No audio or volume control. What's the problem??? (1 Viewer)

[swild]

2015 GX460

I installed the Beat-Sonic LGVIF-CB4W Carplay unit yesterday, and it worked for about a minute and then started cutting out. At first, I thought it was the wifi signal, but after connecting via USB, the problem continued. After another minute of wiggling wires trying to find the culprit, the audio cut out completely. I removed the Beat-Sonic device and reinstalled all the original wire harnesses to the stock configuration. After triple-checking everything, I still do not have audio. Here's the list of symptoms:

• No audio from any source (FM, AM, Bluetooth, CD, AUX, etc.), despite all of the sources displaying on the screen and functioning correctly.
• No volume number is displayed on the screen when using the volume knob or the steering wheel.
• No audio from cell phone calls.
• No audio from the navigation.
• No "beeps" when pressing system buttons.
• No audio from the seat belt alarm.

Here's a list of things I've done to troubleshoot:

• Pulled and checked all the fuses, and they look fine.
• Disconnected the battery for 10min, then an hour, then overnight.
• Disconnected everything and inspected all the plugs and pins; everything looks good.
• Entered the secret service/diagnostic menu and ran a system check, and everything returned OK.
• Entered the secret service/diagnostic menu and confirmed that the radio unit is receiving signals from the steering wheel when buttons are pressed and from the volume control knob on the radio unit.
• Called Beat-Sonic, and they were accommodating and pointed me in the direction of a cable or connector issue as they have seen similar in the past. No luck so far identifying the problem.

The closest thing I've found to the same issue is this post on ih8mud from a 200-series Land Cruiser owner. It seems the problem was a faulty cable connection.

Questions for you guys:

1. If the problem is most likely a cable, which one and which wire? I found this pinout diagram link, and it seems pretty accurate.
2. If the radio unit is properly receiving volume commands, why isn't the volume change showing up on the screen? Could the visual display of volume somehow be triggered by the actual volume changing?

What steps should I take next, guys? I'm completely stumped and don't know what to try next.

 

[r2m]

If it is a cable, I wouldn't even fiddle around with it, I'd just call BeatSonic, send them your old wire harness (all of it) and get a new all new wiring harness and call it done.
Yeah, you'll be without tunes for a week or so, but you'll have peace of mind with the new harness.

 

[swild]

If it is a cable, I wouldn't even fiddle around with it, I'd just call BeatSonic, send them your old wire harness (all of it) and get a new all new wiring harness and call it done.
Yeah, you'll be without tunes for a week or so, but you'll have peace of mind with the new harness.

In the process of troubleshooting the issue, I removed all the Beat-Sonic devices and all of the wiring. It’s completely stock now and I still have the same issue.

 

[r2m]

Do you have a multimeter with probes to ensure you're getting juice?

 

[swild]

Do you have a multimeter with probes to ensure you're getting juice?

I do, but the probe tips were too big. I've got micro needle probes coming today, and I'll start testing things according to the repair manual.

 

[swild]

UPDATE
I didn't get to use the multimeter today, but I did plug in my OBD2 scanner and got this DTC code: B15D0
This is what the error means:

The MOST network cannot be established after the master unit is activated.

• If a short occurs in a speaker circuit, the sound from the corresponding speaker will be low or almost impossible to hear. If the volume is turned up in this situation, to prevent excessive current flow due to the short circuit, the stereo component amplifier assembly stops operating when its output exceeds a certain level. When the operation of the stereo component amplifier assembly stops, the navigation system will not function normally. This is because MOST communication will stop due to the shut down of the amplifier causing an error in the MOST network. The stereo component amplifier assembly will start operating again when the power switch is turned off and back on (ACC) again. However, the amplifier will stop operating again if its output exceeds a certain level.
• When the stereo component amplifier assembly stops operating and a malfunction occurs in the navigation system due to a short in a speaker circuit, this DTC will be stored.

Trouble Area:

• MOST line check
• MOST communication line connector
• MOST communication line
• Television display assembly (w/ Rear Seat Entertainment System)
• Stereo component amplifier assembly
• Multi-media module receiver assembly
  

So, that doesn't help me much, but if you know more about these errors, I'd love to hear it.

 

[r2m]

Looks like you're narrowing it down, albeit, not by much. But at least it gets you a little further down the road in figuring out what the issue is.

