Bluetooth In 1998 Ls400

[2manyg]

After a lot of trial and error I have finally found an easy way to get Bluetooth music and hands free phone in a 98 LS400 with Satnav (UK Model). This method involves no soldering whatsoever and is plug and play.

You need to buy a Dension Gateway Lite BT, as shown here: http://www.dension.com/products/car-multimedia-solutions/gateway-lite-bt. I paid about £90 for main off eBay.

You need need to plug the supplied three-way harness into the back of the CD changer and into the wiring loom that was plugged into the CD changer. The third plug plugs into the Dension Gateway Lite BT, I put mine in the glovebox as it also had a USB port and a line in that may be handy.

Instructions on how to get to the CD changer are here:

You then need to put some blank audio CDs in the changer to fool the system into thinking it is playing a CD.

That's it, wire in the microphone somewhere and pair your phone with Bluetooth. You can no now listen to music, skip tracks and answer and end calls all with your stereo controls, all wirelessly and it sounds great! The phone audio quality is also very good.

Disclaimer- this works great on my car but don't blame me if it does not work for yours! The CD display indicator flashes on the EMV but otherwise it plays and acts normally. I'm also not 100% sure the bass speaker on the rear parcel shelfs works, but I'm not sure it ever did as I never used the stereo before installing this kit. This was tested on an Iphone 6. If you need a blank CD making message me! Good luck.

[Cotswold Pete]

Does this mean that you can also play CD's if you want to.

Also when you say the CD indicator flashes on the EMV, what does this mean?

I would have thought it should play bass as normal if your sub is working, sounds like yours is not for some reason.

[jpjsavage]

Looks like an ingenious solution and one that I will trying out in the next LS400 I get. Thanks for sharing this.

[alien1974]

some markets didn't have heated seats or headlight washers?

[mikeyv]

Interesting, thanks for posting.

[2manyg]

Hi Pete, yes the CD player should work as normal, although I have not tried it as I have not used CD's for a long while. This is why you need to let it play blank CDs, otherwise you would be hearing the music from the CD and the music or phone conversation from your Iphone at the same time.

The EMV buttons for disc selection and track selection flash on and off, presumably something to do with the info being sent by the Dension, but it does not interfere with normal operation.

I will also try unplugging the Dension at some point (easy to do as it's in the glovebox) and see if that changes anything with the sub.

Alien- I think the video is from a USA model, which had different options including a premium stereo etc. As far as I know most UK 1998 LS400's were much the same.

[2manyg]

Update- the normal CD player does indeed work at the same time as the Iphone. However, the sound with the CD player is MUCH better than with the Iphone. I thought previously that my bass speaker does not work but it sounds fine with the CD player. I may try plugging the Dension Gateway Lite into the amp under the seat instead of the CD player and see if it sounds as good.