LX470 Mark Levinson Head Unit Replacement 2001 -Practical Questions

[Blake1]

I would like to upgrade the stere on a 2001 LX470 (non Nav)to an aftermarket stereo/NAV unit and have some questions I was hoping someonoe could help out on........Thanks!

1. Wiring - Can I wire in the head unit and maintain the Mark Levinson amp? I know from other threads & FAQ that on the LC there is a harness, however, for the Mark Levinson wiring is it a different harness/the same, etc.?

2. Physical install - is the mounting bracket an OEM size? That is can a standard double din be mounted and there will be xtra space in the bezel or is the guts/mounting of the stock stereo different size than double din?

3. Cover the gaps - Once physically mounted, how does one cover the gaps that exist - I have seen 3 photos of vehicles with an install and all have a sort of textured plactic surround. (all the same and all on cars for sale in different parts of the country) Is this an aftermarket item that can be purchased or must this be custom cut & fit?

Thanks for the help, I always want to know what I am getting into and be able to get in and out w/ all the parts ahead of time.

 

[matt60/80]

Ummm, why not just get a hand held one that you can mount on your dash? It would be cheaper and you get to keep you stock sound system, unless there is something wrong with your sound system. In that case there is a thread on putting a Pioneer radio/sat nav in a 100 so search.

 

[miraloiza]

Hi I'm no expert but I would say that you would have to cut the plug off and connect to the outgoing wires. You should be able to connect to the amp unless you buy a unit that isn't compatible such as Alpine which has different output voltages etc..
The mounting bracket is good in the landcruiser and would be the same as the LX. You can fit anything in that hole. The only problem with the landcruiser and depending on the year is the dash overhang. This is only a concern if you have a motor driven screen that retracts. You have to make sure it can come out far enough from the unit to clear the dash overhang to get the right viewing angle. Most new units do and this only concerns earlier model 100's.
To cover the gap is easy. I installed a single DIN unit in the double DIN hole. I cut out a small piece of ply to cover the hole and with some foam and black leather stapled or glued to the ply fills the gap and this is mounted to the DIN bracket.
For the best advice on car electronics go to www.the12volt.com
This will answer all your questions and more.

 

[Blake1]

More Info

I will put in a double din so all integrated w/ Ipod adapter, Aux input etc. Makes the system usable and compact. I hate lots of wires hanging all over the dash.

Here are picks of the unit. Looks like it could be the same as LC, any ideas folks?

 

[ZJ2UZJ100]

Blake1,

1) I don't know about Mark Levinson levels. Maybe there is a site for posting the amp's specs, but I would be surprised if the unit did not accept the preamp outputs of a different HU. Also shop for a HU that has programmable preouts to the amp if you are not sure. I can see your radio has standard Toyota wiring harness connectors.

2) The double DIN hole in the 2001 will accept anybody's double DIN unit. Show us another picture of the side of your radio. You will probably have to unscrew the mounting tabs/ears that are on the sides of your existing radio, and screw them onto the new radio. That's 6 or 8 screws. A half- job. I don't know about 1 or 1.5DIN units in the 2DIN socket.

I installed a Pioneer AVIC-Z1 into our MY'00 TLC to replace the 6-cd changer/radio. I had to swap the mounting brackets/ears from the sides of old to the new unit. I left the OE factory amp (not Mark Levinson?) under the passenger seat, and have had no problems with interoperability using the Z1's connectors/cables, thru the Crutchfield wiring harness I bought with the Z1, to the stock cables in the dash.

3) The motorized screen of the AVIC-Z1 just clears the plastic factory bezel surround. I didn't need to cut any plastic or make any filler plates. There was a black plastic trim plate that shipped with the Z1 that I could have used behind the factory bezel. I chose not to use it. There is very little gap around the edges when you put the factory panel back on. The screen only moves when you want to insert a CD/DVD, or when you want to tilt it a bit to cut down on glare. Most 2DIN screens stay put when powered off/on. Most 1 or 1.5DIN units pop out and flip up when you power them on, and hide away when off.

I recommend you do not cut any connectors! That should not be necessary. Just make sure you buy a wiring harness to help convert from the Toyota dash harness connector to the connectors/harness that will come with the new radio/HU's.

You can see my install on another thread. Search "CD crapped out ordered AVIC-Z1" and you should find it.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=113855&highlight=crapped+ordered

I did not have to cut anything. I did have to crimp on some new wires, tap some extra signals in the dash, hide the BT and Ipod modules, run a microphone, run a GPS antenna cable, and ran some cable for a backup camera.

 

[Blake1]

Thanks - THAT IS THE REPLY I WAS LOOKING FOR! The photos are actually courtesy of E-Bay - I did not actually remove the radio to take the shots.

It makes sense the connectors are the same - I think I will go to a very similary setup to yours (if not the same). My only concern is that my wife will find the setup usable. How does your wife find using the Pioneer aftermarket? The buttons seem large(close to OEM), etc.

My issue w/ aftermarket stuff is the tiny buttons, however it seems the Pioneer Nav units are designed to be more like OEM stuff from looking at the photos.

This should be enough due diligence on this project to start & order some stuff.

 

[ZJ2UZJ100]

My wife loves it. It's her daily driver. The stuff your wife will love (after she gets used to it) includes

o getting rid of the stack of CDs that she used to keep in the console.
o excellent NAV, compared to the Magellan Roadmate 700 I got for her a few years ago. Synchs up with the satellites right away. Good 3D views.
o BT for hands-free phone (though we have suffered through the BT echo until a recent firmware update)
o video for the little kids while sitting in the parking lot waiting for big sister at soccer practice. or add a rear screen. (or do the bypass and show them while driving)
o really great sound compared to stock 6-disk CD unit.
o backup camera, if you are so inclined. You can try the key cylinder replacement.
o get the Ipod adapter if she has an iPod and wants to take her songs with her. Caveat: It takes longer to search for a song using the Pioneer on-screen buttons than it takes to use the ipod's jog dial. But the jog dial is disabled when connected.


There are mechanical buttons along the bottom edge of the unit.

These are kind of small, and take some time to get used to. But they are well lit by blue LEDs, and after memorizing what they do, they are fine. They are the global features like Menu, Map, volume Up/Down, V (to turn on/off the Video screen), AV to turn on/off the sound (sort of a weird label), Tilt to move the screen, Scan and Next-Track...Basically the stuff that you want to hit quick by feeling for them while you drive.

Then there are the on-screen touch sensitive buttons. They are big enough for my manly hands, and again, you start to memorize the locations. Wifey likes them.


So far so good, as far as we are concerned.