Trashed Navigation ECU

I just tried to install the Coastal Electronics Navigation Enhancement Kit on my 2004 (48K miles). I followed the instructions but, somehow, the darn thing trashed the Navigation ECU - or so the dealer says. Now they want $5000.00 for a new ECU! I know this was a stupid thing to do, but now I'm stuck as the ECU seems to control the entire audio system, smart key entry system and almost everything else.

Where can I get a new or used ECU at a better price? I found one on line at $3800 at a Toyota discount house and, maybe, a similar unit designed for the Lexus on E-Bay for $950 with a slightly different part number (mine is 86841-0E010) and the one on E-Bay was 86841-45010.

Any help would be appreciated.

By-the-way, I used to post as stuhillman2004, but forgot my username and password!

 

Many thanks for the input. I've already paid $100 for a diagnosis at my regular dealer. They told me the Nav ECU is completely inaccessible. I removed the Nav kit right away and did the battery disconnect trick to no avail before going, cap in hand, to the dealer. I'm also up against a deadline - need to sell the Prius before June 30 so that the new owner can buy it and register it in VA before the clean-fuel plates - and the ability to ride the HOV-3 lane goes away. This is a real pain in the buttsky. I'm assuming that the current ridiculous prices being asked for used Prii in this area will suddenly drop on July 1.

 

Well, that's what I'm trying to figure out. I've lost: Navigation screen and all buttons on the right of the screen. I just get an "External System Not Connected" header, all SmartKey functions, all audio functions, garage door opener and automatic window up/down (this last two may be due to disconnecting the 12V battery to see if the system would reboot). The AC and Information screens are OK and functioning except every time I start the car the MPG and mileage reset to 0.0 and the gas guage starts at one square and moves upwards just as though I had just filled the tank or hit the RESET button

The driver's door will only lock/unlock with the metal key and the other doors and hatchback can only be unlocked using the driver's door switch with the ignition on.

I talked to Kelly at Coastal today and, despite some of the bad press they have been receiving, she was very helpful promising to put a tech on-line as soon as I have time to get in the car during the time they are open for business. I'll probably do that this Friday if the body-shop finishes fixing a minor problem (don't ask).

Another strange thing - the VSC light is on. During the $100 diagnosis the dealer says one of wheel speed sensors is bad (replace under warranty) and it's just a coincidence that it happened at this time. Well James Bond never believed in coincidence and neither do I.

I'm reluctant to just accept the dealer diagnosis - especially since it's going to cost up to $5K - because, like you, I don't see the connection with the NAV system for all the problems. Kelly asked me to completely disconnect the NAV device under the seat and let her know if some of the other functions come back on line. I'll do that as soon as I can get my hands on my trusty Prius.

Regards, Stu.

 

Well, thanks to the collective expertise of the Prius Chat cognoscenti the problem is solved. Almost every response had an element of the problem nailed. When I installed the Nav kit, I must have bobbled the connection in some way that blew fuse number 39 (in the under-hood box). All the skill of the Stafford Toyota technicians and the tens of thousands of dollars in diagnostic equipment couldn't find a blown fuse! Instead they told me I needed $6K worth of parts and labor - including a faulty wheel speed sensor that just happened to go wrong at the same time. The new fuse cured that too.

I took the driver's seat out to give better access to the connections, checked each wire to see if one had come out of the plug or broken. Assuming the small plug with the red and black wires was probably (one of) the power inputs and discovered no broken wires and no DC voltage on the plug. I checked the fuse allocation chart in the handbook and zoned in on #39 as the one that had audio, clock, SmartKey etc. allocated to it. It looked good to my 65 year-old eyes but a check with the continuity meter showed that it was blown. I replaced the fuse with one of the spare ones in the box and, bingo, everything came back on-line.

My wife didn't know that I new so many expletives in multiple languages!

What's the answer here? How can we not give in to the incompetence of the mechanics that work on our cars? They overfill the oil pan setting their equipment to 4 litres instead of the required 3.6. Leave grease marks everywhere, pour oil down the side of the engine. In one case they put a greasy object on the passenger seat and had to replace the seat cover for me. Here, they ordered the "wrong" part four times (there are only four options: beige, grey, right or left) until I took the car there, left it in front of their best sales slot and told them if they didn't fix it it would call my lawyer - then it got done. When they did that, the mechanic broke the plastic cover on the side of the seat. It took them two tries to order the correct part for that one (two options: right and left) and I fitted that one myself.

Toyota build a remarkable car - mine has been flawless for 48K miles. Even the computer equipment can take a lot of abuse from idiots and still come back healthy. But, every time the company is let down by the incompetence and lousy management of their dealers. I suppose this could be laid a Toyota's door too but I would like to see how their dealer networks work in Japan, for example. I'm biased but I bet they don't have the same kind of problems there.

I've told the dealer that I want my $100 diagnostic fee back - and I think they will agree when I get to talk to the service manager but I now have a $3,885 Nav ECU bought from a discount parts dealer in Michigan (Metro Toyota, 800-581-3033, very good mail order service) that specifies no return on electronic parts or a 20% restocking fee. I'll talk to Metro tomorrow but they are under no obligation to give me a break on taking it back.

If they won't take it back I guess I'll try to sell it on E-Bay although I think my dealer should buy it from me - fat chance, eh? Unless any of you guys want it?

Thanks for all the help. Stu Hillman.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jkusnetz @ Jun 18 2006, 07:53 PM) [snapback]273208[/snapback]</div>

Stafford Toyota (Rosner Toyota) on route 610 just off Hwy 95.