Mark Levinson Stereo Ports

[Micholas]

Sorry this is an essay but need some advice or comparisons if possible. I got a GROM unit a couple of years ago for my 2001 LS430 and it didn’t work, just wouldn’t power up. The GROM UK guy refunded me and said there must be something wrong with my head unit. 

2 years later I’ve decided to try again. I emailed him and ordered, and it arrived with the TOY harness (his choice). Last night I went to fit and the TOY plug would not fit.. I’ve now sent him a picture of the rear of my head unit see below… 

He’s said I need a TOY1 harness which will go in the middle port. It’s worth noting that it’s the only port with nothing connected to it. The two leads that connect to the head unit occupy the left and right ports. However the strange thing is, that everyone other head unit I’ve seen online, pre-facelift and facelift alike, have only two ports and not 3! Like below.. 

 

Is there any logic behind what units have what socket set ups?

If it doesn’t work again this time I’m going to get a replacement head unit as I want to get this done once and for all, but I can’t see how the TOY or TOY1 will fit these two port headunits. 

Any advice or anyone who’s encountered this? 
 

Much appreciated 

 

[BigBoomer]

That middle socket is the 5+7 socket.
This one has it https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154485077247

Be aware that in the USA they have 3 different Mark Levinson radios where we pretty much only have the first 2 in the UK & EU.
1- 2001-2003 with Navigation. (3 connectors, 5+7 connector used for connecting a 2nd CD player or Bluetooth module)
2- 2004-2006 with Navigation. (2 connectors, 6+6 connector used for connecting a 2nd CD player or Bluetooth module (requires a 6+6 Y-cable))
3- 2001-2006 WITHOUT Navigation. (2 connectors)

I personally have only worked on my 2004 (type 2).

[Micholas]

Thanks for this. 
So I’ve got the correct lead now and same as last time it seems I’ve got no power to the GROM. Plugged it directly into the 5+7. Obviously on the head unit there’s no button to select AUX so I was hoping it would just automatically show up on my phones Bluetooth list.. but nothing.

I’ve turned the car on, turned the stereo on and off.. tried pressing CD and tape to try and instigate something, but obviously they’re separate entities so just came up with ‘no CD, ‘no tape’ etc.

What am I missing something here, or have I actually got a faulty head unit. Don’t want to order another; wait a week and then I have the same issue. 

[DomTurner]

1 hour ago, Micholas said:

Thanks for this. 
So I’ve got the correct lead now and same as last time it seems I’ve got no power to the GROM. Plugged it directly into the 5+7. Obviously on the head unit there’s no button to select AUX so I was hoping it would just automatically show up on my phones Bluetooth list.. but nothing.

I’ve turned the car on, turned the stereo on and off.. tried pressing CD and tape to try and instigate something, but obviously they’re separate entities so just came up with ‘no CD, ‘no tape’ etc.

What am I missing something here, or have I actually got a faulty head unit. Don’t want to order another; wait a week and then I have the same issue. 

On my head unit pressing the DISC button will play from the 6-CD changer, however pressing the DISC button again (whilst on the default DISC screen) and it will change to "CD2 changer" which is where you can listen to music through the 3rd party adapter. Obviously you are using Bluetooth so not sure if this applies to you, but perhaps it will only show up on your phone's Bluetooth list if you select the "second" CD changer? Worth a try. 

[Micholas]

It was worth a try but unfortunately no luck. The CD changer is built into the head unit rather than a separate aux, so just says no cd ☹️

Here’s an image of the reverse for anyone who can spot anything wrong

[Micholas]

I’m thinking there must be a way of selecting the AUX/5+7 input, which would activate the GROM. Everything in the GROM manual asks for this, and on facelift LS430’s you can do this on the stereo.. but I don’t know of a way doing it on the pre-facelift stereo.

Really I need someone who’s got a pre-facelift who’s fitted a GROM or something similar, and find out whether they just plugged it in and it was immediately active without the need for changing inputs.. this would indicate a faulty 5+7 socket on the head unit I’m guessing. 
 

Last time I just gave up and sent the GROM back, but I will get to the bottom of it this time!!

[Micholas]

Okay so I think I may have cracked it. On another site a yank prefacelift owner who’s running a GROM on his ML system said his GROM went in to the main harness socket via a Y cable. Now I’ve come to the conclusion that the middle 5+7 socket on my head unit basically does nothing. There’s no way of selecting an additional aux and it certainly isn’t powering up the GROM. So I went looking on the American GROM website and they offer this ad-hoc Lexus adapter…

 

Now this looked very familiar to me..

 

 

That’s right it’s my main harness input socket on the right.. 
 

This is my last throw of the dice really. So I’ll call GROM UK on Monday and see if they can supply one of these leads and then pray it works. There is literally zero information online and finding a prefacelift owner who even cares about fitting a GROM has been a challenge in itself. So fingers crossed by this time next week I may actually be able to listen to something other than the radio on my morning commute! 

[Micholas]

This did indeed work! Only took me nigh on 2 years but I finally now have a fully working GROM! Something for the forum to remember next time a prefacelift ML owner is trying to get one to work!

 

 

[Mr Vlad]

Just goes to show the person from Grom hadn't a clue. Sorry to say you didn't do your homework 2 years ago. 

If I'd have known this then I'd have told you to use the Y adapter cable so the original port is used and is piggybacked so a Bluetooth unit can be used.

I found out about how to introduce Bluetooth when I was looking for a RX400h but I got the 450h instead.

Glad it's all running well and meets your requirements.