If anyone has had this experience or knows best options please advise: My car has been getting the intermittent navigation screen resetting, sometimes it goes all the way black where nothing works and sometimes it just resets to the opening lexus screen. Hasn't had really any specific time when it does it. Sometimes its while driving, sometimes it has been when I start the car. Please help if you have advice or have had this issue and found a fix that doesn't cost 5K. Really appreciate it any help-

 

id rather pay more with a lexus v8 that dosent have nav/airride/ or hids as there are 10 other parts connected to these options,just my optinion. your best bet is to get a used nav unit from ebay or scrap yard.

 

I hear you Lextout, I don't have a problem with buying another one, but obviously wanted to just see if anyone else having this issue had any other way of resolving it. Also, I don't want to buy another one and have the same issues.., I didn't know they had issues when I got the car or I would of just waited for a non-nav., but the reviews I have read were outside of the Air suspension the cars are pretty bullet proof, just frustrated...

 

I get the "External unit not connected," message. I bought a new one and it worked but was showing CA so I tried to eject the nav disc and now this one says the same thing. SMH

 

I have the same problem, head unit says "external system not connected", check system, check the connection of the air conditioner. Works when it wants to. The dealer says it can be fixed for $1700 with a refurbed unit. I'm going to send it to http://autobeyours.com , dude says it needs new capacitors put in, said he's confident he can fix it for $299, we will see when I get back from vacation.

 

UPDATE: So I received my unit back from autobeyours.com, his service was great, unfortunately I am still getting intermittent issue of resetting to lexus screen for 1 second and then back to no issues. When I start the car I get black screen, and then it starts working. At a loss.., he returned my money since the capacitors did not fix the issue. Anyone else have any advice on where to buy another screen? I am just concerned buying one off eBay, anyone have a reliable place to buy one that isn't 2k?

Appreciate the help..,

 

How is your radio? Do you still see the climate LCD strip at the top when your screen goes black?

 

Radio during this entire issue has worked perfectly fine, only if the nav screen is black, then the audio button obviously wont display on the screen, but it still works with the radio head below. The top lcd screen goes blank as well from what I remember when the screen is not working. Its weird, when I start the car most times since I sent it to autobeyours, it will be black screen no power to any buttons etc, but when I lightly, and I mean lightly tap to the right of the console, it seems to come right up. Leads me to think its something with a connection, but we checked and rechecked all the harnesses, multiple times and seem to have all them seated properly. I haven't tried taking it out and using the electronic cleaner spray people have mentioned, but its just throwing me off since while driving other then it resetting to the Lexus screen for a brief second it has worked perfect. I went to Lexus and they said for a refurbished by Lexus screen 1700$ as others have mentioned, and I honestly would buy it if I knew that would be the fix. I just don't want to spend that kind of money and have it still have an intermittent issue as it is now.

Again- Appreciate advice and your response.., frustrated at this point

 

Has anyone replaced their 2004 navigation screen/display with a 2006? just wondering if I do buy a new screen if it would be worth going with one from 2005,2006 to hopefully eliminate the flawed 2004' issue

 

Have an 04 ML. I just keep the NAV display shut off. Have a blank screen. Hit audio when I need to adjust. Display comes up. Hit audio button again and it's blank. Same w/ Climate. Backup cam autodisplay/auto off. When I hit volume button, there's a short auto display/auto off. Haven't hooked up BT yet but hope have the same voluntary screen option. LOL the ability to keep maintenance records is kind of cool. Will the car alert me when tires need to be rotated? Yeah running NAV made sense back then. I just don't see the point of headaches/costs to run it now when an oversize phone is an easy practical solution.

 

This is not encouraging as I'm about to send mine off too. The fact that you can tap on the console tells me that there is a loose connection somewhere in there. Has anyone confirmed if there is a fuse attached to the radio?

 

Yea, I agree and that is what we thought as well, we checked and rechecked it over and over as far as a lose connection.., no luck. I did however speak to hitechserv.com, a guy named bijan, believe he was the owner., he seems very confident he can fix it. I explained exact symptoms, and what we have already done, and from what I remember him saying ( he was talking a little above my electronic level) it was the board that needed replacement. When speaking to steve at autobeyours, that was what he thought as well, it just was he wasn't willing to tear into it that deep in case he messed it up, he had no way of replacing the screen. Autobeyours service was excellent, but hitechserv seemed to have a little more capability to go deeper into it, a little more expensive but he quoted 450-650 to have it fixed. As long as its guaranteed which I believe he said it will be, I am going to go this route. When I went to lexus, they said 1700 for a refurb screen, (that is guaranteed by Lexus) but you have to give them your old screen. So I would rather just try the $650 route to have mine refurbished as long as they are guaranteeing it. Hope this helps in your decision, are you having same symptoms??

 

O and no one has confirmed there is a fuse attached to radio,

 

Be careful replacing the LCD display screen on '04 model since it was a split year > screen part #s are different for '01 - '04 and '04 - '06. Buy OE part # display screen; don't purchase by year.

 

So I get to join the ultra exclusive "dark screen club". Good argument for buying a Base. No display problems since I bought the car a month ago. However, haven't driven for 5 days and it's been cold at night (in the 50's, can hear the laughter). Fired up this am and....black screen.....nothing. Came to life after I'd driven for 15 minutes. Full display no problems. Problem related to change in temps (it gets a lot warmer out here)? Will be interesting to see if the problem continues.

Sounds like I should plan on replacing the display electronics. How hard is it to remove? Reading this thread not sure if it's a connect (or electronic) problem. Suggests appreciated!!

Hopefully this is the only headache on this car. New ML amp less than 5k miles ago. Sub woofer being rebuilt, all the rest ok. LCA's replaced at 90k. New L/R mirrors at 50 (and I don't auto fold). Disabled tilt/telescope. Tilt is ok, telescope is fried. I don't plan to replace . Nice one owner, full dealer service car which should help.

Primitive but can at least sort of adjust temp using dash buttons, stereo volume w/ **** and CD/track with switches. I've done the settings on the ML stereo. I don't use the NAV so not a problem there. Still worked even w/ black screen. If I remove the unit, probably nothing.

Had an 01 Base for 3.5 years. Had to do 90k service and replace LCA's, Otherwise, zero problems other than standard maintenance. Multiple owners, partial service history, probably an undisclosed accident. Still a great car.