caddyowner

I want to buy an 04-06 ML or CL this winter, but may have to get a premium package because it doesn't have a distracting nav screen - unless there is a way to travel with the radio on and have a blank screen visible from the passenger seat.

My wife has a brain injury and occasionally gets motion sickness when traveling. She also sometimes will focus on things in the cabin while moving, which contributes to the motion sickness. We don't currently have a vehicle with a nav screen, and I fear that a bright colorful screen that is lit up whenever the radio is on will be a sickening distraction for her. (The LS430 non-nav center stack is really Toyota-bland and I can't imagine her focusing on that.)

Questions:
Is there a way I can set the viewing angle so the screen is not visible from the passenger seat?
Is there a link to view all the nav screens online?
Is there a minimalist display screen?
Can I operate the radio with the screen blank except when I hit a button to change settings?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Budhah

The screen can be seen from any where in the car.. sorry.

You can darken the screen, but still see the radio info

Not aware of online link for your GPS

Good luck, I love my 06 LS430

V8_Fan

You can also turn the map off. I think you can still see the radio stations.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

but even if you turn it to radio only and set it to not change back to nav automatically, as soon as i pull up to a stop light and get behind another car (or put it in reverse) as soon as the parking screen goes away it will default back to the nav screen. i don't know if you can turn off the park sensor thing this would make the screen not go to the parking assistance screen in the first place thus not defaulting back to the nav screen.

i do know that you can zoom way way out to have it a view of the whole u.s. and unless your traveling at warp speed 9 then the nav screen should not move much if any. but the directional arrow will still rotate when you turn.

i would think by turning down the brightness some, zooming way way out and setting the option to only stay on the selection you have made (and put it on radio or ac controls) and not going back to nav screen every 15 seconds (which is what i have mines set on) should be enough to get around this motion sickness thing.

AlexusAnja

You can turn the screen to not default back to NAV. It's the transition feature. You can have it off and then when you hit radio or HVAC, it stays on that screen.

What Sojah described I don't know if that will happen if you back up and the rear carmera kicks in, if it goes back to NAV or back to what you were before.

Whatever the case, you can have it NOT go back to NAV and if it does got back to NAV after some other function, then hit radio again and it will go back to radio anyway.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

this is what i'm takling about ^ ^ ^ but after you get close to something or someone at a light and it changes to the parking proximity screen it auto defaults back to the nav screen or after putting it in reverse and back to drive it auto defaults back to the nav screen. it is kinda annoying to have to keep pressing the radio button each time, especially in bumper to bumper stop and go traffic.

you can also just turn the display off altogether and still control most if not all of the stereo functions from the physical controls + steering wheel controls. but the ac controls i believe you would need to use the touch screen for.

AlexusAnja

wow, either you set your sensor to most sensitive (signals at furthest distance) or you really tailgate. I drive in NJ traffic (not as bad as NYC traffic) but I've never triggered the front sensors, but I do have it set as closest distance though.

Another alternative... just leave it on the "agree" screen...

tromly

+1, great answer

AlexusAnja

This I did not know... very interesting. I say this solves the OP's problem then.

caddyowner

Thanks for the great solution. That's even better than the normal radio displays that change every time a new CD track starts playing. The built-in nav is nice to have, but I seldom use the Garmin I currently have.

Obviously, I won't be installing anything so we can watch DVDs while driving. Thanks again!

sojah

iTrader: (1)

hey alexus, i did not know the parking proximity sensors could be adjusted. but for me every time i pull up to stopped traffic at a light (well not every time but at least 50% of the time) at about 3 feet or so the screen changes and it shows like 4 bars of distance, it doesn't start beeping (really annoying) until you get to like 2 bars of distance (i try not to get this close to other drivers even while parked). so yours doesn't do this when pulling up to stopped traffic at an intersection??

AlexusAnja

Nope, you can set that under one of the menu items. I believe under parking sensore and proximity. You can set to 4 bars, 3 bars, etc. I have it set to closest, so it doesn't go beeping until I'm like 6" or so from something in front. I will check, but I think you can set the front and back at different distances because my back starts beeping when I'm about 2 feet away.

I think what made me change it was exactly what you're experiencing, I would come up to a stop behind a car about 2' and it would start beeping... drove me crazy.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

wow, thanks for telling me about this possible setting, i will be looking this one up for sure. i have been driving this car for 11 months now and this is one of the most annoying things to me. every time i get within 3.99 feet of something it changes to the old folks parking sensor screen and starts beeping if i get within like 2.99 feet of them which around the dc area isn't very close by our deranged driving habits. i am going to set mine to the minimal setting possible for the front and also see about changing the rear one to be a louder beep if possible. if i have my stereo on even 1/4 the way up i have a hard time hearing the rear beep so i always have to turn it way way down while reversing,, i guess this also healps you to hear if you ran over any small animals as well