[Help]1997 LS, replacing Nakamichi head but keeping amp
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
[Help]1997 LS, replacing Nakamichi head but keeping amp
I've been looking around for a solution,but nothing seems to solve my problem. I have the Nak sound system, but the head unit is bunk. I have a head unit that I want to put in, but I'm having trouble finding integration for the amp. As I understand, in the Nak systems, the amp powers all the speakers and not just the sub? Every thread I find, it says there is no wiring harness available, but these threads are years old(a few were over a decade old). I'm sure there is a wiring harness available that will work, I'm just not sure what to search for.
#2
BahHumBug
iTrader: (10)
There isn't a harness that will make the system work as stock. A few members over the years have wired systems to work but htey were one-offs, not plug and play.
Even beatsonic iirc does NOT offer a plug-in solution for the nakamichi cars. Only solution known at this time is to replace the entire amp system and either use an aftermarket amp or run speaker wires all the way from the doors to the headunit.
If the headunit is the issue used OEM ones are plentiful on ebay, otherwise get ready for a project.
Even beatsonic iirc does NOT offer a plug-in solution for the nakamichi cars. Only solution known at this time is to replace the entire amp system and either use an aftermarket amp or run speaker wires all the way from the doors to the headunit.
If the headunit is the issue used OEM ones are plentiful on ebay, otherwise get ready for a project.
#5
Lead Lap
Here is a thread on how to do it: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...b-working.html
As I mentioned in a thread several years ago, a Best Buy installer spent at least an hour constructing a custom interface harness that allowed him to replace the Nakamichi head unit in my 2000 L400 with a double DIN Kenwood head unit without cutting any wires in the car's factory audio harness. He crimped pins on the custom harness wires that plugged into the car's factory audio harness connectors. All the speakers including the subwoofer worked perfectly with the Kenwood. The install was easily reversible and I could have reinstalled the Nakamichi head unit in probably 15 minutes.
As I mentioned in a thread several years ago, a Best Buy installer spent at least an hour constructing a custom interface harness that allowed him to replace the Nakamichi head unit in my 2000 L400 with a double DIN Kenwood head unit without cutting any wires in the car's factory audio harness. He crimped pins on the custom harness wires that plugged into the car's factory audio harness connectors. All the speakers including the subwoofer worked perfectly with the Kenwood. The install was easily reversible and I could have reinstalled the Nakamichi head unit in probably 15 minutes.
#6
Pole Position
Here is a thread on how to do it: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...b-working.html
As I mentioned in a thread several years ago, a Best Buy installer spent at least an hour constructing a custom interface harness that allowed him to replace the Nakamichi head unit in my 2000 L400 with a double DIN Kenwood head unit without cutting any wires in the car's factory audio harness. He crimped pins on the custom harness wires that plugged into the car's factory audio harness connectors. All the speakers including the subwoofer worked perfectly with the Kenwood. The install was easily reversible and I could have reinstalled the Nakamichi head unit in probably 15 minutes.
As I mentioned in a thread several years ago, a Best Buy installer spent at least an hour constructing a custom interface harness that allowed him to replace the Nakamichi head unit in my 2000 L400 with a double DIN Kenwood head unit without cutting any wires in the car's factory audio harness. He crimped pins on the custom harness wires that plugged into the car's factory audio harness connectors. All the speakers including the subwoofer worked perfectly with the Kenwood. The install was easily reversible and I could have reinstalled the Nakamichi head unit in probably 15 minutes.
#7
Lead Lap
If I had been doing the Kenwood head unit install myself, I might have chopped off the connectors on the car side like I often did when doing car audio projects from the 1960's through the 1980's but I really, really didn't want to do that. The only "magic" the Best Buy installer did was to construct a simple interface harness with pins to avoid cutting wires and make the installation easily reversible in case I wanted to take the Kenwood head unit to another car and reinstall the Nakamichi head unit.
It's not difficult to fabricate simple wiring harnesses. I've done it many times using wire and connectors from auto parts and hardware stores.
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#8
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Let's say I wanted to rip everything out and start over with aftermarket parts, what would I do then? In that case, can I just use a standard harness? Since the speakers are interfacing with the amp and the amp interfaces with the deck through the RCA cables
#9
Lead Lap
I just answered your question on the LOC forum. No, you can't use a "standard harness" if you want to use the Nak amp and speakers. There is no aftermarket interface harness for Nakamichi systems. You either have to create your own simple custom harness like my Best Buy installer did or chop off the connectors on the car side and get out your soldering iron.
#10
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Excuse my poor handwriting, but I think I just figured it out from the link you gave me Kansas. Would this be correct?
https://i.imgur.com/q1sC98L.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/q1sC98L.jpg
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