I have a 2007 GS450h and am about to embark on doing the DVD-override modification. To those knowledgeable about such things, please confirm that the following points are all accurate:

The "DVD-bypass" modification (which involves opening the dash and cutting/splicing wires) will allow the following which are currently disabled while the car is in motion:
- watching DVD movies while in motion
- dialing of phone numbers from the touch screen
- viewing (and selecting) of playlists on mp3 DVDs or iPod (with the vaistech adapter, which I have installed)
- viewing detailed mp3/ipod track information (artist, song, genre, etc). (I actually want this MUCH more than the movie or phone capabilities)

The DVD-bypass does not allow for navigation destination entry while in motion. For this you need to create a 6.1/5.1 "hybrid" disc (which I have done and works great)

In terms of the actual process, once I remove the Navigation unit (as described in detail elsewhere):
- there will be three white harness plugs attached to the back of the touch screen monitor

On the LEFT-most plug (closest to the DRIVER):
==> cut PURPLE wire
==> the end still attached to the monitor side is left disconnected and "capped off"

==> cut YELLOW wire
==> the end coming from the "car" is left disconnected and "capped off"
==> the end still attached to the monitor side is attached to ground (by adding a ring terminal with an extra length of wire)

On the CENTER plug:
==> cut the WHITE-with-SILVER-dots wire
==> the end still attached to the monitor is left disconnected and "capped off"

THEN, the car side of the PURPLE wire is <=spliced=> to the car side of the WHITE-with-SILVER-dots wire.

Posts that describe putting a physical switch in pertain to inputting Navigation destinations while in motion and are separate from the above procedure.

I have printed out over 100 pages of forum posts on this topic, so I have done my best to research this. Just wanted a few things confirmed before I start snipping wires in my $60K+ automobile. Thanks!

 

If you review this post and the photos you may find that, once you get the unit removed, you can avoid cutting wires. This is because SolarTech has described, using pictures, how to remove the pins. Maybe, just maybe, the wires may be long enough so you can move the pins rather than cutting wires.

By the way, this post pertains to the ES350 (not the GS450h) but it does show the detail involved in removing the pins from the connectors.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=276775

 

just cut away. they're just wires.

and read my PM.

have fun.

 

Thanks. I've seen that post. I'm nervous as hell about the process and figure the pin-replacement maneuver will only add to the complexity of the process.

 

Not true - If you do the complete hack with a switch on the VSS, you can enter destinations without fooling with any software. You can use the latest and greatest 6.1 Nav software.

It looks like you've researched this as good as I did. Hopefully you saw this post which I put up, because this was not explained when I did it.

Nav Hack Tips

As far as pin removal - I thought about doing this, but you just don't have that much room to work on the plugs, when the dash is removed, so it was far easier to snip the wires.

 

Question: Does viewing playlist on the iPod via VAIS unit require the DVD hack???

 

When the car is in motion, you can only see the name of the song and the playlist it is associated with. To select a different playlist, you can sequentially scan through them (using the steering wheel buttons). You cant see the list of play lists to select from and you can't see the detailed song info (artist, song, genre,etc).

When the car is stopped, all of the above show up.

My research has indicated that you need to do the DVD-hack to have access to this info. (Again, this is different from the Navigation-DVD hack which allows entering destination info while in motion).

 

According to the manual for SL2i (which is what I have on order), I can press "FOLDER+" & "FOLDER-" to scroll through different playlists. When I use the steering wheel button, does it scroll through songs or playlists? I guess as long as I can switch through them I don't mind. I don't want to do the hack until after I feel the need I guess.

 

You need to do the hack in order to see the listing of FOLDERs. They are NOT visible when the car is in motion unless you do the hack.

I did the SL2i installation and then had to take the dash apart (AGAIN) to do the hack just so I could see the list of FOLDERS (playlists). As I recall, you also can't see the lists of FILES (songs in a folder) either unless you do the hack or unless the car is stopped. Save yourself some time and trouble, do the hack while you have the dash apart!

Also, I've never seen any writing appear in the GENRE area.


Note: THE HACK INSTRUCTIONS LISTED ABOVE ALSO APPLY TO THE GS350. I noticed later that someone mentioned this in another thread but that was after I had already taken my dash appart and expected to follow the first few pages of directions. I had to go to techinfo.lexus.com to figure out the fact that I needed to cut the White/Gray wire from the center connector - the same wiring as in the GSh (I guess that's what I get for not reading all 100 pages of posts like Argelius).

 

Thanks everyone.

Has anyone tried this switch yet? The 2IS guys are loving it.
http://www.oznium.com/gsw-45

One last question...
With the hack done and everything, would the Automatic Sound Level function be disabled? What about the MPH on the display? (As warned by the ES350 post)

Just a thought:
From my understanding, the purple wire carries in the VSS, and the silver/white wire carries the same signal out to the navigation unit. The yellow wire is for parking brake. So for a non-ML car (such as mine), which doesn't play DVDs anyway, no yellow wire cutting is necessary since it doesn't affect anything.

Therefore, if to splice purple and silver/white would render ASL non-functional and the MPH display to be 0 while getting a permanent BT hack, I would just put in a switch on the purple wire to temporarily disrupt the VSS signal so I can view folder/BT/input address while in-motion and keep ASL as well AND I only cut one wire! Please correct me if I'm wrong, thanks!

 

Does this override work for the LS460 as well?

 

I'm sure it's comparable.... Just do some research to check the differences.