pegwin

Anyone living in a cold climate like I am in Canada having trouble with the LCD display for the audio controls fading to black and not being legible until the interior temp is warm? I have written to Lexus and they have replied that this is characteristic of LCD displays. The dealer says that it is only with the Pioneeer unit on my model. All the other displays are fine (climate controls, trip computer.)

steviej

iTrader: (1)

I have a 2002 ES and it has been damn cold here for the past few weeks. Thanks for your post, I now know that my audio unit is Pioneer. It is dark, but legible, on very cold days until the interior temp warms. Oddly enough, the climate contol lighting is fine from the start.

The audio lighting is dark enough that if you hit the power door lock while it is dark, you can see it flicker (increased power drain, further decrease in the audio lighting.

But once the car heats up, within 10 minutes, the lighting is fine and no flickering is seen with any other power drain.

I am really starting to hate the cold.


steviej

jobindj

its been high 30's down here...I havent had any problems with the display.

pegwin

Sorry, I am talking about real cold. The unit works well until about -10deg celsius (14F) then gradually fades. The other displays are always OK.
Our current temp is -27C (-16F) with the wind chill at -37F.

steviej

iTrader: (1)

I'm seeing the same as you pegwin, as stated before in weather and audio lighting. Last night I put the car in the garage. When I started it this morning, the outside temp readout said 31F and the display was as bright as always. I concur with jobindj, at this temp there is no problem.

look forward to warmer days.

steviej

sniper5

I have the same prob here and was about to call the delaer. I live in MO and it's been around 10F for the past few weeks. The screen gets really dark when it's cold and brightens up as the car warms up. Still makes me mad...
Isn't our AC screend an LCD as well?

steviej

iTrader: (1)

Then I betcha the AC unit is not made by Pioneer, I venture to say that the lighting is not the same LCD or bulbs, thus not effected at the same temp.

steviej

This is a problem seen on many LCD units. It used to happend on the digital display of my old Mazda. The Turbo gauge was an LCD spinning fan, when cold the fan did not spin as fast.

just hope and pray it gets warmer soon, then it will go away.

Tom_ES300

Well guys, I think we're talking defect, not "they all do that". I'm North of Stevie (Nashua, NH) and my 2000 ES300 has been cold soaked at -5F to -15F every night for the past 3 weeks. I have the Pioneer radio. I have had absolutely no problems with the display.

A quick test for you: When you go out to your car and the display is blackened. Put your fingers flat on the display for a few seconds. That will warm it up quickly. Does it return to working then fade out again as it cools back down?

If yes - bad display
If no - bad display drive electronics

Remember; "they all do that" is the dealer code phrase for "It's defective, but I don't want to pay for fixing it. Please go away".

Tom

1loudlex

I live in chicago and when it is really cold when I open up my DVD player it is always almost black.. It just has to take a few seconds to warm up. That is nothing to worry about.

Adam " lexis"