Advice on Bluetooth Kits
09-04-08, 01:30 PM
#1
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Advice on Bluetooth Kits
We are looking to enable our 2004 GX470 with Bluetooth. What are the best kits out there right now?
My wife went to an audio store today to price one.I do not know what brand,but,he gave her a price of $400.00 which I think was high.
My wife went to an audio store today to price one.I do not know what brand,but,he gave her a price of $400.00 which I think was high.
09-08-08, 08:16 AM
#2
09-10-08, 06:58 PM
#3
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You might be interested in knowing that the Motorola IHF1000 Bluetooth Car Kit was sold as an official Lexus accessory by Lexus dealers in the UK. If fact the control unit of the IHF1000 was rebranded with a Lexus logo. I just now checked and saw it for the IS at http://www.lexus.co.uk/range/is/acce.../interior.aspx
If the $400 included installation and connections to play the phone call through a door speaker and mute your audio system when a call is in progress, then the price might be reasonable for a truly professional installation.
But getting a professional, damage free installation is another matter. I've had three non-Bluetooth aftermarket phone kits "professionally" installed and two of the installations were pretty bad -- I had to relocate many of the components and repair some damage. A lot of the installers seem to be clueless low paid kids.
My advice would be to either carefully plan and install a Bluetooth kit yourself or have a Lexus dealer or knowledgeable repair shop do the work. I see that there were three different audio systems available for the 04 GX -- all three systems appear to have a mute wire running from the TMUT pin on the audio amp to the optional Lexus Link ECU. The wire color of the mute wire is labeled GRN/RED on the wiring charts. The function of a mute wire can usually be verified with an unpowered grounded test light.
The easiest way to power a phone kit or other accessory is with a piggyback fuse at the underdash fuse box. I recently posted a photo of one which you can find by doing a search on the word "piggyback".
If the $400 included installation and connections to play the phone call through a door speaker and mute your audio system when a call is in progress, then the price might be reasonable for a truly professional installation.
But getting a professional, damage free installation is another matter. I've had three non-Bluetooth aftermarket phone kits "professionally" installed and two of the installations were pretty bad -- I had to relocate many of the components and repair some damage. A lot of the installers seem to be clueless low paid kids.
My advice would be to either carefully plan and install a Bluetooth kit yourself or have a Lexus dealer or knowledgeable repair shop do the work. I see that there were three different audio systems available for the 04 GX -- all three systems appear to have a mute wire running from the TMUT pin on the audio amp to the optional Lexus Link ECU. The wire color of the mute wire is labeled GRN/RED on the wiring charts. The function of a mute wire can usually be verified with an unpowered grounded test light.
The easiest way to power a phone kit or other accessory is with a piggyback fuse at the underdash fuse box. I recently posted a photo of one which you can find by doing a search on the word "piggyback".
Last edited by Kansas; 09-10-08 at 07:01 PM.
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