DIY: How to fix Navi disk read errors
04-28-2013, 12:38 PM
#42
Intermediate
Damn!
Didn't work for me as well...lame. Really got my hopes up. 
Thanks for the thread though. Excellent instructions. Found it very weird tho that the rear of the unit had a connection with no connector or plug. The PC Card slot in the front is weird too...what's that for exactly??? 
Thanks for the thread though. Excellent instructions. Found it very weird tho that the rear of the unit had a connection with no connector or plug. The PC Card slot in the front is weird too...what's that for exactly???
04-28-2013, 02:40 PM
#43
Safety Car
Sounds just like how mine progressed. You never have to restart the car. Your navi will keep re-attempting to read the disk. I remember it being very variable with temperature (cold mornings being the worst). I probably lived with mine doing this for a year or two. If the battery hadn't been disconnected, it would have probably been longer.
05-02-2013, 11:09 PM
#44
I've been lurking this forum for a while since I got my 05 TL (First car) and it came with the "please read disc" nav problem. I signed up to AZ just to say thank you! I grabbed the drive out, cleaned the lens and BAM! Sweet sweet navigation! I also found out that blades of the fan on my drive were all broken so I ordered a similar one from coolerguys.com and I'm just waiting for that to come before finally reinstalling for good. Saved me some $358!
05-23-2013, 01:55 PM
#46
I also have the "Please check your disk" message showing on my 2005 Acura TL. I completed all the steps above to clean the unit but am still getting the same message when powered up. I checked the unit with power and found out that the drive doesn't spin the disk nor does the power supply fan power up. I called Alpine to ask about having it repaired and they told me the price now is $470 FLAT RATE no matter what is wrong with the unit. I told them to go, well I can't say it here. I'm most likely going to buy an aftermarket unit to replace it. I MAY drive an oversized flatbar through it using a sledgehammer to "help it along the way" and send it to be repaired for $470 and see how they like that...
Mike
Mike
05-23-2013, 01:59 PM
#47
BANNED
iTrader: (33)
^anyone that is having problems AFTER doing this DIY, i encourage you to check your nav disc as well. if it's scratched up already, no amount of cleaning the lens will make it read the disc any better. you may just need to buy a new nav disc.
05-23-2013, 04:30 PM
#48
I had been getting the disk read error consistently so I have had my disk out of the unit for several months. Yesterday I tried the easy method, disconnecting the battery then using cleaning cloth and thin ruler. No luck. I now have "Please check your disk " message and no longer even have audio controls on the Nav screen. Also I notice the time on my clock will not reset, probably due to not being able to reload the nav software (?)
Anyway, I'm going to try pulling it out this weekend and disassembling to clean the lens in hopes that that works.
Anyway, I'm going to try pulling it out this weekend and disassembling to clean the lens in hopes that that works.
05-24-2013, 11:44 AM
#49
Has anyone replaced the original navigation unit with an aftermarket unit. What kind did you buy? What kind did you research? What happens to all the functions that the original unit performed (radio station display, Heating/Cooling info, etc)? Are they no longer available with the new unit or does the new unit perform them as well?
Thanks,
Mike
Thanks,
Mike
05-29-2013, 12:09 AM
#50
Instructor
Great timing - my NAV crapped out yesterday. My car's an '04. Sounds like someone at corporate had a boat payment to make and flipped a switch. I'll be trying it out this weekend.
05-29-2013, 10:34 PM
#51
To clean the optical eye could a drive cleaner disc work? It seems that the drive being dirty is causing the problem am I correct on that? Lastly, will a can of air work on cleaning without removing anything?
05-29-2013, 11:16 PM
#52
if your laser is too far gone you can order a replacement carrage like this (example pix only)
Last edited by YeuEmMaiMai; 05-29-2013 at 11:20 PM.
