DIY: Navigation Unlocked Sucessfully!!!

[Joe1L1]

Originally Posted by Jer

I don't even need to click that link because I know which one you're linking too... I'm a member of that forum and have posted to that thread several times so I understand the process completely.

I'm sensing a little hostility in your comments to me so let me try to clear up what I'm attempting to say/do here. I could be reading your posts wrong and if I am, nothing being said here is attacking so please don't take it as such.

I'm not knocking your steps nor am I trying to say you're wrong so no need to be defensive. I agree that they are correct so please take a step back, take a deep breath and realize that I'm merely suggesting a completely separate step prior to starting to make sure that people's media, burner and software work with their deck prior to preceding since these nav units are picky to all of the above as it will save lots of headache. If you don't do this step first and it doesn't work then you don't know if it was the media, burner, burning software, settings on burning software, image software, image software settings or your injected file or your disc rip or... you get the point. It makes for a much easier trouble shooting process if it doesn't work.

Sorry if I seem a little hostile but I know how it feels to waist many CD's trying this process, and I almost gave up after trying many different methods. I even tried a DISC to DISC burn of the original disc...and it FAILED...which basically wasted another DVD for me, I'm just trying to keep people from wasting the expensive Dual layer DVD's! I'm not knocking what you are saying but I'm warning people that it may not work either!! There are many factors that are involved when burning these DVD's. Try making an exact copy of a DVD movie using Nero...and see if it plays in your DVD player...I wouldn't have spent the time typing a long post with the details if I hadn't just wasted 5 good DVD's trying to get this working...only to find out that this is the method that works definately!!

[ag4ever]

I have a Camry hybrid and have done this hack, and it does work.

The following is a post I made after I got mine to work.

"I was having a problem making a "hybrid" navigation DVD using the loading.kwi file from the 5.1 version. I think I made about 16 DVD +R DL Coasters. I tried using Nero, Ones, and a couple other burning programs. No dice. This was using my Sony DRU700A burner, and it kept giving me write errors, so I bought a Samsung DVD Burner (Re-Badged as a MadDog Writemaster) and it was able to sucesfully complete the burn process, but it always taged the DVD as a DVD +R DL and not as a DVD-ROM wich is what the Denso Navigation DVD drive reads. I tried changing the booktype to DVD-ROM, but that is how the drive was set from the factory. So back to the store it went. I then got a BenQ DW1650 (Rebadged as a CompUSA drive) since it got high ratings on cdfreaks.com, and the first burn I made was read by the Nav's drive, and works great. Now I just have to cut the power to the Nav so it will load the old 5.1 file, and I will have the 6.1 map data and the 5.1 override.

As a side note, since I was having so much trouble burning a good hybrid disk, I tried to make a direct copy, and using the Sony and MadDog drive, was never able to make one, but a coworker has a DVD duplication device (kangaroo replicator, it makes up to 5 copies from a source disk at a time) and it made a good backup copy. The burners in that machine are NEC drives, and the source drive is a LG drive.

The working Nav Hybrid disk was riped using Prassi ONES in the DVD incremental - closed session with ISO 9660 + UDF with Fast Disk setting.

The disk name was the date the disk was made, but if you want to use the original disk name, the 6.1 is 464210-0629 and the 5.1 is 464210-0791. The disk name does not matter, the nav does not read the disk name.

I also used ImgBurn to ensure the Booktype for the drive was set to DVD-ROM, as this is the only way the car can understand the new disk.

A BIG thank you to all those that have experimented to discover this workaround, and a BIG thank you to those that helped me."

From the following post:

Overriding hybrid navigation system - GreenHybrid - Hybrid Cars

[pwl]

Thanks, it worked...

[ag4ever]

You don't change the volume, but it is the volume adjust screen that you must get to in the Nav menu. This is where you adjust the volume of the nice lady that tells you when to turn.

That is the screen you press the corners on.

[yecollin]

I have unlocked mine with Roxio software with only one trashed dvd rom. close all open software for the second burn and it worked.

[2fasst]

Does this affect the built-in bluetooth in anyway?

[Joe1L1]

Originally Posted by 2fasst

Does this affect the built-in bluetooth in anyway?

So far I have not had any negative effects of the hack. My bluetooth works just as good as it did before. The way I figure is that this is a hack that can be easily undone. If you feel that you lost anything...well then it can be easily undone... If not keep it. I love it so far. I dont even mind having to go to maintenance screen to unlock it. (when i have annoying friends in the car, this is real useful)

[StatCoder]

Any way to get the nav to reboot itself with the new software without disconnecting the battery? I believe I successfully burned the new image with ImgBurn, however, I was hoping to be able to hotswap the new software while on the road and not use the old version all the time. Let's say you're on the highway and want to find the nearest WalMart. You could just swap the nav software.

[ag4ever]

Why would you want to swap between the two?

I have been running a combo disk in my Camry for the last few months, and I can tell no diference in the way it works from the full 6.1 version.

The only way I know of the force a new software reload is th pull the fuse to the radio or to disconnect the battery. Either way, the radio must lose power to force it to look for the operating software to load up.

[mxsjw]

When you pull the power, do you lose all memory? Radio stations no big deal...but the phone numbers???

[StatCoder]

There are some things that are preserved in memory such as your home address and your destination history. I think that's what the memory points thing is for. However, the nav doesn't remember what your screen preferences are or speed configurations or the way you want the display to work. It's kind of ridiculous that it would remember that you wanted to go to the IHOP 4 weeks ago but it will not remember that you prefer QWERTY keyboard layout and what you like the screen to show.

Also, the memory of the power seats is gone.

[StatCoder]

I got this procedure to work by using ImgBurn to generate an .iso image and then using Nero to burn. Using ImgBurn to both build and burn didn't work. So far, I can't tell any difference between the versions except for the override screen.

[mxsjw]

Errr, I am so mad right now. My DVD burner does not appear to be Dual Layer. I am ready to burn the ISO image.

Now I have to find a family member that has one, or buy an external for my laptop.

[wileetundra]

The DVD firmware mod does work once you get the DVD to burn properly. It is not new and has been documented on numerous forums over the past two years (here and here just to name a few).

I have tested it several times and confirmed that you do in fact lose some functionality, which is to be expected since they don't upgrade the firmware just for fun. For me this was a deal killer since the AUX jack on the dash never worked with the downgraded firmware - you could plug something in but the AUX switch never enabled the device to play through. I reverted back to 6.1 and the AUX worked fine again. Also, you had to manually enable the bypass function every time you started your vehicle, which to me was as much or more of a pain than the occasional function block while in motion.

I had started to compile a list of the other functions and screens that were missing or limited after the downgrade but then I scrapped those notes since it was quickly apparent that I did not want to use the old firmware under any circumstance. I reverted back to 6.1 and now I use my wiring mod to bypass the motion lockout for 30-40 seconds with just one flip of the switch whenever I need it. Soon I will have the pulse generator circuit completed and then it will be a permanent mod and no need to even flip the switch. My advice would be to go ahead and wire a toggle switch into your speed sensor line - cheap, easy, and ultimately just as effective without having to downgrade your firmware and lose functionality.

[flyboy56]

Originally Posted by Jer

No, you will need NERO, Roxio or some other burning software to burn to disc. ImgBurn only creates images and doesn't possess the ability to burn the image.

I just used imgburn to make mine and it worked. Nero made two coasters for me. I have a sony dual layer burner too.

Thanks for the info.