multi-display problems

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B

block

Joined
Sep 15, 2004
Threads
5
Messages
19
Hi guys,
I recently came over from the 80 series world.
Now have 2004 LX w/72k . Started having problems with the multi-display today. At times, the screen is blank other than "External System Not Connected" message.
After searching here it looks like replacement of the unit is the only fix.
I'm hoping someone has been lucky and found another way around this...

I do have the service history and it shows that the radio system was worked on 2x before at about 25k, could this be related? I don't know how to figure out what the 'operation code' means.

Any ideas, as we live about 150 miles from the nearest Toyota dealer, and its even farther to a Lexus shop...

Thanks

block
 
block said:
Hi guys,
I recently came over from the 80 series world.
Now have 2004 LX w/72k . Started having problems with the multi-display today. At times, the screen is blank other than "External System Not Connected" message.
After searching here it looks like replacement of the unit is the only fix.
I'm hoping someone has been lucky and found another way around this...

I do have the service history and it shows that the radio system was worked on 2x before at about 25k, could this be related? I don't know how to figure out what the 'operation code' means.

Any ideas, as we live about 150 miles from the nearest Toyota dealer, and its even farther to a Lexus shop...

Thanks

block
Click to expand...

well, somebody just posted that there is finally a place that fixes these things relatively (!) inexpensively.

No more warranty, I take it? You could always try to pin it on the radio job if that's a possibility and hope that Lexus will come to the rescue... :)

Maybe start by borrowing a disk if it's the Nav Sys part that conks out? (long shot)

And of course check all the connections...
 
I had mine replaced last year by the dealer. They have an agreement with a company that rebuilds them and offers a 1 year warranty for $1250...tack on the $95 labor for the dealer to install and I was out the door for around $1350. It hurt, but it was still better than buying a OEM from the parts dept ($4800 for the part alone).

Hopefully, it's just a loose connector or something simple...Good Luck!
 
Steph23 said:
I had mine replaced last year by the dealer. They have an agreement with a company that rebuilds them and offers a 1 year warranty for $1250...tack on the $95 labor for the dealer to install and I was out the door for around $1350. It hurt, but it was still better than buying a OEM from the parts dept ($4800 for the part alone).

Hopefully, it's just a loose connector or something simple...Good Luck!
Click to expand...
you got ripped. They just send the unit to a place that fixes them for $450, you could had done the same.....

However, back to the first poster. How long ago did you buy the LX? If it was recently i bet it had the problem occurring before you bought it.
 
Liam said:
you got ripped. They just send the unit to a place that fixes them for $450, you could had done the same.....


It would've left me with a hole in my dashboard for a couple of weeks and a virtually undriveable rig. The dealer ordered it and scheduled it to be swapped when it came in...took about 30 minutes. I would've like to spend less, but I couldn't afford to be without it.
Click to expand...
 
Steph23 said:
Liam said:
you got ripped. They just send the unit to a place that fixes them for $450, you could had done the same.....


It would've left me with a hole in my dashboard for a couple of weeks and a virtually undriveable rig. The dealer ordered it and scheduled it to be swapped when it came in...took about 30 minutes. I would've like to spend less, but I couldn't afford to be without it.
Click to expand...
from what i understand the part is under the your seat and you still would be able to use all your controls except your nav....i could be wrong though...
Click to expand...
 
Liam,

We're not talking about the same parts. I had the screen on the dashboard replaced, which controls the audio and climate control, in addition to the navi. It is more costly to replace than the drive unit under the seat.
 
Steph23 said:
Liam,

We're not talking about the same parts. I had the screen on the dashboard replaced, which controls the audio and climate control, in addition to the navi. It is more costly to replace than the drive unit under the seat.
Click to expand...
yeah, that makes more sense. I think Block has a different issue than you do...
 
1loudLX said:
for that price, they better have come and picked it up from you/dropped it at your house.
Click to expand...


