Nav to Non-Nav Conversion Walkthrough (2 Viewers)

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Jan 5, 2009
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Redondo Beach, CA
With the help of MANY people (from IH8MUD to GXOR to google), I'm happy to report that I've successfully converted my GX470 from the stock/OEM navigation/stereo to an android head-unit with non-navigation climate controls. I'll document my experience here...

*** FOR NOW, THIS THREAD WILL BE A WORK-IN-PROGRESS***
(It'll probably take me a few days to a few weeks to properly document everything here, but I'll try my best...)

Huge thanks to Adonis (@JSsinodA ) for all the help! For those who care, I'm not that handy... I've never installed a car stereo before, and the extent of my car know-how is fairly basic (I can do basic suspension, oil changes, tire rotations, etc.)... POINT BEING, if I can do this, pretty much anyone can... JUST MAKE SURE TO GIVE YOURSELF ADEQUATE TIME AND DON'T BE IN A RUSH! I completed this project over a three-week period, most of which my GX dash was completely ripped apart... it looked like I was driving a stolen car.

Final product:
47960895027_2b1e7f4726_z.jpg


47960954427_066b10d914_z.jpg


Steps that I will cover:

  1. Purchase Parts!
    1. OEM climate controls / brackets / bezel ~$200
    2. Headunit - AliExpress Android 8.1
    3. Backup Camera
    4. Antenna Y-adapter and micro-adapter
    5. USB inputs
  2. Test your OEM climate controls once you receive them from salvage yard - Need to make sure they work!
  3. Back-up camera - Run the lines
  4. Install Non-nav climate controls
    1. Trim climate controls so that Android head-unit will fit
    2. Extend the wires (7 required... 1 additional to make life easier)
    3. Illumination fix - Splice wires to ashtray light
  5. Install new Android head-unit
Anyhow... I'll start including details when I have time!

-----------------------------------------

STEP 1 - PURCHASE PARTS!

1. OEM Non-nav climate controls, brackets and bezel
- Sourcing these parts can be challenging... I'm in Southern CA and with the help of others, found them at a scrap yard in Texas. It cost me $225 to get the climate controls, bezel and brackets removed from the donor car and shipped to my doorstep.

Below are the OEM Lexus part numbers for the non-nav climate controls, listed by production year... (I lifted this directly from @theferg post below... he is also a great resource for this conversion!). It is essential that you get the right part number, otherwise the controls won't work properly.
88650-60770 (11/2002 - 10/2004) (folks have also seen an 88650-60B50 for these years as well)
88650-60771 (11/2004 - 07/2005)
88650-60772 (08/2005 - 12/2005)
88650-60773 (01/2006 - 07/2009)

You can find your production year in the drivers side door jam label:
47962165698_57ea74991c_n.jpg


(Also note that those with production dates on the switch-over months--ending/beginning months--seem to kind of have a crap-shoot of a time figuring out which one is the actual one since some sites list the production dates slightly differently. This list I posted has been spot for the good handfuls that have done this on GXOR fb page.)

When you finally get the climate controls, you can find the part number here:
33929627268_49e65b0973_n.jpg



2. Aftermarket head-unit - The common choice is the 9" Android head unit from AliExpress (China). You should get the 8 Core 2G 32G CANBUS version... it ran me $250 shipped, and arrived in about a week or two.

Theoretically, once you do the climate control conversion, you should also be able to choose a double din HU from a more common manufacturer (i.e., Alpine, Kenwood, etc.)... I believe that Crutchfield sells new bezels and mounting hardware for non-nav versions of the GX470. But personally, at $250, the above Android HU is worth trying out... that's what I went with, and so far so good.

3. Backup Camera - I used the following camera, but honestly I'm not that happy with it... It's just not that clear, and comes in a little grainy and streaky (if that makes sense). But ultimately, it works.
Amazon product ASIN B07HNRYHZ6
4. Antenna Y-adapter and micro-adapter
Amazon product ASIN B01I97Y49IAmazon.com: SCOSCHE MDAB 1988-05 GM Micro/Delco Antenna Adapter; Tip only: Car Electronics

5. USB inputs
 
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Subbed! I gotta go try step #2 before I get too excited.

Since the first post is still kinda just an outline.... Regarding step #2... Not only do you need to verify that all the buttons work etc and the fans etc work, but you need to hit the A/C button and make sure the compressor actually cycles. If you don't get the correct Month/Year version of HVAC in Step #1, you can end up with one that seems to function in all areas, but will not cycle the compressor. Listen for the compressor to *click* on and off with the pressing of that A/C button.

