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The greatest feature of the navigation system used in Lexus and Toyota autos is undoubtedly the lockout mode which occurs automatically whenever the car is in motion. Somewhere deep inside the navigation system, the fascism bit is toggled for your protection and certain features, namely destination input, are completely disabled.
Thus, use of the navigation system requires one to tap away at a touchscreen keyboard while parked in an intersection or along the shoulder of a busy freeway, reducing the risk of potential typos over ten percent when compared to touchscreening in a moving vehicle. If you happen to Griswold your way into the wrong area and need navigation assistance, the lockout feature will even cause your parked Lexus to broadcast a visual distress signal, increasing the chance that you will be approached by a friendly drug dealer or prostitute who can help point you in the right direction.
Kids, are you noticing all this plight?
I've found that the best way to appreciate the navigation lockout feature is to disable it and see what driving without it is like. The navigation system contains a hidden service menu with a big Override button that lets you do just that.
There's a secret combination to get to the service menu. The code you use depends on which version of the navigation system you have. They are all roughly the same, so just try them out and find the one that works with your vehicle.
Note: From what I understand, you can't get to this service menu on models from 2007 or later. There's more information on this at lexusoverride.com.
Getting to the Service Menu
Press the following combination to get to the service menu of your Lexus or Prius navigation system.
Newer vehicles: Menu, Volume, top left, bottom left, top left, bottom left
Older vehicles (I can confirm this one): Menu, System, top left, bottom left, top left, bottom left, bottom right
Older vehicles (alternate version): Menu, DVD, top left, bottom left, top left, bottom left, bottom right
Disable Navigation Lockout
On the service menu screen there are a number of diagnostic buttons hiding untold wonders. One of the more useful is the GPS button which gives you detailed lat/lon and status information from the GPS module. To disable the lockout feature, look for the button that says Override. Press and hold it until it beeps, then press the back button to exit the service menu.
You and your copilot will now have the ability to enter destination information while the vehicle is in motion. This is best done in heavy traffic while talking on your cell phone, eating a hamburger, cradling a hot cup of coffee between your legs and yelling at the kids in the back seat.
References:
Overriding Navigation Lockout - Link, Video
How to Override Lexus Navigation Motion Lock - Link
Check toyotaisnotmymother.com for details on this. It's not tied to the year model, but the version of the navigation DVD in the car. The update I bought for my 2005 Prius removed this feature, and my 2007 Prius never had it. You need an old navigation disc.
The real "hack" is that some folks figured out how to combine the updated map data from the 6.1 disc with the older 5.x firmware, giving them updated maps while retaining the old lockout.
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the over-ride trick doesn't work on my 2006 Prius either.
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Folks...stop, stop, stop...I have an 08 Prius with navigation and it took me one hour and $15 worth of radio shack gear to complete and safely over ride every function on both the data center and the navigation center.
How did I do it? Simply, ye you will need to add two buttons, yes you will have to interrupt two wires. No, it wont in any way effect anything other than...stopping the signal to the panels that say "your moving now."
So where are these wires?
grasp and pull off the panel between the glove box and the data center/screen. ITs the one with the air vent.
No, you dont need tools to do this, just grasp at the bottom and give it a good hard pull..then the top.
Which wires? Simple. Third column from the right (fifth from the left hand side). Count up from the bottom and find the forth and fifth wires...deep purple color. Got em? Good.
Now go to radio shack and get two (2) simple push button (on/off) and install them on the lower center of the panel you took off. Now clip those two purple wires (one at a time and solder them each into their own (now mounted) switches...
Guess what? Wow, push the button that controls that lower prurple wire and...
YOUR PHONES LIGHT UP at all times!
YOUR ADDRESS BOOK!
YOUR SCHEDULES!
YOUR SERVICE PAGE!
EVERYTHING!
Push the button that controls the upper purple button and guess what?
YOUR NAV STATION NOW WORKS ALL THE TIME!
ENTER NEW ADDRESS, ETC. ETC. ETC.
push the buttons on and its just like stock!
So simple! 15 bucks....You now owe me a beer.
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I just bought a 2008 Prius touring last week and was haivng issues with the Nav and radio lock out. After reading the posts, etc from all over the web, I just went back to my quick reference manual for the Nav system. If you fully read the 18 pages, you can do all ofyour destination entry via the voice commands while moving. It takes less time than pulling over, and is probably a lot safer.
A bit of time was spent programming voice tags to my phonebook, but dial by name also works wonders. As for checking voicemail, etc, just program in the smart tones and you are good to go.
