hey Guys,, when I first picked up my 08 IsF I too tried to do the nav hack via the cut the wires and splice and ground this wire, etc.. etc... It didnt work at all. basically the only thing that work via that method was that I could watch movie without having the foot brake on... once I drove the car,,the dvd screen would not work.. I ended up buying the nav hack and it worked beautifully.. Most ppl buy the Prestigious nav hack which ran around $350.. I did some research and ended up ordering a nav hack from another company directly in Japan and saved a bit over the Prestigious unit.. I traded in my IsF for a 11 Sienna and tried to switch the unit over to my van and found out that the wirings in the back are totally different, not plug and play like my IsF... FaiL!! lol but main thing is,, you need to get the nav hack,, cant just splice here or cut there and ground this to make it work.. Not Happening.. I tried it 3 times thinking that I picked the wrong wire... and it doesnt work on Lexus with the Non ML system.. My Wife asked if this will fit on our recently purchased HS250..

It does work. I promise.

I had to make a tool to pull the vent assembly out from the inside. Mine consistent of a 12-18" puller I made out of a 3' x 1/8"-1/4" steel bar (thicker and stiffer than coat hanger wire, bought at hardware store).

I put one end in a vice and bent the last 1/4" of it to a hard 90º or so. I used this end to reach down inside the vents and grab the inside edge of the whole vent assembly. The other end I bent into a loop for a handle. The actual bar I used was probably 3' long, as the finished product will need to be long enough to reach all the way in to the base of the vent assembly.

I started on one side of the vents, reached in, found the edge and pulled. It will give some resistance (quite a bit for me) before it pops free from the clips that hold it in place. When it does finally give, don’t pull it too far out until the same is done on the other side.

I won’t kid you and say that it was the easiest thing to do. I could not get the vents out using other methods mentioned. Even this way took me a few minutes because I didn’t want to leave any marks or break anything. Once you get the damn vents out, the other stuff is more time consuming than frustrating. This step is plenty of both.

Sure it does. I've got proof sitting in my driveway.

Actually I did try the long allen wrench, I just couldn't find anything to hook it onto inside the air vents. But anyway I did finally get them free. The method I used was prying the left side out toward me, even though it felt like the faceplate was gonna break off, it didn't. It came out far enough that I could wiggle it just a tad, and slipped a little screwdriver into the right side, massaged both sides and eventually it emerged.

So to anyone still comtemplating doing this:
1. It (the hack) does work and it's easy. I didn't solder anything, just stripped the wires, twisted them together, taped 'em up, and added tiny little cable ties to keep it secure.
2. Just be prepared going into this that the vents are really hard, but everything else in the procedure is cake compared to that.
3. Lay out towels on the passenger seat, the console, and the glovebox to keep from scuffing up your car. The head unit is big, heavy, and has some edges to it.
4. I'm not terribly impressed with the USA Spec PA20-TOY adapter. It's caused the menu screen in the car to lock up a couple times and getting around the menus is clunky - for example there is no way that I've found to jump straight to an Artist or Album. You have to press DOWN dozens of times to scroll through the list, 6 at a time.

I'll try this approach next time I need to take them out and take some pics too. Sounds like you figured it out pretty good. Thanks for the tip.

I have ML NAV w/DVD Changer and completed the hack in 2009 on my 2006 IS 350. Not sure if this has been answered or not but I grounded the red wire to the body of the radio and have been watching DVD's while the car is moving since then. The vents are a pain that's for sure.

If anyone has had an issue with the NAV screen switching automatically back to map view from climate, audio, etc even when that option is turned off your feedback would be greatly appreciated. It didn't do this until recently and I have turned the option on and off several times.

The only time it doesn't do it is if I have a DVD playing.

Thanks.

To quote my brother, the right tool makes the right job a lot easier! He own's a snap-on truck. Anyhow, somewhere else in this over 60 page thread I read about someone using a 90 degree pick. I went to home depot and got one and it came with a hook pick as well. They both made the job so easy.

Here is an online example of what I picked up from Home Depot including a 90 degree pick and a hook pick:
http://www.autotoolworld.com/K-Tool-..._p_100931.html


Cheers,
HeyBMcGill

I would also like to know how to do this hack for the 2010's. Anyone venture in yet?

I performed the hack successfully on my 2006 IS250 AWD this past summer. Only problem is I noticed is that my FM radio reception has decreased about 30%, I can no longer pick up my favourite radio station from Buffalo, NY

Has anyone else experienced the same problem, any solutions or ideas why this happened?

yes steve, we need to figure this out!!! lol

wait,, I was talking about the dvd part, not the nav hack.. sorry,, we were watching dvds in my IsF while it was moving.. non ML systems dont have the dvd player option.. again,, sorry that I didnt clarify.. I miss my IsF...

Its really weird,, I tried the simple ground this red wire, and splice this into that wire method,, but it didnt work on my 08 IsF.. Im guessing that Lexus must have updated something in 08,, cause it seems that your method works on 06 and 07 Is .. I dunno..

Guys,, theres clips under the top of the vents, you have to play around with those and the vents slide right out.. You dont need any special tools but a tiny little flathead..

Has anyone performed the NAV Hack on an 08 350 with ML and DVD? It appears that this only works on the 06 & 07's.