HiHoSilver

Hello all,

What's the BEST way to hack my Iphone into my stock Pioneer radio (99 GS300, no Nav) so that I can play music. I'm not a fan of FM modulators, looking to hardwire into stock radio.

Thanks,

Al

if u have the factory nav this link will help

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=388353

but judging by the title of this post, i don't think u do have the nav. i dunno if it was available with nav and nakamichi

brian

It looks to me that the Navtool products for the 98-00 Lexus only do the video. Audio has to be done through an FM modulator or FM transmitter. The Navtool wouldn't help connect an iPod.

I wonder if this would work without Nav???

LexusiPod Adapter

Does this work for 99 GS300 with Pioneer Head Unit and no Navigation ?

I am looking into doing the same thing, from my research I found the following websites:

1. http://www.crutchfield.com/m_770/iPod-MP3-...ters.html?tp=15

2. http://www.soundgate.com/index.php?request...adfc55dfedf543a

You will not need to splice any wires with this product.

When I was heavy into car stereos I used sound gate equipment. they made an excellent product.

Hope this helps:)

Wondering if anyone out there came up with a solution ?

I am looking into doing the same thing, from my research I found the following websites:

1. http://www.crutchfield.com/m_770/iPod-MP3-...ters.html?tp=15

2. http://www.soundgate.com/index.php?request...adfc55dfedf543a

You will not need to splice any wires with this product.

When I was heavy into car stereos I used sound gate equipment. they made an excellent product.

Hope this helps:)

Looked it over and it seems that nothing is available as of yet. Does anyone out there have a plug and play solution ? This is becoming frustrating !!!

That's nice but Al has a standard Pioneer system and the Navtools including the one you bought are listed as being for navigation systems. Am I missing something?

no sir.....i missed that. i think my brain was out for a cigarette or something at the time i read that! i didnt even notice him saying he had the pioneer.....oops

Is there something out there that would enable me to hook up directly to my head unit and provide an RCA input ? Perhaps I can disconnect my CD changer and plug/hack in through that port ? What are my options ?

im using this that i bought off club lexus....its actually tied into what im using for some other stuff...its not the only unit im using but it was my starting point on the audio and it worked on my ipod/iphone....i just had a plug installed and wired into the center console and ran the wiring under there and up into the center console

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/club-lexus...-interface.html

im # 10 on the list....couldnt pass this up and when it got to 135 i was stoked

That's nice but Al has a standard Pioneer system and the Navtools including the one you bought are listed as being for navigation systems. Am I missing something?

That's right ! I have the stock Pioneer radio with NO navigation... I'm basically looking for something that will allow me to listen to my music on a hard wired line (I hear FM modulaters kinda suck). I do NOT really need full integration as I would most likely control my music directly from the iPhone as it's the easiest way to navigate/scroll through my audio files. Is there something out there that would enable me to hook up directly to my head unit and provide an RCA in ? Perhaps I can disconnect my CD changer and plug/hack in through that port ?

Thank you for any input,

Al

Here are some pictures of what is involved in repairing a leaking evaporator box. Somehow, the price from the Lexus garage seems more reasonable as I look at these. The black seal in the last picture is where the leak occurred. Nothing a $3.00 tube of silicone and fifteen or so hours couldn't fix. :D

I went through the same thing this past summer... Had a mechanic friend take it all apart at his shop, re-seal evap box and reinstall. Lexus wanted 2500 or so to replace entire assembly when all I needed was the evap box which they would not sell seperatly. So far so good, I hope you have as much luck as I did.

Any one know can identfy this lip ?

I thinks it's a TTE. Good luck !

Hello all,

I just got an Iphone and was looking into the BEST way to hack into my stock Pioneer radio (99 GS300) so that I can play music. I'm not a fan of FM modulators, looking to hardwire into stock radio.

Thanks,

Al

Hello All,

I want to add a double din in dash navigation unit to my 99 GS300 which has the stock Pioneer radio and CD changer. Is Pioneer the way to go and if so, which one will work best on my vehicle ? I want to be able to plug my I-phone into into it as well as having blue tooth capabilities. I have a few models in mind but would love any feedback before making a $1000 plus decision.