05-31-2013, 08:27 PM
#53
i tried cleaning the lens but that didn't work so i tried sending it off to short circuit in san jose. They quoted me 585. They said that my drive had gone bad and the pc board was also fried. I had it sent back, trying to figure out what to do. Was thinking about finding one on ebay. They go for about 430 with a 90 day warranty or i could send it to alpine.
06-01-2013, 02:09 AM
#54
Burning Brakes
i tried cleaning the lens but that didn't work so i tried sending it off to short circuit in san jose. They quoted me 585. They said that my drive had gone bad and the pc board was also fried. I had it sent back, trying to figure out what to do. Was thinking about finding one on ebay. They go for about 430 with a 90 day warranty or i could send it to alpine.
$358 flat fee is the going rate right now. Just describe everything your navigation is doing leading up to failure, from what Alpine has told me since its under repair he cant pull up the components that are being replaced. You get a warranty for their service so if anything isnt right you can send it back.
My disc was stuck in the drive so I couldnt clean the lens.
Since they do not have too many units coming in for repair, the guy expects the unit to be returned to me by next week which is way better than the proposed 4-6 week repair/return period.
06-01-2013, 06:41 PM
#55
Safety Car
Not to many coming in because they're charging an arm and a leg to fix one, not because everyone's isn't breaking.
06-03-2013, 12:38 AM
#56
Instructor
06-03-2013, 03:10 AM
#57
Burning Brakes
My aunt has an 06 TL and hers crapped out too, but her service advisors never mentioned it so she hasnt gotten it fixed.
$358 is not that bad considering the cost of replacing with new. Plan to call later today and ask if its ready to be shipped out, also to get a reason why these units fail.
what components were changed and how long the warranty is? I was tired of my navigation not working, its been way too long and I had cases where I needed it where my smartphone didnt have the best coverage. Also my mom on occasion drives my car to L.A. when im visiting for the weekend and she gets lost easily.
I tried taking it to an audio store to get repaired but they referred me to my dealer, even though they sold Alpine Navigation units. So Alpine was my only option which I'm fine with.
And after all was done, I knew I would be sending it to Alpine since the common failure threads on Azine just wanted to see how much it would cost somewhere else like dealer or audio store.
---
Also got a promo from dealer on new 2013 navi disc for $99 bucks which I plan to buy since my drive still has the orig. disc version.
Last edited by MandoTL; 06-03-2013 at 03:14 AM.
06-03-2013, 11:11 AM
#58
BANNED
iTrader: (33)
^alpine should hook you up with a new disc free of charge.
at least they used to do that.
at least they used to do that.
06-03-2013, 01:32 PM
#59
Burning Brakes
Since its on sale I would pay for it since my disc was from 2005 and there are many new roads since then. I just want my drive back, I cant do anything with my car.
06-03-2013, 11:32 PM
#60
Safety Car
Mine is going out also, and if cleaning the lens doesn't work I guess I won't have nav anymore. I don't know when I'll have that much extra money to spend on fixing it. house, bills, kids, etc, = priority
Last edited by A SiQ TL; 06-03-2013 at 11:36 PM.
06-04-2013, 03:05 AM
#61
Burning Brakes
Well I can understand family, house, bills, kids etc. I dont have that currently, so yes getting your drive fixed should be at the bottom of your list.
But if you can still take out your disc, clean it! what do you have to lose. Its not hard at all when I tried and didnt dawn on me sooner than I cant clean the laser lens because my disc got stuck so after removing the whole drive and opening it up I felt so dumb.
06-04-2013, 12:00 PM
#62
Safety Car
oh I'll attempt to clean it when it totally stops working, but right now it comes on after a minute or so of trying. Less if the car was parked in the sun.
So for $4k, Acura replaces everything nav related in the car??? That makes more sense as to why it would be so expensive.
Wasn't nav only a 2k option when the car was new???? Labor, I guess.
So for $4k, Acura replaces everything nav related in the car??? That makes more sense as to why it would be so expensive.
Wasn't nav only a 2k option when the car was new???? Labor, I guess.
