INSTALLATION VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS
Pure Bluetooth Installation and Usage for Lexus RX 2004-2009
Disclaimer: install at your own risk
GTA Car Kits is not responsible and should not be liable for any damages caused to you or your vehicle during installation of the kit. All installation videos on this website and GTA Car Kit's YouTube channel provided as a reference only. If you don't feel comfortable with DIY installation - please contact a car audio professional in your local area.
Seanie from Ireland –
Great company to deal with, GTA double checked my shipping address before sending, to ensure it was right. Great service. Arrived very quickly. Word of warning to Irish customers, you might get a customs charge ( 15% for me ) but thats not GTA’s issue.
Such a simple install in RX400h. Tip, put some electrical tape into the socket when getting the top 2 bolts out/in of the headunit to avoid them dropping down. All done in about 40 mins.
Works perfectly. Great quality and got rid of the FM transmitter.
Greg (verified owner) –
Followed instructions per video on this page, very simple took less than 30 minutes…works great, sounds amazing, just like CD quality, exactly what I was looking for
Fernando (verified owner) –
Minus the time it takes you to fish the two top bolts on the radio, which will almost inevitably fall inside the console, it’s a 20 minutes install and gives you full functionality. No better way to bring your car into the future!!!
Jackson Davis (verified owner) –
I usually don review stuff but I’m beyond happy with this GTA car kit. I was scared to order from a website I wasn’t familiar with but I am so glad I did. The functionality works as expected thank god! Efficient shipping was a plus too.
I contacted their customer service team beforehand to double check compatibility and availability. They were kind and helpful.
Install was just as easy as the video showed! I ran into a hiccup realizing that my car had a VAIS Sirius XM module wired in that I wasn’t aware of! Took me a little longer than expected but I got it out thankfully.
It’s like I just bought a brand new car. Definitely does not feel like it’s a 2006. Thank you!
Lawrence Wasley (verified owner) –
I live in Australia and own a 2005 Lexus RX330 and like everyone else the factory audio started playing up. The CD system started showing ERROR 3 and I couldn’t play any cd’s, the radio still worked but it was annoying not to be able to play my favourite music. Then I seen a clip on YouTube about the GTA car kit and I thought this was the way to go. So I purchased the car kit and it has solved all my problems, I am now listening to my favourite music via my IPhone and I am extremely happy. All my factory controls still work, nothing has changed except my choice of music. This is a magnificent product and all I can say is thank you. Anybody that is having the sort of problems as I did, this is the way to go. Well done GTA. Lawrence.
Tim Shortt (verified owner) –
I have a 2008 Lexus RX400h. I found this kit via a Google search and may I say this is amazing. The kit was very inexpensive compared to other products. I was able to install it myself within 30 minutes. The quality of streaming music from my phone is really great and the Bluetooth calling is hands-down so much better than the Lexus stock for this 2008 year. If you’re looking for a great Bluetooth device that sounds amazing, this is your product!
Randy Crewse –
WOW! I installed two Pure Bluetooth Car Kits in my 2004 with Nav Lexus RX330 and 2009 Lexus RX 350 in 60 minutes. It would have been even quicker but I had to deal with removing a Vais Technology Sirius Radio unit in the middle of the installation on the 2009. The instructional video was the best I have ever seen. It made the installation look so easy my wife and I decided to tackle it, and I am horrible at doing this sort of thing, I
always end up with leftover parts that should have been put back in. The video made it look easy and it was. I got a set of panel tools from Amazon and everything came apart as easy as it looked in the video. Installed the unit and put everything back together, scary easy. Turned on the car, hit disc, paired the unit in seconds, streamed some music, took a call from my wife all in a few minutes, flawlessly. Installed the second unit in 25
minutes. Sound is great period end of report. Saved who knows how much money by installing it myself.
Randy Crewse
Sedona, AZ
Maura –
installation was very straight forward and it works great! Highly recommend!
In my 2004 RX 330 I don’t have the seat warmers as shown in this video, so I actually didn’t need a splitter cable at all. Plugged right in.
Note: you absolutely need a long 10 mm wrench to reach the upper bolts, let alone stand a chance of not dropping them
Bryan –
We installed Sirius in a RX350 using the gateway. I did it myself, (the installation).