Nope...no valet service, just a car wash and a "thank you for giving us a mortgage payment"...LOL
 
Block - I had a somewhat similar problem with a certified '04 LX470 with 46K I purchased back in the Fall. Display problems commenced right after I drove it off the lot. Took it back a week later and they replaced the display with a refurb. That didn't fix the issues, so they replaced the Mark Levinson amplifier with a refurb. Apparently (and please keep in mind I'm just repeating what I was told by the dealer), the Mark Levinson amp somehow controls some of the non-gps functions associated with the display. I researched a good bit before I took the LX into the dealer for a fix and saw references to a Toyota TSB for this amplifier problem on several other boards, but never found the TSB. I haven't had any additional issues with the display and was very pleased with the dealer. I'll check my invoice when I get home this evening and post any additional information that may be helpful to you. In the meantime, here's a link to a thread on another board where I describe the issues I was having with the display. Mine is the last post in the thread:

External System Not Connected - Lx470 - Lexus Owners Club (USA & Canada)
 
Thanks for the replies guys, here's the background info.
We have had the LX for about 2 months, and it had been driven by the dealership's owner for about a month before that (as evidenced by all of his personal gear they had to clear out when I went to look at it). It was your typical pavement princess/soccer mom outfit.
Since then it has been hammered on extremely rough gravel roads and poor highways (its a 70mi round trip to town on gravel for us). No offroad time yet, that's what the 80 is for...
There is no warranty left, which didn't worry me at the time of purchase because of the full Lexus service history. Now I'm beginning to wonder if I should have kept looking for a LC without nav. (Keep in mind I live in Canada and we only got the LX, and I would have had to import a LC from the US)
I'll check the connections, and hope that its the rough roads that have caused it.
Otherwise its off to the dealer I go...

block
 
block said:
Thanks for the replies guys, here's the background info.
We have had the LX for about 2 months, and it had been driven by the dealership's owner for about a month before that (as evidenced by all of his personal gear they had to clear out when I went to look at it). It was your typical pavement princess/soccer mom outfit.
Since then it has been hammered on extremely rough gravel roads and poor highways (its a 70mi round trip to town on gravel for us). No offroad time yet, that's what the 80 is for...
There is no warranty left, which didn't worry me at the time of purchase because of the full Lexus service history. Now I'm beginning to wonder if I should have kept looking for a LC without nav. (Keep in mind I live in Canada and we only got the LX, and I would have had to import a LC from the US)
I'll check the connections, and hope that its the rough roads that have caused it.
Otherwise its off to the dealer I go...

block
Click to expand...
i bought an LC without nav and then put an aftermarket Nav in.....i love it although it is more prone to be stolen, which i found out the hard way.
 
I just finished checking all of the connections and everything is tight.
The TSB (EL0020-05) regarding this problem notes that the TX+ and TX- wires and connections are important to check. Can anyone tell me which wires are the TX+ and TX-?
It only takes about 2min to pull the whole unit, so its not a big deal to get back in and check...
Thanks
block
 
Found a place that can repair it (hopefully)... $300 + 2 year warranty.
Local (if you can call 200 miles away local) Lexus dealer says $4300 for a new unit, but they did put me in touch with the repair shop.
I have a request in with Dan to see what he can do, but haven't heard back yet. In the end, the shipping and exchange usually kills the deal anyways.
I did just read the thread about total replacement with a non-nav system. That would be the best option in my mind.

block
 
Just got the multi-display back from the repair shop. $300.00 and it works just like new.

block
 
Apparantly this is an issue only with the 2004 model year LC and LX. After that year, the part was redesigned.

When I ran into this I was out of the factory warranty (40K miles), but within the extended warranty. The Toyota Care warranty wanted the SM to either have it repaired or replace it with a salvaged part. THe SM explained that due to the TSB it recommended a replacement since the part couldn't be repaired. Replacing it with a salvaged unit could have resulted in the same issue down the road. The warranty company relented.

Brand new at the time the part was $5,000!! The dealer showed me the invoice. My experience occured about three years ago. Based on the experiences of those who have posted, someone has figured out a repair.

I now have 101K miles and have not had any issues since.
 
Block, who did the repair? And what did they do to fix it?
 
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