06-04-2013, 01:22 PM
#63
Burning Brakes
oh I'll attempt to clean it when it totally stops working, but right now it comes on after a minute or so of trying. Less if the car was parked in the sun.
So for $4k, Acura replaces everything nav related in the car??? That makes more sense as to why it would be so expensive.
Wasn't nav only a 2k option when the car was new???? Labor, I guess.
So for $4k, Acura replaces everything nav related in the car??? That makes more sense as to why it would be so expensive.
Wasn't nav only a 2k option when the car was new???? Labor, I guess.
Well since I didnt buy the car new I am not sure if it was or not. but labor is what is most costly, he was willing to discount the parts but I was not interested in that route. So that when he mentioned to me the alternative of sending it to Alpine.
06-08-2013, 04:24 PM
#64
Instructor
Well, my lens didn't have anything on it (the qtip was as clean coming out as going in.) Now I'm getting a "please check your disk" error - but a different one. Anyone have a link for contacting Alpine?
Thanks
Thanks
06-09-2013, 02:51 AM
#65
Safety Car
from their website..........
Fixed & Portable Navigation Technical Support
Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.
(888) NAV-HELP (1-888-628-4357)
For Honda/Acura OEM (Original Equipement Manufacturer) service please send to 2012 Abalone Ave Unit D, Torrance, CA 90501.
Fixed & Portable Navigation Technical Support
Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.
(888) NAV-HELP (1-888-628-4357)
For Honda/Acura OEM (Original Equipement Manufacturer) service please send to 2012 Abalone Ave Unit D, Torrance, CA 90501.
06-16-2013, 12:47 PM
#66
Cruisin'
Like some other people have posted in the thread, my problem went from bad to worse after attempting the fix. Now I get the message "Please check your disk", never get the splash screen, can't control my audio, etc. Also, the disk doesn't even spin up, whereas before it did. Does anyone know what these symptoms indicate?
I guess I'll be sending my unit off to Alpine.
I guess I'll be sending my unit off to Alpine.
06-19-2013, 06:36 PM
#67
I am having the same issue with my TL-S and it worked for about two weeks without a problem and now it is acting up once again. At this point I do believe that somehow the unit may be overheating because when it fails it's hot outside. This is just a theory
06-19-2013, 06:42 PM
#68
Before I begin, let me just say im not responsible for any damage you cause to your car. Make sure you are confident with the procedure before just diving in. There is a little but of supplimentary info that I wrote on this thread: https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...8#post14154808
Im sure alot of people are aware of the issues that the Navi dvd Drive eventually develops. for anyone who hasn't happen yet, it is just a variation of a disk read error when starting up the navigation. In my case, the problem developed. I started out with disk read errors every now and then, to consistently every time I went in my car. Sometimes the navi would manage to boot, but as of recent, it just refused to. I had disconnected the battery the other day, and when I reconnected it, the navi tryed to download the software off the disk. As you can imagine, it didnt work, so I was stuck with a black screen that said "Please Check Disk" on it at all times. My screen was 100% useless.
So I decided to dig around. Alot of people just ended up sending their units to Alpine which they repaired for 158$. As of this year, their prices jumped up to 358$ which is pretty ridiculous. I honestly did not feel like paying that and I figured it would be worth trying a small repair since I am comfortable repairing small electronics
So lets get to the good stuff.
Tools
Screwdriver
Micro-Screwdrivers
Isopropyl Alchohol
Q-tips
Paper Towel
1. Remove the DVD from the drive (I forgot this the first time around. Felt really stupid at my desk ready to work and then having to start all over).
2. Disconnect the battery (Make sure your trunk is open)
3. Remove the Navi DVD drive. there is about 5 knob type screws and a push fastner stopping you from peeling back the fabric. I also had to remove the hard plastic panel at the rear of the trunk. Just pull up on that and it should come loose. Make sure you know where each knob came from. Several of them are different. Once you peel back the fabric, there are 4 screws that hold down the dvd drive bracket. you'll see them in pictures below. There are 5 clips attached in the back
4. So now you should have the navi drive sitting on your desk, with the bracket attached. there are 2 screws on each side of the bracket. Remove those and the navi will be free.
