I have a navigation system question about my 2003 Lexus LS430. I am hazy about some of the details and would appreciate any advice.

I bought the car about five years ago from my brother, the original owner. Before he handed the car over, he updated the nav system to the latest data and also told me the manufacturer was no longer releasing new updates.

The system worked fine. Then a year or to ago I saw something in the news (here's where my recollection gets very hazy) to the effect that some old nav systems including mine would shortly stop working because they depended on satellite location data what would no longer be available/working.

So I figured the system was toast, but it kept working. Maybe every several months when I turned the car on the nav system would not know where it was, but a few hours later it was back to normal. Fortunately this never happened when I was in some unfamiliar place.

Well now it's been in that confused state for almost a week, so I was thinking I'd have to fork out for a newer nav system, and I called my brother for advice about that.

He thinks my satellite recollection is incorrect and the nav system does not depend on that and it is just broken. He also thinks newer nav systems are not available for this car and I need to ask the dealer to find a user working nav system to replace it.

I thought I would ask you folks for any info/advice about this before I did anything. I do occasionally drive to unfamiliar areas in a neighboring state and I prefer not to have to go back to printing out screengrabs of google maps.

 

The gps antenna is under dash directly above nav system so make sure nothing on dash. Also sometimes it takes a while for gps to lock in especially on short trips and atmospheric conditions. As for the oem nav it is way outdated with low resolution screen. You can search this forum for several upgradeable options that bring the electronics up to date if thinking about putting any money into this old car.

 

The LS with NAV doesnt really have a solid replacement/ drop in solution mostly because of the climate controls. Can it be done? Yes. If NAV is the only thing you desire, a good mount for your cell phone is your best bet. There are bluetooth and head unit interfaces that can give you more but they are not perfect.

 

What about the GROM units that integrate apple carplay/android auto into the factory system? I recall someone on here installing it, just don't remember who. Might be worth it to take a look into it, as it would likely override the original GPS system with what is on your phone.

I can say that my 2002's GPS positioning is still working just fine, so they haven't shut down whatever satellites that you were speaking of.

 

Actually I have a GROM installed on mine. It has a connector for GPS and does not interfere with the built-in GPS. I use it mainly for audio via carplay connected via cable. But it does have bluetooth connectivity. Sometimes the vehicle instrument panel input fails to render the GROM interface and you have to turn off/on the car.

 

The climate controls on my unit are controlled by menu accessed by pressing 1 button. The temp numbers do not change but once I have the comfort set either by side buttons or menu there is no need to access the menu. I do on occasion to increase fan speed but that was also menu driven on oem unit. The upside of upgrading the electronics is bluetooth, usb inputs, built in modem for data if want, live google maps, back up camera or 360 degree, high resolution 9 inch screen, install any android app, wireless android auto or carplay if want, and basically it is an android tablet with canbus that communicates with the car. To me it made the car more enjoyable to drive with updated electronics.

 

My 01-03 LS430 GROM review

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