Can

Hi guys, I was at Lexus Owners Club and read about this forum as it's more active in this model class, so thought I should ask.

I have a 95 LS400 with Nakamichi amp in it. I'm installing an Alpine HU, and would like to know :

a) Is there a harness available for it so I dont have to do any cutting/splicing? If so where can I get it? I'm in Can-ada.

b) Is there a way to retain the Nakamichi amp?

I dont listen to loud music or etc, but need a solid install. I saw LexLS post, but that's of 1LS , 95-2000 would be different , or will it not be?

Thanks

nttung1711

Thanks for the thread I have these questions too. Where is the amplifier located at? Is it inside the car stereo?

RugbyDad

So many threads have covered this. No harness available that will retain the nakamichi. No way to retain nakamichi amp without splicing. Search for the MULTIPLE threads on this very same topic.

Amp is located under the passenger seat.

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

Go to post #9 and read, read, read. Make sure to click ALL links for more info.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...ub-anyone.html

Kansas

Here we go again. A Best Buy installer installed a Kenwood double-DIN head unit in the 2000 LS400 I sold in April and used the Nakamichi amp under the passenger seat - without cutting or splicing a single wire and with all the original Nak speakers including the Nak subwoofer in the rear window working great. I could have reinstalled the original Nakamichi head unit in just a few minutes if I had wanted to.

I wish people would stop repeating the myth that Nak amps can't be used with aftermarket head units in the 95-00 LS400.

RugbyDad

I repeated the "myth" because besides your kenwood Hu, there haven't been many other confirmed hu's that hook directly into the nakamichi harness, including any alpines to the best of my knowledge. Your case is the exception and most definitely not the rule. All other hu's working properly with the nak like your kenwood is purely speculation and a case of trial and error.

Perhaps my original post should be edited to reflect exactly what I meant by "no harness" will retain the nak amp.

Kansas

All it takes is crimping appropriate pin adapters to the wires on the wiring loom that comes with an aftermarket head unit like the Kenwood and then plugging those pins into the appropriate slots on the connector that leads to the Nakamichi amp under the passenger seat and to the connector(s) that provide power and dimming. These pin adapters are apparently standard parts used by Best Buy installers and were not something that had to be obtained especially for my 00 LS400 since the installer verified that he had all the needed parts in stock - except for the $14 dash kit I supplied - during our first conversation.

A friend who has more knowledge about this stuff than I do surmised that the pin adapters included resisters.

There was no "trial and error" involved. The Best Buy installer and I reviewed the Nakamichi wiring schematic diagram I provided him and have provided on this forum and he knew exactly what to do before he took on the project.

RugbyDad

Now I understand. We aren't talking bout splicing but we aren't talking about plug and play either. Instead some grey area purgatory that applies to neither aforementioned methods. But since modification is clearly a necessity to retain the nak, I would put it closer to splicing than plug and play.

And by trial and error I meant with finding a compatible Hu, not with the wiring since I assumed you happened upon a Hu that was plug and play with the nak system.

My mistake.

Can

I'd second that. It seems no person in their right mind , or mind at all, is found in GTA (Toronto) here who knows how to do this. I have an Alpine unit and it doesn't seem that difficult for someone with knowledge of these things. Unfortunately I'm not one of them, but almost "everyone" seems to a) Ask for Harness or b ) tell me they have to bypass the amp. And my answer is almost the same that "WTF, if I could find a harness, why would I come to you?".

I found some read here : https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...-diagrams.html
but nothing specific for NAKs. Is the wiring diagram the same for 95 and 2000 Nakamichi amps? 'Cause I think I found one online for 2000 only.

Kansas

I journeyed from Kansas to Toronto a number of times on business before I retired and don't remember any pattern of intellectual retardation there except perhaps on Yonge Street towards the waterfront. ;-) Is the only knowledgeable audio installer in the world at the Best Buy store at 95th Street and Quivira Road in Overland Park, Kansas?

I have Nak wiring diagrams for many Lexus models and model years but don't seem to have one for the 95-97 LS400 although "usually" the colors of the speaker wires are the same as the standard audio system. - you can find a Nak diagram on the Toyota/Lexus techinfo website which is now open to Canadian IP addresses for a modest fee for a short term subscription.

Using the Nak amp with an aftermarket head unit is clean and easy as long as you have appropriate pin adapters to put on the harness wires on the aftermarket head unit side and have a diagrams for both the aftermarket head unit and the Nak amp that show the wire colors so you can plug the head unit side pins into the correct pin receptacles on the Nak amp connector. You can locate the power, ground and dim connectors with a tester.

Yes, it is a little like splicing but without cutting any wires. I may have an engineering oriented degree but doing a task like this is mainly just common sense identifying wire colors on diagrams and matching positive to positive and negative to negative.

My, how this forum has changed since I joined in 2003.

Can

Finally , and randomly, found a guy who knew how to custom wire the stereos. We took a 2000 Nak Wiring diagram and he spliced his way through it. Now I'm using the sub, the amp , no problemo!

The CD changer isn't hooked up, but I dont need it anyway. So if anyone needs a 95 LS400 stock HU for stereo and CD changer , hit me up

Kansas

Well, finally. Congrats. Maybe a thread like this should be made a "sticky" so people could be reminded that an aftermarket head unit can be used with all the Nakamichi components (except the CD changer) in a 95-00 LS400.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

what would make this thread complete is the actual wiring diagram or changes the guy did to make it all work! please share if you can!

Can

I'll try to take a picture and wiring diagram of my new HU, here's the link though :

http://www.2001audiovideo.com/en/cat...ine-CDE-W235BT

So this got wired to the NAK Amp.

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

I believe that it was stated that it could be used as long as you were willing to do some splicing like the OP had done. Which by the way does not sound like what your installer did which seemed a lot simpler. Most ppl want to know if it is as easy as with the pioneer system that uses the beatsonic adapter and the general consensus is no because they don't make one for the Nak. Then this gets repeated over and over so no one thinks it's possible.