Nav System

[zmckenna]

Ok, First off I have a 2001 Lexus RX300 with a Gen 2/3 Nav Unit.(Let me rephrase that, My Wife Does)

Anyhow my problem is that my 10 year old son took the Nav disc out of the unit and tried to watch a movie in the car, extremely bad idea...! Not only did it not work, it messed up the unit, or so I think.

To make matters worse, my 16 year tried to help him cover his tracks by helping him fix it, another extremely bad idea.

My 16 year old got the great idea from an online forum to download a copy of a newer version DVD 5.1, I think, he destroyed the evidence, anyhow he tried to install the copy hoping that would fix everything, needless to say it didn't.

I have searched for days now with no real definitive answers on a fix, so I am coming here for an answer, hopefully.

Now for the questions, is there a fix and how do I fix this issue without involving great expense of taking it to the dealer...?

I finally just got the radio fixed at a cost of $350.00 so any help in avoiding another costly expense would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in Advance

Z McKenna

[zmckenna]

Nobody???? Nobody has had a similar issue to this...?

[Step Hen]

Empty the navigation drive.

Remove the fuse for the navigation / tv system (not sure how the fuse is labeled in your model year) for 3 minutes.

Reinsert fuse.

Insert original navigation disc. Wait for the software to load.

Your story doesn't quite add up or you are changing some details it seems to me. Either way, you don't clearly state what the problem is with the navigation system (ie what shows up on the screen), but I'm pretty sure this will solve your issues.

Good luck. Did you really expect someone to go through a similar issue as the one you described?

[zmckenna]

Empty the navigation drive.

Remove the fuse for the navigation / tv system (not sure how the fuse is labeled in your model year) for 3 minutes.

Reinsert fuse.

Insert original navigation disc. Wait for the software to load.

Your story doesn't quite add up or you are changing some details it seems to me. Either way, you don't clearly state what the problem is with the navigation system (ie what shows up on the screen), but I'm pretty sure this will solve your issues.

Good luck. Did you really expect someone to go through a similar issue as the one you described?

Sorry, I guess I should have described the situation a little better. I get an error message reading cannot read disc, when there is a disc inserted in the DVD unit.

[Step Hen]

Did you remove the fuse for the navigation system?

[george929a]

Is the message "No Disc Detected" even when you have a known good NAV disc in the drive????

Because if so, I had the same problem. I called the "Audio & Video Service Stop" (www.videoservicestop.com). They quoted me $385 for the repair. Since I work 35 minutes from their location I dropped it off. I had a twenty minute conversation with Jim, the repair tech (Tom is the other tech, owner I think). Jim's a pretty nice guy. Here is what he told me.

There are not a lot of people who repair these because DENSO does not publish any specs or repair manual on their equipment. The "Audio" guys figured out how to repair them thanks to a local dealer who was desperate to sell a used Lexus that also had a "No Disc" error. According to Jim, the dealer was going to be charged ~4+k by the local Lexus dealer. This was going to blow any profit for the re-sale. So this dealer was desperate. The "Audio" store did not yet have a test rig to check out the hardware so the dealer actually loaned them the car for as long as they needed it to troubleshoot the problem. They tracked the problem down to the motor that drives the laser. It's turning out that this is what is wrong with most of the Lexus units they are seeing. This was what was wrong with mine. I dropped it off on Friday and it was ready on Tuesday. It now works as good as new. He did say that they have no long-term experience on how long the repair will stand-up. The replacement drive motor is a different model than the original but it has a higher spec. So in theory it should last longer than the original.

Some additional info:

There are several Lexus dealers who are now sending him units to repair for the $385 price and then charging thousands to the customer. F'ing disgraceful if you ask me.

The "Audio" Store is a little shack of a building. You would never guess it based on their web site. 2 techs and 2 girls to answer the phone. They like to give the impression they are bigger than they are.

This Lexus Nav problem is a relatively recent but growing phenomenon. They are now getting 1-2 a day for repair. There was another one on the counter when I walked in to drop mine off.

Any moving part WILL eventually break. Every time you start your car, these built-in Nav units come on and read the disc (i.e. the moving parts move). So, if you want to stress your DVD-based NAV system less, only insert the DVD when you are going to use it and eject it after. Of course keeping the disc safe if it's not in the drive is another issue.

They were unable to repair a few units because the owner attempted to repair it themselves and ended up damaging it further.

[zmckenna]

Is the message "No Disc Detected" even when you have a known good NAV disc in the drive????

Because if so, I had the same problem. I called the "Audio & Video Service Stop" (www.videoservicestop.com). They quoted me $385 for the repair. Since I work 35 minutes from their location I dropped it off. I had a twenty minute conversation with Jim, the repair tech (Tom is the other tech, owner I think). Jim's a pretty nice guy. Here is what he told me.

There are not a lot of people who repair these because DENSO does not publish any specs or repair manual on their equipment. The "Audio" guys figured out how to repair them thanks to a local dealer who was desperate to sell a used Lexus that also had a "No Disc" error. According to Jim, the dealer was going to be charged ~4+k by the local Lexus dealer. This was going to blow any profit for the re-sale. So this dealer was desperate. The "Audio" store did not yet have a test rig to check out the hardware so the dealer actually loaned them the car for as long as they needed it to troubleshoot the problem. They tracked the problem down to the motor that drives the laser. It's turning out that this is what is wrong with most of the Lexus units they are seeing. This was what was wrong with mine. I dropped it off on Friday and it was ready on Tuesday. It now works as good as new. He did say that they have no long-term experience on how long the repair will stand-up. The replacement drive motor is a different model than the original but it has a higher spec. So in theory it should last longer than the original.

Some additional info:

There are several Lexus dealers who are now sending him units to repair for the $385 price and then charging thousands to the customer. F'ing disgraceful if you ask me.

The "Audio" Store is a little shack of a building. You would never guess it based on their web site. 2 techs and 2 girls to answer the phone. They like to give the impression they are bigger than they are.

This Lexus Nav problem is a relatively recent but growing phenomenon. They are now getting 1-2 a day for repair. There was another one on the counter when I walked in to drop mine off.

Any moving part WILL eventually break. Every time you start your car, these built-in Nav units come on and read the disc (i.e. the moving parts move). So, if you want to stress your DVD-based NAV system less, only insert the DVD when you are going to use it and eject it after. Of course keeping the disc safe if it's not in the drive is another issue.

They were unable to repair a few units because the owner attempted to repair it themselves and ended up damaging it further.

[zmckenna]

I can't believe that nobody has any input on this, all I'm asking is, what does the dash look like on a 2001 RX300 without a navigation unit, I have searched the internet through and could'nt find a definitive answer.

Does the 2001 RX300 come with a touch screen for models without the gps nav unit and the radio only...?

[BillyShaft]

I can't believe that nobody has any input on this, all I'm asking is, what does the dash look like on a 2001 RX300 without a navigation unit, I have searched the internet through and could'nt find a definitive answer.

Does the 2001 RX300 come with a touch screen for models without the gps nav unit and the radio only...?

Odd...when you simply quoted the previous post, I really didn't understand that to mean "Does the 2001 RX300 come with a touch screen for models without the gps nav unit and the radio only...? "

Answer: Look in your owners manual. It shows what the info center looks like when you do not have nav.

Additionally, I believe that george929a addresses the cause of, and a detailed fix for, your issue...

Is there any other issue that you haven't stated that you "can't believe" wasn't addressed?:chairshot: