randy2016

Hi,


I need to fish an XM radio wire ( about 22-24 AWG) from the trunk area to the front console. In my old cars I would raise the door jambs and run it under there; does anyone know how to get it from the trunk past the backseat? Does the seat have to come out, or can it be fished on the side to the trunk area? 1998 LS400. Thanks

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

the seats do need to come out to access the trunk area. there are wire harness passages that run on both sides of the car. you can drill holes next to them or use the existing holes by uncovering the stickers over them. there is pretty much a second firewall behind the rear seat backs probably due to the gas tank being directly behind.

the kick plates next to the door sill all come off with a firm pull upwards so you can run the wires from the headunit to the rear of the car.

Kansas

If all you need to run is an antenna wire could you instead use the factory installed phone antenna coax cable? One end is under the vent you see when you raise the front arm rest and the other end is on the right side of the trunk. You will see two coax cables in the trunk - one runs to the phone antenna imprinted on their rear window and the other is the one I mentioned that runs to under the front armrest.

randy2016

Ok, I thought that the seat would have to come out; I just wanted to double check. Kansas, you bring up a very good point, I didn't even think of the phone antenna coax cable. I may have to make a balun, if the impedance for the XM antenna and the phone antenna are different, but it would work. I think the phone antenna is 50 Ohm. Has anyone ever done this before? Thanks guy's

randy2016

The connector in the trunk is an SO-239?

Kansas

I had to Google to see what an SO-239 but, yes, it looks like a connector I see that is labeled SO-239. Adapters are/were available at Radio Shack to connect two of those connectors together. I know this due to using the rear window imprinted antenna with a Nokia phone kit.

A photo of one of the phone coax connectors in the trunk is shown in https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...-my-trunk.html

randy2016

Ok, thanks. I will need to either find a cable, or make one; PL-259 to male smb. The PL-259 is the male counterpart to the female SO-239, and the smb is the connector to the XM radio. As far as I can see, the phone and the XM impedance are both 50 Ohm's so no matching should be needed, just plug the adapter on both ends. I can see where the phone is, just under the center arm-wrest; the cable looks like it goes into the middle part, just under the arm-wrest. What would be the best way to go about accessing the antenna wire at the console end? Thanks

Kansas

You'll have to remove the console box/insert to get to the antenna wire. Remove the wood console panel, remove the cup holder, remove the vent cover under the armrest, remove the screws, pry the box out with a non-scarring trip removel tool - unplug the aux power cabel when you do. It's kind of intuitive. I've done it many times but it is so easy that I don't pay much attention to how I do it.