Bluetooth LS430

[Micholas]

Anyone recommend any decent Bluetooth adapters for a pre-facelift LS430? Tried GROM but just cannot get the thing to come up as a Bluetooth device on my phone, and their customer support is non-existent.. so pulling the plug on that. Any decent alternatives that anyone’s running on here? 

[BigBoomer]

This one is for the Mark Levinson system with the 6 pin CD connector.
https://www.musikimauto.de/BlueMusic-Bluetooth-Audio-Freisprecheinrichtung-Toyota-6-6

This one is for the 5+7 CD connector.
https://www.musikimauto.de/BlueMusic-Bluetooth-Audio-Freisprecheinrichtung-Toyota-5-7

You will also need either the 6+6 Y cable or the 5+7 Y cable.
They only stock the 6+6 Y cable, but the 5+7 can be had elsewhere.

Your first step is probably to dig your CD player out and check which connector it is.

I have one of their 6+6 systems in my 2004 and it just works.
You pair your phone to BlueMusic, hit the CD button twice on the head unit to select CD2, then hit play in your MP3 player app.
When you start the car it resumes playback where you left off when you shut the car down.
You can use the steering wheel controls to change tracks and the only issue I've had with it was sometimes it would start playing something else using a different MP3 player in my phone, which can be weird when you are expecting Death Metal and instead get Genesis or Bach 🤣.
I have now uninstalled that other MP3 player and the problem has vanished.

[Micholas]

Thanks for this. But they seem to be for the facelift LS430, mines a 2001. The pressing of CD button twice, is one of the issues I had with the GROM. It’s asks to do that to get into CD2, which is essentially GROM mode.. but the pre-facelift doesn’t go into a separate CD mode. There’s just a CD button on the headunit that just flags up ‘no CD’ no matter how many times you press it and doesn’t move from radio mode.  

A lot of the products out there seem to be aimed at LS430’s from 2003 onwards! 

[BigBoomer]

Since the pre-facelift models could have either the Mark Levinson or the Pioneer systems you will need to be more specific with what system you have.
Can you post some pics of the front of the radio/CD unit and if possible the rear as well so we can see what connectors are used?
Either that or else find some pics online that match your system.
If it's the ML then I believe it should work exactly the same as the facelift models.

The 5+7 connector systems should work with the Pioneer systems, but on those you may have to disconnect the CD player and ONLY use the BT, rather than using the Y cable and choosing between the CD & BT inputs.

[MJB18]

When I had my LS430 I just used one of those cassette to 3.5mm jack adapters, plugged into one of these ....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluetooth-Transmitter-Receiver-Simultaneously-Reduction-1/dp/B08SK3XTSH

... tucked away in the little drawer under the CD player. Really cheap and worked quite well.

In my LS460 I've installed the Vaistech unit -  https://www.vaistech.com/product/sl3b-l/   -  which isn't cheap. Apparently it's also good for all of the 430s, but I don't think you'll get the track info etc displayed on the nav screen.

 

[D C]

Added Bluetooth music to my LS430 for $60! I know this is an old thread, but maybe this will help someone. I had been doing a ton of research and was tempted to buy the GROM, but then I found this option from a company in Germany, Blue Music. I have the ML package on my stereo and it works great, via the CD player, with amazing audio quality! Also, my phone auto change the stereo to the hands free for calls and then back again, using the car's speaker, so I didn't need to use the mic. While I can't see the track playing on the stereo screen, I can use the Seek and steering wheel buttons to change songs. Great option for less money! Also, I used their recommended Y-adapter and it was all plug and play!

https://www.musikimauto.de/BlueMusic-Bluetooth-Audio-Handsfree-KitToyota-66