Thanks,

Al

thats good i still think its a awful idea though! as long as it works for you and your happy! it would NEVER be like that in my car though :D

brian

You may feel that's an awful idea but I kept that $2000 in my pocket :) Besides this GS has 95K miles and is probably worth about 10K, to spend 25% percent on a repair that is truly NOT needed is a waste of money. I'll spend 2.5K on the car but I'd rather spend it on things that make the car safer and look more up to date. I'm most likely going to buy a new GS in a couple of years when I turn 40, Happy Birhtday to me !!! I'll still keep my original GS as she has been garaged kept and very well taken care of. It has almost all of the updated features and most people think it's an 04 or 05 model.

Remove the ashtray. Lift the rear edge of the wood trim around the shiftgate and unplug all the switches. Remove the wood trim. Under the shiftgate you will find the burned out bulb.

Thank you ! I will take it apart this weekend... Is it an actual bulb that can be replaced or a LED that is not replaceable ?

Hello,

I've got a 99 GS300 and the other night I noticed that the shift plate LED's do not light up anymore. Has anyone out there had the same problem? I'm hoping that it's just a connector that's loose, I'm going to take apart the center console and see if there's a loose connection.

Thank you,

AL

just came across this post

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242216

brian

Brian,

So far so good... No leaks and I've been using the A/C on everyday basis.

Hello All,

I have a 99 GS300 with the stock pioneer radio that is working exceptionally well but now I've noticed that half of the radio display along with the button number 3 & 4 are burnt out. If I go to LEXUS they will want to replace it as LEXUS never does any repairs just swaps out old with new (or re-manned). Wanted to know if there's an easy fix that I can accomplish myself and/or perhaps change the ugly green LED's for some new up to date colors to better match the speedometer. I've seen someone in the NY area with the updated colors (very cool) but never got the chance to ask him/who or how it was done.

Thank you,

Al

I can get you a factory replacement LCD for your Pioneer headunit if you want to go that route.

Thanks for the response... Will this also remedy the number 3 & 4 LED buttons that are out as well ?

SIGH u would agree there! its not a freon leak here........the guy SPECIFICALLY says its a reddish pink color WHICH WILL NEVER BE A FREON ISSUE its a radiator,antifreeze,heater core, or a hose issue........

QUOTE(stupidog @ Jul 9 2005, 11:09 PM)

the liquid has kind of a reddish pink color.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

as monarch said...........

Reddish pink is the color of the factory original Toyota Long Life Antifreeze. So you might have a heater hose or heater core leak. Since the Toyota Long Life Antifreeze does a superbly good job of preventing cooling system corrosion, chances are high the leak is from a hose. If the heater core itself is leaking, then it would have to be from a crack in the metal rather than from corrosion.

The bad news is that it's possible you might be facing a large labor expense for a technician disasssemble the lower dash in order to gain access to the heater hoses and heater core. If the shop claims both the heater hose and heater core need to be replaced, I personally would insist on seeing the old, failed parts because after only 7 years the hoses and core should still pretty much look like new thanks to the quality of the Toyota Long Life Antifreeze.

I have no specific experience with your particular model Lexus so I suppose its also possible there might be another part or two inside the dash besides the heater hoses and heater core through which coolant circulates and where leakage could occur.

brian

Awww! I missed that bit of important info myself, my mistake. Yes reddish pink is most likely the antifreeze.

no1 said to take it to the dealer! i just said dont use epoxy.......try this. we sell it at work and i have PERSONALLY used it! u can find it for a cheaper price under this link from a old post too

http://www.shop.com/+-a-cliplight+super+se...g1-k36-st.shtml

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...c=39582&hl=

good luck

brian

Granted I would save labor costs if I did not take it to the dealer but I would still be faced with a $1600 dollar for the parts plus probably another $600+ in labor. I have been using the hell out of my A/C all week (90 degrees out here) and absolutely no moisture or wetness thus far.

Is this sealant for preventive precautionary measures ??? or something I should of done myself before taking it to my mechanic and having my dash taken apart ??? My mechanic used some type of sealant (NOT epoxy) that is supposed to be even stronger than the actual plastic/fiberglass box itself and that he would gaurantee that it would never leak from that hole again (he seemed extremely confident). He took the evap box apart at the seams (I think 3 or 4 screws) and resealed it (internal), then he applied a another sealant layer on the bottom of the box (external) to ensure no leaks. He has used this sealant in the past on other Lexus vehicles that had PINHOLE LEAKS AT SEAM (as it's a very common problem in Lexus) and has had no problems or complaints so far. Let's cross our figers...

