hksnlper

iTrader: (1)

Hi Guys I have a 2000 Lexus LS400 Platinum Edition with Navigation. I never listen to my radiop but recently I turn the radio on and its not picking up any channels. It runs through the scan but never stops on any stations. I looked for the antena but there is no antena in the trunk nor on the side of the car, I called lexus and they told me there suppose to be antena on the side of the car right next top Trunk but there is nothing there. There is not even a hole for the antena in the panel. I took off the panel from the inside of the trunk and there is no assembly for antena in there. What should I do any help will be appreciated.

Kansas

Your antenna is imprinted on the inside of the rear window like it is in my 2000 LS400 Platinum with Nakamichi -- there is no traditional retractable antenna after 1997 on U.S. spec LS400's. The rear window even has an imprinted phone antenna -- I use it with my GSM phone.

Does anything work in your audio system? AM, CD or tape player? Has it ever worked?

hksnlper

iTrader: (1)

Every thing works fine including Tape, CD the only thing that dont work is Radio. When ever I turn it on it goes into search mode and tries to find a station and never find it.

Kansas

Has the radio ever worked? Has the radio/nav unit been removed? I ask wondering if the antenna connection isn't plugged into the back of the head unit although I wonder if it would still be possible to pick up a local station even if the antenna isn't plugged in. I seem to remember two antenna cables connecting to the back of my Nakamichi head unit.

Off hand I don't know of any shops that work on the older radio/nav units -- I had my Nakamichi repaired by http://www.carstereohelp.com/ but I don't think they work on nav units. You could give them a call -- very nice people there. There is always eBay -- I've seen a few 98-00 LS nav/radio units for sale cheap over the past few years.

The nav unit should be fairly easy to remove should you have to. Instructions for removing the radios from the non-nav 95-97 LS are on the above website and the routine is the same for the 98-00 LS. If you remove your nav unit, the main thing is to be careful with the center vents - they tend to fall apart/break and are expensive to replace. Be gentle and keep track of all the parts so you can reassemble the vent module if you have to.

I noticed in my repair manual that the radio amp is the same for the nav and standard Pioneer radio in the 98-00 LS. If you want to punt your nav, it might be possible to obtain the HVAC control from a non-nav 98-00 LS and get a standard Pioneer radio (ebay?) or an aftermarket radio - even an aftermarket radio with nav. It would take some investigation.

hksnlper

iTrader: (1)

Guys every thing works fine and the Nav unit is working perfectly. Its just the antena wire that is not connected probably in the windshield. Can any one post a picture of how the wire looks like or where can I find it.

hksnlper

iTrader: (1)

Does any one know where the antena is located any pictures

Kansas

A drawing in volume 2 of the 2000 LS400 repair manual shows the radio antenna wire coming out of the rear window at the top corner of the rear window on the drivers side. I took a look at my car and can't see any wire -- its probably hidden behind a trim panel. The rear window installation instructions do not mention a connector at the rear window for the radio or phone antenna -- only mentions the defroster wire connector. The repair manuals are not very detailed.

Why do you think it is an antenna connection problem at the rear window? Has the rear window been replaced? Does the antenna grid at top left (drivers side) of the rear window appear to be intact? Has the radio ever worked? Throw us a bone!

If the antenna cables are plugged into the radio/nav head unit, the problem is more likely in the head unit itself. Once the upper dash vents and the wood console trim is removed, the radio/nav head unit and HVAC controls are held in place by only four bolts -- should slide right out like non-nav/HVAC unit in my 00 LS does.

The tint shop guy who that tints our cars told me that metalized rear window tints can impair radio reception but tint - if your rear window has been tinted - would not completely stop radio reception.

hksnlper

iTrader: (1)

Radio use to work right before the Tint but after that Tint it dont work. I dont hear any thing what so ever from the radio. CD and Tape are working juyst fine. When I run the scan on radio it never picks up any channel it just scans and scans may be I need to take the tint off.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

sounds like your installer cut the wire to the antenna when installing your tint...

hksnlper

iTrader: (1)

Ok Every one today I took the car in to a radio place localy. They attached an external antena with the radio and the radio still didnt work. At this point I am thinking there is something wrong with in the unit. Does any one know who works on the Radio a reputable shop in the louisiana Texas area

Kansas

Did you contact the people at http://www.carstereohelp.com/ like I suggested. They are really big in the car radio repair business. If they can't fix it, maybe they can tell you your options.