JohnOlson

Well it's been a couple months since I posted here and got some great feedback about how to replace the LCD on the Pioneer Premium Sound System in my '97 es300 and I'm afraid I lost those emails. So now that I have some time on my hands I'm gonna see if I can dig them up from the archives somewhere.
Meanwhile I just did a quick eBay search for the part and I didn't find it yet because I got stuck on the first thing I saw... I'll post it below.
I'm not sure what I am seeing though; it says "fits 1997 es300". Maybe this is just as good or even better in that it has bluetooth too. It seems to be a quick change from the original. What do you all think of this? Not sure I can post links here but here goes nuttin'!
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F164137868443

LeX2K

That listing is simply a low end stereo nothing special or unique. It can fit in your ES with the right adapter kit but it will look cheap and sound way worse than the factory unit. I find this site very helpful.

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/afg/Lexus/ES300/1997

BMeek

Nope. That's an over-priced no-name replacement head unit. Not what you're looking for.

If you're looking to fix the stock head unit's broken LCD to maintain that factory look, OK, but your interest in the Bluetooth feature suggests you're not satisfied with the 1997 functionality. Personally, I chose to replace the stock head unit in my '98 ES300 with a modern double-din Android head unit.

JohnOlson

No, mine is not broken, it is gone black. Could you please elaborate on your solution? What is a double-din Android unit?
Thanks!

Arsenii

Hello,

It highly depends on what you need. If it is only the audio that you are interested in, I would suggest to find a donor unit and transfer its display assembly into your radio. You don't have to worry about how it looks, since it is the internals that you are after. To actually find a suitable donor, I would suggest to visit a local junkyard, or get something like this off of eBay.

The first method is by far the cheapest and easiest one, but it will work only if you are satisfied with the functionality of a stock radio. If you are not, I would follow BMeek's advise and get a double-din head unit. Single-Din or Double-Din basically refers to how tall the head unit is - single-din is ~2in high, double-din is ~4in high. Nowadays, double-din head units cost around the same as single-din, while also bringing quite a bit more functionality. Considering the fact that you have more than enough space in your center console for a double-din system, I see no reason to why not just own it.

With that said, prices for double-din head units can range quite a bit. It all depends on what you really want from your head unit. Even more basic variants will give you roughly the same sound as the OEM one, and will have pretty much all the necessary functions, like CD, USB, AUX, Bluetooth, Video Playback, etc., so I don't really see a point in opting for a considerably more expensive Android head unit if you just need a convenient way to play music. Just look through the functionality of head units and decide what will suit you best.

And lastly, if you will decide to go an aftermarket route, you will also need a couple of adapters for your head unit. The first one is a mounting panel to fill the gap between the head unit and the center console, and the adapter for a clean installation.

Mounting Panel | Store Listing
Wiring Adapter | Store Listing

Hope this helps and best of luck!

BMeek

"gone black" is the most common form of "broken" in my book (at least when it comes to this display hardware ; - ). When I bought my ES300, my head unit's LCD had also gone black.

@Arsenii provided some good guidance there. If you choose to go shopping and upgrade your stereo, in addition to the "SonicElectronix.com" site recommended by @Lexus2000 , Crutchfield has a highly regarded and excellent site for car audio. I don't know about Sonic, but Crutchfield offers reasonably priced pre-wiring of harnesses and free competent hand-holding for uncertain DIYers.

One thing I learned as I've been slowly upgrading my ES300's "Lexus Premium Sound System" while on a budget, is that Sonic and Crutchfield will recommend the easiest option when you start out shopping to just replace/upgrade your factory head unit with something more smartphone-friendly... That will be to plug into the existing factory amplifier and speakers (including the subwoofer under the rear window). The result will be OK, and with a good head unit, will likely produce better sound than before.

However, the mid-90s factory amp in your car was NOT designed to be compatible with universal head units... so in the background of your improved sound you will also hear a soft ground noise buzz and a high-pitched whining interference from the alternator that increases with engine RPM (even when everything is correctly wired up). In addition, many will hear a solid POP through the speakers whenever the factory amp turns on or off while connected to a non-factory head unit.