It was quite easy and very straightforward. The hardest part was routing the cable for the antenna.
george –
US version of 2008 rx 400h. I have GTA in another car – it’s been solid, and wanted same for this car that I just bought used last month. So… a couple of tips… the video is good. BUT, I lost 2 upper screws from radio. Got one back with a long narrow stick with duck-tape on thh end.. never found the other. I suggest maybe magnetize or put duck-take on teh end of the screws before taking them out. Also, the plastic piece with the heater control did not come out easily. The tab on one end broke — it went back on solidly, and seems okay when I drive. Other thing is that the under steering panel in the video in my car did not pull down – there are air-bags there, but I took my time and fished the mic wire up around other wires. Lastly, I suggest covering the bare screw on the shift knob with duck tape. The underside of my radio was scratched from the knob when it was resting on it when I was doing the wiring and retrieving the nut.
Afterwards – I was really happy to have blue-tooth radio!!!
Taylor G –
So much easier than I expected… even after reading the reviews and getting my courage up that I could do it alone! Expections were exceeded in ease of installation and use. Thanks you!
Mike Marion –
2004 Lexus RX 330, bought my GTA BT kit in May of 2016.
Been very happy with the unit for a good 7 months now. Installation was pretty easy, and I’m not much of a DIY person. Just like at least one other said, I dropped the upper bolts and lost them, but the stereo is still in firmly with the lower ones. I even used a magnetic tool… still hard to do those top bolts.
The lack of real phone integration and loss of quality of music playback (the one thing I really cared about) via an FM adapter was one thing that was making me think about getting a new car but that’s a lot of money to spend when the car is otherwise in great shape. The GTA kit has kept me satisfied as is. The music quality is great, and the few times I’ve actually used the actual phone has been good as well.
The only (minor) negative I’ve had, at all, is that the pairing process takes about 15 seconds (from start-up to audio redirection), which is a tad slow. Every once in awhile my iPhone also has a habit of pairing but not seeing the GTA kit as a remote audio device. I can usually fix this by simply going into settings->bluetooth and tapping the GTA kit again. This seems to nudge the iPhone. Perhaps once a month I have to actually turn BT off then on again and it works. I’ve just learned to start up the car right away when I get in, so that if I do need to go into settings and make sure the pairing is working, I can do it before driving off.
All in all, I’ve been very happy with the product.
Yawar Maajed –
Ordered GTA bluetooth kit, arrived in time, installed in 15 minutes, AMAZING experience. Love it. The video was really helpful as if I had not seen it, I would have taken it to a shop and like last time I did this for my Acura, I would have ended up paying 200 dollars for installation alone.
You guys rock!!
Rob –
I am so happy! This was ridiculously easy to install and works great. I recently bought a used 2008 Lexus RX 350 which despite all the fancy features has no Bluetooth and not even an aux cord input. Typical Toyota. I’ve spent the last few weeks researching trying to find a solution that isn’t cheap, messy and awkward with wires all over the place. I knew something like this had to exist and I stumbled on it in my own backyard. Once I found the website I looked them up and discovered their office is only five minutes from my house. I went by and talked to Mauritzio. He was great, friendly and helpful. The videos on their website are some of the best how to videos I’ve seen. I was very hesitant about pulling apart the dashboard so I took almost a half hour to slowly install it but honestly I could’ve done it in 15 minutes it was so easy. Music from my phone sounds great, and people can hear me more clearly on the phone with the GTA bluetooth than on my Camry which came with built in bluetooth. And there are no ugly wires or gadgets hanging anywhere! Great product.
Rob
Alex Lucas –
I did some research on getting a good Bluetooth kit for the RX330 and stumbled upon GTA carkit. I just purchased the RX330 as a family SUV. Coming from an LS460 I was used to the amenities of hand free calling, wireless music streaming…. After reading reviews and watching the installation video provided I thought I’d give the kit a try. It is amazing and very well worth every penny!
The sound quality is great, the mic is clean, clear, and crisp. My wife couldn’t tell I was calling from the car. Only that she could hear the phone ring upstairs from the car speakers. Installing took me less than 30 minutes, the video was very helpful.
I was concerned since I have the rear DVD entertainment package if I’d still be able to keep the factory controls and interface, and I was. The GTA carkit team were very responsive to my emails and answered my questions. Everything still works flawlessly. I’m very impressed with this kit. Delivery was fast, ordered Monday and received the kit Friday. I actually now enjoy driving my RX. Highly recommended. Thank you!
Daisy –
I just completed the install of the GTA car kit for my 2005 Lexus RX 330. I watched the video and got it done in less than an hour…spent time running the aux and ipod cables. It was so easy thanks to the great video. Ladies, you can do this on your own! Thanks GTA!!!
