Nav hack opinion from people that've done it
 

I have the non-ML unit and am really considering doing the nav hack, but i am teetering b/w cutting the wires or going with the nav hack prestigious solutions sells, or not doing it at all. my main issue is the nav hack kit is ~$300 which is a bit expensive.

also, i've been told the Vaistech SL2Vi can be used with ipods/iphones to play video through the nav unit when you have the nav hack. i am also considering doing this, but that is another $300-350...making the total mod almost $700.

what are the opinions of those that have done the nav hack..worth it on non-ml's??

anyone here used/installed the Vaistech SL2Vi?

are there cheaper aftermarket kits than either of these?

NAV Hack
 

Doing the Nav Hack is not imtimadating at all... and when you cut just make sure that you cut enough space to reconnect in future. Even though I did my nav hack I had no intentions of reconnecting in the future anyways. It's a very stealth mod IMO... just go for it.. A little over an hour of your time or so and you save a 300 bucks!!! It works flawless...the DIY thread for this hack is one of the best walkthroughs I've used here! can't make a mistake if you take it one step at a time..:thumbup::D

still waiting for Kattanh3, I'm scared to do it alone :(

Don't do it IMO, buy the PNP kit and save yourself the headache and hassle of voiding that warranty.

The only thing tough about the nav hack is taking out the A/C center channel vents..everything else is a breeeze

yes but you still have to remove for the PNP kits also.

IMO I had the navi hacked for ~15 mos or so and i never had one issue with mine. If you are good with this kind of stuff then do it. BOTH will void the warranty as you are moddifing it from its OEM status. And once you take apart the dash you are not going to remove the PNP kit from your car to go see the dealer. So you can spend less then 10$ and do it your self or spend 300$ (+) to have a PNP kit? I know what one made more sense to me but its your car and your decision on what you feel more comfortable with:thumbup:

Good Luck!

The hack was the best thing I've done for my car. I was hesitant to do any wire cutting at first because of the warranty. Plus, I am not very good at wires. But after a year and a half, I thought what the heck. Taking the vents out was the most difficult part. All you have to do is use some muscle power and everything else was a breeze. Enabling the phone and video to work while driving was so easy that I decided to do the "entering your destination while you drive" switch. The next thing to do is hack the rear view camera. Trust me, it is easy. I have no regrets.

Since you don't have the ML model, I suggest you check out the override kit which overrides only the navigation: http://cgi.ebay.com/NAVIGATION-OVERR...742.m153.l1262

Another option is to create a hybrid DVD nav disc with the 06 firmware. Right?

Is there a DIY for this?

Not sure. I think Lobux did it.

I have a IS250 w/o ML and I have done the mod for the Nav and bought the Vaistech SL2Vi, and I gotta tell you...it's totally worth getting. The ML can't compare since it only plays DVD. The Vaistech SL2Vi streams video through Ipod...it's much better if you wanna watch music videos or TV shows.

Also, I totally think getting the Wiring kit is not worth the money. Cutting a couple of wires was pretty easy. And I agree that once you put the kit in, you're not gonna need to or want to ever take out the dash again.

LIke others said here...do the nav hack via splicing wires...it is pretty straight forward.

While I had the nav taken apart...I went ahead and installed this :
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lexus-IS-250-350...QQcmdZViewItem

Same thing as Vaistech SL2Vi, but lets you hook up two video sources into the navi..... dvd player, tv tuner, ipod , etc...

thanks for the great input everyone, this is really helpful.

the only concern i have with doing the nav hack via cutting wires is that if i ever need to take the car into the dealer for something like a dead pixel on the LCD screen, i won't have a way to revert to the factory setup.

i remember reading here that some people claimed the gps updating was delayed when u do the nav hack. is that true? any adverse side effects in the gps performance?

There will only be a 1-2 sec lag, it isn't much of a problem. Once you flip the switch, the GPS should go back to normal