How to Take the Radio Out of a 2003 Lexus IS 300

In the 1980s, Toyota saw an opening in the import luxury car class, as only two makes BMW and Mercedes dominated the class. Toyota finally jumped into this class with the 1989 release of the Lexus lineup of luxury cars. In the 2001 model year, Lexus openly challenged the BMW 3-Series with a sports sedan of its own, the IS 300. The IS 300 was respectable, but never overtook the 3-Series, though it held its own. The 2003 IS 300 came standard with an eight-speaker, AM-FM stereo system that played CDs and cassettes. Replacing this radio requires disassembling the center of the dashboard, so take great care not to break any panels.

Instructions

Look above the center air vents to find the liner in the tray above the vents. Pry this liner out with a flat-head screwdriver, exposing the air vent-retaining screws below it. Remove these two screws with a Phillips screwdriver.

Pry around the perimeter of the center trim panel the panel that includes the center vents and dashboard tray with a flat-head screwdriver to disengage the panels retaining clips. Pull the panel off the dashboard and set it in a secure area.

Remove the switch panel below the radio by prying it outward with a flat-head screwdriver to disengage the retaining clips, then pulling it away from the dashboard. Allow this panel to hang below the radio; there is no need to remove it completely.

Remove the four radio and climate-control panel-retaining screws, two above the climate-control panel and two below the radio, using a ratchet and 10 mm socket. Pull the radio and climate-control panel from the dashboard as an assembly until you can access the wiring on the rear of the climate-control panel and radio.

Press and hold the unlocking button on each of the wiring harnesses on the rear of the climate-control panel and radio, and pull each harness from its receptacle. Remove the radio and climate-control panel assembly from the dashboard.

Detach the climate-control panel from the radios bracket by removing its four retaining screws with a Phillips screwdriver and pulling the climate-control panel from the bracket.

Set the climate-control panel on the radio bracket, lining up the screw holes on the climate-control panel with those on the new radios bracket. Tighten the climate-control panel screws with a Phillips screwdriver.

Plug the wiring harnesses into their respective receptacles on the rear of the IS 300s radio and climate-control panel. Slide the radio and climate-control panel into the dashboard. Tighten the two screws above the climate-control panel and the two screws below the radio.

Position the switch panel below the radio and line up the clips on the rear of the panel with the slots in the dashboard. Press the switch toward the dashboard to snap the retaining clips into place.

Set the center trim panel in its cavity above the radio and climate-control panel, lining up the retaining clips on the rear of the panel with the slots in the dashboard. Press the center trim panel toward the dashboard to snap it into place.

Tighten the two center trim panel-retaining screws. Set the liner in the dashboard tray and press it downward to seat it in the tray.