Darthspeed

I have a 2006 SC430 and wanted to know what is the latest module to connect up Sirius and Ipod. I have an older 30 gb ipod classic, however I would like to use it with either iphone 3gs or Iphone 4 . Is there anything out there, or is the VAIS sl2s or , SLS or SL2vi the way to go.

TooCoolSC

I think most will agree that VAIS is the way to go. It's kind of become the standard with our car.

Besides getting your satellite radio/iPod hookup, you also get to avoid pushing the "I Agree" button on your navi screen every time you start the car.

Lexus installs the VAIS unit, but as always, they are THE most expensive. You know they will back what they install, however, and there is not as much worry about them messing with the guts of your car.

You can PM "VaisTech" here on Club Lexus if you have questions about the VAIS setup. Or, VAIS also has a 1-800 number that you can call with questions.

Habious

Vais makes the nicest interfaces for our cars...unfortunately, with prices to match.

They're worth spending the money though. Great integration, easy installation, and rock-solid reliability.

JohnnyCake has both the SL2i-UP for his iPod (and, as a bonus, it automatically hits the "I Agree" button on the nav system each time the car starts) and the SL2s for Sirius Satellite Radio. These 2 modules together give you some powerful features that are simply not available with the stock system.

You still have steering wheel control of the iPod and the Sirius Satellite Radio, the radio's screen displays song info for the Satellite Radio, even the factory voice-command system recognizes "Satellite Radio One," "Satellite Radio Two" etc. with the Vais modules.

(I know what he's got because I helped install them.)

EDIT: Looks like TooCoolSC and I agree! I was composing this response while he was posting his!

abbeyrd

Ray Catena Lexus near me wants $495 for the SL2i-UP including installation. Auto A/V guy across the street wants $350 installed for the same unit.
All I want is to integrate an IPOD into the system, nothing else. Or should I save the money and go to Radioshack and buy the wired cassette adapter?
I think that's a better option than the FM frequency adapter.

jomo3640

I will likely do what johnnyCake has done in the future, but in thie nterim I hook my iPhone to the cassette adapter I got on amazon for $7.00, and it sounds pretty good, not great, but it was $7.00

Darthspeed

Does the satellite or ipod display on radio or nav screen?

Habious

Neither unit displays anything on the Nav screen; just on the factory radio's LCD screen.

I just corrected an error in my earlier post.

For clarification, the Vais Sat Radio unit will display artist/song info on the stereo display. The iPod unit just displays the playlist number, but not the artist/song info. Sorry for any confusion I might have caused.

Darthspeed

Where is the best place for the sat antenna?

jeffwingo

Vais info says that the sat interface is not compatible with the 2003 radio (ML system in my case). The car has some type of aux input that the previous owner must have put in. My goal is to get sat radio without having clutter from an external unit. I love my car but the down side is giving up sat radio and integrated bt phone that I had on my 07 Solara. Any suggestions?

mrblister

I have the sat antenna snakled along the drivers front piller. I embeded it into the rubber moulding and i exit it on the top in front of where the roof retracts. ITS MAGNETIC BASE is strong enough to hold it in place. My car is black as is the antenna so it really is hard to see.
Reception works much better there .

TooCoolSC

Here's a pic of mine. It's in the right corner of the front dash...right next to the windshield. Looks like a little computer mouse. It looks more conspicuous than it really is in this picture. I don't even notice it unless someone asks me what it is.

mrblister

I had mine there originally but I would lose the satelite signal when driving under trees,I relocated it to the outside of the car on top of the windshield. I ran the cable under the front windows side pillar on the passengers side and the antenna sits out side on the top of the windshield. You can tuck the wire behind the rubber roof moulding on the top of the windshield and the antenna will hold really good there.

jeffwingo

I understand that to get good reception, you need the antenna to sit on a metal ground plain. My Solara factory install had the antenna on the dash with a small metal plate under it but I still lost signal when the leaves were on the trees especially when going east. I say that on the outside of the car is the best place.

Habious

Mine's on the trunk lid of the car.

HUGE PITA to install it and route the wire, but I love how it looks (and the reception is flawless!






I can't find a picture of it on here...but I know he posted one...We installed JohnnyCake's antenna on the parcel shelf, right behind the little clear wind-blocker. There's J-U-S-T enough space back there to put the antenna on it and still have the clearance for the back of the parcel shelf to fold upwards while the top is going up/down. You wouldn't even know it was there unless you went looking for it.

Darthspeed

I really would like to have the best reception. Looks like the trunk or shelf is the way to go. Thanks...