Lexus Audio, Video, Security & Electronics
Sponsored by:

SC300 Headunit Install

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 09-08-04, 07:45 AM
  #1  
jrmoskal
Driver
Thread Starter
 
jrmoskal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default SC300 Headunit Install

Does anyone have any links to post that might help me find proper harnesses and fit kit for my 95 SC300.
I have the pioneer system and would like to replace only the headunit and keep the factory speakers/sub.
I did a search and didn't really find what I was looking for. Any info will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Jason.
Old 09-08-04, 08:42 AM
  #2  
southernsc
Lexus Champion
 
southernsc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,219
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

take it to a professional audio installation place. I promise you its worth the time and money. Unless you have the material and skills your self which would be awsome. There use to be one website owned by emerald that sold that stuff. but i think the site has been down for almost a year now.
Old 09-08-04, 09:07 AM
  #3  
Pianoman72
Lexus Test Driver
 
Pianoman72's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,497
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

You need a 15-pin harness connector and a 10-pin harness connector. Go to Car-toys or a similar place and see what they have for Toyota/Lexus. If it has 15 or 10, buy it and it will probably fit. If not, retun. Worth a try. Otherwise hack it up. Pm me your email if you want the EWD. You will have the wire colors for whatever you decide to use from the stock wiring.

1 prob will be that the speaker outs from your factory headunit are low-level, not speaker-level, because you have factory amps. So you would also have to bypass the speaker amp or use a headunit with a line out. You know what I am saying? I would bypass/remove the stock speaker amp and try to use the stock woofer amp.

It's not that complicated that I would go to a shop; just study the wiring diagram for a few days and get your questions answered here before you start.
Old 09-08-04, 11:49 AM
  #4  
soarer479
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (2)
 
soarer479's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Florida
Posts: 944
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

I just installed an aftermarket head unit in my sc..... and it was deffinatly no fun at all. they dont make a harness kit for the car i would strongly suggest taking it some where to have it done it will be well worth it.
Old 09-09-04, 10:23 AM
  #5  
rscott
Lexus Test Driver
 
rscott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: California
Posts: 1,468
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

read my post in the faw at the top of the page
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...5&pagenumber=2

That is what you need to power the headunit. As for the speakers, to ease installation i ran new speaker wires so i didnt have to deal with tracing wires to the amp and back and dealing with wire color changes at the amp. The hardest part of the installation is taken care of in my post. Use wiretaps to tap into the power wires and tun an external ground. Also, please verify all wire connections before tapping into them just to be sure they are right.

Last edited by rscott; 09-09-04 at 10:24 AM.
Old 09-09-04, 11:54 AM
  #6  
jrmoskal
Driver
Thread Starter
 
jrmoskal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Thanks for the info everyone! Would a line level converter work with the factory amp. I used one of these in another vehicle to install an aftermarket amp to a factory headunit. Could that work in reverse and be wired into the line level wires to switch them into RCA's to be plugged into the new headunit???
Old 09-09-04, 12:42 PM
  #7  
rscott
Lexus Test Driver
 
rscott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: California
Posts: 1,468
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

doubtful.
RCA is a dry signal. Theres no power to them, just the waveform. At least not enough power to drive the speaker. The stock amp will most likely put out less power than your new headunit anyway. would probably be best to just bypass it, remove it and sell it. Profit from it should help cover the cost of your new setup.
Old 09-09-04, 02:20 PM
  #8  
Pianoman72
Lexus Test Driver
 
Pianoman72's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,497
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

Yeah I agree with rscott I don't think your idea is going to sound good. Does your new HU just have speaker - level outs? No front/rear RCAs, right? Does it have a seperate sub output? Let us know because I think that will help with the suggestions.


Originally posted by jrmoskal
Thanks for the info everyone! Would a line level converter work with the factory amp. I used one of these in another vehicle to install an aftermarket amp to a factory headunit. Could that work in reverse and be wired into the line level wires to switch them into RCA's to be plugged into the new headunit???
Old 09-09-04, 08:27 PM
  #9  
rscott
Lexus Test Driver
 
rscott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: California
Posts: 1,468
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

