Upgrading the stereo in a 2005 Lexus lx 470
11-07-18, 05:42 PM
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Upgrading the stereo in a 2005 Lexus lx 470
I would like to upgrade my audio to include sat radio and be able to the listen to my smart phone music.
11-26-18, 05:54 AM
#3
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They also make an Android replacement system that will replace the old nav screen and you'll still have climate control. I did it in my GX470 and love it. I just ordered one for my 06 LX470 as well. Once I get it and install it I'll post my findings. They are year specific so if you order one make sure it'll work. Usually they'll ask for a photo of your dash to check if it'll work.
01-08-19, 11:49 AM
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They also make an Android replacement system that will replace the old nav screen and you'll still have climate control. I did it in my GX470 and love it. I just ordered one for my 06 LX470 as well. Once I get it and install it I'll post my findings. They are year specific so if you order one make sure it'll work. Usually they'll ask for a photo of your dash to check if it'll work.
01-08-19, 02:17 PM
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02-27-19, 04:24 PM
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They also make an Android replacement system that will replace the old nav screen and you'll still have climate control. I did it in my GX470 and love it. I just ordered one for my 06 LX470 as well. Once I get it and install it I'll post my findings. They are year specific so if you order one make sure it'll work. Usually they'll ask for a photo of your dash to check if it'll work.
03-06-19, 04:33 AM
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03-06-19, 05:46 AM
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I have an 2006 LX470. I've been looking for solutions to this issue as well. I'm not as interested in SAT radio/nav, where can I find info on the other $1,200-$1300 option you mentioned in your post? Thank for the great solution.
03-06-19, 06:00 AM
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2006 LX470 Audio System Bluetooth up-grade?
I'm interested in this audio system up grade. I'm looking to make improvements to my wife's 2006 LX470. Specifically apple carplay, but really any bluetooth up grade that won't effect the climate control system would be an improvement. Thank you for your post.
03-07-19, 07:51 AM
#10
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I did the Audio system replacement a couple of days ago.
THere are two parts to it. An Android side (which works pretty well, no issues yet, with the exception of IGO which is way too small and I have yet to find a way to make it bigger)
Now the 'emulated Lexus' part.
It's buggy. Very buggy. It will work, but so far I have found the following restrictions:
- My car is US, but the chinese head unit only displays in C. The AC outside temp is stuck on 24C . The inside AC as well. Goodbye climate control. It actually works but:
a. You can raise or lower the temperature, but you don't see your settings. The rear AC button still works
b. You can press the buttons on the top to choose where the air comes from. The buttons look like they don't work but they do.
So the AC controls are unuseable, but the AC will work if you learn your way through the system blindly. Mind you, once you set your ideal temp, you may not want to change it.
- Same with the radio. At first, I could only get it to display to 97.7 FM. A few blind presses of some buttons (dont ask me which) means that I get the full US range, but not with the even numbers. ie 98.6 won't work. Briefly it displayed EU stations ( ending in even numbers), but it stopped doing it now. Oh well.
The sound works ok. You can switch from Lexus to Android (ie listen to the radio with the satnav on in Android)
- The trip computer simply does not work as it wants to display in km/h and the car speaks in mph. There is no menu to change from kph tp mph.
- The DVD looks like it works, but since the cartridge had been stuck for a month before installing the headunit (which ejected it by magic) I have not dared to put it back in yet..
Now about the install.
I sat in the car when the guy who sold it to me installed it.
It's messy. Very messy. The connectors are straightforward. The AC ECU plugs directly at the back of the unit (no need to put it in the metal box provided).
There are a few tweaks that the guy did to get the original rear camera to work, which involved some recabling to the gearstick (I think), and then he removed the passenger seat, found a box under it, used a tester to see when the car was put in reverse, and plugged his new cables from the gearstick to there. I asked him and he told me that there was some sort of 'camera booster' in there. He did not speak much English, but he knew his way around all these cables, and I was glad I did not try it myself.
One last thing: he told me that there were 2 models: the one with a metal frame (which I bought) and the one all made of plastic and he told me not to get that one (maybe because it was cheaper)
So yeah, it works. The Lexus menus don't feel like Lexus. But then, there is not that much choice if you want AC controls.
