Is the antenna on the roof near the rear window only used for Lexus Link?
If so, I might as well take it off - the manual says it can be unscrewed.

has anyone plugged or covered the hole?

 

You don't need to plug it, just unscrew it and your good. It doesn't lead into the car. It's only a metal on metal screw connection.

 

I've been told that on '04 - later LS430s, that antenna is used as the cell antenna for Bluetooth calls if car is not LexusLink-equipped.

 

Negative. Your Bluetooth doesn't require an antenna.

 

Well now, I'm not saying Bluetooth "REQUIRES" an antenna. I know the phone has one. I'm just saying that, as I remember it, I was told that the system USES the antenna in such cars.

 

Nope, the antenna in the later cars is not connected to anything (although I thought about trying to use it for XM as I hate the trunk mounted antenna). When you use a bluetooth phone the antenna used is actually the one on the phone (try putting the phone in a metal box and see what happens to the signal strength!). I took the antenna off my 2006 LS as soon as I noticed a number of the dealer sites celling replacements for the tune of $90, figuring they must be something the local kids take great delight in stealing. I did buy a stainless cap screw to thread into the fitting, just in case I ever wanted to actually use the antenna fiting for XM, ham radio, whatever.

 

Where did you get the stainless steel cap screw?

 

Lowes...Home Depot

 

Is that antenna different than the one on the 04's? I was told it was for the nav.

 

I am going to hook up XM soon, it would be nice to use the antenna on my '02, does anyone have any idea if it can be used for the XM radio?

 

I asked XM when they were at the CES show in Las Vegas and they said it can not be used. They were probably the ones who said my antenna was used for the nav system. I have the small antenna that comes with the XM mounted on the inside of the windshield behind the rear view mirror and it doesn't work to bad here in Montana except when I'm heading north and there's obstruction on my right side. I hear Sirius has more satellites up so reception is better. I really didn't want to put it on the outside and ruin the looks of the car.




2004 LS UL

 

I did a bit of quick research, the LS 430 rooftop antenna for analog phones is designed for something like 850-900 MHz and the XM Radio signal is at approx. 2340 MHz. Therefore the antenna is not likely a great match and I also don't know what kind of cable impedance mismatch there might be, which could also seriously impact the signal level. I do know that the LS 430 rooftop antenna location would be great for XM Radio (even better than the trunk top location the Lexus kit uses), but you might have to get some local "ham" operator to figure out what type of antenna mast to screw into the Lexus fitting.