Hello All,

I have a 99 GS300 with the stock pioneer radio that is working exceptionally well but now I've noticed that half of the radio display along with the button number 3 & 4 are burnt out. If I go to LEXUS they will want to replace it as LEXUS never does any repairs just swaps out old with new (or re-manned). Wanted to know if there's an easy fix that I can accomplish myself and/or perhaps change the ugly green LED's for some new up to date colors to better match the speedometer. I've seen someone in the NY area with the updated colors (very cool) but never got the chance to ask him who or how it was done.

Thank you,

Al

oh... who's been drinking smoothie in your car? or maybe itz kool-aid, you better taste the liquid to be sure, ahaha, just kidding :P

I agree with Turbo GS300 "evaporator drain line clogged, or case surrounding evaporator cracked" I hope it's just a clogged drain as the evap box being cracked is a very costly repair.

Lexus Tech told me over the phone "epoxy is your best friend", I took his advice and had a mechanic friend of mine take apart the dash, remove evap box/case, reseal and re-assemble. Picking the vehicle up today and road testing all day tomorrow. I hope you find this information helpful and I hope you can fix your problem at a fraction of the Lexus cost.

first off as i told you before in YOUR post its not your best friend and i shrug to think of the barnyard fix your doing! ALSO no lexus tech would tell you that! they want you to bring it in so you have to replace it!

I recommend a new shop. It is not normal for things to happen like this; especially in Lexus land. Also, it is rare to find multiple leaks in multiple places in any A/C system.

i also recommend a new shop but SINCE i work in the HVAC-R business (my career is a HVAC-R supply house manager) i will tell you its not uncommon to find multiple leaks in more than one place on one system! here try this.........i put some in my old es300 lexus awhile ago. i was adding about a pound every summer and it got old so like 4 years ago we started carrying this and i tried it! i sold car to my dad last year and he STILL has no problems with the freon. http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/clp946kit.html

oj thats a great price we sell it to a cash customer (prices change if u dont have accounts with supply houses) for 50.00 plus tax

brian

Of course they want you to replace it !!! that's how they make 60+% of their money (the lion share), they make the rest on the actual sale of the car (nice having a wife that's a Senior VP at a very reputable investment firm in Manhattan that is well connected). Yes, 2 Techs at 2 seperate dealerships (Bay Ridge and Manhattan) had told me this and I also have a MASTER mechanic (25 years) who lives next door and his advice to me was the same. If it leaks again, screw it !!! time for another car (I got 10 years out of it) and let someone else contemplate a 30% repair (maybe there are people who no very little about money and getting a return on their investment). I'm excellent with money and I'm not about to *BLEEP* money away on something that's 10 years old, I'd rather spend my money on a new car that's under factory warranty and have NO MORE headaches ;) - Like my father always said "to each his own".

omg please dont put epoxy on this......hiho :chairshot::chairshot::chairshot: u gotta stop encouraging people to do this! its not a fix! ITS A BANDAID! :D

brian

If it's a pinhole leak at the seam I think it's fine... if it's an actual crack, I would NOT advise doing this. Besides spending almost $3000 dollars to fix a $10,000 car does NOT make any sense to me. I've ALWAYS had my vehicle serviced at LEXUS but this expense (30%) doesn't seem justifiable. At that rate, I'd sell/trade in the car and use that $3000 (along with some additional money) to buy a better vehicle that is STILL under warranty. My wife is an investment banker and I'm a partner at a lighting company and we both know what a GOOD investment is VS a BAD one.

my dads es didnt get epoxied! but thats besides the point......must be nice to have a company picking up repairs! im jealous :cries::cries: so how was the drive to the hamptons?

brian

Drove out today and back, had the A/C on for about 5 hours today and NO more wetness/moisture :) - So far it seems to working, let's hope it lasts...

