1998 Gs 300 Navigation Hard Disk Missing, Help!

[commercialbrokerage]

Hi Fellow Lexus owners,

I have a 1998 Lexus GS 300 and unfortunately my wafer shaped hard disk to my navigation system was stolen awhile back. The disk drive is still in place but no disk!! The dealer will sell me a disk but wants the my old core or there is a hefty charge. Do you know where i can get just the disk to make the navigation complete? I know the last update was in 2004 but I still want to have it just in case. I have had no luck in junkyards or independent parts dealers. Help!!!!

I have included the pic of the disk I need:

thanks for everyone's help!!

-Raf

[dcfish]

Hi Fellow Lexus owners,

I have a 1998 Lexus GS 300 and unfortunately my wafer shaped hard disk to my navigation system was stolen awhile back. The disk drive is still in place but no disk!! The dealer will sell me a disk but wants the my old core or there is a hefty charge. Do you know where i can get just the disk to make the navigation complete? I know the last update was in 2004 but I still want to have it just in case. I have had no luck in junkyards or independent parts dealers. Help!!!!

I have included the pic of the disk I need:

thanks for everyone's help!!

-Raf

I'll see what I can come up with for you. ;)

[commercialbrokerage]

Hi Fellow Lexus owners,

I have a 1998 Lexus GS 300 and unfortunately my wafer shaped hard disk to my navigation system was stolen awhile back. The disk drive is still in place but no disk!! The dealer will sell me a disk but wants the my old core or there is a hefty charge. Do you know where i can get just the disk to make the navigation complete? I know the last update was in 2004 but I still want to have it just in case. I have had no luck in junkyards or independent parts dealers. Help!!!!

I have included the pic of the disk I need:

thanks for everyone's help!!

-Raf

I'll see what I can come up with for you. ;)

thanks!! very much appreciated!

[dcfish]

Hi Fellow Lexus owners,

I have a 1998 Lexus GS 300 and unfortunately my wafer shaped hard disk to my navigation system was stolen awhile back. The disk drive is still in place but no disk!! The dealer will sell me a disk but wants the my old core or there is a hefty charge. Do you know where i can get just the disk to make the navigation complete? I know the last update was in 2004 but I still want to have it just in case. I have had no luck in junkyards or independent parts dealers. Help!!!!

I have included the pic of the disk I need:

thanks for everyone's help!!

-Raf

I'll see what I can come up with for you. ;)

thanks!! very much appreciated!

The hard drive is in the next slot not the one that is empty when you slide open the door. You have to remove the top of the computer to see the hard drive. There is no disc in a 98 gs just a small hardrive which is only visible when you remove the top of the computer.

[1990LS400]

... my wafer shaped hard disk to my navigation system was stolen awhile back.

Stolen? How'd that happen?

Maybe one of the people who switched out their OEM nav for aftermarket would sell or give you a hard drive. I don't remember a thread on this forum about doing this but there have been several over on Clublexus from people who have done it on a 98-00 GS. I just now searched and found several threads about this over there.

People who have switched from OEM nav to aftermarket have obtained a climate control module from a non-nav car and have said the the climate control is plug and play with the connectors on nav cars.

Or maybe one of the eBay sellers of the in-dash portion of a 98-00 nav can provide a hard drive.

[sakataj]

The hard drive is in the next slot not the one that is empty when you slide open the door. You have to remove the top of the computer to see the hard drive. There is no disc in a 98 gs just a small hardrive which is only visible when you remove the top of the computer.

actually he has the hard drive pictured..... no disc on 98-2000 units just the hard drive (which again, is what you have pictured)

see if u can get aused hard drive from a junkyard, since they are obsolete compared to the newer onjes they should be fairly cheap

[commercialbrokerage]

Thanks for everyone's feedback, I always say the "disk" but what I mean to say is wafer shaped hard disk. Apparently it was hoisted from my car shortly after I bought it and took it to 2-3 body shops for estimates (bought it from salvage auction). I never stopped to check if the GPS worked after every stop and after I found out it was too late to accurately pinpoint the shop that did it. I have scoured and made phone calls but I have been unable to find someone willing to sell me their hard disk. I didnt think it would be hard to find but it has proven otherwise. If anyone has one lying around I will gladly buy it.

[Rafreaky]

Hi Fellow Lexus owners,

I have a 1998 Lexus GS 300 and unfortunately my wafer shaped hard disk to my navigation system was stolen awhile back. The disk drive is still in place but no disk!! The dealer will sell me a disk but wants the my old core or there is a hefty charge. Do you know where i can get just the disk to make the navigation complete? I know the last update was in 2004 but I still want to have it just in case. I have had no luck in junkyards or independent parts dealers. Help!!!!