5. I took a few pictures of each side so you can familiarize yourself with the unit before you tackle this. One thing I noticed was the it was filthy. I took some isoproply alcohol and wiped down the entire unit to clean the dust. the paper towl was filthy after. Also, check out the production date. December 2003! 9 years till fill the lens with dust is actually pretty decent IMO.
6. Next step is to remove the screws holding the top lid. there are six screws, all of the rear of the unit, that need to be removed. 1 black screw, at the top left of the rear, and another 5 golden screws that are located along the top of the backside. its pretty obvious which ones are holding the top lid down. you only need to remove those 6. Nothing more.
7. Now lift the top metal piece upwards from the rear of the unit. you shouldnt need a ton of force. Maybe a bit to break it loose. the thing hasnt moved in 9 years. Once the lid begins to move, start paying attention the the 4 clips holding it on (picture below). this is all thats holding the unit on. It takes a little of moving around to get it free but its possible without removing the faceplate. the 2 center ones are a bit trickier. I used small screw driver to convince it a bit. I saw no signs of cracking or stress in the plastic, but still take caution to not break the plastics clips. After that, simply remove the top.
8. Now is the tricky part. Cleaning the laser. Originally, my plan was to remove the little screw holding in the center spring clamp. it gives you direct access to clean the lens. Unfortunately, none of my screw drivers were the right size, and its difficult to unscrew since that part is sprung (it moves up and down, making it possible to use any force to unscrew it). Anyways, I took a picture of the lens in the first picture below. its that little tiny shiny sparkle coming from right above the center screw from the clamp. At this point, its up to you how you want to clean your lens. Heres what I did. A regular q-tip was far to big to fit in the hole. I stripped alot (most) of the cotton off, and made sure there was no strands hanging out by rolling the tip in between my fingers (kind of how you used to roll your buggers before you flicked them as a kid). then I dipped the qtip in the isoproply alcohol. It still was a pretty tight fit to get it in, but it manages. you then have to angle it towards the lens since the hole is not directly above it. look at my second picture down to see my angle. I shined a light to get the best view I could of the lens. It is really (very) difficult to see from any angle, but you can occassionally see a glimpse. the lens moves up and down so dont worry about damaging by hitting it to hard, but make sure to be gentle with. After my first wipe, I looked at the lens, and actually noticed some crud on it towards the back. about 75% of it was sparkling clean. Went back and made sure to clean it all.
9. You are pretty much done at this point. Slide the top back on. It goes back on much easier then taking it off. Put the 6 screws on in the back. put the 4 screws on holding the unit to the bracket. Go back to your car. Attach all the connectors. Mount the drive back to the car with the 4 screws. hook up your battery, and put in the disk. and give it a shot.
Where my dash would almost instantly read an error, it now immediately went to downloading the software. After it downloads, turn on your car and let it run for several minutes while it acquires satellite location. I took this time to put my trunk back together properly. by the time I was done, the navi was all done and waiting for me to press "ok"
All in all, the job took about 30 minutes on my desk. figuring out how to remove the trunk panel to get access to the drive was actually the most time consuming. the job took a little over an hour. I could honestly probably do it again in under 30 minutes. the job is pretty simple but requires a delicate hand and a patient eye once you actually get to the important step. It was honestly worth my time versus paying 358 to ship out my unit to alpine for them to charge me for some guying cleaning the lens. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Im not on the forums that often, so drop me a PM if im failing to reply to the thread. Also, if the images no longer show up, feel free to bug me and ill rehost them somewhere.
Also, just as an added note. this should work for alot of the cars having this problem but is not always 100% the issue. Sometimes certain power electronics may die. It could be a variety of things. this is just a virtually free solution, that could correct your issue.
Hope this helps someone out.
