2008 IS350 navigation screen is completely black
 

After months of enjoying our used 08 IS350 the navigation screen decided to go completely black and the hard buttons are not lit up. I don't believe this is the same as the digitizer issue as those users have a working display but it won't respond to touch commands.

My issue is the screen is physically off, including all of the buttons to the left / right of the screen, and the climate controls immediately below the screen. The clock works, security light blinks, the hazard light is lit. The buttons below the CD drive work fine, I can turn on the radio, switch from FM to CD, etc. As best I can tell everything else works on the vehicle.

I was thinking it was probably a fuse but for the life of me I cannot identify one that seems blown.

Thoughts?

Fuse or connection short. This entire unit relies on multiple ECUs to power and function. The digitizer issue is a physical malfunction, but you also have to consider the multiple PC boards behind the unit that can malfunction due to power/shorts or even physical/heat destruction. This includes both the navigation/HVAC unit itself and the DVD drive attached underneath it.

Curious to know what the issue may be? Please let us know what you find, thanks.

Dealer gave it an initial diagnosis as the ECU for the navigation at a potential cost of $4,000. However, they need to look at the vehicle some more and discuss it with the shop manager on Monday to fully flesh it out, including the cost.

Obviously that is pretty ludicrous considering that's nearly 20% of the value of the entire vehicle, and there's not a computer I'm aware of that costs $4,000 in general. Well, except one in a Lexus, apparently.

Part # 8611153150 which doesn't seem like an ECU to me, but the entire navigation system.

The adventure continues! :)

I had the same issue with the navigation ECU. There's a shop in Los Angeles that repairs these units for around $900 (assuming you have someone that can dissemble and ship the unit).

what is the exterior color of your car? just curious. good luck with this and hopefully you hear back some positive news from the dealership.

they really have to make these units cheaper.

Dark grey IS350 with 73k on the odometer.

This replaced an 02 ES300 NAV with 185k. That one stopped reading nav DVDs (probably a cheap replacement of just the drive in the trunk, never cared enough to investigate as the map updates cost more than an entire Garmin GPS) and had various electrical issues with the power windows. But otherwise was rock solid the entire time we owned it.

Note that even if this unit was $2,000 I'd still say it's outrageously priced. Though at least approaching normal car dealer overpriced. :p

Nav is currently functional again.

Deal disconnected battery, cleared codes, nav returned from the grave.

wow good news!!! did they say what was wrong?

No. Hence my level of confidence is low.

I do have a vague recollection of reading a blurb about some similar sequence of disconnecting the battery to cycle the computers in the vehicle. I suppose that's like a hard reboot for the vehicle? Which means I suppose it could get back into the state / scenario that cause the issue to begin with.

Beats me, I'm just a car owner, not a mechanic.

That's problem could be seen when you're battery is being bad. Make sure to check your battery at your local auto for free. I have that problem before and turn out my alternator being bad causing battery being as well.
A few mins could save you a lot of headache and worry free

I have this exact issue and I've still yet to find a solution. I've replaced my battery with a red top optima and I've replaced the screen. Don't know what else I can do.

Regardless, at least you have it back up and running! Report back if it does it again!

You're one lucky dude!

i have similar situation, gastric how's your navigation?