The back page of the quick ref is quite valuable in learning commands, and after a few days it becomes second nature. Working as designed, no hacks. Training the user is often the hardest part!
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But I agree, anyone who uses Eric's advice SHOULD buy him a beer! Thanks!
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This is in response to SO SIMPLE's advice regarding installing a switch on the Prius 08 purple wires to allow you to program the NAV while driving. I tried it and it works, sort of... There is a problem with this approach to hacking the system. Read below.
The drawback is that when you "push the Button" (to break open the wire) and do your address programming or search for POIs etc., the DVD map is not advancing with your driving along. If you don't reconnect the cut purple wire within a few minutes, the map and your acutal GPS position will be too far out of sync and the map will get "lost" and be unable to lock into your actual postion when you reconnect the wire. You will have to turn off the car and wait a couple of minutes for everything to reset. We tried it a couple of times, and found that as long as the disconnect time was limited to a few minutes, the map is able to jump to the acutal postion.
Bottom line, you can't leave the system in the override mode very long without crashing the map, and you can't use the map at all while in override.
I would like to know if anybody else has noticed this, and if there are any work arounds.
Thanks
Reply to this comment
This is in response to SO SIMPLE's advice regarding installing a switch on the Prius 08 purple wires to allow you to program the NAV while driving. I tried it and it works, sort of... There is a problem with this approach to hacking the system. Read below.
The drawback is that when you "push the Button" (to break open the wire) and do your address programming or search for POIs etc., the DVD map is not advancing with your driving along. If you don't reconnect the cut purple wire within a few minutes, the map and your acutal GPS position will be too far out of sync and the map will get "lost" and be unable to lock into your actual postion when you reconnect the wire. You will have to turn off the car and wait a couple of minutes for everything to reset. We tried it a couple of times, and found that as long as the disconnect time was limited to a few minutes, the map is able to jump to the acutal postion.
Bottom line, you can't leave the system in the override mode very long without crashing the map, and you can't use the map at all while in override.
I would like to know if anybody else has noticed this, and if there are any work arounds.
Thanks
Reply to this comment
This is in response to SO SIMPLE's advice regarding installing a switch on the Prius 08 purple wires to allow you to program the NAV while driving. I tried it and it works, sort of... There is a problem with this approach to hacking the system. Read below.
The drawback is that when you "push the Button" (to break open the wire) and do your address programming or search for POIs etc., the DVD map is not advancing with your driving along. If you don't reconnect the cut purple wire within a few minutes, the map and your acutal GPS position will be too far out of sync and the map will get "lost" and be unable to lock into your actual postion when you reconnect the wire. You will have to turn off the car and wait a couple of minutes for everything to reset. We tried it a couple of times, and found that as long as the disconnect time was limited to a few minutes, the map is able to jump to the acutal postion.
Bottom line, you can't leave the system in the override mode very long without crashing the map, and you can't use the map at all while in override.
I would like to know if anybody else has noticed this, and if there are any work arounds.
Thanks
Reply to this comment
This is in response to SO SIMPLE's advice regarding installing a switch on the Prius 08 purple wires to allow you to program the NAV while driving. I tried it and it works, sort of... There is a problem with this approach to hacking the system. Read below.
The drawback is that when you "push the Button" (to break open the wire) and do your address programming or search for POIs etc., the DVD map is not advancing with your driving along. If you don't reconnect the cut purple wire within a few minutes, the map and your acutal GPS position will be too far out of sync and the map will get "lost" and be unable to lock into your actual postion when you reconnect the wire. You will have to turn off the car and wait a couple of minutes for everything to reset. We tried it a couple of times, and found that as long as the disconnect time was limited to a few minutes, the map is able to jump to the acutal postion.
Bottom line, you can't leave the system in the override mode very long without crashing the map, and you can't use the map at all while in override.
I would like to know if anybody else has noticed this, and if there are any work arounds.
Thanks
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Is there any way to override or delete the "I agree" startup for the Prius navigation. After the first 100 times its gets very anoying? Thanks for any help.
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I there any way to bypass or delete the startup "I agree" message on the '07 Prius navigation. After a year I have done my quota. Thanks for any advice.
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I found the override function on my 2005 prius using the newer model instructions (Newer vehicles: Menu, Volume, top left, bottom left, top left, bottom left). But it's not very useful since A) you have to do it every time you start the car, and B) it still does not bypass the annoying "i agree" prompt.
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