speeddem0n

iTrader: (7)

I have found many OLD threads on various Lexus models about this but no solutions. So im hoping to figure it out and it may also help someone in the future who has the same issue.

I recently did the NAV/DVD bypass. It worked fine and still does. Although the checkengine and checkVSC warning came on eventually, i reset them and didnt reoccur and all is fine with the bypass not activated. After about several days or a week later i tried the CD player and the audio started cutting out as well as no audio from the DVD. All CDs and DVDs worked before.
AM/FM/SAT/NAV audio works fine. But DVD/CD has no audio.

After searching i found that DVD/CD audio go through the optical S/PDIF (spdif) cable. I checked it behind the unit and it looks fine, undamaged, not bent. i have not checked it on the amp side yet. Also i do not know if theres anything in between. In some threads ive seen, they claim to have hit the side of the unit/dash hard and it started working again.

Anyone know whats causing DVD/CD audio not to work? Or know what the S/PDIF cable line consists of?

kauaian

iTrader: (18)

I would take out the bypass first and see if everything works fine and go from there.

kirk200

S/PDIF is an optical cable - when you pull it out is should glow red like an LED is driving it. Since it's an optical cable, a kink or harsh bend (anywhere along the full length of the cable) could cause the audio bit stream to be disrupted - and since that is a digital signal, you pretty much either get it perfectly working, or not working at all... I would try to inspect the entire length of the cable if you can, see if that helps shed some light on the issue.

Regards,
- Kirk

speeddem0n

iTrader: (7)

Have been tempted to do this, but the more i think about it, the more i feel it has nothing to do with audio. The bypass only involves 2 gps/speed wires and the emergency brake/ground wire. So i dont see how any of those would have an affect. I also put toggle switches inline of those wires so i have had them set as if nothing has been tampered with.

It doesnt make sense because everything worked fine after the bypass was done, so this happened later on out of no where.

Thanks for that info. So do you think i should pull it from the headunit side or from the amp side to see the red glow? I did pull it from the headunit side while the unit was on to see if there was any change in sound when i unplugged it and i dont recall noticing a red glow.

Also would it be safe to unplug both ends and test both ends for continuity with a multimeter/voltmeter?

kirk200

Hi speeddem0n -

The S/PDIF cable is an optical cable - it's made from a fiber optic strand (glass or more likely plastic). That fiber strand is not conductive to electricity, so you can't check it like a conventional copper wire. The head unit drives the optical signal - that driver is a red LED. If you look in the end of the cable (at the amp end) when the head unit is active (playing a DVD disk) you should see a fairly bright red glow from the LED. I have not seen the Lexus implementation, but if it uses a standard S/PDIF cable, you could swap out the cable if it somehow became kinked/broken internally. Unless something really tugged or nicked the cable itself while your bypass was being installed perhaps, I doubt that the cable is the problem you are dealing with.

Good luck!
- Kirk

speeddem0n

iTrader: (7)

Thanks again, ill definitely check the amp side. It is possible the optic cable was tugged while the headunit was pulled out. Actually i hope thats what it is because all i would need is to run a new wire from the unit back to the amp. However, if as you say its possibly not the problem.. then how else is DVD audio and sat/radio audio separated other than that optic cable?

hamooduae

Kind of Same Problem here GOT stuck

" DVD ERROR APPEARS ON THE SCREEN "

Dnt know what to do

hamooduae

Used the credit card trick worked on the dvd error

speeddem0n

iTrader: (7)

Well i finally had a chance to take a look at the amp side. I unplugged the fiber optic cable from the amp side... then plugged it back in and the CD/DVD sound works again! The DVD/Navi bypass is still intact.

Doesnt make sense but I have DVD/CD sound again, so im not gonna complain. Thanks for all the advice.

kirk200

Congrats on the fix. The plug may have been loose or slightly pulled out. Doesn't take much of a misalignment on the optical cable and basically it disconnects digitally. If for some reason this happens again a replacement cable may be all it takes to fix it.

Kirk

speeddem0n

iTrader: (7)

I am trying to remember if it felt loose or not but i dont think it was, i wouldve noticed. Im wondering if unplugging it from the headunit side affected it when i did the bypass. And now taking it off from the amp side 'reset' it somehow.

I never touched the amp side before and its a weird coincidence this happened (not at the same time, but) shortly after the bypass.

For now the only explanation in my case is that it was loose. CD/DVD audio was fine, then it became choppy as if it was skipping, then nothing at all.

MileHIFcar

^^Curious guys as a side note what is the Navi/DVD bypass that everyone has talked about? I guess I never understood what the purpose of it was for?

Thx

speeddem0n

iTrader: (7)

When the car is moving you are unable to enter in an address into the NAVI. Also if you want to watch a DVD movie, it will not show the picture unless the emergency brake is on. The bypass is to trick the NAVI/GPS in thinking that the car isnt moving so you can use all the functions and see the picture while the car is in motion.

MileHIFcar

^^Ahh very cool, is that hard to do? What is involved in doing the bypass as this would be good for some occasions with kids in the back seat assuming they could still see the screen.

speeddem0n

iTrader: (7)

Theres 2 threads on here of how to do it.. part 1 and part 2. You have to take out the head unit and cut a couple wires for GPS and also give ground to the emergency brake signal so it thinks its pressed. I put toggle switches in between my wiring that way it an be reverted back to stock when not needed.

There are also bypasses you can buy so you dont have to cut any wiring. which i may consider later on and solder back my wiring back to factory. Theyre about $199 on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191522787911?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT