1990LS400

There is no aftermarket interface harness available for a conversion from 98-00 LS400 Nakamichi to an aftermarket radio - of that I am certain. Last fall I had a Kenwood DDX470 double-DIN headunit installed at Best Buy. The installer did not cut or splice a single wire but instead used specialty connectors between the Kenwood and the OEM connectors. The Nakamichi amp was used and the subwoofer and all the Nakamichi speakers work great. If I wanted to, I could reinstall the Nakamichi head unit in less than 10 minutes. The only "problem" with the install is that the night-time dim of the Kenwood's display is tied to the headlights and not to the instrument cluster display. It doesn't matter that much but as you know the instrument cluster's dim mode is separate from the headlights. The installer found that polarity of the speaker connections matter - be sure to connect positive to positive and negative to negative. I'll attach the same 98-00 Nakamichi diagram that I supplied to the Best Buy installer. 1998-2000 LS400 Nakamichi audio system diagram.pdf

The auxiliary 12v receptacle in the console box is well above the bottom of the box. I just now went to the garage and plugged in the most humongous 12V USB adapter I have and it had plenty of clearance. I have never used the 12v receptacle in the console box because I store a lot of stuff there. I bought a cheap 5-buck 6' coiled 12v extension cord at Target, chopped off it's male end (ouch!) and attached its wires to the wires under the console wood leading to the console box 12v receptacle. The console wood is very easy to remove. For my purposes, I ran the 12v extension cord forward and placed its 12v female receptable underneath the radio head unit. Into the female 12v extension cord (cigarette lighter-type) receptacle, I plugged in a "spider" 12v power adapter that has a standard USB port and two cigarette lighter-type 12v ports. I plugged a standard USB-to-MiniUSB cord into the spider's USB port to power my Samsung phone. One of the 12v cigarette lighter type ports is used to power a Garmin GPS I have installed on a bracket by the radio. I suppose I could have plugged in an additional twin port USB plug like you are considering into the remaining 12v female port on the spider and ran charging cords back the center console. I actually did run cables from my aftermarket Kenwood head unit back to the upper tray in the center console - one is a 3.5 aux-in and the other is a USB input to the Kenwood. I've got a heck of a lot of cables and power adapters hidden behind the ashtray, below the radio and console wood but there is plenty of room and all are hidden from view except the one exiting the top of the phone console to power the Garmin and the other exiting the bottom of the phone console that attaches to my phone's charging cradle per the attached photo. All three cigarette lighters and the center console power port in your car turn on and off with the ignition key when it's in the ACC position. The accessory circuit is apparently quite robust. I've had this set up for quite a few years and never had the accessory circuit fuse blow. My wife sometimes also charges her iPhone via the front cigarette lighter so that makes three devices being powered/charging at the same time by the accessory circuit.

This forum has deactivated Windows "paste" so I can't provide a direct link without manually typing the URL and likely getting it wrong. Go to www.clublexus.com and select the "ES350 and ES300h (2013+)" forum and look for the recently active thread entitled "Splash Guards". It has a link to the eBay seller and photos of the mud flaps installed on forum member's cars. Club Lexus members who have bought and installed them seem to be happy with them. I recommend not having them painted if you are going to keep your car very long - paint tends to crack on flexible mud flaps.

There were some nice perfect fit ones on eBay as of a few days ago. No drilling necessary to install the front ones but requires drilling one hole to install each of the back ones. Each set of OEM mudflaps I installed on my LS400's have required drilling one hole for each rear mudflap- no big deal and the drilling was through plastic.

"Need" is subjective. Does anyone really need anything more than the cheapest Kia? The "foot print" of the 2014 Highlander isn't all that big and is actually five inches shorter than that of my 2000 LS400. It would fit nicely in the smallish 2-car garage of our retirement hovel. The Highlander is 12" taller than my LS but even our Prius wagon is substantially taller than the LS. I know you didn't like the Prius you had but I like Toyota's hybrid technology a lot. The only Highlander we are considering is the Hybrid Limited with the Premium package which has adaptive cruise, PCS, panoramic roof, heated rear seats and steering wheel. And I want a hatchback for what may be the last vehicle I purchase and I would like to be able to carry more than five people in a pinch. It remains to be seen if the 2014 Highlander Hybrid is going to work for me. Like you, I haven't driven one yet - wife and I had an appointment to drive the non-hybrid version two weeks ago but the only one in stock was blocked by a vehicle for which the keys could not be located. I've even considered a GS450h but it isn't a hatchback and my wife would rather I not spend $20K more (> $70K) than the Highlander to buy one. And I can't find a trailer hitch for the GS450h - I need to carry our bikes. A trailer hitch is an option on the Highlander. At least the GS450h interior dimensions are very similar to that of my 00 LS. I may end up keeping the old 00 LS for another year if it turns out that the Highlander Hybrid is not available with at least HID headlights. I love the continuously leveling LED headlights on our Prius and I'm not going back to fixed halogen. The 2015 Highlander Hybrid is "supposed" to have a direct injection engine similar to the GS450h so it might be worth waiting another 8 months if the 2015's come in "on time" unlike the 2014's.

Yes, absolutely this sometimes has been reported but I don't remember which car models were involved. Your car is 19 model years old and has a relatively low value - probably less than $2,500 on a good day if it looks perfect. A future buyer isn't going to care. If you are concerned and don't already use one, start a log book in which you record events like this.

pancho, you did not answer dcfish's question. Does the radio display show the AM stations? Here are more questions: Do you get good FM reception? Nice clear sound? Did the AM work in the past in the same area where you are now? Do you get any sound at all from AM? Static? Faint reception? Your RX has only one antenna which functions for both AM and FM. I have very little experience with AM radio since I rarely use it.

RaliR, I will continue to respond to this thread since it contains my or your replies. It is doubtful that a burned out fuse is the cause of the position indicator by the gear shift not lighting up. There is only ONE bulb below the gear shift position lever to light all gear positions. You will see how the position indicator "cover, slide" moves (slides) forward and backward over the one bulb if you replace the bulb yourself. All the diagrams I have looked at for numerous Lexus and Toyota models have shown the same one-bulb design. If I were guessing, the Lexus dealer would charge one hour of labor to replace the bulb in the instrument cluster and one hour of labor to replace the bulb at the gear shift.

It is probably fuse 45 which is for the "Instrument panel lights". If the "position indicator lamp" does not light up when your headlights are on, the bulb is probably burned out. The arrow in the attached diagram shows the bulb. Replacing it requires careful disassembly. It is usually possible to slight the position indicator plate upward on the gear shifter shaft while replacing the bulb. I don't remember if it is necessary to slide the lower position indicator housing up and out of the way to replace the bulb. I have done it only on a Camry but its gear shift mechanism looks the same as the RX. By the way, it is best not to piggyback your question on an unrelated thread for a different car model. Start your own thread in the RX300 section.

IMO, you should be telling people every time you start a thread about all the problems you have had due to lowering your car so much that a tire chewed into a critical wiring harness. There are a number of interrelated components in these cars as a friend of mine found when I fixed the long-dead radio in his 1999 LS400 by bypassing an ECU in his trunk. Some of your new problems may be related to your chewed wiring harness. For example, the wire for the outside temperature sensor behind the front bumper may run through the same harness that your tire chewed up. It is, of course, connected to your HVAC (climate) control module above your radio head unit.

These may not be commercially available. Adding halos to headlights was a popular DIY mod after BMW came out with them some years ago. It's been a long time since I've seen forum threads on doing it.

I know other issues can cause a CEL and VSC off warning but the only time that has happened on my 2000 LS400 when the car went into limp mode was when the throttle position sensor started to fail at about 115,000 miles.. Attached are instructions on how to test it. sf-36.pdf

The AM is not separate. Very unusual problem. Could it be an antenna problem?

GS headlights got more complex beginning with 2006 due to AFS. The DOT has cracked down on noncomplying aftermarket tail lights. I thought the smoked tail light fad was fading away - only see them on old "ricers" these days.

There are both headlights and ballasts on eBay for the 06 GS300. What exactly is the "electrical problem"?

You can take your car anywhere you want for oil changes and other maintenance without affecting your warranty. Just be sure to keep all receipts and keep a log of all maintenance performed. Be sure to continue to adhere to the maintenance schedule exactly. Your CT200h has a long oil change interval but it is dependent on both time and mileage and requires the use of a specific grade of synthetic oil. Our Prius wagon has the same drive train. There are advantages to using your Lexus dealer for maintenance while your car is under warranty since a Lexus dealer is the only way you are going to get work performed under Technical Information Service Bulletins (TSIB).

My advice is to let the dealer salesman make you an offer on the GS. I assume that his initial offer would be at substantially below invoice since it is an unsold 2013. He shouldn't have any problem showing you all his cost information on the GS. It's almost always best to keep the transactions for the sale of a current car and the purchase of another car completely separate. You might want to to sell your ES first - either to the Lexus dealer or an independent dealer like Carmax. I would think that exchanging a used 2013 ES300h for a leftover 2013 GS300 would result in a big hit to your pocket book. I haven't driven an ES300h but I have driven a 2013 ES350 (a Lexus dealer loaner) and a 2013 Avalon Hybrid with the same hybrid drivetrain. I was amazed at how powerful and fast the Avalon Hybrid was ... and it can get 40 mpg on regular gas if not driven hard. Are you sure you don't want to lie down until this feeling passes? I'm really getting into to Toyota hybrid technology - planning to replace our LS with a 2014 Highlander Hybrid when they arrive in April/May. It is hard not to smile when I take my wife's Prius v wagon to the gas station to fill it with regular. I'm not smiling so much when I take my V8 Lexus to fill up with premium.