I hope this helps.
THere are two parts to it. An Android side (which works pretty well, no issues yet, with the exception of IGO which is way too small and I have yet to find a way to make it bigger)
Now the 'emulated Lexus' part.
It's buggy. Very buggy. It will work, but so far I have found the following restrictions:
- My car is US, but the chinese head unit only displays in C. The AC outside temp is stuck on 24C . The inside AC as well. Goodbye climate control. It actually works but:
a. You can raise or lower the temperature, but you don't see your settings. The rear AC button still works
b. You can press the buttons on the top to choose where the air comes from. The buttons look like they don't work but they do.
So the AC controls are unuseable, but the AC will work if you learn your way through the system blindly. Mind you, once you set your ideal temp, you may not want to change it.
- Same with the radio. At first, I could only get it to display to 97.7 FM. A few blind presses of some buttons (dont ask me which) means that I get the full US range, but not with the even numbers. ie 98.6 won't work. Briefly it displayed EU stations ( ending in even numbers), but it stopped doing it now. Oh well.
The sound works ok. You can switch from Lexus to Android (ie listen to the radio with the satnav on in Android)
- The trip computer simply does not work as it wants to display in km/h and the car speaks in mph. There is no menu to change from kph tp mph.
- The DVD looks like it works, but since the cartridge had been stuck for a month before installing the headunit (which ejected it by magic) I have not dared to put it back in yet..
Now about the install.
I sat in the car when the guy who sold it to me installed it.
It's messy. Very messy. The connectors are straightforward. The AC ECU plugs directly at the back of the unit (no need to put it in the metal box provided).
There are a few tweaks that the guy did to get the original rear camera to work, which involved some recabling to the gearstick (I think), and then he removed the passenger seat, found a box under it, used a tester to see when the car was put in reverse, and plugged his new cables from the gearstick to there. I asked him and he told me that there was some sort of 'camera booster' in there. He did not speak much English, but he knew his way around all these cables, and I was glad I did not try it myself.
One last thing: he told me that there were 2 models: the one with a metal frame (which I bought) and the one all made of plastic and he told me not to get that one (maybe because it was cheaper)
So yeah, it works. The Lexus menus don't feel like Lexus. But then, there is not that much choice if you want AC controls.
I hope this helps.
03-07-19, 08:14 AM
#12
Driver
I did the Audio system replacement a couple of days ago.
THere are two parts to it. An Android side (which works pretty well, no issues yet, with the exception of IGO which is way too small and I have yet to find a way to make it bigger)
Now the 'emulated Lexus' part.
It's buggy. Very buggy. It will work, but so far I have found the following restrictions:
- My car is US, but the chinese head unit only displays in C. The AC outside temp is stuck on 24C . The inside AC as well. Goodbye climate control. It actually works but:
a. You can raise or lower the temperature, but you don't see your settings. The rear AC button still works
b. You can press the buttons on the top to choose where the air comes from. The buttons look like they don't work but they do.
So the AC controls are unuseable, but the AC will work if you learn your way through the system blindly. Mind you, once you set your ideal temp, you may not want to change it.
- Same with the radio. At first, I could only get it to display to 97.7 FM. A few blind presses of some buttons (dont ask me which) means that I get the full US range, but not with the even numbers. ie 98.6 won't work. Briefly it displayed EU stations ( ending in even numbers), but it stopped doing it now. Oh well.
The sound works ok. You can switch from Lexus to Android (ie listen to the radio with the satnav on in Android)
- The trip computer simply does not work as it wants to display in km/h and the car speaks in mph. There is no menu to change from kph tp mph.
- The DVD looks like it works, but since the cartridge had been stuck for a month before installing the headunit (which ejected it by magic) I have not dared to put it back in yet..
Now about the install.
I sat in the car when the guy who sold it to me installed it.
It's messy. Very messy. The connectors are straightforward. The AC ECU plugs directly at the back of the unit (no need to put it in the metal box provided).
There are a few tweaks that the guy did to get the original rear camera to work, which involved some recabling to the gearstick (I think), and then he removed the passenger seat, found a box under it, used a tester to see when the car was put in reverse, and plugged his new cables from the gearstick to there. I asked him and he told me that there was some sort of 'camera booster' in there. He did not speak much English, but he knew his way around all these cables, and I was glad I did not try it myself.
