After Market Radio Install

[bode]

Hi,

 I have a 1999 LS400, Nachmichi radio, no navigation, and am putting in a new after-market radio, buying it from Crutchfield. The radio is a Sony XAV-AX100, and the reason I chose it is it has Android Auto which allows me to use my phone  for hands free speaking and a lot of other things. I'm not going to use it for navigation, as I also have a garmin with its own back up camera.  My question is, is there still no wiring harness, and how can I incorporate the sub woofer and its amp which is located under the driver's seat. Would you recommend doing this myself or letting best buy install. Since this is a more complicated install, I don't want somebody else goofing it up. Also how do you release the upper vents. I did it once, but can't remember where the release is.

Thanks for your help

Bode

[1990LS400]

The center air vent releases are on each side - reach through the vent slots with a small blade screw driver and pull the releases inward.  The vent will then slip out with little effort.  There is no commercially available interface harness for replacing a nakamichi head unit with an aftermarket head unit - only for the standard Pioneer.

I had Best Buy install a Kenwood double-DIN in a 2000 LS400 in 2013.  The installer fabricated a custom interface harness that had pins that inserted into the connectors on the car side.  The installer didn't cut a signal wire on the car and the installation could have been reversed and the original Nakamichi headunit reinstalled in a few minutes.  The installation utilized the Nakamichi amp under the passenger seat and all the speakers including the subwoofer.  It sounded wonderful.  I do know that all that is necessary to make the subwoofer work is to connect the four speaker wire sets to the connector leading to the Nakamichi amp and it is the amp that does the "magic" to make the sub-woofer work.

The installer had never done an install like this and found that polarity mattered when connecting the Kenwood speaker outputs to the connector leading to the amplifier.  I considered the installer to be far above average.  He was middle aged, an LS430 owner and a Lexus and audio enthusiast.  I provided him with the Nakamichi wiring diagram and we discussed the installation before he did it.  I supplied the dash kit which I think I got on Amazon. 

The total cost including the $125 installation fee was a hair under $500.  The Kenwood had phone handsfree but I used a Garmin for both handsfree and navigation.

I sold the car to a friend in 2014 and he later sold it to someone else in another state.

[bode]

Thanks for the info. My question, how did he get the subwoofer to work with amp under front seat? Everyone tells me you hav to bypass the amp and not use the subwoofer. Why is that and how did your guy get around it. 

Thanks

Bode

[1990LS400]

21 hours ago, bode said:

Thanks for the info. My question, how did he get the subwoofer to work with amp under front seat? Everyone tells me you hav to bypass the amp and not use the subwoofer. Why is that and how did your guy get around it. 

Thanks

Bode

The Nakamichi amp takes care of "making" the subwoofer work without having to do anything special.  All that has to be done is to connect the correct speaker wires from the aftermarket headunit to the car's connector leading to the amp.  Those "everyone" who keep saying the amp has to be bypassed are clueless and are just repeating rumors.

Others have successfully used the same technique my installer used and the subwoofer worked for them too.

[_Marvin]

Hey i use to have a 2008 lexus is 250 AWD but it got writen off i use have 211k on it.

[_Marvin]

Need advise please help me out. Now i see a 2009 lexus is 250 AWD with 225k on it. Engine was rebuilted in 2012 and the car run great. Is these anything i should worry about?

[bode]

Thanks for that info. I too can't understand why the sub wouldn't work as long as you connect power to it from aftermarket radio. To be clear, all I have to do is find which wires go to preamp under the drivers front seat? Do you remember which color they were, or will the wiring diag am you posted show that?

again, thanks for your help

Bode

[1990LS400]

When you install the aftermarket head unit using the Nakamichi amp, it is the Nakamichi amp that powers all the speakers including the subwoofer.  There is no pre-amp under the driver seat unless a previous owner of your car installed something.  I sent you a PM with the Nakamichi wiring diagram attached.  It shows all the wire colors.