The following phrase or a similar one is the owners manuals of a variety of Lexus vehicles: "If only the TRAC system is turned off, the TRAC system will turn on when the vehicle speed increases." Doesn't anybody RTFM? (RTFM = "read their owners manual" )

Really consider using that stethoscope I suggested. We once looked all around the interior of my first Lexus trying to find an irritating buzz and couldn't find the source. We found the noise source quickly using a stethoscope -- a loose setting in a ring on my right hand!

Seriously?

A CD player cannot play a DVD. Your Lincoln must have had a DVD player. Assuming that your RX has the Display Audio system, a simple, low cost solution would be to copy your audio folders and files to USB flash memory and then to control the music through the Display Audio system. This would give you direct access to your audio files unlike from a disc where you have to access the files sequentially. I stopped using audio discs in 2012 when I discovered that I could not hear a difference in the sound quality between WMA audio files and the same music played from commercial CD's. Selecting audio/music files from a screen is much more convenient and my glove box is no longer crammed with discs. I copied my music collection to USB flash memory but I rarely use it since I have since copied the same music to my smartphone and now stream it wirelessly via Bluetooth. Am I correct in my understanding that Display Audio and Bluetooth music streaming is standard on the 2013 RX350?

I have to say that I fascinated by Toyota's hybrid technology. We have a 2012 Prius v wagon and I love the absence of noise when stopped in traffic and the electric A/C compressor that can run with the gas engine off. If it wasn't for our good experience with our Prius, we wouldn't be planning to buy a 2014 Highlander Hybrid Limited with PCS. But I keep wondering if I really want to switch to a Highlander after 24 years driving LS400's. Wife doesn't want me to buy another new LS but she might go for a used one since she sure likes riding in them. I actually looked for a 2011 or 2012 LS600hL a few months ago as an possible alternative but I couldn't not find a low mileage one in a color combination I like. I found very few LS600's at all. Last week I asked the local Hendrick Lexus dealer to see if he could find a short wheelbase 2012 LS460 AWD with PCS in an acceptable color at one of their other locations - no success. They have several 2012 SWB AWD LS460's in stock but they are all black (I prefer white) and none have PCS. (I'm not buying another vehicle without PCS and AWD.) You need to drive these cars to see if you really want one. I didn't like the LS460L with air suspension I drove a few years ago due to its boat-like size but I would tolerate air suspension and LWB on an LS600hL to get the hybrid drivetrain. I think all LS600hL's have PCS if that makes a difference.

The "fiberglass part that rests under the headlights" and above the chrome strip is part of the bumper cover that contains your side marker and fog lights. Bumper covers come unpainted so you will need a body shop to do that. The bumper cover isn't all that expensive - $555.31 from Sewell Lexus ( https://lexus.sewellparts.com ) but that does not include shipping. Register with Sewell with your forum member name to get that price. You can see diagrams on the Sewell website without registering but you won't be able to see the "Club" discount prices. That little strip is expensive - $129 with discount. I don't think the one you have can be reused but I'm not sure. I've had had three bumper covers on LS400s replaced - One front and two back due to hitting flying debris and being rear ended. You could look for a used bumper cover - maybe locally. I suspect you could find one - maybe even in pearl white/silver - especially if your "AZ" location means Phoenix metro. I doubt if a body shop would charge all that much to remove your current bumper cover and install a new one. It doesn't take long for someone who knows how to do it and has the correct tools. White was an especially popular color on the LS400 in Arizona. Hmmm .... I wonder why? (I'm kidding. I've spent enough time in Arizona summer heat.)

Register with your forum member information at http://lexus.sewellparts.com and see if you can find it - they give discounts to forum members. I assume you are referring to the little pop-off cover that inserts into the larger driver side cover. I can't find it in the Sewell diagrams. If you can't find it and the price, contact Sewell for a price quote.

My Garmin's power cord / traffic information receiver is attached to the same accessory circuit that powers the cigarette lighters so that the Garmin automatically turns on and off with the ignition key. The cables for the Garmin are mostly hidden as are the cables for my phone cradle. This is the third portable GPS installation I've done this way. The Garmin is mounted on a Pro.Fit "Bravo Ball" which is attached to a modified Pro.Fit Legend bracket as shown in the attached photo. There are probably a number of ways a portable GPS could be mounted in your GX assuming you don't want it attached to your windshield or to a dash-top disc. The Garmin's display in the attached photo may look "washed out" by the camera flash but it is really perfectly clear. You can see the Garmin power cord running down into the phone console which is where the traffic information receiver is hidden. From there, the Garmin's power cord runs into the dash under the radio and behind the ashtray - lots of empty space there in my car. I did not trash the Garmin's power cord to attach it to the accessory circuit. I instead bought a $5 12V extension cord, chopped the plug off it and attached the extension cord's wires to the power wires leading to the aux power port underneath the armrest of my 2000 LS400. I then plugged the Garmin's male power cord/cigarette lighter plug into the extension cord's female port. A coworker recently returned from spending several weeks driving around Spain and France. I don't remember if he said he used a TomTom or a Garmin in his rental car but I do remember him saying that it worked just as well as in the U.S. I assume that map coverage in Italy would be as good.