Ok guys please help me out....MY CHANGER HAS GONE HAYWIRE!!!!
Dealer says pay him much $$$$$$ for a new one..i say no way. i'm not able to get a new system yet...i paid cash for this car (great deal) ... so i'm a lil tapped. i want to know if i change out the plug on the wiring harness to the changer can i use another changer and if i can what is the most comparable one to the stock unit as i will be keeping my factory radio until i can upgrade later. I talked to 2 of our local main radio installers(ONE OF THEM WAS A NATIONAL CHAIN OF ELECTRONICS) and they said local lexus dealer has an agreement with them to not cut the plug or sell an comparable changer to public. does this sound legal or even make sense or are they just trying to get me to upgrade and sell me more equipment?
Please help me out i'm not at all knowledgeable about lexus and modding out cars i have been mostly stock and broke....

 

Wow, that sounds kind of shady...

Try PAC electronics to see if they make some type of interface cable...

(I think its www.go2pac.com ???)

Tim

 

the truth of the matter is you cant cut the cable and hook up any other changer. the es300 headunit has propietary system controller chip and there are 3 communication wires to headunit to cd changer so there are no adaptors made that work. so they have no agreement with lexus not to do the hacking. lexus made it imposible to hack into there headunit to cd changer system.the newer 98 up changers are easier to hack but the first generation es changer from 92 to 96 is quite impossible to hack. the adaptor companies pie, peripheral or blitzsafe have never made an adaptor that changes the controller chip for lexus like they have for every other car company. so thats really funny that they arnt hacking lexus changers because they have an agreement with lexus. lexus just outsmarted them with their super complicated cd changer electronic setup. and because its so complicated lexus had to charge 1300.00 for a new one because they had to pay pioneer to make the complicated changer. refurbished changer from dealer 500.00 minimum. dealer pays 275.00 to pioneer to refurbish one and dealer likes to double money. try to find working used changers which go for 200 to 300.00 so that seems best solution since the whole system costs 5000.00 its going to be better then fm modulated changer that doesnt even turn on the amplifier to full fidelity unless the cd button is pushed