 

[Acrad]

The FSMs with wiring diagrams and connectors are over here ... just in case you didn't see them

GX 460 Manuals

This post will hopefully be a permanent thread along with the "150 Series Pic Thread" thread as a easy to find resources for all types of GX 460 manuals. Suggested manuals/material to post being: Factory Service Manual (FSM) Owner Manuals (for each year) Wiring diagrams Anything that may relate...

forum.ih8mud.com

Not sure if it matters but the link you posted above is for I think a LS 460 as it talk about the ottoman option.

The ones I posted on CL are actually from the GX 460 FSM.

 

[swild]

SOLVED

In an effort to start cleaning up everything before I was going to take it to Lexus to have them diagnose the issue, I adjusted some of the wires near the bottom of the center console, and the music magically came on. I froze for a good 20 seconds and thought really hard about the last few moves I made. I retraced my steps and found a wiring bracket at the bottom of the center console area to be the culprit. Here's an image that shows the bracket and harness.

It never occurred to me to test this bundle of wires because they were at the bottom of the center console, and I didn't touch them during the installation of the BeatSonic device. It turns out they are audio wires, after all. The gray one on the left was the problem; it wasn't making a good connection, so I used some electrical tape to make sure it sits firmly in its socket. Pretty sure it was the MOST communication connection to or from the AMP.

FYI, everything on that bracket is an audio wire, and if you unplug any of them, you'll lose audio.

If you have this problem yourself, know that it's entirely possible to run a diagnostic, and the MOST network says everything is OK, but then run another scan using an OBD2 scanner and have it report a B15D0 code. You'd think it would show in the self-diagnostic but it doesn't.

Anyway, thanks for everyone's help. I'm glad I could report a fix.

Oh, and one last thing, the BeatSonic customer service is fantastic. Eric over there helped me a ton while I was losing my mind trying to solve this problem. Those guys are pros, and you shouldn't hesitate to buy their carplay unit, it works like a charm.

 

[Horvath]

SOLVED

In an effort to start cleaning up everything before I was going to take it to Lexus to have them diagnose the issue, I adjusted some of the wires near the bottom of the center console, and the music magically came on. I froze for a good 20 seconds and thought really hard about the last few moves I made. I retraced my steps and found a wiring bracket at the bottom of the center console area to be the culprit. Here's an image that shows the bracket and harness.
View attachment 3240255

It never occurred to me to test this bundle of wires because they were at the bottom of the center console, and I didn't touch them during the installation of the BeatSonic device. It turns out they are audio wires, after all. The gray one on the left was the problem; it wasn't making a good connection, so I used some electrical tape to make sure it sits firmly in its socket. Pretty sure it was the MOST communication connection to or from the AMP.

FYI, everything on that bracket is an audio wire, and if you unplug any of them, you'll lose audio.

If you have this problem yourself, know that it's entirely possible to run a diagnostic, and the MOST network says everything is OK, but then run another scan using an OBD2 scanner and have it report a B15D0 code. You'd think it would show in the self-diagnostic but it doesn't.

Anyway, thanks for everyone's help. I'm glad I could report a fix.

Oh, and one last thing, the BeatSonic customer service is fantastic. Eric over there helped me a ton while I was losing my mind trying to solve this problem. Those guys are pros, and you shouldn't hesitate to buy their carplay unit, it works like a charm.

I have no audio now. How'd you open the center console up?

 

[swild]

I have no audio now. How'd you open the center console up?

This video shows you how to open things up:

 

[r2m]

This video shows you how to open things up:

That was one of the better installation videos I've seen. Concise and thorough.
Looking at the video, I may have to reconsider getting one.
I think this may have been touched upon before, but can I still use Sirius/XM when installed?

 

[swild]

That was one of the better installation videos I've seen. Concise and thorough.
Looking at the video, I may have to reconsider getting one.
I think this may have been touched upon before, but can I still use Sirius/XM when installed?

Yep, you still have all your normal functionality. That’s why I went this route by getting the BeatSonic device, you get to keep your stock setup but now have the advantage of CarPlay as well.

 

[Acrad]

I didn't see anything on the site that indicated SAT was eliminated.

Not a cheap device... at $750 on sale.. from $950.... but this is probably one of those devices with limited availability especially for the 10-13 models which number far less.

 

[r2m]

Maybe we can get a group buy!!
One thing nice is they're only about 50 miles from me so I'd probably purchase on site and have them do the install.