And while we're at it, for Step #1 and getting the correct month/year HVAC unit, here's the break down on those:

88650-60770 (11/2002 - 10/2004) (folks have also seen an 88650-60B50 for these years as well)
88650-60771 (11/2004 - 07/2005)
88650-60772 (08/2005 - 12/2005)
88650-60773 (01/2006 - 07/2009)

(Also note that those with production dates on the switch-over months--ending/beginning months--seem to kind of have a crap-shoot of a time figuring out which one is the actual one since some sites list the production dates slightly differently. This list I posted has been spot-on for the good handfuls that have done this on GXOR fb page.)
 
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I am prepping for this conversion. I just tested a climate control successfully, and started carefully removing the tape around the wire bundles.
Gathering the rest of the parts. What do you need a Y cable to the antenna for?
 
so there are actually two antenna lines that plug into the back of the stock stereo... but the android headunit only has a plug for one. so you use the y-adapter to combine the two stock lines into one, and then plug it into the new headunit. you also need a micro-adapter for one of the lines because they're not the same size... here are the parts:

Amazon product ASIN B01I97Y49I
Amazon product ASIN B00009UHRI
I am prepping for this conversion. I just tested a climate control successfully, and started carefully removing the tape around the wire bundles.
Gathering the rest of the parts. What do you need a Y cable to the antenna for?
 
so there are actually two antenna lines that plug into the back of the stock stereo... but the android headunit only has a plug for one. so you use the y-adapter to combine the two stock lines into one, and then plug it into the new headunit. you also need a micro-adapter for one of the lines because they're not the same size... here are the parts:

Amazon product ASIN B01I97Y49I
Amazon product ASIN B00009UHRI

Are there two antennas or the single antenna has two connectors?
 
as i understand it, there are two antenna's but i could be wrong... so going this route, the radio signal isn't as clear as stock. in fact, right now my AM doesn't even work, but i have to open the center stack back up and make sure all the connections are good (i was fumbling around back there when i was trying to mount everything and might have unplugged some parts).

right now though, FM sounds fine... but i can tell the signal strength isn't as good when i'm in a parking structure or places like that.

Are there two antennas or the single antenna has two connectors?
 
as i understand it, there are two antenna's but i could be wrong... so going this route, the radio signal isn't as clear as stock. in fact, right now my AM doesn't even work, but i have to open the center stack back up and make sure all the connections are good (i was fumbling around back there when i was trying to mount everything and might have unplugged some parts).

right now though, FM sounds fine... but i can tell the signal strength isn't as good when i'm in a parking structure or places like that.

Connecting two antennas electrically will change their reception characteristics, which explains your reception issues. I'm guessing that you connect both the AM and FM antenna together to the unit's FM antenna input. The AM antenna is messing up your FM antenna. The unit must have an AM antenna input somewhere.

But who listens to AM anyway? I won't even bother hooking up the AM.
 
that's interesting... per recommendations from others, i used 18/8 thermostat wire. can buy it by the foot at HD

I also bought the thermostat wire on other's recommendations. But did not use it as I found it to be quite difficult to bend and difficult to solder together with the GX wiring. I ended up using some trailer wiring I had around.
 
that's good to know... i actually don't have much experience with wiring, but i found it hard to work with the thermostat wire too. since it's a solid piece, it was hard to connect the wires together prior to soldering. and yah, they are stiff, so when you're running them behind the dash, it was a little hard to maneuver.

but ultimately they worked for me...

I also bought the thermostat wire on other's recommendations. But did not use it as I found it to be quite difficult to bend and difficult to solder together with the GX wiring. I ended up using some trailer wiring I had around.
 
Here is a close up view of the 7 wires (going up) that need to be extended on my ‘04.
I am going to try to run a CAT5 cable and use 7 of the 8 strands inside.

View attachment 1999319

FWIW, I ended up extending 8 wires. There is another one that comes from up higher--around middle of the passenger airbag area--that was just super-duper tight when I got these other 7 extended. So I went ahead and extended that 8th wire a bit and it helped make it feel not quite so stretched. But I still felt like there were a few more wires that really kept it pretty tight. The perfect solution for this would be a custom harness. I've been thinking about making one. It would make this swap incredibly easy.
 
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I got all my wires extended and the AC works.
Did your steering wheel controls work, or did you have to program them?
Mine are not working at this time.
 
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