I have included the pic of the disk I need:

thanks for everyone's help!!

-Raf

Look on Ebay or Craigslist, there was some dude had an update for $100...

[dcfish]

You guys don't get it, You can not remove the harddrive disk from the computer without removing the computer and take the top off and then remove the harddrive. You can not remove the disc from the harddrive without destroying the drive. You need the complete harddrive replaced.

[sakataj]

You guys don't get it, You can not remove the harddrive disk from the computer without removing the computer and take the top off and then remove the harddrive. You can not remove the disc from the harddrive without destroying the drive. You need the complete harddrive replaced.

i def get it....although OP is apparantally confusing HIMSELF by saying disc....OP u have NO DISC ON THIS MODEL, JUST A HARD DRIVE. replace the WHOLE harddrive. last year they made one is 2004 and its like 250 with a core.....so buy a cheap core from a wrecked or junk gs and trade it in!

[commercialbrokerage]

I am confused, the entire computer is bolted down and there is a slot where the "wafer disk" is inserted (pin connection) Why would the drive be destroyed??? According to Sewell Lexus its just plug and play!

[dcfish]

I am confused, the entire computer is bolted down and there is a slot where the "wafer disk" is inserted (pin connection) Why would the drive be destroyed??? According to Sewell Lexus its just plug and play!

Yes, The harddrive is plug and play.

[commercialbrokerage]

I went by the dealer today and they confirmed that the disk was missing. Apparently its a pretty common part that is stolen since it costs 600 bucks to replace. They said the hard drive is seperate from the disk since the disk just plugs in and out. Apparently its pretty easy to just unplug the disk and walk away. So I am back to square one. I placed an ad on craigslist so hopefully I can luck out on that...Ebay hasnt had one in a long time...

[dcfish]

I went by the dealer today and they confirmed that the disk was missing. Apparently its a pretty common part that is stolen since it costs 600 bucks to replace. They said the hard drive is seperate from the disk since the disk just plugs in and out. Apparently its pretty easy to just unplug the disk and walk away. So I am back to square one. I placed an ad on craigslist so hopefully I can luck out on that...Ebay hasnt had one in a long time...

There is a flash drive port so the dealer could do updates, Outside of that the harddrive is sealed just like the one in your computer. The dealer is full of bull.

[Space GS400]

There is a flash drive port so the dealer could do updates, Outside of that the harddrive is sealed just like the one in your computer. The dealer is full of bull.

I took my 99 gs400 for updates last year, dealer told me they cant do updates on the old version

[dcfish]

Could be that that dealer no longer has the software for tjhe 1st gen navs

[1990LS400]

I took my 99 gs400 for updates last year, dealer told me they cant do updates on the old version

There may be some confusion in this thread about terminology. The part shown in the first post in this thread is the removable navigation hard drive -- which Lexus calls a "harddisk" in the replacement instructions -- see the attachment. The removable navigation "harddisk" looks very similar to a hard drive in a laptop PC. Yes, the removable navigation "harddisk" is sealed and contains an actual nonremovable little spinning silver disk like all hard drives do -- amazing what one can find out with a hammer and chisel.

If the dealer could not update the navigation in your 99 GS400, it probably meant that you have the most current harddisk navigation update and that there is nothing newer: http://www.sewellpartsonline.com/parts_det...88792&all=Y The maps in the last 98-00 nav update are already five years old which is an eternity when it comes to navigation maps. Lexus could surprise us but I don't think anybody thinks there is going to be another update for the old 98-00 nav system.

commercialbrokerage, maybe it would be easier to look for an entire replacement 98-00 navigation ECU on ebay -- it would likely come with a removable "harddisk". Look for a nav ECU or harddisk from either a 98-00 GS300/400 or LS400. Or, like I said previously, try to contact one of the guys on ClubLexus who has replaced the OEM navigation in his 98-00 with an aftermarket navigation system. Maybe he would give you the "harddisk" or the entire nav ECU if he hasn't thrown the entire nav ECU in the trash -- it's not exactly worth anything/much.

[commercialbrokerage]

thanks for the help guys..the prob with Ebay is that all those nutcases want 1k for a new ECU which I am not willing to pay..I will ask around at Club Lexus. As for the software, there will be no more updates since the drive is absolete and cannot hold any more gigs of info..that is per the dealer...