babyeli3

So my stock stereo on my 2001 Lexus IS300 (6 cd changer) has gone out twice and twice a body shop replaced it for me. Mind you that they scratched the sides of the dashboard (where stereo is located). Now that I have to replace it myself, I need some DIY instructions (with pictures would help if you have any) ... How can I go about it without scratching or doing any damage on it?

HELP!

altezzaguy

I don't have any DIY instructions, but I could tell you that to replace the stereo you have to remove everything from the stereo to the to tray. Only instruction I can give you is that you have to start from the top, you have to remove the top tray first, then your AC control unit, then your stereo... The rest is plug & play. To reinstall everything just start with stereo & work your way up. Hope this helps a little. It's actually very simple once you start doing it.

romycha1

iTrader: (3)

It's actually very easy to remove the radio... Just look at the first few pictures of this thread... don't worry about the literature.

http://my.is/forums/f63/is300-aux-mod-341142/

babyeli3

Thank you so much for the information and ESPECIALLY the pictures!! Thanks a million!

RocketSci

The photos on the link are awesome. I bought my 2001 IS 300 in December. My CD player is dead and the tape player is "finicky". And my daughter complains about no Aux jack - of course, that doesn't keep her from askin' if she can drive it!

Anyway, is this CD player problem typical of this model? Does anyone have an idea of what it is that's failing? Is it repairable? Or is it pretty much a case of It costing more to diagnosis than to replace? Thx.

romycha1

iTrader: (3)

The CD player doesn't play burned CD's if that is what you're talking about. Have you tried store bought CD's? Usually people will complain about the CD player being broken, but it's just that.

Regarding an AUX jack... you can buy the GROM AUX input which is about $75, or you can follow the link I posted and do the DIY AUX input... it should cost around $30 in parts.

RocketSci

The player will not load or eject any CD's. I used prerecorded, store bought CDs that work fine in my other cars.

I found a thread on a FAQ page titled "Help: Oem cd player not working" suggesting re-booting via pulling the audio system fuses. I'll give it a try, but I'm skeptical. I've had the battery disconnected a couple times and that did not result in a reboot that healed the CD player.

FAQ "cd player won't play" suggested that a CD may actually be jammed in the thing and that a pocket knife did the trick! This was my first theory, but I was reluctant to start jam things into the slot.

FAQ "cd changer jammed..." suggests 1) hold down eject button, and smack the top of dash, or 2) hold down eject while pushing a CD into the slot, or 3) use 2 credit cards to pull CD out (assuming you can see it, which I can't).

OK. Clearly I'm not the only one who has had this problem. Sorry I didn't look at the FAQ page first. This place is a gold mine of info! Thanks!

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

Mine plays burned CD's just fine...

IPsalesx

just get aftermarket double din... looks better...

RocketSci

I pulled my player out of the dash using instructions/photos at

http://my.is/forums/f63/is300-aux-mod-341142/

When I opened the unit there were 5 home made CD's in it (from a previous owner). One of the 6 "trays" which really look like plastic cir-clips was bent and cracked. While handling it, the end broke off. I can't tell whether I damaged it getting the CD's out or it was already damaged. Oh well, like I always say "If it's broke, make sure it's broke for good." : )

If nothing else, it's kinda fun to watch the mechanisms try to figure out what to do with the top off while it's plugged in to the dash. Maybe I should start shoppin' for a new radio...

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

That is definitely an opinion... I have never seen an aftermarket radio that integrates a factory style into its design and mounting... every one of them looks completely out of place, IMO... sure, there are cool ones, and head units that just look amazing, but, our dashes have a very unique look to them and finding an aftermarket radio that is similar is difficult...

RocketSci

Yes, I agree about the aesthetic appeal of the original trapezoid shaped stereo. I wish I could change just the CD module, but it's connected by a ribbon cable. That would take some serious skill to re-wire.

I found a Technical Bulletin for 01-03' IS 300 re: CD Changer Jamming in the on-line service manual. Back in the day, this was covered as a warranty item. Later builds had an improved mechanism. Is there any way to tell whether mine was replaced with a later model? There is a stamp on the bottom that say "12. 5", the rest is Japanese. Not sure if that means Dec 05'.

expired56k

Hey Guys,

I know this is an old thread but it was nigh impossible to find any info on the part I need. I have the same head unit as OP and it jammed a long time ago. When I took it apart one of the stupid plastic CD trays was broken in half smack in the center. That's like the narrowest spot on this part and is impossible to glue or otherwise repair (after looking inside the HU it's no wonder Toyota has so many issues with these, it's amazing this thing worked at all, very busy and fragile system). I'm wondering whether anyone still have these trays sitting around that I could buy from you? I really don't want to spend the money on new head unit as I have to get Metra/harness/dash brackets which IMO just not worth the money.

Thanks!

Black1129

It's worth the money.. Upgrade your head unit bro stop being cheap

expired56k

I'm not sure why you bothered posting anything when I *clearly* indicated it wasn't worth it for *me*. Otherwise I wouldn't have posted here and just swapped the unit. Unfortunately Toyota made it really difficult with all the proprietary crap. I like fixing stuff especially if it can be reused and suits my needs. It can be a fun, challenging and rewarding experience instead of simply sending more crap to a landfill like most people do.

So anyway, I actually fixed the broken cd tray by using a triangular file to carve shallow grooves along the flat area of the tray. I did it on all four sides and then used bare solid copper phone wire and crazy glue to make the braces (I used small pliers to push the wire in and glue better). I used the same file later on to smooth out the surface and ensure wire and glue didn't stick out. The end result albeit ghetto looking ended up being extremely rigid and is working. I put the repaired tray on the top instead of bottom where it would see less action because the top side is slightly bulging and wouldn't sit flat against other trays if there were on top. Bottom side turned out really nice. Outer side doesn't matter at all and inner sides does need to be flat for cd to stay in the tray. Sadly I didn't take any pictures until after assembling the unit back as I wasn't 100% sure it would be successful. It however worked out great and it's working now! This took maybe a couple of hours including waiting for glue to set.

Tools/materials used:

- Leatherman Squirt multi tool (pliers, file)
- Scotch tape (to old the cd tray on the desk while I glued or filed it)
- Solid copper phone wire (braces, only needed a couple of inches; I also used the wire to hold the tray springs while the metal bracket on top of the trays was removed, it holds the trays tightly together)
- Crazy glue
- Spare time and some creativity

Cheers!