Is it practical to add navigation to a 2002 LS430? By practical I mean how expensive if it can be done.Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks

 

It's cheaper to get a unit from Magellan or Garmin and mount it as you need it! Plus you can get the updated maps as needed. But of course, if you desire to go custom then it's totally your final choice. Later!

 

If you speaking about factory nav+screen - impossible. Cheaper to get a new car.

 

A Nexus 7 tablet and an external bluetooth GPS is the perfect solution for me! inexpensive, always updated and portable. Whole setup is about $300.

 

Almost anything can be done if you want to throw enough money at it - retrofit LS430 nav or install aftermarket indash nav systems.

If you just want navigation and want it cheap and convenient, hang a Garmin on a bracket, hardwire it to the accessory circuit, hide the cables and its traffic receiver inside the dash, and be on your way. I rarely remove the Garmin from its bracket - usually throw a hat over it to hide it but portable GPS theft is way down now that they are so cheap. Here's a thread that shows the Garmin in my 00 LS400: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...lan-nokia.html

http://www.pro-fit-intl.com has several brackets specifically for the LS430 or you can get inventive with their universal hardware. I particularly dislike having a portable GPS stuck on a windshield or attached to a beanbag and having wires dangling from it.

Garmin's work particularly well with Android phones running the free Garmin Smartphone Link app. For example, if I find a restaurant, store, etc. I want in Yelp on my phone, I press "Find Directions" on Yelp to send the location to the Garmin via Bluetooth - similar to how it works on the 2013 Lexus navigation/Enform system which has Yelp built in.

 

The reason it's near impossible to retrofit factory nav/screen, is that it is tied into the car very hard, you'll need to replace almost all harnesses, install nav computer in the trunk, get compatible factory screen (1k+), get another factory headunit to go with it, reprogram hvac computer to be controlled from screen, reprogram main ecm to accept new config (is it even possible? toyota code is still uncracked), etc etc etc
One guy attempted it over here in Russia, due to lack of 03+ with nav screens. About 5k later he abandoned the idea and put everything back as it was.

 

While I personally do not think it is a good idea to retrofit OEM navigation systems into Lexus vehicles, it has been done many times here in the U.S. on most if not all Lexus models (IS, GS, LS, ES, RX) that did not come with navigation as standard. These projects have been documented with photos on Lexus forums. Forum member dcfish on http://us.lexusownersclub.com sells both individual OEM Lexus navigation components and complete OEM Lexus navigation systems including the harnesses for retrofiting into cars without navigation. Lexus cars are quite common here in the U.S. and I assume that the components he sells are from salvage cars.

 

If you don;t want to bother with a Garmin, just get a smart phone and use Google apps. There are brackets available on amazon and other vendors that can be mounted on Lexus dash to hold your phone when its in maps mode if you want it to be up around eye level. I have high end Garmin but have been using my iphone and google maps lately when I need mapped instructions.

 

Many thanks for all the replies. After all the info you offered, I am planning to get a Garmin and hang it on the windshield. This is a great forum and I thank you very much for all the knowledge and willingness to reply.

 

ever thought about an aftermarket DDIN?

 

Sorry, don't even know what a DDIN is. LOL

 

"Double Din"

Be cheaper and cleaner to get like a Kenwood or Alpine double din head unit with built in GPS.