Hey all,

Just out of curiosity, has anyone shipped or taken their car overseas that had a navigation system in it? Being in the military and working closely with the state department I tend to travel overseas assignments in 1-2 year sretches (Korea, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Japan) and was wondering what the navigation screen does when the car is say in Kuwait - blank screen? map with no gps signal? Error message? Every country I've been in has had large Lexus Dealerships (esp. the ones in the middle east), perhaps maybe there is a swap out for the navigation disc or hardware component to make it work with the foreign country?

Any input would be grateful.

 

I think the Nav DVD just needs to be changed.

The Nav Disc is specified for certain regions. You would need to order and replace the disc at whatever region you're at.

Have you called your local Lexus dealership to ask?

 

Yea you should just be able to get a Nav DVD from those countries and be good to go!

 

Our local dealer says it doesn't worked in Puerto Rico. I will confirm the info once Alex350 gets here with his IS350.

Warrionex

 

I think just swapping the navi disc won't work. The biggest problem is the language issue. I believe the navi computer can only show certain types of languages. For example, 5th gen navi for North America probably be able to show three languages, which are the options you can choose at the "I agree" screen. In this case, I don't think navi for North American is capable of displaying language in middle east.

 

I shipped a 2006 IS 350 w/Nav to Germany hoping that this would be the case. I took it to the nearest Lexus Dealer (TIX in Bitburg) and they told me that the entire disc drive needs to be replaced. Estimated cost with installment: 1500 Euros or $2000. Have shifted my focus to performance parts but if you find a solution, please advise. If not, I will have to wait until I move back Stateside.

 

I assume since it is DVD based, both the discs AND drive are region coded. Hence would require swapping the drive as well.

 

When you change the navigation disc and reset the unit, it loads the operating software from the new disc. That software could easily support a different set of languages.

It's ashame that tarheel01 wasn't able to test a German disc in his unit to verify what the dealer told him.

Region codes are part of the DVD-video specs, and don't apply to DVD data discs.

 

You couldn't be more wrong. Take video games for example, they're region coded.

 

That's a proprietary scheme, implemented in the game console hardware.

The region code that is enforced by the hardware in DVD drives and players themselves is called RPC2. It is promulgated by the DVD CCA (copy control association) and is required for current hardware in order to get licensed to legally decrypt commercial video content scrambled with CSS (content scramble system).

 

But nonetheless coded for regions. I never said/implied it was based on video regions. So apparently that is what Lexus has done. Hence confirming what they told him in Germany.

 

Until someone finds mention of a region code in the service manual, or inserts a foreign disc and receives an error to the effect that the disc won't work in this region, it is simply your unconfirmed hypothesis.

 

Well this...
I shipped a 2006 IS 350 w/Nav to Germany hoping that this would be the case. I took it to the nearest Lexus Dealer (TIX in Bitburg) and they told me that the entire disc drive needs to be replaced.
supports my hypothesis better than anything you said.

 

On a side note, in Mexico for video dvds, we are Region 4. However, you have to be an idiot not to buy one of the multiregional DVD players that will play every region, including U.S. Region 1. Multiregional DVD players are sold everywhere. I can't imagine that even with the ones in the vehicles if it were a region-based coding system that it would be too hard to hack.

 

OP, my Nav has the maps of the GCC so you'll get Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait...etc so I guess you'll get them all at one go