Originally Posted by VegasGZ

Greetings. I had a couple things I would like to clarify on my newly purchased 2004 ls430 with ML and NAV.

I have a blown sub and likely a blown amp (static when key was inserted before turning on radio and now I have lost audio completely except for a second or two at startup). Two options I am weighing are 1-refoaming the sub and speakers and sending the amp to United Radio or 2- having a stereo shop install new speakers/sub/amp.

Now my questions..

What size are the rear door speakers? I thought the rears were 6.5 but looking at the refoam kits on simply speakers for the 2004 (https://www.simplyspeakers.com/2001-...fsk-ls430.html), they come with two 4.5 and two 6.5 plus the sub. The 2005 kit includes four 6.5 surrounds. The local shop said (via phone) my rear doors were 6.5.

Can I have the stereo shop bypass or build around a blown amp? Will I lose any functionality, specifically. volume control? I read somewhere that the ML amp has certain integrated functions. I got a quote from the shop to replace the speakers, sub and amp with Infinity Kappa components for 1200 and 1500 if I wanted a secondary headunit. If I just wanted decent/good sound and bluetooth, would it be better to install something like a BT45 toy or would there be compatibility/functionality issues with new speakers/amp that would make the second headunit a better choice?

Do the tweeters often go bad like the foam woofers? I have read the dash need to be removed for access. Looks messy.

Thanks for your time.

Originally Posted by RomanTPA

Car Used: 2001 Lexus LS 430 w/Nav before M/C

Content:

Post 01: Overview and P/Ns (UPDATED 08.07.15)
Post 02: Subwoofer Repair/Replacement (UPDATED 07.08.10)
Post 03: Front Door Speaker replacement (UPDATED 08.06.15)
Post 04: Tweeters (UPDATED 07.18.10)
Post 05: Amplifier (UPDATED 07.23.10)
Post 06: Navigation Override (UPDATED 08.01.10)
Post 07: Nav Tool Installation (NEW 08.06.10)
Post 08: Navigation DVD replacement (UPDATED 08.01.10)
Post 09:
Post 10:
Post 11: Key Batterie replacement

Part Numbers with notes

**Please note that Pioneer speakers cannot be used with ML speakers (tnx wanderer99)

Subwoofer: (p/n 86160-0w260 non ML 86160-50190 after 07.2003 86160-0w260 non ML 86160-50190)

NOTE 1: Infinite baffle 8" JBL sub w/16ohm Diaphragm
NOTE 2: I have used Polk Audio db840DVC 8-Inch Dual Voice Coil Subwoofer for 2 years now and it's amazing (amazon ~$50)
NOTE 3: I have used 4" Gorilla tape to seal off all holes in the rear deck of the the LS where subwoofer sits.

Tweeters Front: (p/n 86160-0W230 non ML 86140-50160 after 07.2003 86160-0w230 non ML 86160-50160)

NOTE: None

Tweeters Rear: (p/n 86160-0WB20 non ML 86160-50200 after 07.2003 86160-0WB30 non ML 86160-50210)

NOTE: None

Door Speakers Front: (p/n 86160-0W240 non ML 86140-50170 after 07.2003 86160-0w240 non ML 86160-50170)

NOTE 1: ML uses 6 3/4" or 6.5"? 8-ohm
NOTE 2: Not all 6.75" fit, you might have to get 6.5" and use long wood screws to screw directly into plastic.
NOTE 3: Front door speakers have a factory crossover, so there is no point in getting 2, 3, or 5 way speakers.

Door Speakers Rear: (p/n 86160-0W250 non ML 86140-50180 after 07.2003 86160-0WA00 non ML 86160-50180)

NOTE 1: ML uses 6.5" 8ohms
NOTE 2: Cruchfield recommends 6.5" 2-way 4ohms

Amplifier in the trunk: (p/n 86280-0W041 non ML 86280-50261 after 07.2003 86280-0W250 non ML 86280-50330)

NOTE: Nakamichi for ML and Pioneer for non ML

HERE IS LINK TO LS430 WIRING (PDF)





Lets start with basics..



What you really need to know:
You will damage speakers AND the amp if amp does not put out enough power for the speakers. You will damage the speakers if your amp puts out more power than speakers require. You will jacked up the over all sound if speakers are not properly matched... for ex Impedance

What you should know:
Ohm's law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the potential difference or voltage across the two points, and inversely proportional to the resistance between them.

How To Understand Impedance?
Speaker Impedance varies with frequency. You will often see Impedance measured in ohms using Ω (the Greek letter Omega). Speaker impedance is different at different frequencies. You can see this by using a multimeter and moving the speaker cone. Most speaker impedance discussions concern nominal impedance which is the approximate DC resistance of the voice coil.

Impedance tells you how much current will pass through a speaker at a specific voltage. Impedance is a way of telling you how much of the voltage introduced at one end will really make it to the other end. A speaker’s impedance influences the ratio of voltage and current. Impedance also depends on other qualities of electricity, such as resistance, reactance, inductance, and capacitance.

Impedance restricts the flow of power from your receiver or amplifier. A lower impedance speaker will accept more power. For example, a 4 ohm speaker will use more power from your amplifier than an 8 ohm speaker. Is this good? Yes and no. A 4 ohm speaker will be louder than an 8 ohm speaker at the same setting, but it will also run hotter. Does that mean a higher impedance is better? No. Impedance that is too high restricts the flow of current, vital current that a speaker needs in order to play loudly.

Impedance is determined by resistance and another value, reactance. Reactance takes into account opposing forces and frequency. Reactance describes the electrical effect of the inductors and capacitors typically found in a speaker’s crossover network. Two elements of reactance, inductance and capacitance, correspond to frequency. Inductance is in proportion to frequency while capacitance is inversely proportional to frequency.

For most average speaker owners, a speaker impedance specification in the 6-8 Ohm range (the most common kind) represents a good compromise between current and voltage. Most amplifiers and receivers can safely drive speakers with 6-8 Ohm spec.