morg75

Sorry to repeat myself, this is not limited ro 2013/2014 models I have a late 2015 (65 plate Fsport) that suffered the same failure. If it helps I replaced an 86130-53M52 with an older 86130-53M42, but they are all marked with the manufacturers number NXF-9238 ZTOM so they should be equivalent items (ZTOM is the UK variant). If they have slight cosmetic differences (which happened between 2014 and 2015) it is relatively simple to change the front panel, which I had to do. It would be good if you could get a more detailed analysis as I still have my broken unit that I would like to fix.

Very good point about protecting the terminal from shorting if you are using a battery saver or second 12V source. Since this incident I have fitted all of my cars with Noco genius devices, they are permanently wired to the terminals and maintain the battery when not driving them. My failure occurred during the pandemic when I was no longer driving it regularly and it was allowed to discharge and wouldn't start or more specifically, allow the hybrid system to operate. I believe the battery is disconnected as part of service activities so I am surprised the dealers aren't experiencing failures.

My radio failed in a 65 plate Fsport IS300H with the Mark Levinson Premium system( part number 86130-53M52). The garage tried convincing me it was the amplifier at fault and should pay £2000 to replace it, but it was non-refundable if that wasn't the fault. I was aware of this forum thread so declined their offer and bought a second hand head unit. I bought a slightly older model stereo (86130-53M42 from 2014) and swaped the front control panel which is slightly different after 2015. Both units are made by Pioneer.

From my own experience it also effects models from 2015 (I own a 65 plate). I suspect changing the battery isn't the cause if the problem it just is the final straw. I would expect that something internal has previously failed causing the continual battery drain. When you disconnect the battery, the radio unit discharges and damages something else internally. It is removing the battery that allows it to finally fail rather than connecting a new one, because it has a protection circuit. I have disassembled a unit and found no obvious damage but I don't have circuit designs to analyse more. My advice, buy a secondhand unit (or a discounted new one) it didn't need recoding when I did it. Reporting another failure to Lexus GB may help others in the future.

My car is 2015 IS with the face-lift stereo so I don't think it is limited to 2013-2014 models. I asked but the dealer said the extended up to 100,000 warantee doesn't cover the stereo. There is also no guarantee Lexus will subsidise the cost to make it £500, they certainly wouldn't on the £2000 amplifier they said I needed!!!

Maybe they will take it a little more seriously if the dealers start footing the bill for battery replacement? The batteries are expensive enough but add £500 plus labour for replacement units it is very expensive.

Well you know the screen isn't at fault, it will be the head unit. I suggest you take it to Lexus and ask them to try a different SD card first, most things don't work without it. If it isn't that, then it sounds like the firmware on one of the internal devices is not loading. If one If the FPGA devices have been damaged by the change then Lexus dealers can't repair. Head unit change is likely. Please post your experience on the forum, maybe Lexus will take notice one day. Crap Christmas present!!!!

Sorry to hear about another failure. At least your camera works, I lost that as well when my unit failed but I did have the lights on and could insert/eject CDs. Definitely worth making your dealer aware of this, the more complaints that Lexus get the better. I would start looking for second hand unit or seeing if Lexus will heavily discount a replacement unit for you.

Lexus didn't get back to me about my offer. I contacted Pioneer to ask if they could supply the service manual but they said that as it was an OEM unit I would have to contact Lexus for it. I found a guy in the States selling Pioneer service manuals and I can get one for a similar model but of course it has a different part number in the states. It might be just the buttons on the front panel that are swapped but I am unsure. I contacted Lexus GB about the issue who fobbed me of about the cost I would have incurred by following their advice to buy an amp. They have directed me to www.lexus-tech.eu which is a subscription service to download manuals. I have to pay by the minute to access technical information and the service manual might be there but they can't tell me. I have taken the unit apart with no immediate signs of failure but I need the service manual to investigate further and perform the fault diagnosis. Does anyone on this forum have access to website to download the service manual? The Pioneer service manual required is for their radio part number NXF-9238ZTOM.

If Lexus do not take me up on the offer to investigate the fault I will be taking it apart myself. However, I suspect that the radio unit was causing the drain, faulty diode, etc. By disconnecting the positive of the battery I suspect it found a path to discharge the stored charge frying the PSU or something more sensitive. It may be inrush current when the new battery is connected but any car audio designer should have protected against this reasonably well. A battery saver or connecting the battery in parallel may have saved the head unit but I suspect I may have been back to the battery discharging if the head unit is at fault. I'm not absolutely convinced that changing the battery causes the fault, more that it triggers the catastrophic failure that is waiting to happen because something has already failed. If it isn't that then all IS300H owners are sitting there with a potentially expensive failure waiting to happen. As Rayaans said the batteries are expensive, you can't buy them in most usual stockists because of their unique size. I wish I had let the dealer do it and hopefully incure the cost of replacing the unit.

I was lucky enough to pick up a used one for £220 because it had some damage on the front. I swapped the front panel with my one. Pretty simple just a few clips and disconnect a ribbon cable from a zif connector. Fitting the head unit was really easy, just the reverse of the removal instructions video earlier in this thread. I have contacted Lexus to ask if they would like to perform a fault investigation into the original unit for other customers. I await their response.

As expected it is the head unit itself that failed. I bought a second hand unit and fitted it without any issues, even the reversing camera didn't need calibrating. The bad news is that my unit is the newer style (still Pioneer) with the different shaped knobs and a slightly different lower section. Interestingly most of the functions on the unit including the car information menus can't be accessed without the SD card fitted. The battery draining issues appears to have gone away since the head unit blew up!!!! Suggesting that it is something in the internal power supply that is causing the permanent drain and failing completely once the battery is removed. Glad I didn't spend the £2000 on a new amp that Lexus recommended (no return if it didn't fix the problem).

Has anyone seen a wiring diagram for the audio system in the IS300H? I would like to understand why a faulty amp could prevent the rest of the system from working. Lexus report that there are no fault codes displayed in the car. If it was a preventative system shut down because of an amplifier problem (risk of electrical fire) you would expect an error fault code.

Just suffered the same problem in my 2015 IS300 F-Sport with the ML premium system. The battery kept going flat every few weeks because I wasn't using the car. I brought a genuine Toyota battery and changed it, now the multimedia screen is completely blank. None of the suggested fixes have worked (disconnecting the battery overnight, etc). Took the car to Lexus who had two attempts to diagnose the problem (only charged me for a hour thankfully despite having it all day). They are suggesting I need a new amp (part number 86280-0W691) priced at £1975). They are looking to see if they can locate another car to swap the amp with to actually prove the fix but they have no idea when they will have a suitable car to try. No fuses have blown. I don't really understand how the amp would take out the whole system including the display, would expect there to be no sound. The red light on the top of the amp remains lit suggesting it is working. The CD ejects and the interior lights on the head unit light up. Exactly the same as Rayaans reported. I suspect the radio unit is at fault. Does anyone have a ML premium amp they wouldn't mind trying in my car to prove the fault is not with the amp? Has anyone disconnected the ML amp to see if their display screen comes on without the amp connected? Rayaans can you provide me with the exact part number for the radio unit you purchased, I think I would rather try that first? It looks like this is a bigger issue that perhaps Lexus want to admit.