Im sure alot of people are aware of the issues that the Navi dvd Drive eventually develops. for anyone who hasn't happen yet, it is just a variation of a disk read error when starting up the navigation. In my case, the problem developed. I started out with disk read errors every now and then, to consistently every time I went in my car. Sometimes the navi would manage to boot, but as of recent, it just refused to. I had disconnected the battery the other day, and when I reconnected it, the navi tryed to download the software off the disk. As you can imagine, it didnt work, so I was stuck with a black screen that said "Please Check Disk" on it at all times. My screen was 100% useless.
So I decided to dig around. Alot of people just ended up sending their units to Alpine which they repaired for 158$. As of this year, their prices jumped up to 358$ which is pretty ridiculous. I honestly did not feel like paying that and I figured it would be worth trying a small repair since I am comfortable repairing small electronics
So lets get to the good stuff.
Tools
Screwdriver
Micro-Screwdrivers
Isopropyl Alchohol
Q-tips
Paper Towel
1. Remove the DVD from the drive (I forgot this the first time around. Felt really stupid at my desk ready to work and then having to start all over).
2. Disconnect the battery (Make sure your trunk is open)
3. Remove the Navi DVD drive. there is about 5 knob type screws and a push fastner stopping you from peeling back the fabric. I also had to remove the hard plastic panel at the rear of the trunk. Just pull up on that and it should come loose. Make sure you know where each knob came from. Several of them are different. Once you peel back the fabric, there are 4 screws that hold down the dvd drive bracket. you'll see them in pictures below. There are 5 clips attached in the back
4. So now you should have the navi drive sitting on your desk, with the bracket attached. there are 2 screws on each side of the bracket. Remove those and the navi will be free.
5. I took a few pictures of each side so you can familiarize yourself with the unit before you tackle this. One thing I noticed was the it was filthy. I took some isoproply alcohol and wiped down the entire unit to clean the dust. the paper towl was filthy after. Also, check out the production date. December 2003! 9 years till fill the lens with dust is actually pretty decent IMO.
6. Next step is to remove the screws holding the top lid. there are six screws, all of the rear of the unit, that need to be removed. 1 black screw, at the top left of the rear, and another 5 golden screws that are located along the top of the backside. its pretty obvious which ones are holding the top lid down. you only need to remove those 6. Nothing more.
7. Now lift the top metal piece upwards from the rear of the unit. you shouldnt need a ton of force. Maybe a bit to break it loose. the thing hasnt moved in 9 years. Once the lid begins to move, start paying attention the the 4 clips holding it on (picture below). this is all thats holding the unit on. It takes a little of moving around to get it free but its possible without removing the faceplate. the 2 center ones are a bit trickier. I used small screw driver to convince it a bit. I saw no signs of cracking or stress in the plastic, but still take caution to not break the plastics clips. After that, simply remove the top.
8. Now is the tricky part. Cleaning the laser. Originally, my plan was to remove the little screw holding in the center spring clamp. it gives you direct access to clean the lens. Unfortunately, none of my screw drivers were the right size, and its difficult to unscrew since that part is sprung (it moves up and down, making it possible to use any force to unscrew it). Anyways, I took a picture of the lens in the first picture below. its that little tiny shiny sparkle coming from right above the center screw from the clamp. At this point, its up to you how you want to clean your lens. Heres what I did. A regular q-tip was far to big to fit in the hole. I stripped alot (most) of the cotton off, and made sure there was no strands hanging out by rolling the tip in between my fingers (kind of how you used to roll your buggers before you flicked them as a kid). then I dipped the qtip in the isoproply alcohol. It still was a pretty tight fit to get it in, but it manages. you then have to angle it towards the lens since the hole is not directly above it. look at my second picture down to see my angle. I shined a light to get the best view I could of the lens. It is really (very) difficult to see from any angle, but you can occassionally see a glimpse. the lens moves up and down so dont worry about damaging by hitting it to hard, but make sure to be gentle with. After my first wipe, I looked at the lens, and actually noticed some crud on it towards the back. about 75% of it was sparkling clean. Went back and made sure to clean it all.
