I have a 2015 RLX Advance with Krell Audio. It is very annoying that I need to switch the main navigation screen to audio to see the name of a song for XM. Doing this means both screens are displaying audio information and no screen is displaying navigation information.

Acura addressed this with a product update for 2014 RLX and MDX with TSB 13-008. This update allows the bottom screen to display song and artist while the top screen shows navigation information, but the TSB says this is only available for 2014 RLX.

Does anyone know if this update can be applied to a 2015 RLX, or if Acura is planning to update the 2015 audio system to support these new features?

 

Lots of reads on this thread, but no replys. Does anyone else find it frustrating that the MDX and TLX got the software update to add functionality but the range topping RLX did not? It feels like Acura is not interested in supporting the RLX. That is disappointing.

 

There are only a few 2015 owners here and they haven't been posting as regularly.

I am in the same boat as you, because the update also does not apply to 2014 Sport Hybrid owners. I don't think the TSB you refer to gives the functionality you are describing.

I agree with your frustration that Acura is failing to support the nav bugs on the RLX, their "flagship" vehicle, adequately. The only fix is to move up to a 2016, which is not a good solution for us mere mortals.

GM pulls this crap too. For example, the 2G CTS had an OnStar hardware update in mid-stream and people who didn't have it couldn't use smartphone apps with their "older" cars. The only option was to get a new CTS. Made a bunch of people not pay for OnStar. The problem is, I expect this behavior of GM, and not of Acura.

Honestly, it would be better for Acura to simply come out and tell us "there is no upgrade possible or planned for your infotainment software". That, at least, would give us some certainty.

 

Yea I dont beleive that TSB gives any of the functionality being referenced by the OP. It just fixes some bugs, yet somehow fails to fix others (traffic color).

I am on the latest OS/software version for my 2014 RLX and there is no such functionality. So far from what I've seen is that those added features are only available for the newer gen NAV system with the touch-capacitive screen (2015 TLX and all 2016 RLX/MDX/RDX/ILX models). The 2014 RLX came out in 2013 and uses the 1st gen dual NAV screen system with the resistive screen and the much slower processing speed. Same goes for the 2015 models.

It's one of my biggest sore spots with the 2014 and the system should never have passed QC. We got screwed for what we paid and expected out of a flagship.

 

My 2014 has had all updates and the song/artist does not display on the lower screen.

 

same here. What was the 2014 update that supposedly fixes?

 

I'm a BIG fan of Acuras, having owned or leased 7 in my lifetime. It's a disgrace that the Acura honchos don't offer free firmware and software updates for their Navi/audio systems. Having to shell out an additional $150 to update a $60,000 RLX is absurd. Maybe if they treated the RLX like a real luxury car, they would sell more than a few hundred a month!

 

hey guys i'm running a project on my TLX and ran into this thread.

i am curious if whether the 2015 RLX got an audio update. in my project i'm finding that my TLX shares the new audio unit as the ILX so i am in the process of adding OEM hdmi cables to my TLX. when a fellow forum member asked about the same possibility on his MDX we realized that his 3rd gen stereo was still a previous version. this thread has got me thinking that the 2015 got a hardware update...

the most prominent way i managed to check whether the stereo is new is the black HDMI port located in the back of the audio unit whereas the old units are all grey (with the exception of both having a green USB port as well). since i haven't been able to open one up and that's too much of a hassle i have a better method:

if anyone is still following the thread you can check whether you have HDMI support or not by going into Diag Mode (Back + Menu + Nav) and then going into Dev mode by pressing Enter for 3 seconds. If you made it this far you can scroll down the options to see an "HDMI Diag" option. If this is true for 2015 and not 2014 we have a new stereo. The MDX guy says his method of entering Dev mode is different (hold the menu button 3 seconds instead of Enter), by which this might be also an indicator that you have an older audio unit.

in the very least for both new and old RLX owners, you can check the software version and share that among each other rather than relying on the dealer's words that the software is up to date.

 

I don't know if this helps you at all, but these are the connectors in the back of the unit of the 2016 RLX SH-AWD (I believe its the same in the RLX P-AWS). I believe there is no HDMI port on our head units:

 

thank you pgeorg. looks to me that the RLX navi units don't have HDMI in. but they're also not the same as the MDX units as I thought would be.

just a wild guess but i'm thinking that the main reason the 2014 and 2015+ get separate software updates is because the new RLX got a hardware update where as the older RLX share the same hardware as the current MDX. i had hoped that the new navi unit would have been shared with the ILX and TLX thus have the HDMI in so that it could (if confirmed) make use of it with some OEM cables. nonetheless this helps me confirm it. thank you.

 

Actually the 2014-2015 Units look exactly the same, from the pic below. Maybe there were just internal hardware changes on the 2016s......
Sorry i can't help more than this:-(.

 

I have used the NAV system on the 2016 SH-AWD, and the UI is considerably speedier than on my 2014. I believe that the only way they could have achieved that improvement was to update the processor and/or memory, so the hardware is likely different whether they changed the connectors or not.

 

That was the same issue with the head unit from the 2005 to 2006 RL and one reason the accessory rear camera was not compatible with the 2005. I also believe the RLX has unique attributes is for some features offered on the JDM models. All other Acuras are NA products.