or fabricating adaptors to make it work with the Nakamichi or may just give it to my friend who bought my old LS (with standard Pioneer) and has a Nokia phone.

I hope to sometime post photos of the phone installation. It came out very nicely and much better than any professional installation I've had done.

If you have specific questions, I'll try to respond.

Jim

[skries]

Did Dogboy ever figure out how to use the LS400 factory phone option with other cell phones?

[tgwtex]

Where is Dogboy? Can anyone get in touch with him? Does anyone else have the information he was referring to regarding the phones?

[1990LS400]

Dogboy and I PM'ed each other a number of times in Feb-Mar but I have not heard from him recently. I may have his phone number at home but I'm in N.Y. for the next week. After finally getting the radios to mute in our LS400 and Camry when a phone call comes in on our Nokia's, I'd now like to see if I can get the steering wheel phone control to work with several Nokia functions. But my LS does not have a steering wheel phone control and Iron Toad did not answer my request for a price quote on one - maybe it is no longer available.

[highlander]

any updates would be cool...