IchBin

I just bought this car a couple weeks ago. For those interested I paid $6000, with 117,000 miles on it. It was more than I wanted to pay, but it was a one owner car, serviced at lexus for everything, and it is immaculate.

Anyway, the right side speakers sometimes work sometimes don't. Once they even worked and then after driving for 20+ minutes, they suddenly stopped working.

I want to keep the head unit stock, and keep using the in dash cd changer.

How can I tell if it is the head unit, the amp, or the speakers?

I am guessing it is not just the speakers as it would be unusual to have both front and rear giving the same intermittent sound.

When they stop working, I can still hear noise, or humming coming from the right side. They are not completely dead.

Anyone else with this problem in the past?

All my searches have pulled up people saying the amp and head unit work together. Also that the nakamichi system is different than a normal car stereo setup.

Any help is appreciated.

mspearl95

Does this happen using any function(radio, tape, cd) or a specific one?

and is it all the right side speakers?

IchBin

yes all functions, and all right side speakers.

The speakers when not working correctly, are making some noise, so they are not completely dead. The speakers sound fine when they are working.

I am guessing a channel on the amp is out, or the right channel in the head unit is going.

Just don't know how to figure it out.

Kansas

One way to eliminate the amplifier as the cause is the test your amp in some else's car. That's what I did on my 2000 LS400 Nak amp ... pulled it out (without having to remove the passenger seat), laid it on the back floor of a friends 99 LS with Nak and plugged it in to his wiring harness. I didn't have to remove my friends Nak amp to do it.

Don't assume that the amp is bad.

On my 00 LS, the right side outage was caused by a loose connection on the balance control of the Nak headunit. Car Stereo Repair in Florida fixed it but that was a few years ago and I don't know if they still work on Nakamichi.

ls400geek

I think I have a loose connection on the balance control in the Nakamichi head unit on my 1998 ls400.

I'd take it out and fix it myself but I fear I'll mess up something taking the head out of the dash--e.g. the venting falling to pieces.. FOr the life of me I can't find any detailed instructions (pictures or video) taking these stereos out of the 98-00 ls400's. (EDIT: Found some useful info on this procedure by searching these forums).

I'm good with soldering iron and could fix it the balance control is the problem.

Sometimes my right channel works and other times it doesn't so I figure I have the same problem.

Kansas

The guy who recently installed a very cool aux-in on my 00 LS400 Nakamichi might be able to fix yours: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...000-ls400.html

The thread I gave you also includes a PDF on how to remove the radio headunit.

Kardon

BUMP

This just started happening to me, half the car's speakers cut in and out on the drive home, and now they won't come back.. Funny because yesterday while waiting in the car I was fiddling with the all the ***** on the stereo as I was enjoying the relaxation in my private auditorium. Now not so much..

I have strong suspicion it is the balance control on the headunit, turning it to the right (passenger side) essentially works as a mute, with only a faint distant sound. The entire passenger side of the car has lost sound, so I know it isn't the speakers themselves. I see there is 1 head unit on ebay, but I'd rather have it repaired/repair it myself. Those who have had their balance control repaired on their nak, any words of wisdom? I tried checking the amp, as well as disconnecting the plug on the right, when I plug it back in I can hear a sharp hit of static on all the speakers in the car, and then back to music only from the driver side. BTW its a 1998 with the nak, and the balance **** itself doesn't feel as smooth going from center to right, it's okay, but it is less smooth than all the other *****.

Legender

What about no sound from the rear sub? Have a 2000 model, standard premium stereo and not matter how I adjust...can't get any sound/motion out of the deck mounted rear sub? Anyone had this problem. How do you tell of the amp is powering to the sub? Measure with voltmeter? And then looking for any measurement?