9. You are pretty much done at this point. Slide the top back on. It goes back on much easier then taking it off. Put the 6 screws on in the back. put the 4 screws on holding the unit to the bracket. Go back to your car. Attach all the connectors. Mount the drive back to the car with the 4 screws. hook up your battery, and put in the disk. and give it a shot.
Where my dash would almost instantly read an error, it now immediately went to downloading the software. After it downloads, turn on your car and let it run for several minutes while it acquires satellite location. I took this time to put my trunk back together properly. by the time I was done, the navi was all done and waiting for me to press "ok"
All in all, the job took about 30 minutes on my desk. figuring out how to remove the trunk panel to get access to the drive was actually the most time consuming. the job took a little over an hour. I could honestly probably do it again in under 30 minutes. the job is pretty simple but requires a delicate hand and a patient eye once you actually get to the important step. It was honestly worth my time versus paying 358 to ship out my unit to alpine for them to charge me for some guying cleaning the lens. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Im not on the forums that often, so drop me a PM if im failing to reply to the thread. Also, if the images no longer show up, feel free to bug me and ill rehost them somewhere.
Also, just as an added note. this should work for alot of the cars having this problem but is not always 100% the issue. Sometimes certain power electronics may die. It could be a variety of things. this is just a virtually free solution, that could correct your issue.
Hope this helps someone out.
06-19-2013, 10:31 PM
#69
Burning Brakes
Thank you very much for the DIY on the navigation unit. I have a question for you though if you have an answer. Do you think that the units are failing on some units because of overheating? I took mine apart and it was good for about two weeks so now it has because again with the errors but when it's hot outside it is just a theory your thoughts?
My disc was stuck, so when I got it back they replaced the disc mechanism that ejects it, and the laser lens.
After reinstalling it, 3 hours later second eyebrow info screen when blank, radio stopped working, navigation showed delay in changes to audio volume and navi froze.
Called Alpine that very morning after I installed it and told them what happened, well had to send it back.
When I wanted to remove it like before, the navi drive was really, I mean REALLY hot. I thought maybe the power management module inside went bad and my fan too.
Just got my navi drive back last night, installed it. Called them today to ask what else they replaced giving them my detailed note of the problems.
Parts changed:
-"disc mechanism"
-Fan
-motherboard
-power management module
-laser lens
-some spring plate that the disc sits on.
&
-some other computer board inside.
So far mine has worked with no problems at all, Alpine rep. told me that the disc lens reader fails and when disc is moving gets too close to disc creating a failure which the "disc mechanism" that holds it in place. (IDK how he came up with that reason, not buying it) Did ask him about the hot to touch navi drive when I wanted to remove it.
I told him about the heat issue on mine, so funny your question is about overheating. He told me that its only some cases he has received failure due to the fan and power management module. Its usually the laster/lens reader that fails is what he told me.
Last edited by MandoTL; 06-19-2013 at 10:34 PM.
06-21-2013, 03:59 PM
#70
1st Gear
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ottawa Canada
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Same relative issue on my '09 TSX.
Winter= no issues
Summer (ie heat)= issues. "DVD Disc reading error please consult your dealer"
Surface of DVD unit= 125 degrees F, disc= 157 degrees F
Seems a little high to me.
I believe I have an Alpine 39540. Anyone out there have the same model and have had it repaired successfully?
thx
Winter= no issues
Summer (ie heat)= issues. "DVD Disc reading error please consult your dealer"
Surface of DVD unit= 125 degrees F, disc= 157 degrees F
Seems a little high to me.
I believe I have an Alpine 39540. Anyone out there have the same model and have had it repaired successfully?
thx
The following 2 users liked this post by godfather18:
paperboy42190 (09-04-2014),
Rana99 (07-12-2014)
06-28-2013, 06:14 PM
#74
I took mine out again and I think the problem occurs when the system is overheating. I ordered a replacement fan Copal F310R 12v fan from http://www.aliexpress.com/ for $20USD I am going ot give it a try and I'll keep you guys posted. Bit of advise use your credit card if you order, the item is coming from China.
