The rear package tray is the flat panel just behind the rear seats. That same panel has the woofer cover and 3rd brake light mounted to it. Usually made with some type of felt covering it.

 

So that's where the Nav antenna is located on an 02? So if I wanted to install another one, I'd find the wiring under there?

 

Well that's a royal pisser... I was told repeatedly it was on the glass, not by my Lexus dealer I guess. So now I have a nice, but pointless, cutout in the rear tint.

What is the small 'antenna' in the lower right of '98-'00 GS's then? It's NOT on newer ones, so something changed.

 

Yes, the tint can be removed, but you risk ruining your defroster. When the tint is being pulled off, it can easily pull off a piece of the defroster causing it not to work properly.

 

They are all (GS models only) mounted at the same spot. Right next to the woofer. I have yet to see anyone install another one. But we CL people have no limits!

To access the antena you must remove many items. First the lower seat cushion, then the upper seat cushion. Then both right and left rear trim panels. Then the package tray. Then their is a large rubber/insulation mat that must be removed. You can then follow the wire back to the trunk, then to the nav ecu.

Bit,
I believe your refering to the wireless remote antena.

 

Couldn't you just cut the wire right at the nav unit rather than do all that work?

You mean the key?

 

Bit,

Sure you could cut the wire. But as a Lexus tech I want to do a proper install by removing the complete nav cable. Then installing the new one.

I suppose you could cut the wire if your installing a non-oem nav antena. And you were placing the antena in a different location.

Yes, the key remote.

DD

 

I can state without qualification that putting a conductive material between an antenna and a signal source will effect the strength of the signal received by the antenna.

If the antenna is inside the vehicle, and the windows are tinted with a mettallic film, performance will certainly be compromised. In fact, the conductive body of the car and the metallic film collectively form what is called a "Faraday Cage" (albeit not an efficient cage). Faraday cages are intentionally contructed (usually out of copper screen and copper plates) to intentionally create an RF free area.

The satallite signals are extremely weak even under the best of conditions. The antenna will typically have a high gain low noise amplifier built into it to help compensate for the very weak signals. It does not take much to reduce the available signal to less than usable or reliable levels.

 

Ya, what he said!
So what kind of Rockets do you(Mr. Scientist) work on? LOL

 

I do not work on rockets but I have worked in the nuclear power industry for the past 30 years. Actually I am an electrical engineer. The stuff I discusseed above is actually just sophmore introductory type material, it is certainly not rocket science. Back in 1965, when I attended Syracuse University, they had a Faraday cage in the basement of one of the engineering labs. They are a relatively common thing when you need to work on sensitive electronics and need to remove influence from extrenal energy sources.

 

HHHmmmm, 1965. I believe I had just started walking!

lol