Is there any way to turn off Nav voice prompts?
03-18-04, 05:27 PM
#1
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: California
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Is there any way to SHUT THAT B*TCH UP?!?!
For the life of me I haven't figured out to turn off the navigation voice by default. Every time I turn the car on, it automatically resets from OFF to whatever the last volume level was set at. 
I love the soundsystem, but the darned voice keeps cutting in and I just don't want it to. I do use the navigation system quite a bit (put 1400 miles on the SC430 in the first week alone).
How do I get her to shut the **** up?
I love the soundsystem, but the darned voice keeps cutting in and I just don't want it to. I do use the navigation system quite a bit (put 1400 miles on the SC430 in the first week alone).How do I get her to shut the **** up?
03-20-04, 07:04 AM
#5
Moderator
Two Versions??
I have a 2002 car from the very first production run.
When I turn off the voice prompts in "Menu" it stays off until I go there to turn it on again, regardless of how many times I stop and start the engine in the meantime.
I think I recall a discussion here a year or two ago that indicated that the newer cars seemed to have the NAV system set to have the voice on at engine startup, regardless of previous settings.
If so, one remedy would be to buy a 2002 model from the "Previously Owned" lot, since there may be no way to change the system to retain the voice off setting.
I can't understand why they would change this. Since the voice only works when a destination is set, this just means that there are several (3) more buttons to push to create or recall a destination and then turn off the voice.
Who has that kind of time these days?
When I turn off the voice prompts in "Menu" it stays off until I go there to turn it on again, regardless of how many times I stop and start the engine in the meantime.
I think I recall a discussion here a year or two ago that indicated that the newer cars seemed to have the NAV system set to have the voice on at engine startup, regardless of previous settings.
If so, one remedy would be to buy a 2002 model from the "Previously Owned" lot, since there may be no way to change the system to retain the voice off setting.
I can't understand why they would change this. Since the voice only works when a destination is set, this just means that there are several (3) more buttons to push to create or recall a destination and then turn off the voice.
Who has that kind of time these days?
Trending Topics
03-25-04, 05:52 PM
#9
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: California
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, I took 'er in for the 10k/1 year service and had them check the Nav system.
They couldn't find a way to shut the voice off permenantly. He also tried it on another 2003, and a 2004, same results. Voice comes on every time the ignition is turned back on.
The mechanic also said the 2002 Nav system is very different from the 2003/2004 models, this is a big surprise to me as everything I'd read here said there were no changes to the SC430 in the various model years except maybe the rear bushings, tire differences, etc...
Anyone have details on the two different Nav systems, and if it's possible to switch them out?
It's really annoying when everything else Lexus did with the car works just so bloody well, only to have this ***** nag me worse than my ex-wife did!
They couldn't find a way to shut the voice off permenantly. He also tried it on another 2003, and a 2004, same results. Voice comes on every time the ignition is turned back on.
The mechanic also said the 2002 Nav system is very different from the 2003/2004 models, this is a big surprise to me as everything I'd read here said there were no changes to the SC430 in the various model years except maybe the rear bushings, tire differences, etc...
Anyone have details on the two different Nav systems, and if it's possible to switch them out?
It's really annoying when everything else Lexus did with the car works just so bloody well, only to have this ***** nag me worse than my ex-wife did!
03-26-04, 06:44 AM
#10
Moderator
Go up about 4 posts and read my message there.
When the system was changed about one year into the car's production run, we noticed it here and those who had the new version expressed their dissatisfaction with it.
Perhaps a search on the forum will locate those posts (are they kept forever???), but they are sumarized in my post just above.
Often posts here give us more information that any particular dealer or service tech has not yet learned, so I'm not surprised that a dealer or service manager would not know this detail.
But don't say you did not learn about it here.
As for "switching them out," isn't that an awful lot of trouble and expense to resolve a pretty small inconvenience?
When the system was changed about one year into the car's production run, we noticed it here and those who had the new version expressed their dissatisfaction with it.
Perhaps a search on the forum will locate those posts (are they kept forever???), but they are sumarized in my post just above.
Often posts here give us more information that any particular dealer or service tech has not yet learned, so I'm not surprised that a dealer or service manager would not know this detail.
But don't say you did not learn about it here.
As for "switching them out," isn't that an awful lot of trouble and expense to resolve a pretty small inconvenience?
03-26-04, 07:54 AM
#11
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: California
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Actually I have no idea what would be involved to switch them out. Perhaps just a software change, maybe just a firmware change. I don't know, so I ask.
Last edited by Dozer42; 03-26-04 at 07:54 AM.
03-26-04, 09:43 AM
#12
Dozer, I bet it's in the software, but since it's bundled with the navigation info in the same DVD, you're out of luck. The only possible way to solve your problem is to revert back to the old database, IF '02s had the DVD-based system, and if you don't need the latest upgrades. Most cars had the CD-based systems back then, and even BMW still had it in '03, so check that first.
