Navi Update to V15A8910 skip the dealer
03-19-17, 05:19 AM
#1
Driver
Thread Starter
Navi Update to V15A8910 skip the dealer
For those technically incline and want to skip the dealer, I found the latest update to our navigation units online. The latest version is V15A8910 based on the TSB here:
http://www.revbase.com/BBBMotor/TSb/...dPdf?id=197088
The firmware itself can be grabbed straight from Lexus here:
https://dl.securedp.toyota.com/lexus...-AB01_0003.kwi
Quick steps:
1. Download the above file. Take a USB key and format the key as FAT32, MUST BE FAT32!!!
2. Plug the key into the car, start the car (as in leave the car running)
3. Go to General Settings then down to Software Update, finally Update (NOT Gracenote update)
4. The screen will show you your current version and give you the option to proceed with an update if one is needed, if one is not the update button will not be enabled
5. Update takes around 5 minutes or so, leave the USB key plugged in and follow all the instructions.
6. Enjoy skipping the dealer for updates
This firmware update applies to multiple vehicles including: CT, ES, IS, NX, and the RC. Just verify your firmware version is following the similar scheme as V15AXXXX
http://www.revbase.com/BBBMotor/TSb/...dPdf?id=197088
The firmware itself can be grabbed straight from Lexus here:
https://dl.securedp.toyota.com/lexus...-AB01_0003.kwi
Quick steps:
1. Download the above file. Take a USB key and format the key as FAT32, MUST BE FAT32!!!
2. Plug the key into the car, start the car (as in leave the car running)
3. Go to General Settings then down to Software Update, finally Update (NOT Gracenote update)
4. The screen will show you your current version and give you the option to proceed with an update if one is needed, if one is not the update button will not be enabled
5. Update takes around 5 minutes or so, leave the USB key plugged in and follow all the instructions.
6. Enjoy skipping the dealer for updates
This firmware update applies to multiple vehicles including: CT, ES, IS, NX, and the RC. Just verify your firmware version is following the similar scheme as V15AXXXX
03-19-17, 08:46 AM
#2
Instructor
FAT32 ? you just download it and plug into USB from your car, go to General Setting in your Nav and click update, the file is around 90mb they recommend 2gb any USB flash drive or memory SDcard.
03-19-17, 08:51 AM
#3
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
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USB's (or any modern storage drive) can be formatted as FAT32 or NTFS. The vehicle will only recognize a USB formatted as FAT32, regardless of what file is on the drive.
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sarcoptic (03-19-17)
03-19-17, 03:41 PM
#5
exFAT is available too.
The document linked above gives you this info.
Just be careful folks, there could be pitfalls, I personally ran into problems, I had a 64GB flash drive with not many files on it, already FAT32 and this update wouldn't work. I thought the other files are a problem so I deleted all of them and put the the KWI file as the only file. It still wouldn't take it. I couldn't re-format to FAT32 (though it was already formatted) since Windows doesn't let you format to FAT32 drives which are over 32 GB. So I ran into a nearby Best Buy and got myself a brand new 8 GB flash drive (the smallest they had) and then everything worked, the drive was already FAT32 so I just had to put the file on it.
The document linked above gives you this info.
Just be careful folks, there could be pitfalls, I personally ran into problems, I had a 64GB flash drive with not many files on it, already FAT32 and this update wouldn't work. I thought the other files are a problem so I deleted all of them and put the the KWI file as the only file. It still wouldn't take it. I couldn't re-format to FAT32 (though it was already formatted) since Windows doesn't let you format to FAT32 drives which are over 32 GB. So I ran into a nearby Best Buy and got myself a brand new 8 GB flash drive (the smallest they had) and then everything worked, the drive was already FAT32 so I just had to put the file on it.
Last edited by Olasek; 03-19-17 at 03:47 PM.
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03-19-17, 04:18 PM
#6
One of the items they claim they fixed is often incorrect depiction of traffic on the road - for example you see the traffic is horrible but the map shows all "green". Sometimes it works but often it doesn't. I noticed that many times so I am glad there is a fix. This could be also at the root of poor trip planning since navigation makes no attempt to re-route you around bad traffic, but we will see. 
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03-19-17, 06:12 PM
#8
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Feb 2017
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Seabone726 (04-16-20)
03-20-17, 01:14 PM
#10
I would like to state for the record (someone from Lexus is reading this?) the Nav software underperforms in certain situation compared to say Google or Garmin.
