jstjohnz

A recent thread discusses external audio for the SC430, this is what I am doing to get external audio into an LS430.

First of all, the organization of the LS430 stereo system is a bit unusual. The "head unit" is actually just the tape player and CD player. The AM/FM tuner is a separate trunk-mounted module. Both the head unit and the tuner feed L/R balanced audio to the power amp, also trunk-mounted.

Both amplifier inputs are active at all times, the head unit mutes its output when AM or FM is selected and the tuner mutes its output when tape or CD is selected.

I have found the best point to insert external audio is the L/R audio feed between the tuner and the amplifier. It can't really be done at the head unit because of the system configuration. If the system is on, obviously one of the inputs must be selected (tape/cd/tuner). If you select tuner, then the tuner audio will be going to the amp along with your external audio, and tape and CD sources can only be selected if there is a tape or cd inserted.

You could tie in at the head unit, but you would have to have either a CD or a tape playing when you select external audio, and that's a bit crude.

So the best approach is to select AM or FM as the source, then disable the tuner audio output, and insert the external audio in its place.

Unless your external audio source is in the trunk you will need to run L/R audio lines, and a single control wire, from the trunk to the passenger compartment.

The easiest method to switch the audio is to use a 4 pole double throw relay with a 12VDC coil mounted to the wiring harness coming from the tuner. The 4 common contacts of the relay connect to the amplifier input leads (2R, 2L, these are balanced signals), the normally-closed contacts connect to the tuner output leads, and the normally open contacts connect to the external audio source.

I used a relay socket that has screw terminals to simplify the installation:

Remove the tuner, then unwrap the wiring harness to the larger connector, all the way back to where this pigtail joins a larger harness (about 4 inches or so).

Look for the group of 5 wires in a single shielded cable, the colors are red, green, black, white, and yellow on pins 4,17,3,16,and 11 respectively. Strip away the outer insulation of the shielded cable back as far as you can.

Cut the red, green, black, and white wires roughly in the middle of the exposed section of harness, leave the yellow MUTE wire alone.

Strip and tin the eight wire ends, then connect those wires to the common and normally-closed relay socket screws, making sure to put the 4 wires from the tuner to the normally closed terminals, and the 4 wires going to the amp to the common terminals.

There is room for the relay and socket to sit behind the tuner module so you don't have to extend any of the harness wires.

Wire a 4-conductor shielded cable to the 4 normally open terminals, and tie the shield to the shield of the audio cable in the harness. I used an old USB cable, it is shielded and has the same color wires to keep things simple.

It doesn't matter which set of relay contacts hooks to which color wire, just be consistent on all 3 sets of wires.

Wire one side of the relay coil to ACC power, this is available at the grey wire on pin 14 of the tuner connector.. The other side of the relay coil will wire to your control switch. By switching this lead to ground, you pull in the relay and select external audio.

It is a good idea to wire a diode across the relay coil. Rating isn't really critical, 1A at 100V should be fine. Be sure to put the banded diode end at the side of the coil that goes to ACC power.

As mentioned, these are balanced signals. See the thread re SC430 external audio for a discussion of balanced vs unbalanced. Since most external audio sources will have unbalanced outputs, you need to convert them to balanced. I have found that a simple audio transformer works well, or there are commercially available DC blockers.

I will post pictures soon.

-jim-

Pramit Patel

JSTJOHNZ, thanks for posting your message. I am looking forward to seeing the pics of your install. Did you have to use a PIE adapter like the post from the SC430? I just had XM installed yesterday on my LS430 and it sounds like crap because it is going through a FM modulator. I will be doing exactly what you have done for my XM and ipod. If you have more details or pics please send them to pramitpatel@hotmail.com


Thanks for all your help,
Pramit

cschow

Wow, this is good info. Hopefully after pictures are posted I will be able to do an install of an Ipod and satellite radio. Can you also provide a source, part numbers, and costs for the additional components you're using? Also, whats the best way to run the L/R audio cables and control cable from the trunk into the passenger compartment?

jstjohnz

As far as running cables goes, I have found the easiest route to be up through the package shelf (area between rear seat and rear window). There are several existing holes here that are large enough to pass cables. Then you can route over to the driver's side and follow the existing harness forward. I probably have run 6 or 8 wires of various sizes along this route. At this point it's starting to get a bit tight!

