veritek

Hey guys, don't know if any of ya'll have experienced this or not, but my phone in the LS turns on every time I start the car, and I can't turn it off. It's a '98, with Navi. I've had the car for over a year now, and it just started doing this, and even when I push the power button, but it still doesn't turn off. I haven't even activated service on the phone. What the heck?!

LRP_LS400

if the phone is connected to an independent fuse, you can just pull the fuse if it's no longer in use.

Kansas

You could start by unplugging the connectors from the phone ECU in the well on the right side of the trunk - at least I assume the ECU is on the right side like an 00 LS400 - if not, check the well on the left side of the trunk. After unplugging the connectors from the phone ECU, plug the two large ones together. This should take you less than five minutes. You could remove the phone ECU altogether since it is not going to be of value.

If that doesn't stop the beeping, unplug the handset from the connector under the vent you see when you raise the front center arm rest. The vent comes off but off-hand I don't remember how - I think it will be obvious as I have removed it several times without any problem.

You could remove the handset while you are at it since it won't do you any good anyway. The insert of the upper console tray pops right out if you carefully pry it out with a taped putty knife blade or flat screw driver blade. Be gentle but firm.

The upper tray insert is not available as a replacement part so be careful not to break it. A person on another forum used a portion of a black mouse pad to line the upper console tray and cover the holes left after he removed the handset.

By the way, there is an audio mute pin in both the driver side phone connector under the center console and in the large connectors in the trunk. If you have or want to install a phone kit (e.g. Bluetooth), the phone kit's mute wire can be easily attached to the connector under the center console so that your radio automatically mutes when a phone call is in progress.

drewkaree

The phone beeps to let you know it's there and working. Even though you don't have service, it can still be used for 911 in an emergency (as can all cell phones per some law in the U.S.). As Kansas said, if you're not going to use the phone, rework the trunk wiring.

I just removed my phone from the center armrest console yesterday and took a few pics (although not enough) and will post up a "how to" sometime soon about how to unhook and remove the phone and that tray.

If someone were to be parting out a '96 LS400, I'd take their tray from them, or even if it's crapped up with the cut hole for the phone cord, I'd take theirs to use as a mold and buy some molding plastics from TAP plastic to make a nice NEW tray. In my case, the wife used some foam board and black fabric that I'll post with the rest of the pics

veritek

Thanks for the responses. On a side note, just wondering why the phone decided all of a sudden to turn on by itself. As I said, I've had the car for over a year, and I've never had this problem.

Lexuses71

You're not alone...I have same set up (phone + Navi) and my phone always makes that tone sound every thime I crack the ignition. Doesn't bother me, I just tune it out. But it CAN get annoying.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Check to make sure the power button isn't wedged down into the phone and keeping it turning on constantly. I have the same phone in my GS as well and think I remember it doing this once. I never turned it on in the LS, lol I don't even remember it had one

Kansas

Beginning Feb. 18, 2008, cell phone companies were allowed to completely discontinue analog service. Some phone companies were thought to have started reducing analog service before that date but now they can legally completely eliminate it. This is speculation but perhaps the beeping is telling you that your phone can no longer get a signal.

And I don't know how you could use your old Lexus phone to call 911 if there is no analog service.

timer00

I was just about to agree with this... there are no more analog networks working. The beeping though is just the phone kind of diagnosing itself and saying "I am on yay!" On my car the PWR turns it off an on yours I would just see if the button is stuck down or follow the unplugging/disassembling instructions others provided.

drewkaree

Given that you're saying they were able to do this (legally) less than a month ago, the possibility exists that it hasn't been done yet, or that they still support it if for nothing else other than to comply with the emergency service capability.

Here's one of many stories about problems with "old" or "deactivated" phones: Shortened link to story

I'm guessing our lawmakers force carriers to support analog or somehow still carry the call even if it's only to afford the ability to call 911. A service plan isn't/wasn't needed to do so. I've got an old Trac phone that I clearly remember stating could be used for emergency use even if the "plan" wasn't kept continuous and for that reason, we kept one in each car for quite a long time.

Kansas

Correct, it will may be a few months before all analog service is withdrawn in the U.S.
No, analog service is being completely withdrawn and the frequencies have already been auctioned off for other uses. An analog-only phone will not function - even to call 911 - once analog services is withdrawn. AT&T and Verizon had announced that they would shut down analog service (and TDMA from AT&T) immediately after Feb 18, 2008. Other major carriers such as Sprint and T-Mobile did not have analog networks. It may take independent rural carriers a little longer to shut down analog.

My wife and I have cell phones from 2003 that support analog, TDMA and the two GSM frequencies (850 and 1900) used in the U.S. by AT&T - I bought three brand new ones on eBay recently to have as backups since they fit our car kits and wirelessly interface with our PCs - even interface with Outlook and corporate Lotus Notes.

I started noticing a decrease in signal strength in some rural areas last fall and am guessing that analog/TDMA service was already being cut back.

A problem (some might see as a benefit) of cell phones made prior to 2005 is that they do not have the GPS capability that allows 911 operators to tell where you are located. I kind of like that older cell phones can not be tracked efficiently - except by crude triangluation - but my tune would change if my wife or I ever have an emergency and are unable to give a location to a 911 operator.

Neofate

iTrader: (1)

Good stuff Jim.

It is Landlines that are required to function (without service) for 911. Analog cell phones I'm sure had that provision as well, but with digital service being all that exists these days it is an 'on/off' ordeal. I would have to do some digging to see if the emergency clause still exists for digital phones, but I would strongly err to the side that , no, they do not work.

If they did, some old phones of my own would be charged up and stuck in other vehicles, etc. I've never used 911, but the one time you do need it, I'm sure it is well worth the hassle =)

As for the carphone,.. Have you figured out how to disable it yet? I'm sure it isn't anything terribly hard.. and if you just don't care about the phone AT ALL, open it up and manually break the internals .. -- Fun and effective.

drewkaree

Agreed on both points

On my '96, disabling the phone was as simple as disconnecting two plugs in the trunk and reconnecting them to the other disconnected piece (if that made any sense). My phone no longer greets me with lame phone music when I put the key in, and in my case, the stereo worked again!

In my car, the plugs were under the trunk mat, covered by a carpeted flap on the right hand side of the trunk. I can post some pics of what I did if you want to just disable the phone, and it won't take you more than 5 minutes and a screwdriver if you can't get the latches on the plugs open with your fingers....really hasn't disrupted ANYTHING else other than the phone, which went dead anyhoo.

Kansas

The large white connectors near the center in the the attached photo are in my 2000 LS400 and plug into each other after disconnecting them from the phone ECU. On 98-00 LS400s without a dealer installed phone, the male/female mated connectors are attached to a slide-on plastic plate at the bottom of the tool kit housing.

As drewkaree indicated, it is similar in his 96 LS but I don't know exactly what year the design was first used.

Ignoring the red wire in the photo that was for a test light I was using, the two gray coax cables you can see in the photo are for the phone antenna imprinted on the back window. One coax cable leads to the phone antenna. The other end of the other coax cable is under the air vents you see when you raise the front center arm rest. Plugging the two coax cables in the trunk together (an adapter is required) connects the coax cable under the center arm rest with the phone antenna imprinted on the back window.

I've lost track of how many different phone systems were offered over the 11 years of the LS400 -- I can visualize five.

veritek

Wow, thanks everyone for all the info. The phone hasn't turned on automatically the past couple of times I started the car since I first posted, but if it gets to be a hassle, I'll follow the instructions to disable it. Thanks again folks, CL and LS owners FTW!!!!