One last thing: he told me that there were 2 models: the one with a metal frame (which I bought) and the one all made of plastic and he told me not to get that one (maybe because it was cheaper)
So yeah, it works. The Lexus menus don't feel like Lexus. But then, there is not that much choice if you want AC controls.
I hope this helps.
THere are two parts to it. An Android side (which works pretty well, no issues yet, with the exception of IGO which is way too small and I have yet to find a way to make it bigger)
Now the 'emulated Lexus' part.
It's buggy. Very buggy. It will work, but so far I have found the following restrictions:
- My car is US, but the chinese head unit only displays in C. The AC outside temp is stuck on 24C . The inside AC as well. Goodbye climate control. It actually works but:
a. You can raise or lower the temperature, but you don't see your settings. The rear AC button still works
b. You can press the buttons on the top to choose where the air comes from. The buttons look like they don't work but they do.
So the AC controls are unuseable, but the AC will work if you learn your way through the system blindly. Mind you, once you set your ideal temp, you may not want to change it.
- Same with the radio. At first, I could only get it to display to 97.7 FM. A few blind presses of some buttons (dont ask me which) means that I get the full US range, but not with the even numbers. ie 98.6 won't work. Briefly it displayed EU stations ( ending in even numbers), but it stopped doing it now. Oh well.
The sound works ok. You can switch from Lexus to Android (ie listen to the radio with the satnav on in Android)
- The trip computer simply does not work as it wants to display in km/h and the car speaks in mph. There is no menu to change from kph tp mph.
- The DVD looks like it works, but since the cartridge had been stuck for a month before installing the headunit (which ejected it by magic) I have not dared to put it back in yet..
Now about the install.
I sat in the car when the guy who sold it to me installed it.
It's messy. Very messy. The connectors are straightforward. The AC ECU plugs directly at the back of the unit (no need to put it in the metal box provided).
There are a few tweaks that the guy did to get the original rear camera to work, which involved some recabling to the gearstick (I think), and then he removed the passenger seat, found a box under it, used a tester to see when the car was put in reverse, and plugged his new cables from the gearstick to there. I asked him and he told me that there was some sort of 'camera booster' in there. He did not speak much English, but he knew his way around all these cables, and I was glad I did not try it myself.
One last thing: he told me that there were 2 models: the one with a metal frame (which I bought) and the one all made of plastic and he told me not to get that one (maybe because it was cheaper)
So yeah, it works. The Lexus menus don't feel like Lexus. But then, there is not that much choice if you want AC controls.
I hope this helps.
I'm also glad I didn't attempt the install as I would have probably lost my mind. I'm in Canada so the KM/H and C don't bother me one bit. Try contacting the seller and let him know about the bugs. I have already and I'm hoping they will provide a fix. Did you get both V5 and V4 of the computer module to install? I got both and I installed V5. We tried both but they seemed the same. Let me know what you think. Thanks for the great post.
03-08-19, 03:45 AM
#13
Driver School Candidate
I think I know why mine does not work properly
. I mistakenly bought the wrong one: it's for a Lexos VXR.
Now thanks for the feedback; the 'seller' was an old Iranian guy in the car souk, and he had literally piles of them from the floor to the ceiling, for every imaginable car.
I think those chinese manufacturers really don't give a rat's ****. They make the unit, test it and ship it. There will never be updates ever. There is no financial gain in this; they already sold the unit. Plus the car is old, it's bound to be a shrinking market.
I only had the BUS REV. 4 but you are right, I don't think that trying 5 would make a difference.
From my old deceased LC100, I remember that the actual temp sensor was sending the temp in Farenheit. This is why it is impossible to convert units on these cars. Trust me, I tried all the way to Techstream which does not even have the option to change units for the LX ( but I think it does for the LS).
The Chinese programmers probably used a Russian car to do their research and forgot the US specs, just like they forgot to check the spelling of Lexus. Or didn't care. Whatever the reason, we are stuck with it.
Last edited by niik; 03-08-19 at 03:47 AM. Reason: Spelling