Hi,

I own 2000 year GS300. There are 100000 miles on it. A/C stopped working on that car. I took it to to Lexus service centre. Initially they said there is a small leak at the pipe joining bumber and the dash board. They made me replace the pipe and fix that leak. But still A/C is not working. Then they said there are leaks near the Compressor, Expansion Valve and Evaporator (behind the dash board). The dealers say that the leaks are part of normal wear and tear. They said it costs me around $4500 to fix this.

How can a premium car like GS300 could have so many leaks on the A/C system at just 100000 milage. I can't believe it is normal wear and tear. Even on oridinary cars, AC won't have so may leaks as part of normal wear and tear at this milage. I don't know whether it is worth spending $5000 on this.

Does anybody got this problem before ? Please advise me on this. It is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Madhu

I have a 99GS300, the A/C was working just fine but I had pinhole leak in the evaporator case/box that was leaking water onto the drivers side floor mat. Lexus will NOT replace the evap box alone, instead they want you to buy the whole entire assembly @ $1600 plus another $1000 for labor (and tax). Lexus Tech told me over the phone "epoxy is your best friend", I took his advice and had a mechanic friend of mine take apart the dash, remove evap box/case, reseal and re-assemble. Picking the vehicle up today and road testing all day tomorrow. I hope you find this information helpful and I hope you can fix your problem at a fraction of the Lexus cost.

Dang in all the cars i've owned, whenever I have removed the carpet there has been water under it also, not puddles but wet. Do you have a lining under the carpet? I would just clean it up, then check it again in a few weeks. Maybeyou have a leak.

After looking through other boards and using google, it seems what I should hope is NOT the case is a cracked evaporator core. Yikes that would be expensive.

I can add the following facts to what I mentioned initially:

1. There is no coolant in this puddle - it appears to be plain water (smells a little stale, but not like windshield washer fluid or coolant). My coolant is red and there is no discoloration to the carpet.

2. The AC works perfectly... I hope that in itself rules out a cracked evaporator core.

I am hoping it is just a clog in the evacuation hose - if that's indeed what is used by this car to get rid of condensate from the AC process...

If so, is this an easy do-it-yourself type fix? is there something like a "snake" you can insert into one end of the hose to ream it clean, or is that too primitive an approach for what may be there?

I had a similiar problem with 99GS300... I had a small pinhole leak in the evaporator case/box which was leaking down onto my drivers side floor mat (A/C was working fine). Lexus will NOT replace evap box alone but rather the ENTIRE assembly @ $1600 plus another $1000 for labor. Lexus Tech told me over the phone "epoxy is your best friend", I took his advice and had a mechanic friend of mine take apart the dash, remove evap box and reseal. Picking the car up today and road testing all day tommorow. My cost $500 vs $2600 from Lexus plus sales tax ($225). I hope you can cost effectively fix yours as well, good luck.

My 99 GS300 has the same problem, Lexus of Manhattan wants $2500 to fix it. This quote was given to me without taking the dash apart as I would have to pay out 6 labor hours @ $654 to take it all apart. I'm taking my vehicle to my brothers mechanic who is quoting around $700.

well u talk about not wanting to put money into the car but what if the sealant comes of again? just seems like a cheap cruddy way to fix it! your essentially not fixing it just kinda sweeping it under the floor! what kinda sealant did you put on this? i wish you woulda said you just had a pinhole leak..........i coulda sent you some of this automotive super seal we sell at work!

http://www.cliplight.com/automotive/produc...mp;productID=16

put this in my old es which i sold to my father and it has had no leaks since. i used to put almost a pound of freon in it EVERY year! it got old then like 4 years ago we started carrying this. mainly sell it for home systems but we carry it for commercial, heat pumps, and automobile also! well anyways good luck and let me know how it turns out! oh and i misunderstood you bout the dash thought u were saying

brian

Brian,

It might be a cheap way of fixing it but your dads ES seems to be fine and I'll assume that it will work for me as well. If it lasts another 4 years or so, I'll be more than happy, Ill be turning 40 in 3 years and I will most likely treat myself to another vehicle. Picking the car up this afternoon, mechanic is only charging me $500 for the repair which my company picks up 75% of the cost :) - My company has a $1600 limit per year and with this repair I'm up to $1300, $300 more dollars to spend for the remainer of the year. BTW, thanks for the link ! I'm driving out to the Hamptons tommorow with the A/C on all the way there and back. Should be a good way to test it all out, I'll let you know how all turns out.

Al