Newbie Question.......bluetooth Kits

[Drummerboy]

I'm back after an absence of almost a year................... traded in the IS200 on an MPV last year due to new arrival and have only now returned to the Lexus fold (persuaded the missus to part with her car for the IS220D)

Anyhow, I will be driving the Lexus and i need a phone kit, I know there is a Lexus one but dealer quoted me something absolutely ridiculous (Like €750 but can t remember)............. he agreed himself it was overpriced and said that Parrot(???) do aftermarket ones which will do the same job..............

Anyone got any ideas? I have a Nokia 6230i but I don't want a cradle as this phone will be obsolete soon (if not already)......... I'm sure Nokia have a kit themselves? Anyone any opinions on either

The car is base model (not sure what that equates to in Uk spec terms) but no Multimedia, Mark Levinson or any such embelishments

Cheers,

Drummerboy

[Parthiban]

Nice to see you're back!

The one Lexus fit as an aftermarket kit is just a standard Motorola Bluetooth kit, so obviously you can just buy that one somewhere else and fit it. I'm not sure as I don't have a new IS, but if there's a specific place that one fits well, then that could make the most sense.

Otherwise have only heard good things about Parrot kits, thinking about getting the MK6100 myself because I want the Bluetooth audio streaming, but the kit with the big colour screen is supposed to be good as well (can't remember the model number)

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Drummerboy - welcome back. The Motorola one is as Parthiban says the one that is near identical. It's excellent with Voice Activation etc, but one thing I would say is that the new IS doesn't like to have it's dash tampered with (lets not go there).

I would go for one of the visor types. You can take it between cars and use it at your desk too so as not to fry your brain. The combined Satnav ones are OK, but your windscreen demister/vents will play havoc with speech quality.

There has been a recent thread on this, do a search, but like I say - consider very carefully whether you want to allow someone to take things apart. Lexus customer service is very good, but I wouldn't want to get a rattle after someone has ben behind the dash - I have no idea how the dealer would react to that!!

PS - http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=149134 - something like this is much better VFM

[Drummerboy]

Mmmmmmmmm......... hadn't thought of having to interfere with the dash Jamboo............ should I really stay away from it?

I'd like to have radio mute with the phone if at all possible and thats why I was looking at the Parrot Ck3000 or the like.......... not sure if they do an ISO lead for Is220d though as not listed on their site...........

Motorola kit is same as Lexus but still means I have to let some loon with a screwdriver at my dash? :shutit:

Not sure what to do now?

Anyone any more advice?

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Mmmmmmmmm......... hadn't thought of having to interfere with the dash Jamboo............ should I really stay away from it?

It's your call buddy - the positioning of the button is normally by the drivers side front vent, or just below it where the trim meets a join, and that looks fairly neat. My understanding is that the stereo has to come out to get the mute lead in, and that is the bit which worries me...

For the sake of hitting the Audio off button with a visor type, I reckon you could save loads of dosh and take the Mrs out somewhere nice ;)

[Parthiban]

I've just noticed that the price you quoted at the top was in euros, and therefore a lot more reasonable than I had initially thought! If it was me, I'd probably just do that, means that any rattles will be sorted by the dealer as they caused it.

Do you know how much of that is parts, and how much is labour though? If they're charging a lot for the kit, perhaps just buy the Motorola one and then possibly get the dealer to fit it?

Think this is the one they fit (but it will have an "L" on it instead of the "M" ):

Linky

[LexusForever]

Hi

i have a nokia Bluetooth CK-7W in my IS200 and it works a treat with any Bluetooth phone. thre is no cradle, just a little button to answer and end, and it cost me £70 online. took me about 30 mins to install (although i would imagine your dash is far more complicated than mine) and it mutes the radio and all. couldn't find an iso connector for lexus tho, but you may be able to pick one up online somewhere which will make it even easier.

good luck and welcome back to the family :)

[Rich_Bee]

I originally had the Motorola IHF-1000 fitted which is the one Lexus would fit. It was not the best kit with poor sound and poor compatibility with most phones, had the button fitted on the centre console (there is a thread somewhere with it on). This kit has now been removed and left absolutely no marks or rattles (the stereo ended up coming out twice also as Lexus disconnected the mute cable when they replaced the stereo but the wire only needs to got to the amp now anyhow )

My replacement is a Parrott CK 3100 (soon to be changed again with a 3200) which I have had fitted under the right air vent where the dash join is - again great install, no intrusive fixings and very easy to use. As kits go it's much better as has the external display, full voice activation, holds your phone book so no need to touch the phone at all - they also do software updates to cover any compatibility issues that may occur in the future. Let me know if you want me to get a picture for you to have a look.