I just had a very good example of that - I was planning a trip from my home in Oakland, CA to Mammoth Lakes ski area. Lexus came up with a weird recommendation to go through Reno (over 7 hrs trip), or even more bizarre through Fallon, whereas both Google and Garmin had no problem identifying a very good shortcut - through highway 50 and then connecting with 395 around Gardnerville, Nevada (below 6 hrs).
I just had a very good example of that - I was planning a trip from my home in Oakland, CA to Mammoth Lakes ski area. Lexus came up with a weird recommendation to go through Reno (over 7 hrs trip), or even more bizarre through Fallon, whereas both Google and Garmin had no problem identifying a very good shortcut - through highway 50 and then connecting with 395 around Gardnerville, Nevada (below 6 hrs).
03-20-17, 01:55 PM
#12
I would like to state for the record (someone from Lexus is reading this?) the Nav software underperforms in certain situation compared to say Google or Garmin.
I just had a very good example of that - I was planning a trip from my home in Oakland, CA to Mammoth Lakes ski area. Lexus came up with a weird recommendation to go through Reno (over 7 hrs trip), or even more bizarre through Fallon, whereas both Google and Garmin had no problem identifying a very good shortcut - through highway 50 and then connecting with 395 around Gardnerville, Nevada (below 6 hrs).
I just had a very good example of that - I was planning a trip from my home in Oakland, CA to Mammoth Lakes ski area. Lexus came up with a weird recommendation to go through Reno (over 7 hrs trip), or even more bizarre through Fallon, whereas both Google and Garmin had no problem identifying a very good shortcut - through highway 50 and then connecting with 395 around Gardnerville, Nevada (below 6 hrs).
03-20-17, 02:09 PM
#13
In the example above I ultimately forced the software to give me correct routing by telling the Nav to route me through Kyburz and then it worked.
Must be different since I never got that update from a few weeks ago.
03-20-17, 08:13 PM
#14
Lexus Test Driver
Originally Posted by sarcoptic
For those technically incline and want to skip the dealer, I found the latest update to our navigation units online. The latest version is V15A8910 based on the TSB here:
http://www.revbase.com/BBBMotor/TSb/...dPdf?id=197088
The firmware itself can be grabbed straight from Lexus here:
https://dl.securedp.toyota.com/lexus...-AB01_0003.kwi
Quick steps:
1. Download the above file. Take a USB key and format the key as FAT32, MUST BE FAT32!!!
2. Plug the key into the car, start the car (as in leave the car running)
3. Go to General Settings then down to Software Update, finally Update (NOT Gracenote update)
4. The screen will show you your current version and give you the option to proceed with an update if one is needed, if one is not the update button will not be enabled
5. Update takes around 5 minutes or so, leave the USB key plugged in and follow all the instructions.
6. Enjoy skipping the dealer for updates
This firmware update applies to multiple vehicles including: CT, ES, IS, NX, and the RC. Just verify your firmware version is following the similar scheme as V15AXXXX
http://www.revbase.com/BBBMotor/TSb/...dPdf?id=197088
The firmware itself can be grabbed straight from Lexus here:
https://dl.securedp.toyota.com/lexus...-AB01_0003.kwi
Quick steps:
1. Download the above file. Take a USB key and format the key as FAT32, MUST BE FAT32!!!
2. Plug the key into the car, start the car (as in leave the car running)
3. Go to General Settings then down to Software Update, finally Update (NOT Gracenote update)
4. The screen will show you your current version and give you the option to proceed with an update if one is needed, if one is not the update button will not be enabled
5. Update takes around 5 minutes or so, leave the USB key plugged in and follow all the instructions.
6. Enjoy skipping the dealer for updates
This firmware update applies to multiple vehicles including: CT, ES, IS, NX, and the RC. Just verify your firmware version is following the similar scheme as V15AXXXX
03-20-17, 11:10 PM
#15
No need to open the file - it is a proprietary binary file so you shouldn't be able to open it.
You are only handling the file, downloading it and putting it on your drive - you don't care what is inside, your car
will read and understand its content.
You are only handling the file, downloading it and putting it on your drive - you don't care what is inside, your car
will read and understand its content.
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Seabone726 (04-16-20)