ES CD changer
08-02-01, 07:02 AM
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I have a 98 ES 300 and someone gave me an ES 300 Lexus CD changer but I don't know if the year of the car matters but I can't seem to find the wiring in the car. Do I have to buy the wiring from the dealer?????
08-03-01, 05:55 AM
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The factory radio has the CD function but I'm not sure if the car comes pre-wired for the Cd changer or where the wiring is.
I also don't wanna spend money on a new changer if someone is giving me one for free.
I also don't wanna spend money on a new changer if someone is giving me one for free.
08-08-01, 07:06 AM
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cd changer
Have the car professionally done, the wiring harness is what is required for the dedicated CD changers, is yours dedicated or FM modulated? If it is FM modulated, it will work with any car, if it is dedicated, you will need to see if it is compatible with your head unit in the car, I know that lexus works great with the Alpine dedicated CD Changer, what brand is your CD- changer? The dedicated will give you the full digital sound and quality because you are not broadcasting over Frequency Modulated Cosign waves which are converted from pure digital square waves coming from the Cd changer to Analog Cosign waves over the Frequency Modulated Long waves and back to Digital audio on the actual head unit, which gives a 15% loss in audio quality.
Thank You
Erfan Afshar
Thank You
Erfan Afshar
09-06-01, 08:02 AM
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Is this dedicated Alpine compatible with my factory head unit (1997 Lexus Es300) I think it's a Pioneer system? I've been trying to figure out how to get a cd changer added on without taking the factory system out. Please help??
I don'twant the FM modulaotor sound either,so thanks for any help.
I don'twant the FM modulaotor sound either,so thanks for any help.
09-06-01, 08:23 AM
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Yes, it will work with any of the 1993 to 1997 head units. Call a local car audio shop and ask them what they have in stock that will function with your existing factory head unit, they should be able to tell you which models they have will work
:eek:
09-14-01, 10:40 AM
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LEXBERG & WASSUP:
I have a '97 ES300, and have installed an used CD changer myself. My car came with the head unit that has a "CD" button on it - that's how you know the head unit will be able to play CD. My car did not come with a CD changer. So the question is - does it come "PREWIRED" to hook up to a CD changer, i.e., is there a HEARNESS to the CD changer. To answer that question, I removed the glove compartment, which was EASY to do - 5 screws total. Then I looked at all the wirings behind the glove compartment. Basically, all the audio wirings had white, flat retangular connectors. I found a hearness that did not connect to anything. The connector is about 1 inch wide, and about 1/4 inch thick, white connector. I think the connector on the hearness was "female" and the connector on the CD changer was a "male" type (could be the other way around, I can't remember). And I think there were maybe 15 pins or so. The pins themselves are not needle-shaped but rather more like flat-shaped pins.
So knowing what the hearness looks like, I GUESSED this was the hearness to connect to the CD changer. There are used auto parts places that sell CD changers. Go to www.car-part.com and type in what you're looking for. So I called on the of these places and they confirmed that behind the CD changer, the connector indeed shaped like the hearness connector behind my glove compartment.
When I got the CD changer, plugging it in was a piece of cake, and the changer worked immediately. The trick is to fit the thing into the glove compartment.
First, when you order the CD changer from the car-wreck places, be sure that the changer comes with the metal hardware mounting kit - one on each side of the changer. I suspect most if not all of them will have the metal things attached to the changer already, as mine did.
Next, the installation itself. As the mounting things were screwed onto the changer, the whole thing fit into the top portion of the glove compartment space (with the entire compartment still removed). I soon found out that the glove compartment would not go back to its original place, because the changer took up the space. So then I found out that Lexus made TWO type of glove compartments - one was designed to have CD changer in it, the other one was not. My car obviously came with the latter glove compartment. After calling the dealer parts store, they could order the glove compartment designed for the CD changer for about $140. Since I didn't want to spend that, what I did was basically cut out the top and back (and some right-side) portions of the glove compartment (all plastic) myself, to accommodate the CD changer. Initially I worried whether after cutting these portions, whether the whole thing would become too unstable and fall apart. That turned out to be an unnecessary worry. The 2 wirings on the left side of the compartment - the light and the trunk button disabler - both still work, just that I didn't have a place to hold the light since that portion of the plastic was cut out. (I did not cut out the plastic holding on to the trunk disabler button).
So now I'm enjoying CD music after listening to types and radio for 4 years in the car (it's actually my wife's car primarily). And it's GREAT.
Now, Erfan suggested you could find Alpine changer to fit - I'm highly skeptical on that point of view. The '97 ES300 CD changer installed by Lexus was made by Pioneer (label was on the bottom of the changer). I'm not even sure if you could find a Pioneer unit to fit the hearness. Even If you find one that hooks up to the hearness perfectly (therefore assuming the changer will work directly with the head unit), the changer shape maybe different from the original Lexus/Pioneer changer, and you may thereefore have a hard time fitting it into the glove compartment. That's why I ordered a used original Lexus changer.
I hope this detailed description helps. Let me know what you've decided to do.
I have a '97 ES300, and have installed an used CD changer myself. My car came with the head unit that has a "CD" button on it - that's how you know the head unit will be able to play CD. My car did not come with a CD changer. So the question is - does it come "PREWIRED" to hook up to a CD changer, i.e., is there a HEARNESS to the CD changer. To answer that question, I removed the glove compartment, which was EASY to do - 5 screws total. Then I looked at all the wirings behind the glove compartment. Basically, all the audio wirings had white, flat retangular connectors. I found a hearness that did not connect to anything. The connector is about 1 inch wide, and about 1/4 inch thick, white connector. I think the connector on the hearness was "female" and the connector on the CD changer was a "male" type (could be the other way around, I can't remember). And I think there were maybe 15 pins or so. The pins themselves are not needle-shaped but rather more like flat-shaped pins.
So knowing what the hearness looks like, I GUESSED this was the hearness to connect to the CD changer. There are used auto parts places that sell CD changers. Go to www.car-part.com and type in what you're looking for. So I called on the of these places and they confirmed that behind the CD changer, the connector indeed shaped like the hearness connector behind my glove compartment.
When I got the CD changer, plugging it in was a piece of cake, and the changer worked immediately. The trick is to fit the thing into the glove compartment.
First, when you order the CD changer from the car-wreck places, be sure that the changer comes with the metal hardware mounting kit - one on each side of the changer. I suspect most if not all of them will have the metal things attached to the changer already, as mine did.
Next, the installation itself. As the mounting things were screwed onto the changer, the whole thing fit into the top portion of the glove compartment space (with the entire compartment still removed). I soon found out that the glove compartment would not go back to its original place, because the changer took up the space. So then I found out that Lexus made TWO type of glove compartments - one was designed to have CD changer in it, the other one was not. My car obviously came with the latter glove compartment. After calling the dealer parts store, they could order the glove compartment designed for the CD changer for about $140. Since I didn't want to spend that, what I did was basically cut out the top and back (and some right-side) portions of the glove compartment (all plastic) myself, to accommodate the CD changer. Initially I worried whether after cutting these portions, whether the whole thing would become too unstable and fall apart. That turned out to be an unnecessary worry. The 2 wirings on the left side of the compartment - the light and the trunk button disabler - both still work, just that I didn't have a place to hold the light since that portion of the plastic was cut out. (I did not cut out the plastic holding on to the trunk disabler button).
So now I'm enjoying CD music after listening to types and radio for 4 years in the car (it's actually my wife's car primarily). And it's GREAT.
Now, Erfan suggested you could find Alpine changer to fit - I'm highly skeptical on that point of view. The '97 ES300 CD changer installed by Lexus was made by Pioneer (label was on the bottom of the changer). I'm not even sure if you could find a Pioneer unit to fit the hearness. Even If you find one that hooks up to the hearness perfectly (therefore assuming the changer will work directly with the head unit), the changer shape maybe different from the original Lexus/Pioneer changer, and you may thereefore have a hard time fitting it into the glove compartment. That's why I ordered a used original Lexus changer.
I hope this detailed description helps. Let me know what you've decided to do.
Last edited by beandoctor; 09-14-01 at 10:44 AM.
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09-15-01, 12:13 PM
#9
My 93 Es came without the cd controls on the radio. Is it possible to buy one with the controls off Ebay and plug it in for the cd changer? Is the wiring there for all cars or just the ones that came with the cd controls to start with? Also are the radios in the Gs and the ES for 93-97 the same. They look the same, but are the plugs the same? Currently I have an RF-Modulator and a Kenwood changer. I would prefer to have the stock setup if I could.
09-15-01, 08:30 PM
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I found the wires
Hey I unscrewed the glove compartment and I found the wire, I taped the wire underneath until I can but the changer. Do you have any pics of your changer, that you can show me???
09-27-01, 02:18 PM
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Hey B,
I've checked in back of the glove compartment and theres one wire with a adapter. Is that the CD changer plug? The donated changer that I have have 2 plugs so I guess it might be for the older ES 300's. I have a 98. Thanks for your help, I've wouldn't of know it had the wiring back there because the F@#$@# dealership said it didn't. I guess they wanted me to buy that damn kit of theirs, Wutevers!!! I'm not gonna pay a grand.
laters
I've checked in back of the glove compartment and theres one wire with a adapter. Is that the CD changer plug? The donated changer that I have have 2 plugs so I guess it might be for the older ES 300's. I have a 98. Thanks for your help, I've wouldn't of know it had the wiring back there because the F@#$@# dealership said it didn't. I guess they wanted me to buy that damn kit of theirs, Wutevers!!! I'm not gonna pay a grand.
laters
09-28-01, 07:58 PM
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To Lexberg:
please be patient - I'm still working on trying to get a digital image of my CD changer so I can post it. Have you gotten a changer for yourself already?
To Wassup:
I just realized that '98 ES300's (as well as '99) come with either Pioneer or Nakamichi head unit, so there may be 2 different changers. The hearness that you found behind the glove compartment - how many pins are there in the connector?
please be patient - I'm still working on trying to get a digital image of my CD changer so I can post it. Have you gotten a changer for yourself already?
To Wassup:
I just realized that '98 ES300's (as well as '99) come with either Pioneer or Nakamichi head unit, so there may be 2 different changers. The hearness that you found behind the glove compartment - how many pins are there in the connector?
09-29-01, 02:36 PM
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I haven't bought the changer yet. I thought I was going to be able to use my tax refund but I'll get it before the end of October. So as soon as you get the pic let me know.
PS- can I just cut holes in the glove big enough for the wires to fit??? and what if I wanted to extend the wires so I could install the changer in my armrest conpartment????
PS- can I just cut holes in the glove big enough for the wires to fit??? and what if I wanted to extend the wires so I could install the changer in my armrest conpartment????
10-09-01, 05:38 AM
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factory CD installation
beandoctor, just wanted to thank you for the heads up info on installation of factory CD in ES300. I'm hoping to apply the same instruction with my '96 LS400. Hope the harness is in rear as was with yours. And will contact Car-Part.com for CD.
Once again, dealer was not helpful.
Once again, dealer was not helpful.