07-13-2013, 10:10 AM
#76
Cruisin'
Join Date: May 2010
Location: NJ
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Can you share where you purchased the unit/ price? I have an 04 TL and the unit has started to fail. Would rather replace than repair if financially feasible. Thanks
07-13-2013, 07:54 PM
#77
Cruisin'
Join Date: May 2010
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Just wanted to share my update regarding the 04 TL with the Nav disc error that had begun intermittently about 6 months ago, and ironically seemed worse in warm weather. About a week ago it quit entirely. So after reading up on all the shared knowledge of the site, I began the following levels of repair...
1. Simply inspect disk and clean... no scratches = good sign, but after cleaning still no love
2. DVD cleaner disc... stopped at Best Buy and bought the latest and greatest (supposedly) cleaning disk. Result - don't waste your $24...
3. Before I start this one, let me justify my next attempt. Going into this, I knew that disconnecting the battery and cleaning the unit (properly) may result in total loss of radio controls, functionality, etc. So off to the local Target I went and purchased a thin, metallic ruler which is rounded on one end- no sharp edge. Plastic would have been preferred but were way to thick. Placed very thin, lint free cleaning cloth over the end, lightly sprayed with Windex (both sides of the cloth) and began cleaning the unit the down and dirty way. I slid the ruler in on one side of the unit through the DVD slot, worked it across the unit and removed. Repeated this maybe 5-6 times in each direction and am happy to say all is well! After realizing this had worked, I removed the disc and continued this process maybe 5-6 times in each direction. So far so good.
Just wanted to share this information as I think many would be afraid to perform the 'ruler method'- so was I. But I figured I had nothing to lose. No disconnecting the battery this way, and if it didn't work- off the Alpine the unit would have gone. Thank you all for the informative posts... just gonna hope my TLS doesn't develop the issue anytime soon.
1. Simply inspect disk and clean... no scratches = good sign, but after cleaning still no love
2. DVD cleaner disc... stopped at Best Buy and bought the latest and greatest (supposedly) cleaning disk. Result - don't waste your $24...
3. Before I start this one, let me justify my next attempt. Going into this, I knew that disconnecting the battery and cleaning the unit (properly) may result in total loss of radio controls, functionality, etc. So off to the local Target I went and purchased a thin, metallic ruler which is rounded on one end- no sharp edge. Plastic would have been preferred but were way to thick. Placed very thin, lint free cleaning cloth over the end, lightly sprayed with Windex (both sides of the cloth) and began cleaning the unit the down and dirty way. I slid the ruler in on one side of the unit through the DVD slot, worked it across the unit and removed. Repeated this maybe 5-6 times in each direction and am happy to say all is well!
After realizing this had worked, I removed the disc and continued this process maybe 5-6 times in each direction. So far so good. Just wanted to share this information as I think many would be afraid to perform the 'ruler method'- so was I. But I figured I had nothing to lose. No disconnecting the battery this way, and if it didn't work- off the Alpine the unit would have gone. Thank you all for the informative posts... just gonna hope my TLS doesn't develop the issue anytime soon.
07-22-2013, 10:23 AM
#78
1st Gear
Join Date: Jul 2013
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Hello everyone, I am also getting a disc read error in my 07 MDX. It started out intermittently when on a road trip and for some reason just did not like the state of Pennsylvania! I took the disc out and noticed a faint ring around the outer edge of the disc. removing and replacing the disc seemed to remedy the problem for a short period of time. As of now, removing and replacing the disc does nothing for it, it stays on "disc read error, consult dealership). Nothing I do brings it back to life.
