I have been the owner of a 2002 ls 430 for all of 24 hours! As one does when taking possession of something like this I am starting to find the little things the PO failed to mention. The ML sound/navigation screen etc all seem to be working well (for now) However the little display above all that which would indicate the internal temp is not working at all. I have been searching and searching but havent found anything that seems to indicate others with a similar issue. Not really a big deal right now as heat etc is working but come summer here in LV it would be nice to have, clock would be nice also. Anyone else have this issue?
Interestingly I found in the service records mention of it for PO and the dealership recommended replacement but part NLA. All the head unit replacement threads I have seen seem to be more about non working NAV screens or integrating car play etc. and non of the solutions there in seem to mention this little display that sits on top of it all. Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated

 

Chances are it's a loose connection or something like that.
You will need to get the Nav screen out to check it all over.
If it does need replacing you will have to replace the entire unit with a used one.
Otherwise, it may be that SIA or some other ECU repair company may be willing to take a look at yours.

 

Thanks for the reply. Are there any threads out there that are a good idiots guide on removing the Nav screen without breaking stuff and making matters worse? When you say replace the unit I assume that piece is stand alone and not part of the head unit etc.?

And for the complete novice here what is SIA?

Many thanks

 

Just search on Youtube for it. I searched for "ls430 nav screen removal" and found several.

SIA (https://siaelec.com/) is a company that does ECU repairs.
However it looks like they don't do repairs on the Nav screen unit or similar devices.

Yes, the clock/temp display and the Nav screen are all one unit.
I've not had mine out as no need yet.

 

Appreciate the guidance. Do you know if later years are the same size and interchangeable? Surprisingly my local scrapyard has an 05 and an 06 in their inventory

 

It is easy and very straight forward how to remove. There are 2 screws each side behind the L & R temp controls that are real easy to fall down when unscrewing. I used a thin flat blade screwdriver with tape around to pop up around temp controls a little at a time to make sure not to break. First with the back of your fist hit above on dash to see if you can see the display flicker. These connectors are very solidly connected and I don't think it is a loose joint at connector unless it is in the unit itself which it could be. I would not take this out until you have a plan on what to do. There are options to update the electronics which I did but I can't see temp settings and I just use the manual temp control for comfort.

 

05 and 06 have different connectors on back and will not work

 

Change of advice...Looked at mine 2001 and think far left connector is for top display. You will need to take out and make sure this is pushed in all the way

 

Appreciate the insight. Not having a plan what to do as you mention is the challenge. As everything else is working I don't think I want to plunge in to replacing the whole unit and I am fearful of making things worse, but it also kind of bothers me when things don't work. My big concern is the interior on this thing is minty (65,000 miles) and I am not known for my delicate touch. I am thinking about buying some non marking/scratching trim removal pry tools from amazon and giving it a gentle try just to see whats going on back there. Would be awesome if its a loose connection but I am rarely that lucky! Thanks for the info you sent

 

Once you do this you will see how easy it is as the majority is held by clips that just pull on to take out. Just don't forget screws behind temp controls.

 

Use plastic pry tools and be careful when undoing the screws. Most of them have Philips/Hex heads so you can use a screwdriver or a T-bar with a socket.
Also be careful not to sit/stand on any of the pieces you remove. Slow and methodical is the way to go.

 

A lot break the temp controls taking out because in really tight. Difficult with plastic tool. What I did was take a metal paint scraper and laid it next to it for solid leverage and used thin flat blade metal screwdriver taped and slowly went around temp control and it popped right up.