ROBERT A IMPARATO SR –
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PEOPLE AT GTA FOR THEIR SUPPORT. THE UNIT WENT IN VERY EASILY. ONLY PROBLEM WAS HOLDING ON TO THE TWO UPPER RADIO BOLTS. JUST AS WARNED, THEY FELL IN BEHIND THE CONSOLE PANELS.TRUTHFULLY I DON’T KNOW WHY THEY ARE THERE. THE RADIO IS IN SECURELY WITH THE TWO FRONT BOLTS AND IT IS WEDGED IN PLACE. WATCH THE VIDEO IT IS VERY INFORMATIVE
JAVIER T –
I purcharce a iPhone/IPod/Aux kit for my RX Lexus 2006 from GTA , my parts arrive and thanks to their Tube video I was able to installed myselt with out any Issues. Im 100% happy with their product and I also save $$$ by doing it myself, I did a research on some audio shops and their cuote was running a couple hundred dollars at least just for labor.I Just want to take a time to thank GTA for your great products. Thank you, I highly recommend their products.
Margaret –
5/4/2015-Lexus RX 330 2006. What a wonderful product! Install was simple even though my vehicle install did not match the video exactly. I had three ports on the back of my radio (stock from the dealer), but port that matched the harness was not being used (which I found odd because my CD player worked fine). So, I was able to plug the GTA Kit right into the back of my radio without use of the Y cable. One other item of note, after plugging in my iPhone, I still have use the all the iPhone functionality along with being able to use my steering wheel and radio controls to move through the music and playlists. Not sure why I still have use the iPhone, but I consider it a bonus feature! The most difficult part of the entire install was running the iPhone cable out the back and through the glove box. Thanks again for a great product and answering all my email questions so quickly!!!
Ronald Leung –
This kit works like a charm! It took about an hour to install, but it’s because I was being super careful and doing it slowly. Probably can be done in 20 mins or so if you want. I have a Lexus RX 2004, and the original cd player is kinda dying and often times won’t load / play cd, so I really wanted to have an iPod extension / blue tooth. First tried those crappy tape adapter, the quality is absolutely unacceptable. Then I went to Best Buy just to see what they have, was thinking I don’t want to deal with it and just have a professional install it. But I didn’t see anything I like and then I found this GTA car kit which costs around the same as the other stereos. And the video above is what convinced me to buy this GTA car kit, since it showed such detailed instructions and it didn’t look too bad. I bought the GTA kit, the Bluetooth extension, and also the panel removal tools, total of about $180. Then I also got the extension bar, and the magnet pick up tool. Everything mentioned in the video above, and YES! You need them all. Maybe you could do away with the panel removal tool, but I’d recommend getting it too. And everything worked pretty much EXACTLY as this video to described. A couple minor notes for anyone else who have a 2004 instead of a 2007 model RX; 1. Unlike the video above, it didn’t need the Y cable. When I pulled out the stereo, there’s an empty slot that fits the GTA Car kit. 2. For the 4 bolts holding the stereo, the top ones are indeed tricky to get to as the video says. Unscrewing it wasn’t too bad, since I did get the magnet tool and it grabbed the bolt without problem, but I have no clue how to put it back. The stereo is very sturdy with just the bottom two bolts, so I just left the top two out. Didn’t want to risk dropping the bolt into who knows wear while trying to screw it back on. 3. For the bluetooth extension, the one touch button was a bit hard to stick. The button comes with double sided tape which wasn’t sticky at all. But it’s not critical to tape it down I guess, the panel keeps the button pretty stable if you just pull the wire all the way in. Other than these minor things, this kit totally works. Very happy that now I can use my iPod / bluetooth and keeping my original stereo that has the Lexus logo on it!!!!
Keith Travis –
This is an addendum to the earlier post… One thing I discovered is that you can also get the App for XMRadio on your phone and use it through the GTA hook-up. It is great!
Keith Travis –
Could not have been simpler! It took me less than an hour to get this taken care of. Directions could not have been easier. The magnet was a must. I used a little different set up as I had a larger magnet off the back of a name tag and put it on the tool. No problems with the screws in the back. Too bad the cord won’t go up through the center console. For the sound, and ability to use Pandora and itunes…I love it!
Steve from Ford Myers, Florida –
“Let me first say that I ordered my kit and had it in a few days.
Watched the video a couple of times just to make sure that I understood everything. The only question that I had was about the key being on while removing the panels (the gearshift lever should be in neutral for easy removal, therefore the key had to be on to move the lever out of Park). It only took a couple of minutes to remove the panels. I was careful not to let the antennas plugs come undone. I didn’t need the harness since I had an open female receptacle.
Once I tested it, I started looking to route the cable that goes from the unit to the iPod. This is what took the time, though the overall installation was only a little over an hour once I figured how to route the cable. In the ’05 RX330, I couldn’t get to the glove box easily. Therefore, as shown in the video, I went down behind the passenger foot panel and brought it out into the footwell, close to the console. It took a few minutes of trying to feed a wiggly cable before I got smart and took a long dowel, pushed it down through the space to the opening in the footwell, and taped the cable from the iPod to the end of the dowel. Then I pulled it up through the ins and outs of the framing to the console opening.
Once secured to the GTA unit, for security, I taped the cable to the unit, then wrapped the unit with a folded plastic bag for cushioning (hoping to eliminate any rattle that might take place) and taped it up. On the video, the installer recommends putting the box in a space that’s in the back right behind the radio unit. It fits perfectly and is out of the way. Once all that was done, I buttoned everything back up.
I bought a magnetic tool as recommended, that hold up to 15 pounds. Great investment! Removing the radio, I thought that there were nuts behind the bolts and was trying to be very careful. But, the bolts thread directly onto the frame. You just need to back them out most of the way, then put the mag tool onto them and continue backing them out safely. Putting it back together, I used the mag tool again to start the radio’s bolts and screw them loosely until all four bolts were in place, I finished with the socket wrench, then popped the two remaining pieces into place.
Could have taken even less time if I would have known where and how I was going to route the iPod’s cable. But, I’m good to go. Good instruction and product. Crystal clear music.
And, for you kids out there… I’m 71. So, if I can do it, you’ll have no problem. Hope this review helps.
All the best, Steve”
Mark from Highlands Ranch, CO, USA –
“I was looking on youtube on how to take out the radio since I hadn’t taken this one out before and I was looking to tap in an fm modulator, and came across your video. I was looking at a wired in power switch fm modulator from PAC or peripheral on amazon, but I had heard these units degrade the audio signal, and I use an fm transmitter with varying results in my jeep.
After ordering I received a couple of email updates and within 3-4 days I had the unit!
Installation was real easy as this is a plug and play setup and took about an hour, and only tools required were a 10 mm socket with extension, a couple of zip ties to hang the converter against the frame behind radio, and I have a magnetic rod that I needed to grab a stray bolt or two back out of the black hole after I dropped them, they have designed it to work flawlessly with the factory radio. I have a 2008 Lexus RX 350 with Navi/bluetooth, (not the levinson radio) and it plugged right in.
The video is real explanatory, and I noticed one important note on the lexus when I watched the video again, once you have put the radio back in and plugged everything back together, you MUST PUT CAR IN PARK AND JUST PUT KEY IN IGNITION AND WAIT FOR A MINUTE, this re-acclimates the radio and it will work fine if you do this, the first time I plugged it together, I missed this and I didnt get any sound out of radio, and car wouldnt start (theft prevention).
I routed the cables into the glove box for now, but if unit continues to work great, I am going to route the 3.5 aux cable under console and up through the center console with a longer aux cable.
I like that this unit is compatible 100% with factory radio and all controls, once you get used to it its very intuitive. The value of product is great and I would recommend this to a friend!
Thank you”
Comment from fetomidake (YouTube user) –
“Just got one 2 days ago and installed it today. Could have done it in 15 mins. but got careless (did not use magnet) on the first bolt (one of the 2 that was had to reach) and dropped it inside the console. Luckily I got spare M6 bolt in my shop.
But overall, video was good, installation experience was good and the car kit was excellent…
ironically I was looking for iPhone FM transmitted and car charger when I come accross with this product… and I’m glad i found this one..”
Scott from Washington, D.C. –
“Hey GTA Folks…
I’ve owned my 2005 RX330 since new. Of course, this model doesn’t have the iPod and iPhone connectivity that is now standard on newer cars. This has been frustrating because even my wife’s car has this capability. I tried using those crappy FM transmitters, they are always fuzzy sounding and do not charge my iPhone.
Never fear, I found your GTA device online and compared to some other devices. Your description and installation video were perfect. I took my iPad out to the car and played the video as I installed the unit. It took about 40 min to install with no problems. In can plug in my phone and listen to online radio, Sirius Radio or any tunes I have on my iPhone. Best of all, my phone is charging the whole time.
I’m still trying to figure out how to use the radio and steering wheel buttons to control and maneuver through my music and playlists. I will figure it out.
Now I will keep my Lexus until the wheels fall off!
Thanks,
Scott
2005 Lexus RX330
Washington, D.C.”