[bode]

Thanks for that info. I Am the original owner of the car it says it is a Nakamichi radio right on the radio itself. There is an amp under the drivers seat because I have taken the seat off for cleaning and seen the amp. At least on my car, that is where the amp is installed .bestbuy guy is going to use the rca outputs instead of wire harness that comes with new radio and connect them directly to the amp which he says powers speakers and subwoofer. We'll see what happens. Doing it tomorrow.

bode

[Spartan0536]

On 2/14/2017 at 7:39 PM, 1990LS400 said:

The Nakamichi amp takes care of "making" the subwoofer work without having to do anything special.  All that has to be done is to connect the correct speaker wires from the aftermarket headunit to the car's connector leading to the amp.  Those "everyone" who keep saying the amp has to be bypassed are clueless and are just repeating rumors.

Others have successfully used the same technique my installer used and the subwoofer worked for them too.

This is what I needed to know, thank you sir.

[bode]

Thanks for all help in this. I can now say definitely what the situation is with Nakamichi radio in Lexus ls400 concerning installing aftermarket radio. I was there and watched it done. Indeed, all one has to do is take aftermarket speaker wires from new radio and connect them to speaker wires going to Nakamichi amp under drivers seat. The amp does the rest and delivers appropriate sound to subwoofer on its own. That's it. No separate sub out. Anyone having questions on this can contact me. It is an easy install. And, it sounds amazing.

 

[1990LS400]

15 hours ago, bode said:

Thanks for all help in this. I can now say definitely what the situation is with Nakamichi radio in Lexus ls400 concerning installing aftermarket radio. I was there and watched it done. Indeed, all one has to do is take aftermarket speaker wires from new radio and connect them to speaker wires going to Nakamichi amp under drivers seat. The amp does the rest and delivers appropriate sound to subwoofer on its own. That's it. No separate sub out. Anyone having questions on this can contact me. It is an easy install. And, it sounds amazing.

 

Bode, is your LS400 a RHD?  Do you live in the UK?  The amplifier on the LHD 95-00 LS400 that was sold in North America is under the front passenger seat - the seat on the right side of the car.

[bode]

I don't know what to say. Bought car in Chicago, live in Florida. I took off drivers seat to clean car carpet a couple yeats ago and discovered the amp then, under drivers seat. I will go look under passengers seat tomorrow and let you know what I find. However, I did see an amp under drivers seat, wires going to it and all. The installers never looked for the amp, just found appropriate spesker wires. My radio has Android Auto. Very nice interface with phone. Sound is excellent, as good as Nakamich sound, maybe brighter.

[1990LS400]

I suspect your "amp" under the driver seat is for something else - maybe some aftermarket product a previous owner installed.  

If the current Nebraska owner of my 2000 LS400 ever does some interior disassembly he going to find all sorts of electronic crap I installed and later quit using during the 10+ years I had the car.

 

[bode]

Hi,

 

Thanks for all your help. My radio install went fine, the guys at local Best Buy were very knowledgeable and via your help and knowledge about the preamp were able to wire it so the sub woofer works well. Am very happy with radio and with back up camera I bought for it. 

I have another project and wonder if you could direct me to posts or someone knowledgeable. I want to replace my starter and am wanting to do it myself. Not 100% sure it is the starter. It is intermittent, and seems to work more often when strong, new battery is installed. I have replaced ground wire to battery, and it doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, I hear the dreaded click, sound, and no start. I try again and after third time or so, it will start just fine. Seems like it is an electrical issue, but local mechanics just want to replace starter. Car is a 1999 LS 400 with 190,000 miles. Any good tutorials on this with pics. I have modest repair skills.

 

Thanks,

 

Bode

[Spartan0536]

So in my 1992 Lexus with the Nakamichi system and my Double Din Kenwood DDX594 I can have the shop wire the stock AMP to the head unit and have new Pioneer D series component and coaxial speaker just go directly to the head unit, no bypass needed?