IF you can find which wires that go to the amp are the RCA inputs, as far as ground and signal, then you can use the RCAs off the headunit, use the stock amp, and have working speakers, but im not sure if anyone has ever done it. Also, that does not take care of signalling the amp to turn on and off and whatever else was controlled by the oem headunit. I think the best (as well as easiest) thing to do would be to ditch the stock amp and run new wires. As for the subwoofer, there are a few IB (infinite baffle) subs that will fit into the stock location that you can power with an amp. The amp shouldnt be too expensive. Ill see if i can get a friend to chime in on that subject who has done it before.
Old 09-10-04, 12:22 PM
  #10  
tommy420
Driver
 
tommy420's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: New York
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

i just did mine

two mtx 12's in the trunk also, kenwood interiors, kenwood twetters. mtx amp

heres some pics of my head unit install

http://upload.krazywulph.net/userfil...ommy%20048.jpg

http://upload.krazywulph.net/userfil...ommy%20045.jpg

http://upload.krazywulph.net/userfil...ommy%20046.jpg

http://upload.krazywulph.net/userfil...ommy%20047.jpg

http://upload.krazywulph.net/userfil...ommy%20043.jpg

http://upload.krazywulph.net/userfil...ommy%20044.jpg

good luck on the install
Old 09-10-04, 03:49 PM
  #11  
jrmoskal
Driver
Thread Starter
 
jrmoskal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

So here is what I have decided to do with the headunit install.

I will use a single din unit,
I am going to tap into the power wires and the power antenna wire
I will use an external ground
I am going to install an aftermarket 4 channel amp in the trunk mounted to the divider in front of the fuel tank. I will run 2 sets RCA on passenger side and Power/Turn on Wire on drivers side.

The only thing I am still unsure of is how I will make the headunit fit properly in the odd opening.
Does anyone make a decent kit to fill the gap?
I would like to mount my Delphi Skyfi XM unit below the headunit instead of on the dash where it is now.
Old 09-10-04, 05:52 PM
  #12  
rscott
Lexus Test Driver
 
rscott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: California
Posts: 1,468
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

i used a couple pieces of wood to make a panel to fill the slot then wrapped it in leather. My digicam is down but ill try to get you some pictures soon.
Old 09-11-04, 10:02 AM
  #13  
jrmoskal
Driver
Thread Starter
 
jrmoskal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

I got the headunit in last night. Wiring was fairly simple since I had all the factory diagrams. The Aftermarket amp wired into the speaker outputs of the factory amp very easily each speaker's positive and negative output were even braided together on the harness to separate them! Lexus gave me many possibilitys in hiding the RCA's and power wires in the cabin too. Lots of extra room under the carpet. The Headunit itself bolted right up to where the top half of the stock one was. I just need to make some sort of filler piece to close the 4" long gap below the new radio. Sound Quality is much improved though I think the stock pioneer speakers are good just the factory amp is not powerful enough to make them sound good. Thanks everyone for all the help with this project!
Old 09-14-04, 06:27 PM
  #14  
sc300n00b
Pole Position
 
sc300n00b's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: VA
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally posted by jrmoskal
I got the headunit in last night. Wiring was fairly simple since I had all the factory diagrams. The Aftermarket amp wired into the speaker outputs of the factory amp very easily each speaker's positive and negative output were even braided together on the harness to separate them! Lexus gave me many possibilitys in hiding the RCA's and power wires in the cabin too. Lots of extra room under the carpet. The Headunit itself bolted right up to where the top half of the stock one was. I just need to make some sort of filler piece to close the 4" long gap below the new radio. Sound Quality is much improved though I think the stock pioneer speakers are good just the factory amp is not powerful enough to make them sound good. Thanks everyone for all the help with this project!
How did you get your inputs from the stock amp to connect to those on your aftermarket amp? I'm talking about the 4-channel amp, all the wiring diagram gives me is the + terminals from the 4 speakers going into the regular pioneer amp. Oddly enough, the output from the stock amp has + and - terminals for each of the 4 speakers, they are even braided together (although I'm not sure if they match up) as you said.

My plan was to steal input from the input harness to the stock amp, splice into those and run to the inputs on my new amp, and then connect the output to the stock output harness. I can still do the outputs (after I verify that the braided pairs are indeed the right pairs), but with only + terminals in the input harness I am at a loss. I guess I could wait till I get some more $$ and buy my Alpine HU which has 3 seperate RCAs for the front, rear and subs and use the RCA inputs on my amp Sorry about the long post, but...please help!!!

Edit: Also, how did you manage to mount your new amp on the divider. My amp is an infinty reference, it's friggin' huge and I don't see any way of mounting it back there behind the carpeting.

Last edited by sc300n00b; 09-14-04 at 06:31 PM.
Old 09-16-04, 05:20 PM
  #15  
jrmoskal
Driver
Thread Starter
 
jrmoskal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

I used an aftermarket amp and aftermarket headunit. I ran 2 sets of RCA's up the passenger side under the carpet and ran the power up the drivers side. The only wires I needed to use from the stock amp harness were for the 4 speakers. the braided sets of wires do match up. each set is for one speaker. you just need the schematic to figure out which colors go to which speaker.

I mounted the Amp to the divider by installing a piece of 1/2 MDF behind the divider to make it stronger and using wood screws to attatch the amp.

Last edited by jrmoskal; 09-16-04 at 05:21 PM.


Quick Reply: SC300 Headunit Install



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:35 PM.