If '02s had DVD-based systems indeed, I saw an 'older' software for the SC on Ebay for $10 not long ago; worth trying for that money. There's a certain procedure to successfully load a new version on the software on our Nav that dealers don't want us to know, but I think it's posted on this board somewhere (do a search). It has to do with turning ignition off and on after certain steps, but don't remember exactly. I hate that feature too, but I've only used the Nav once, so that's not in my 'annoying' list. I also hate you can do squat once under way (even on an empty road), which is not the case on my Acura. I also like Acura's other 2 input modes: joystick and voice recognition (works great); no need to smear the screen if you don't want to. On the other hand, it doesn't initialize unless you open the cover; Acura does. There's no perfect system from one manufacturer; I can tell you that.
Hope this helps.
If '02s had DVD-based systems indeed, I saw an 'older' software for the SC on Ebay for $10 not long ago; worth trying for that money. There's a certain procedure to successfully load a new version on the software on our Nav that dealers don't want us to know, but I think it's posted on this board somewhere (do a search). It has to do with turning ignition off and on after certain steps, but don't remember exactly. I hate that feature too, but I've only used the Nav once, so that's not in my 'annoying' list. I also hate you can do squat once under way (even on an empty road), which is not the case on my Acura. I also like Acura's other 2 input modes: joystick and voice recognition (works great); no need to smear the screen if you don't want to. On the other hand, it doesn't initialize unless you open the cover; Acura does. There's no perfect system from one manufacturer; I can tell you that.
Hope this helps.
03-26-04, 10:16 AM
#13
Moderator
All SC 430s have DVD based NAV systems.
ELP is correct in saying that most at that time were CD based. The SC430 had one of the first DVD systems. (I took delivery of my car in March of '01, during the second week of sales, so I know it is a "first edition.")
I upgraded the software once, about a year ago. The new software installed when the new DVD disc was used the first time. The documentation states that the new software will not read the prior disc, which makes sense. My guess is that the system will simply refuse to recognize a prior disk if one were to be put into the drive.
I do not know if installing an earlier version of the software would work, but I can tell you that my newer software did not change the "feature" discussed here. My NAV system continues to retain the voice on/off setting during shutdowns. This would indicate to me that this setting would not be altered by installation of a newer or older version of the software.
Nor is it listed on the CBEST settings.
ELP is correct in saying that most at that time were CD based. The SC430 had one of the first DVD systems. (I took delivery of my car in March of '01, during the second week of sales, so I know it is a "first edition.")
I upgraded the software once, about a year ago. The new software installed when the new DVD disc was used the first time. The documentation states that the new software will not read the prior disc, which makes sense. My guess is that the system will simply refuse to recognize a prior disk if one were to be put into the drive.
I do not know if installing an earlier version of the software would work, but I can tell you that my newer software did not change the "feature" discussed here. My NAV system continues to retain the voice on/off setting during shutdowns. This would indicate to me that this setting would not be altered by installation of a newer or older version of the software.
Nor is it listed on the CBEST settings.
03-26-04, 10:24 AM
#14
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: California
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Agreed, I fell in love with my bud's Acura 3.2TL Type-S's nav system when we took a road-trip down to LA. That's when I just knew my next car would have one. And yes, it had to be a touchscreen if at all possible.
I'll see if I can locate a 2002 DVD and give that a whirl, worst thing that can happen is it pukes and dies and I let Lexus fix it.
Now of course if it's a DVD, that means I may be able to tear it apart. In theory, maybe I could pull the software from the 2002 DVD, merge it with the data from the 2004 DVD, and then burn that and see if it works (assuming the Lexus reader can read a DVD-R or DVD+R, which I can test easily enough).
Heh, I love a good challenge.
Really I'd like to hack into quite a bit of the vehicle, a full ECU hack for fuel injection/power upgrades, automatic shift pattern remapping, and quite a bit more. But that's a bit over my head for the moment.
You'd be truly amazed at what's been done now that they've hacked open the Corvette ECU. I've got a 700hp supercharged Z06 that's a perfect daily driver that runs tame as a kitten with 42.5lb injectors (simple ECU change) and then some custom dyno tuning by just remapping the ECU. It's truly mind boggling to have a California Smog legal car putting out 700hp (607.1rwhp) that gets 25mpg in average city/highway driving.
I'll see if I can locate a 2002 DVD and give that a whirl, worst thing that can happen is it pukes and dies and I let Lexus fix it.
Now of course if it's a DVD, that means I may be able to tear it apart. In theory, maybe I could pull the software from the 2002 DVD, merge it with the data from the 2004 DVD, and then burn that and see if it works (assuming the Lexus reader can read a DVD-R or DVD+R, which I can test easily enough).
Heh, I love a good challenge.
Really I'd like to hack into quite a bit of the vehicle, a full ECU hack for fuel injection/power upgrades, automatic shift pattern remapping, and quite a bit more. But that's a bit over my head for the moment.
You'd be truly amazed at what's been done now that they've hacked open the Corvette ECU. I've got a 700hp supercharged Z06 that's a perfect daily driver that runs tame as a kitten with 42.5lb injectors (simple ECU change) and then some custom dyno tuning by just remapping the ECU. It's truly mind boggling to have a California Smog legal car putting out 700hp (607.1rwhp) that gets 25mpg in average city/highway driving.