This is the only path that I have found for getting wires between the trunk and passenger compartment.

I bought my relay and socket at a local electronics parts house, not sure if there is even a brand name on the relay but I will check. You couold probably search Mouser or Digi-Key, for 4PDT relay 12VDC. Radio Shack sells a relay that will work but they don't have a screw-terminal socket for it.



-jim-

Pramit Patel

Jim,

Can you post pics please ?

Thanks,
Pramit

mwbuck

yeah pics would be awesome!!

jstjohnz

Here are the promised pictures of the audio relay install. The first one shows a closeup of the relay socket and wiring. The left-most row of 4 terminals has the 4 wires that go to the remote audio source, these are the normally-open (NO) relay contacts.

The next row of terminals has the 4 wires that go to the tuner (the loose connector on the left). These are one end of the 4 wires that you have to cut and connect to the normally-closed (NC) relay contacts.

The other ends of these 4 cut wires connect to the far right-hand row of screws (difficult to see in photo but you can make out the red wire) and are connections to the amplifier from the relays COMMON contacts.

The row with 3 terminals is for the relay coil and only the top and bottom terminals are used. The top terminal has a red wire that is run to ACCY power and the bottom terminal is the control lead that runs to your switch. Switching this lead to ground pulls in the relay and switches the audio source from the tuner to your external equipment.

You can also see the diode near the relay coil terminals with the banded side to the coil terminal that is wired to ACCY power.

jstjohnz

This picture shows the installation with the tuner mounted back in place. The relay is the green plastic cube. There was a metal bracket thet was bolted to the back of the tuner and served as a support for a couple of pairs of electrical connectors. I removed that bracket to free up space behind the tuner for the relay to sit.

The open area to the right is where the nav unit goes. You can see that I have used the same arrangement to switch video to the nav display. That is the right-hand relay and socket in the picture.

jstjohnz

This is a closer view showing how the relay sits behind the tuner.

The 2 red/black wires to the right of the tuner chassis are my relay control wires that go to switches mounted on the console.

The grey wire in the same area goes to my external audio source, in my case an x-box. Even though the lexus audio signals are balanced it works just fine to tie these directly to the unbalanced audio outputs of the xbox.

jstjohnz

One more picture

kidcapp

nice install jstjohnz is that the same setup i would have to use or is there another way to install a ipod in my car i have a 2004 ls430 with mark levingston i really like this kit but they don't make it for my car http://www.densionusa.com/x/index.ph...=375&Itemid=79 it allows you to control the ipod thru the factory radio and steering controls

Seattle SCone

Is the Nav's video RGB & composite sync?

Were the wires to intercept the same as in this thread https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...tive+nav+video

It looks like you did your work in the trunk at the Nav end of the cabling rather than the display unit.


Edit: Never mind. I just realized that is YOUR thread. I also misinterpreted the Nav unit in that thread as being the unit in the front dash, rather than the unit in the trunk.

kidcapp

does anyone know if the toms unit will work for a us version of the ls430 http://www.tomsracing.co.jp/product/interior.htm

jstjohnz

Yes, RGB+Sync.
You can tie in at either end, I chose the trunk because my aux video source (xbox) was in the trunk.

-jim-

kidcapp

I tried the transmitter and the tape adapter for the ipod they don't sound to great. I an using my factory radio outputs to connect to 2 line converters and I have the line converters connected to my 4 channel amp I was thinking of put a audio/ video switcher so I could switch back between my ipod and my factory deck does anyone think that it is possible that it will work or does anyone have any other ideas that will work for my setup