Nakamichi Update - '99 LX 470

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Thank you, @PabloCruise, and everyone, for the wealth of information this thread has given. The Steppecruiser guide on page 6 was helpful, and I ordered the crimper he recommended. I successfully installed my Apple CarPlay unit in my new-to-me 2000 LX470. I was initially a bit nervous, thinking about what I got into with a Nakamichi unit. The hardest part was probably making the harnesses, as someone with no experience with wiring/electrical. The crimper works, but it is a real pain as you have to keep crimping to reduce the width of the crimp to fit into the 22-pin harness. But can't complain for a $33 crimper. I had to order some connectors and a heat gun to connect the ground of the RCA to a bit of wire I cut off the Metra harness. That was the most complex part of making the harness, and if I ever have to make it again, I will try to make it a little better and the same length. I did lose my power antenna function, but hey, who listens to the radio anymore?

Parts/Tool List

PLZ 7" Wireless Double Din Car Stereo Apple Car Play Radio Carplay Android Auto QLED Touch Screen $140

050U-22P-122-Way Kit x4 $20.52 + $5.65 shipping = 26.17
(Scared I was going to make mistakes and ruin a harness, so the more the merrier)
ENGINEER PA-21 Engineer Precision Crimping Pliers $33
Car Radio Fascia Panel Dash Trim Kit $24
Metra 70-8112 Radio Wiring Harness for Toyota Amp Integration 15 Pin $12
TICONN 150 PCS Solder Seal Wire Connectors, Heat Shrink Butt Connectors, $8
ROMECH Heat Gun, Heavy Duty Fast Heating, Variable Control $22

Parts + Tool Cost = ~125 w/o tax

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Lexus Harness.jpg
 
LexusX470 said:
Thank you, @PabloCruise, and everyone, for the wealth of information this thread has given. The Steppecruiser guide on page 6 was helpful, and I ordered the crimper he recommended. I successfully installed my Apple CarPlay unit in my new-to-me 2000 LX470. I was initially a bit nervous, thinking about what I got into with a Nakamichi unit. The hardest part was probably making the harnesses, as someone with no experience with wiring/electrical. The crimper works, but it is a real pain as you have to keep crimping to reduce the width of the crimp to fit into the 22-pin harness. But can't complain for a $33 crimper. I had to order some connectors and a heat gun to connect the ground of the RCA to a bit of wire I cut off the Metra harness. That was the most complex part of making the harness, and if I ever have to make it again, I will try to make it a little better and the same length. I did lose my power antenna function, but hey, who listens to the radio anymore?

Parts/Tool List

PLZ 7" Wireless Double Din Car Stereo Apple Car Play Radio Carplay Android Auto QLED Touch Screen $140

050U-22P-122-Way Kit x4 $20.52 + $5.65 shipping = 26.17
(Scared I was going to make mistakes and ruin a harness, so the more the merrier)
ENGINEER PA-21 Engineer Precision Crimping Pliers $33
Car Radio Fascia Panel Dash Trim Kit $24
Metra 70-8112 Radio Wiring Harness for Toyota Amp Integration 15 Pin $12
TICONN 150 PCS Solder Seal Wire Connectors, Heat Shrink Butt Connectors, $8
ROMECH Heat Gun, Heavy Duty Fast Heating, Variable Control $22

Parts + Tool Cost = ~125 w/o tax

View attachment 3906992 View attachment 3906440
Click to expand...
I’m glad to hear that everything went well!
 
I got to do this. Any update on the under the hood items?
 
I just installed a CarPlay stereo, replacing a factory Nakamichi radio. Similar to @PabloCruise setup I left the factory amp in place, but wired speaker lines directly to the speaker connections (non-RCA connection points) on the new radio. All seems to be fine. What am I missing by not using the RCA outs from the new radio w/ factory amp?
 
ridebuy said:
I just installed a CarPlay stereo, replacing a factory Nakamichi radio. Similar to @PabloCruise setup I left the factory amp in place, but wired speaker lines directly to the speaker connections (non-RCA connection points) on the new radio. All seems to be fine. What am I missing by not using the RCA outs from the new radio w/ factory amp?
Click to expand...
You're potentially double amplifying with that setup. The speaker outs on the head unit normally use the head unit's built-in amp and are designed to be wired directly to speakers. In your setup those outputs are then going to line level inputs on your factory amp and being amplified a second time. RCA outs from the head unit are pre-amp outs which should be at the appropriate level to input to your factory amp.
 
Hey! This all worked! speakers sound really good off the AM/FM!

TROUBLE!!!!

In order for the bluetooth or wireless car play to function I need to hook up the Parking brake lead from the head unit into the power supply side of the parking brake! This is the only way to transmit the parking brake status signal to the head unit! Any idea where to wire this in from the head unit to the 2000 LX470?

Update: I found info online that said I could tap into the head unit ground with the e brake wire. That did not fix the problem. The android car play is working but the blue tooth and apple car play is not.

I also found the switch next to the parking brake. It isn’t not that accessible and I am having trouble finding where it is routed to.
 
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