Rich.

EDIT - Found a piccie of the first install IHF1000 thread

[Drummerboy]

Rich,

Pic would be great, the Parrot kit sounds good but I am nervous now about having the dash taken apart The guys who put the kit in my IS200 scratched the dash when removing the radio, didn't notice it at the time but bloody annoying

Anyone got a step by step pictogram on how to remove the radio without wreaking havoc?

I won't be going to Lexus with it, robbing f :tsktsk: :tsktsk: kers in my opinion (thats just my opinion)

Jamboo,

Do you have this http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=149134 and if so whats it like?

Parrot do a visor type aswell, anyone know if its any good?

Drummerboy

[LexusForever]

if you go visor type, the best by far in my opinion is the Jabra sp500. i have one for when i travel and use hire cars. it is brilliant and clear, and the volume is excellent.

[Rich_Bee]

The mute should be done on the amp now anyway which is in the boot I believe, so they shouldn't have to take the stereo out. If in doubt ask for a fitter who has worked on an IS gen 2 before. I work for a certain coloured phone company and can help get the right bloke to you if you order it through us...

Pictures below of the install and one of the area where the last one was taken out to show the quality of the work. Apols for Extralargebigness of the pictures!

[Drummerboy]

The mute should be done on the amp now anyway which is in the boot I believe, so they shouldn't have to take the stereo out. If in doubt ask for a fitter who has worked on an IS gen 2 before. I work for a certain coloured phone company and can help get the right bloke to you if you order it through us...

Pictures below of the install and one of the area where the last one was taken out to show the quality of the work. Apols for Extralargebigness of the pictures!

Cheers for the offer Rich but I'm in Ireland so don't think your certain coloured phone company will be of any benefit. Is it a definite that the mute needs wiring to the amp and not the head unit? I know in the IS200 I had it was on the head unit cos my base model didn't have a seperate amp? Just wondering does the base model IS220d have similar setup i.e. base model sound system has amp in head unit while upgraded audio has amp in boot? Anyone know?

I'm gonna have a closer look at the visor types now cos the thoughts of someone ripping apart my dash and my boot doesn't appeal to me............... with the best will in the world these thing NEVEr go back to the way they were originally.

Drummerboy

PS - Thanks for the welcomes back guys

[HiTech]

The mute should be done on the amp now anyway which is in the boot I believe, so they shouldn't have to take the stereo out. If in doubt ask for a fitter who has worked on an IS gen 2 before. I work for a certain coloured phone company and can help get the right bloke to you if you order it through us...

Pictures below of the install and one of the area where the last one was taken out to show the quality of the work. Apols for Extralargebigness of the pictures!

Cheers for the offer Rich but I'm in Ireland so don't think your certain coloured phone company will be of any benefit. Is it a definite that the mute needs wiring to the amp and not the head unit? I know in the IS200 I had it was on the head unit cos my base model didn't have a seperate amp? Just wondering does the base model IS220d have similar setup i.e. base model sound system has amp in head unit while upgraded audio has amp in boot? Anyone know?

I'm gonna have a closer look at the visor types now cos the thoughts of someone ripping apart my dash and my boot doesn't appeal to me............... with the best will in the world these thing NEVEr go back to the way they were originally.

Drummerboy

PS - Thanks for the welcomes back guys

The Mute wire is a brown wire in a plug at the back of the head unit .. you will know this plug because it has a orange wire in one corner and a white/black wire in the other .. I have fitted over 50 of these Lexus phone kits to the IS range

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Drummer boy - I've not got one, but a colleague of mine has one - and it is actually pretty good. The beauty of this type is that you can normally buy one, if ain't good send it back...you can hardly do this with a car kit!! He uses at his home office and also can take it car to car etc!

PS nothing cn beat a fully installed kit - but at this price the few drawbacks ain't too painful, and the visor ones are better than you might think ;)

[Amar Watakatifu Rambo]

Im new to the IS 220 and i wanted to know what exactly i needed to connect the mute wire to as that is my only problem, you can buy a SOT harness that connects to the connections at the back however it never has the mute wire connected to it, so i am a bit confused, if anyone has a mute wire job done to their IS220, i would love a pic