I encountered this factory amp issue after installing my new head unit, and then discovered a straightforward and easily-reversable way to bypass the factory amp for the price of two more Metra harneses. This reminds me that I should do a write-up on that for the ClubLexus A/V forum, since I haven't seen the same advice anywhere else.

BMeek

I also used Metra's harnesses, but Scoshe makes a much better dash kit for our car:

This Scoshe ES300 dash kit beats Metra's hands-down. It could only get better with matching walnut veneer : - ).

Arsenii

This Scoshe kit reminds me of the one installed by the previous owner of my car. I am a little concerned about all-plastic construction, but maybe you are onto something with it.

My experience with aftermarket head units was quite short-lived - the system that came with my car was done really badly, half of the wires weren't even isolated, so it killed two batteries before the entire wiring under the dashboard was replaced. After such adventure, I was fed up to the teeth, so I figured to put everything the way it was from the factory, including stock radio and amplifier that I got off of junkyard. And I was really lucky to find a Coach Edition there, since I have a Platinum Edition with different kind of wood. I also messed up with light bulbs in the display lighting, so my radio and climate control now have different shades of green to them...

That was probably the last time I will ever have aftermarket audio system installed, especially considering the fact that I am pretty pleased with the stock system - it has all the necessary adjustments, it is easy to use, and it blends-in with the interior. To make my life easier, I just got a cassette adapter, and a whole bunch of CD discs, since the sound that adapter produces is far from being perfect. I will also need to find some 4.7GB discs to see if they will work with my medieval CD changer.

With all that said, albeit my experience with aftermarket audio systems wasn't that great, it doesn't mean that they are bad in any way. Just make sure to do things properly, and you won't have any issues with it.

P.S. Speaking of that mounting kit - I should still have it somewhere, and since I have no use for it anymore, just let me know if you need it.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

JohnOlson

Arsenii, thanks for the help! I pulled the trigger on that eBay unit you sent me and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it next week. Now, can you point me at the directions for making the swap?
Thanks again!

Arsenii

Follow this guide on how to take the screen assembly out of stock radio. You basically need to take the screen out of your eBay unit and place it into the radio that you have right now. It's all there is to it.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

JohnOlson

That's what I was looking for alrighty. Thanks again!

BMeek

In staying (mostly) stock, here's your other option with that newer unit you're getting for parts... This person installed a 2001 radio in a '97. Clearly more work than the panel swap plan : - ).

turtlepeas

BMeek, I'm in the process of getting ready to replace my stock unit with a double din as well. I was trying to remember and explain the issue with the amp in a thread I started here.
I don't have the experience to have explained it the way you did, but you confirm that even with a perfect install the factory amp won't "work" right and cause all the issues you listed. Can you describe the method you used to correct for the amp? Lexus2000 suggested that I could maybe include it with a line-out, and he also linked me an excellent detailed pinout he did of the amp. I'm interested in either method, but I'd like to avoid installing and re-installing to correct for known issues that I can tackle up front.

LeX2K

FYI I bench tested the Pioneer amp using the output from a PC (line out) it worked fine. I thought the amp I was testing was dead because the amp power trigger was not what I was expecting but once I found the trigger the amp came to life. The Pioneer seems to sound best driving fairly sensitive speakers with on the lower end of power capability. So if you like super loud and heavy on the bass not the amp for you but if you want clean neutral sound it is quite good.

I did try the amp with some Hertz speakers (junk yard fine) the sound was excellent (understatement) unfortunately Hertz speakers are not cheap. The ones I have are not made anymore they are similar to these.
https://www.hertzaudiovideo.com/car-...ieci-dcx165_3/

BMeek

If that picture in your .sig is current, I gather you've stuck with the factory head unit so your amp inputs are well matched. Cool. I'm not surprised that your speaker upgrade gave good results. But with an aftermarket HU connected to the factory amp, there will be noise! I believe it's because most modern HU's RCA line level outputs push out 4-5v signals, and the RCA plugs on the Metra 8112 all converge down to a common signal ground wire heading to the factory amp. The higher line out voltage is a good thing going to an aftermarket amp, where you can reduce the gain/sensitivity on the input signal (for a better cleaner SNR), but with the factory amp not so much.