Upgrading Nav DVD for my 2006 (Gen 5 NAV)

Now that is a *clever* idea! Let me know if it works as I'll follow your lead if it does. (I'm also of the opinion that the drive will only read factory dvd's having tried countless DVD-/+R's without a single one working.)

 

The new 9.1 disc will run you $199+tax (if applicable.) However, if you really want a 5.1 disc I'll sell you mine cheap (I just bought the 9.1 disc.) Just PM me.

 

I have used Verbatim DVD-R on Gen 4 and Gen 6 with no issues at all.

 

My son was home for a short visit this weekend so I pulled apart his NAV ECU (2007) to take a look at the drive inside. It's definitely not something standard.

Below are some links to pictures of what I found. This drive looks significantly different from the ones on eBay, which I suppose is good, since if it were identical it might still have the bad behavior with burned discs. The main unknown at this point is whether these other drives are electronically compatible with the gen 5 prius NAV ECU control board.

Drive pic 1
Drive pic 2
Drive pic 3
Drive pic 4
Drive pic 5
Drive pic 6
Drive pic 7

 

I really don't think its a drive issue. I think its a firmware issue. Here is why I think its a firmware issue. I'm currently running a backup of 6.1 in my car right now. Ever since 7.1 backups no longer work at least for us Prius owners. I've read in other forums that Lexus owners don't have any problems with any version but I think they have slightly different hardware even for the same gen nav unit.

 

I suppose that's possible, but then wouldn't all the hybrid discs using the old firmware that people have tried worked? I've run across lots of coaster stories but no successes with any specifics that have worked for me.

 

The only "old" firmware I know about is for the gen 4 nav. If those people were trying to use the old 5.1 firmware from the gen 4 on the gen 5 DVD's then it would not work. People were trying to use the 5.1 firmware to get the motion override working.

I never heard of anyone using a gen 5 6.1 firmware on a gen 5 9.1 DVD for an example. The only way I see that now working would be if there is something in the 6.1 data that could not see the new map data or new layout of the disc data.

 

I'm pretty sure our original disc is v7 so I don't have any way of making a hybrid 6.1/9.1 image. However if someone here is up for that I would certainly be willing to risk yet another coaster to try it out.

 

I own both the 5.1 and 9.1 discs. While the several copies of the original 5.1 disc I've tried to make never worked in my 2006 prius, I'm happy to send/host whatever people want from them to build a custom disc. Just let me know since I don't know what files people need.

 

Well assuming that you didn't run into one of the other possible causes of copies not working (bad media, fast burn rate, wrong book type, etc.) The fact that straight backups of 5.1 didn't work for you would appear to indicate that it isn't a firmware problem.

p.s. As an update on the drive replacement saga, I've been in contact with the seller of the eBay DENSO NAV drives and he confirmed that the ribbon cable does indeed appear to match the one in my 2007. The mounting holes are a little different but I'm sure I can work around that. So I've ordered one to try out and hopefully will have an answer by the middle of next week.

 

Let me know if it works. Also, I'll be happy to send you my "coaster" copies free of charge that I've tried to make to see if they work with the new drive as an additional means of verification (least I could do given you're springing for the new drive.) While I've tossed all my older copies (5.1, 6.1, and 8.1 - all didn't work.) I still have a number of 9.1 discs lying around and I could also make a number of new ones based directly from the master disc using different disc types and burner configurations.

Also, have you made a successful backup of the disc in your 2010? My wife has one and I thought about trying to make a backup just as a verification of my setup. Somehow, I have a feeling it's going to work just fine with my luck.

 

Thanks for the offer. However I think I'm covered on copies to try. I've got *lots* on several brands of media, including several different batches of Verbatim (even the 95311's).

Using a backup version of 9.1 in our 2010 worked like a charm on the very first attempt. Which makes me even more suspicious the problem is specific to the gen 5 Prius nav system.

 

Thanks - I kind of thought as much.

I agree with you. If it was firmware related, I'd have to think they'd be more inclined to keep the firmware restriction in the newer models rather than removing it.

 

I have a 2007. I downloaded the torrent file and burned it. I am hesitant to put it in my Prius. Has anyone successfully burned the torrent file and had it work?

 

I've heard second hand references to supposed success stories with the gen 5 units but I'm beginning to think they are urban legends or someone having success with a different generation or car model that gets "misremembered" as being a gen 5 Prius. Personally I think you have a 99.99% chance of it simply telling you it can't read the disc and won't even get far enough for it actually load anything.

Whether it's firmware or hardware, my son's 2007 (gen5) absolutely refuses to read any burned media, but has no problem with several different OEM, i.e. pressed media discs. (Our 2010 worked the first time with burned media.) If you've somehow stumbled on some kind of media, burner, or version of your nav dvd drive that works in your 2007 please let us know what it is, I've tried at least a half dozen different high quality brands of media with no luck.

 

I have a 2010 prius and was able to copy the dvd and the copy worked within the 2010 nav. But the copy will not work in the 2006

 

My experience and opinion...

I have a 2006 package 7 that came with a 5.1 NAV disc. Purchased a real 7.1 upgrade disc and copied it successfully and used the copy in my car.

Purchased a 9.1 U34 disc for a 5th gen off of Amazon, and it proved to be a fake --- burned disc with a fuzzy silk-screen, and missing the bar codes around the center ring. It did not work.

Just purchased the 9.1 U34 from my dealership for $213, including tax. The dealer parts man said something interesting that corroborates an explanation of why 5th gen NAV units cannot use burned discs ---- the dealer said that once I put the 9.1 disc in, that I wouldn't ever be able to use a prior version in the car.

What I read and believe is that the 9.1 U34 implements code that fails when reading a disc that has been burned. Apparently, factory discs burn sectors in a way that no consumer grade burners can duplicate. Most software doesn't check for the sector sequence, but U34 does. Apparently, this feature is only implemented on 5th gen systems.