JL –
“Hey All,
Just writing to say I recently installed your kit in an RX 330. Took about 30 minutes and it works good and sounds GREAT!!! Finally, no more FM modulator!!!! Those things are junk. What’s even better is having the charging and audio capability built into one device, so no more having to carry a separate charger. Plus, with the Aux jack, my non-iPhone/iPod friends can plug their stuff in too! Perfect. Should have bought this a long time ago.
Cheers”
Comment from bsharkification (YouTube user) –
“Quickly shipped and using this video as a guide I did the install in an hour. Removal of the radio is reasonably easy with the right tools. The plug and play was easy – routing the connection was not too hard but took a chunk of the time.
Very happy with the result and the functionality of this unit. Steering wheel controls work as before. Highly recommended.”
Chris from Minnesota –
“I too have a 2005 rx330 with cassette. I made an guess on my install and it works great.
The Video has a differnt configuration where he detaches the smaller center plug and hooks everything up to the Y harness. Your radio will have two bigger plugs that need to stay plugged in, forget using the Y harness. Your radio will have an unused small opening that the module harness can plug into.
It is all super easy to do, I agree that the video was AWESOME!”
Jeslie from Maui, Hawaii, USA –
” ALOHA!
Thank You very much for a great product.
I placed my order for my wife 2008 Lexus RX 350 with navigation last 8/26/11 and just got it yesterday 8/29/11 in the afternoon. I may say the S&H is very fast despite the fact that I am here in Maui, Hawaii. I also like the FREE S&H. All of the company I search online charge almost the price of the item they are selling.
Installion is like walking in the park. I followed the instruction that you guys posted on your website and walla! I installed the GTA CarKit for less than an hour. My wife and I have both iPhone4 and both work. I tried my daughter’s ipod, too. It’s like plug and play. I run the cable on the glove compartment. Oh! well I just need to buy the phone holder, my bad on that. The sound quality is so amazing.
I will definitely spread the words to my family and friends and co-workers. I hope they put their trust to your product as i put my trust.”
Jerry from Scarborough, Ontario, Canada –
“Hi GTA Car Kits,
I found out about GTA Car Kits while searching online for an after-market product that provided iPod/AUX support and would integrate with my existing (Lexus RX) vehicle audio system.
I had tried a middle-of-the-road FM Transmitter, but the audio quality is extremely poor. When I saw what GTA Car Kits offered, it looked much more appropriate for what I wanted.
The shipping surprised me how fast I received my kit. I was expecting at least two or three days of waiting, but it was delivered within a day.
I did watch the video several times and it did seem to be a very straight-forward installation. The video was very accurate when it came to the steps needed to get access to my audio system. The actual connectors the GTA Car Kit provides are very good. I do have to thank the video for the tip of having a small magnetic extension tool as I did need to use it several times when I dropped the screws into very tight area. It probably took me about 2 hours in total, with more than half of that spent running the cables into my glovebox and putting things back together. Unfortunately the video does not prepare you for that part. It took me some time to figure out how I could run the cables to get them into my glovebox area. When I finally found a way to get my glovebox to open much further I could finish things much quicker.
I am using an iPod Touch 3rd Generation and I really appreciate being able to control my iPod via the actual audio system controls or with the audio controls on my steering wheel. Things work just as they were advertised in the video.
This is an excellent product at a great price and delivers an excellent solution for an after-market product. Great work GTA. I would direct all of my friends or family towards this car kit if I heard they were looking for a similar solution.
Again, thanks for creating this solution for mine and many other vehicles.”
Andrew from Ohio, USA –
“Tried few FM transmitters in the past. If numbers 88.1, 87.9, 88.3 look familiar, you probably know what problem with clarity of sound I had. I did my research on the internet and found few adapters that connect iPhone directly to the car stereo and offer clear sound.
But what stroke me is the lack of installation instructions. “Plug the cable to the back of your factory stereo” might sound simple, but in reality my Lexus RX panel looks rock solid. Finally I found video turotial from GTA Car Kits and after watching youtube video I decided that it is doable project and bought the kit. Kit came 4 days after ordering.
It turned out to be an interesting project as with video on hand I felt myself an expert. You should see the face of my girlfriend once I was done as she thought that this job should be done by mechanic at Lexus dealership ;).
Took me 1 hour to complete my little project and I managed to avoid any scratches on my panel (it was my biggest concern).
The sound quality from my iPhone 3GS was amazing. I really like the ability to switch playlists as my phone became my virtual CD changer. And I don’t need any real CDs in my car anymore. The only lacking feature is the actual name of the playlist. It shows only “Playlist X”.
But other than that the kit is perfect and I think I got really good deal for the price of 1.5 tank of gas.
Thanks”