We took it into the dealership for routine maintenance and asked the rep about it. He informed us it was the unit scratching the disc because over time while driving, the bumps in the road make it bounce. You would think that this day in age, they would create a better product for such an expensive vehicle. This is roughly a 50,000 dollar car (MSRP) and having to fix the nav unit after just a few years is unacceptable. They quoted me like a couple thousand dollars to replace it, which is just INSANE!!
After reading the other posts here, I will be trying some of the easier/cheaper ways to remedy it. I did call Alpine today (7/22/13), and it is a flat rate of 358.00, and he also informed me that if there is a ring around the disc, that they will replace the disc as well (not with a new version, same version). It sucks having to deal with this, but it could be a lot worse I guess.
The discs alone cost roughly 99-150.00, so for an extra 200, you get a refurbished unit. I understand electronics go bad over time, but Acura needs to recognize this is not an isolated incident, and put out a recall or at the very least a TSB to remedy this problem. People pay good money for these expensive cars, and should not have to deal with problems like this after only 3-4 years of ownership (and of course right after warranty runs out.)
I will be trying to take the disc to a store and have them buff the disc and I will be trying the ruler trick (only because I don't want to risk losing all capabilities by disconnecting power). If all else fails, Alpine will be making a few bucks. I asked the rep at Alpine, "so lets say you receive the unit and its just a dirty lens causing the error, did I just pay 358.00 dollars for you to clean a lens?" his response was, "well it doesn't sound like that since you have the ring around the disc. It sounds like the mechanism in there is what is causing that." So I hope this post helps somebody else and if anyone has a similar experience, please let me know your experience, what you did, and what worked. Thanks for reading and I will post updates to what I did, what didn't work/what did work. Good luck to all!
We took it into the dealership for routine maintenance and asked the rep about it. He informed us it was the unit scratching the disc because over time while driving, the bumps in the road make it bounce. You would think that this day in age, they would create a better product for such an expensive vehicle. This is roughly a 50,000 dollar car (MSRP) and having to fix the nav unit after just a few years is unacceptable. They quoted me like a couple thousand dollars to replace it, which is just INSANE!!
After reading the other posts here, I will be trying some of the easier/cheaper ways to remedy it. I did call Alpine today (7/22/13), and it is a flat rate of 358.00, and he also informed me that if there is a ring around the disc, that they will replace the disc as well (not with a new version, same version). It sucks having to deal with this, but it could be a lot worse I guess.
The discs alone cost roughly 99-150.00, so for an extra 200, you get a refurbished unit. I understand electronics go bad over time, but Acura needs to recognize this is not an isolated incident, and put out a recall or at the very least a TSB to remedy this problem. People pay good money for these expensive cars, and should not have to deal with problems like this after only 3-4 years of ownership (and of course right after warranty runs out.)
I will be trying to take the disc to a store and have them buff the disc and I will be trying the ruler trick (only because I don't want to risk losing all capabilities by disconnecting power). If all else fails, Alpine will be making a few bucks. I asked the rep at Alpine, "so lets say you receive the unit and its just a dirty lens causing the error, did I just pay 358.00 dollars for you to clean a lens?" his response was, "well it doesn't sound like that since you have the ring around the disc. It sounds like the mechanism in there is what is causing that." So I hope this post helps somebody else and if anyone has a similar experience, please let me know your experience, what you did, and what worked. Thanks for reading and I will post updates to what I did, what didn't work/what did work. Good luck to all!
07-31-2013, 03:15 PM
#80
2nd Gear
Join Date: Jun 2010
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'05 Acura TL
So my navi screen had been stuck on the disc read error for about a year now, and I just have not gotten around to send in the drive. I went with your instructions and I thought it went pretty well. I was having trouble figuring out if i was actually cleaning the lens or not. After what I thought was "clean" I tested it out and I got the "Please Check Disc" error. I decided to try to clean it again. This time I removed the small screw which held in the clamp. Im not going to lie, it was a bit of a pain, getting it back on. However, I had direct access to the lens. After thoroughly, cleaning it I reinstalled it. And it worked! Thanks again.
