Phone + Navigation Override Tricks Won't Work

[billygarrett]

Hi all, I've got my 2006 RX 400h last week in Belgium. Just to confirm: none of the tricks work what I found on this nor the US web site in different threads except the bluetooth connection setting which seams to really improve sound quality of mic and speaker.

Due to my work I drive a lot and I am used to get the navigation system handled by my passanger all the time on the move while I drive and I make phone calls regularly from the car to save time. I hoped when I ordered my car back in December last year that the tricks to override the 'nannying' will solve all my worries. I am quite disappointed to experience now that none of the overriding solutions work here in Europe. As I see in this and other threads I am not alone with this. From all other aspects the car is excellent.

Just like many other RX 400h owners in Europe I will be checking on the new messages here and on other threads regularly until a savior angel comes to us with the European solution. Besides, I support the idea of making a petition to Lexus about overriding the annoyingly disabled bluetooth phone and nav system while on the move as many people have already suggested this but no action was taken as far as I know.

How do we start on this?

Please see current Thread re attention all RX400 owners/ discussion with Lexus.

yes, lets do it! we all have to accept this first page of text reading that "driving a car is dangerous" and so on. i think this is by far enough for european law.

disabling it in addition to that is realy to much!

williz

[Steve L]

I agree totally, I ave also just found the secret menu which gives the option to change the country, but mine is less than a week old and I am twitching a bit about changing it.

Put me on the list for the petition. I have actually just spoken with my dealer regarding the issue of the phone block and he said that whilst you cannot enter a phone number on the screen whilst moving, you can still do it on your phone keypad!!! (much safer that, isn't it!!) But he still would not budge on releasing the block. I am starting to think having read all this thread that only way will be to snip the wire as mentioned earlier, which I assume takes the speed signal from the nav unit. Think I may do a bit more searching first thoug.

Regards

Steve

[Fe_La]

Hi Steve,

Do not bother too much about the tricks to override the disabled Bluetooth phone. Once you do it and start using it you will find out that it lacks in voice qality when you call out from the car and you have difficulties with your stored phone numbers, etc. Otherwise it is the blue wire on European models, the second one from the right in the bottom row you have to cut if you look at the screen from the front. It will not disable anything else just gives you back the usability of the Bluetooth phone.

If you want a high quality phone in your car matching the "marketed quality" of Lexus just forget about the factory Bluetooth installation. It is not fully compatible with most of the handsets and anyways gives you a pain in the neck once you can start using it while driving. Maybe it is a marketing trick to disable it in the factory so you could never realize how crap it is.

For a high quality Bluetooth installation look for the Parrot CK3100 kit. It is compatible with most of the handsets, it is upgradeable and will give you an exceptionally high quality of voice. You have to find a good place for the LCD display, that is all. I will get mine installed at the top left corner of the silver 'tray' around the shift lever.

Fe_La

[Steven Cooper]

Thanks for that.

I suspect that it checks against the DVD installed in the car so if you change the setting, the nav may not work, although I wonder what would happen with an imported vehicle? I'm *hoping* that it'll change back again easy enough if i try it!

Time to put my money where my mouth is...? ---Gulp---

So how did you get on? ;)

L.

I've just tried changing this (tried changing it to US). No noticable differences when driving, and when i look back at the screen, it's reverted to Euro RH.

It does let me change the startup screen from Lexus to Toyota - very useful! : :D

[lelandv]

So how did you get on? ;)

L.

I've just tried changing this (tried changing it to US). No noticable differences when driving, and when i look back at the screen, it's reverted to Euro RH.

When setting it to US, it didn't make the US-"hidden menu" available then, I take it?

It does let me change the startup screen from Lexus to Toyota - very useful! : :D

Useful maybe.. but what it's useful for is another matter ;)

L.

[Steven Cooper]

So how did you get on? ;)

L.

I've just tried changing this (tried changing it to US). No noticable differences when driving, and when i look back at the screen, it's reverted to Euro RH.

When setting it to US, it didn't make the US-"hidden menu" available then, I take it?

It does let me change the startup screen from Lexus to Toyota - very useful! : :D

Useful maybe.. but what it's useful for is another matter ;)

L.

When you say the US hidden menu, do you mean the one from the volume screen (top left, bottom, left, etc..) ? If so, not tried it yet but will try tonight.

Steve

[lelandv]

When you say the US hidden menu, do you mean the one from the volume screen (top left, bottom, left, etc..) ? If so, not tried it yet but will try tonight.

Steve

That'll be the one ... would be interesting to see if by changing the "country" of the system you can actually access the US version of the hidden menus, and thereby access the US hacks/work-arounds :)

L.

[Steven Cooper]

When you say the US hidden menu, do you mean the one from the volume screen (top left, bottom, left, etc..) ? If so, not tried it yet but will try tonight.

Steve

That'll be the one ... would be interesting to see if by changing the "country" of the system you can actually access the US version of the hidden menus, and thereby access the US hacks/work-arounds :)

L.

I tried it but no success. The 'EU RH' seems to get reset when you turn the ignition off, and I can't find any way to get out of the first level of the non-US 'hidden' menu (to then be able to access Volume etc..), without turning it off.

I've also tried changing it without having the DVD in the drive, but still the same :(

[Teddys]

Hi all, I've got my 2006 RX 400h last week in Belgium. Just to confirm: none of the tricks work what I found on this nor the US web site in different threads except the bluetooth connection setting which seams to really improve sound quality of mic and speaker.

Due to my work I drive a lot and I am used to get the navigation system handled by my passanger all the time on the move while I drive and I make phone calls regularly from the car to save time. I hoped when I ordered my car back in December last year that the tricks to override the 'nannying' will solve all my worries. I am quite disappointed to experience now that none of the overriding solutions work here in Europe. As I see in this and other threads I am not alone with this. From all other aspects the car is excellent.

Just like many other RX 400h owners in Europe I will be checking on the new messages here and on other threads regularly until a savior angel comes to us with the European solution. Besides, I support the idea of making a petition to Lexus about overriding the annoyingly disabled bluetooth phone and nav system while on the move as many people have already suggested this but no action was taken as far as I know.

How do we start on this?

Hi, The blue tooth trick to improve mic and speaker quality, what is this and how do I go about setting it up on a Dec 2004 rx300 as my speaker quality is poor?? Thanks very much in advance