Handruin

In the last week or two I've been getting a consistent disc read error on the nav shortly after turning the car on. I've ejected the disc to visually inspect it and it's clean, but I wiped it off anyway just in case. Even after putting the disc back in, within a few minutes I get the same error on the nav screen saying there is a disc read error and to contact the dealer.

Has anyone else dealt with this yet? Is there a way I can replace parts on my own since the car is no longer under warranty? I don't mind swapping the drive out if it's possible without lots of hacks. Just curious if this has been done and if there is a place to order the part vs going through the dealer?

Handruin

Looks like I posted this in the wrong section since I found some references to sending the unit in to Alpine. I called the Alpine dealer local to me and they need to know the following:

Faceplate #
Model #
Reference #

Is this on the actual DVD drive or do I need to get this from a parts manual somewhere?

Handruin

Update, I pulled the DVD drive out of the trunk and found the reference number. It took about 15 minutes to get the trunk carpeting moved to remove the drive but was otherwise easy to remove. I called Alpine's tech support number and confirmed the $158 flat fee to repair the drive. I just have to send the drive in with the check and a description with return address to get it fix in 5-10 days.

I noticed that the drive had caused the DVD to wear out. There was a worn ring around the outer edge of the disc. I guess that means I need to order a new disc unless I can find a way to make a copy of it. The guy in the parts department said there was no service bulletin for my TL-S regarding this issue. He also quoted me a staggering $2745 to buy the new DVD drive without it being installed.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Wow, $2,745 for a new drive. Is your Type S out of warranty?

Handruin

I'm just a bit out of warranty with 61K miles which blows.

For anyone else looking this up for a 2007 TL-S, this is the info I have so far:

Alpine Service number: 1-800-421-2284
DVD Drive Ref #: BN417AA
Acura replacement part# ($2745): 39546SEPA51

Address:
Alpine Electronics
2012 Abalone Ave., Unit D
Torrance, CA 90501

Provide:
Check for $158
Name
Return Address
Description of the problem

It'll take 5-7 business days to return it.

VQPower37

cool this is good info to know as everyone with high mileage will eventually need their drive to be fixed, as dvd drives tend to burn out in time

AH-TL

I have the disc reading error with my 04 TL base lately too...i did the same thing taking out the dvd and re-inserted...omg so i need to take my dvd drive out and call alpine canada tech support?

Handruin

Do you have a worn out part on your DVD to indicate the drive is ruining your disc? I believe I read in another thread that it may cost more money for you to send the drive to Alpine in Canada. Take a look through some of the other threads, I don't remember which it was. However, it might still be cheaper than you spending thousands to buy a new one. Taking it out of the trunk was fairly easy. The hardest part was simply removing the trunk lining. Everything else is simple screws and connectors.

AH-TL

takeing apart or putting together isn't a problem..i did it few times already changing my tail light...
hm...if its cost alot then i might just go with a double din...
but if its 158 i might able to do it...
thanks man...
the disc is pretty mess up small scratch all over...

motofreak03

dude,the exact same thing happed to my 07 tl type s... im taking it to the dealership to see if they can do something about it since my car has 55k miles on it... hopefully they can. If not im just gonna send it to alipne... this sucks

Handruin

Update: 21 days later

I received a package via UPS this evening. Alpine took a little extra time in fixing my DVD Navigation drive because of a back-ordered part, but it was worth the wait. I took a chance and sent back the faulty DVD-ROM disc with a note explaining the situation and asking for a replacement disc even if it wasn't the latest version. I wasn't expecting anything to come of my note for help, but much to my surprise, they also sent me a brand new DVD-ROM disc (~$185 value which I just confirmed) along with the fixed drive at no extra charge. The disc they sent me is not the latest version (version 4.56A), however it's still newer than the one my car came with (version 4.55) so I'm not complaining at all!

It took me about 15 minutes to reinstall the drive and then another 5 minutes for the unit to update itself with the newer software. All in all, the $158 was well-spent with no complaints. I just hope this fix lasts longer than the last three years. I'm just sharing a success story with sending the unit back to Alpine for repair.

tonto340

I started having the same problem and sent mine to Alpine today. I wonder why it is starting to happen all at once.

Jameel Qazi

Handruin,
Thanks for posting this. I have the exact same car and the exact same problem. DVD stopped working on a long trip with the trunk full of luggage. I thought I overheated it. When I took the DVD out, it had two scratches all the way around near the outside of the disc. Tried to polish, no luck.

Acura dealer says they will fix DVD drive for $375. Having the direct to Alpine info is super helpful. Thanks!

P.S. I will never buy a new car with a nav system again. You pay $3k extra for it, it not as good as a Garmin, and it only lasts 3 years! That's lousy. GPS technology changes every six months, save yourself the trouble and just buy a $150 Garmin and strap it to the dash!

Handruin

I know what you're saying, but if you have the exact same car as me, the navigation wasn't even an option, it was included. :-) I still go back and forth on the option regardless. Having the nice big screen integrated is somewhat nicer than a 4-5" mounted on the dash.

If you do send yours to Alpine, send the damaged DVD-ROM with it along with a polite note asking for a replacement because yours was damaged due to the part failure. This should at least get you a comparable replacement so that you don't have to shell out another $150+ for a new DVD (unless of course if you want the new one). I don't know if you'll luck out like I did, but they replaced mine even though it wasn't the latest. Good luck with the replacement, I hope it works out for you.

Also, I ended up shipping mine via post office because it was much cheaper to insure. UPS says they charge per $100 of replacement value, where as the post office does replacement for exact cost. It was about $40 cheaper for me to ship and I packaged it really well.

hawkeyedetailing

I had a similar problem and went to my Acura dealership in NJ . they told me it was a service bulletin out for it because the drive was scratching DVD , go check your DVD and see if the there is a ring around it . If so go to the dealership and they will replace the unit and upgrade your navigation for free.

ReplayMan

iTrader: (5)

Damn! Mine just happened. Got the "Disc Error" message. What...is the drive only good for 3 years? I hope I'm still under warranty, have to check.

SSMTL04

i did an 07 navi conversion in my 04 TL....and my 07 drive just got the same error 3 days ago. I took out the drive today and will be sending it to Alpine tomorrow.

dwb993

iTrader: (13)

^This. Try it first.
If your dealer can't help you, try getting some PlastX and buff out the outer portion of the disk where it is worn. This may be difficult to see at first, but I'm willing to bet you guys have "ring around the disk". I fixed one of my son's Xbox disks this way.
If that didn't work, I would contact Alpine for the repair work. It couldn't hurt to send the disk back and ask for a replacement, too.

ReplayMan

iTrader: (5)

Unbelievable...car is no longer under warranty! And dealer quoted, $600 to repair and $3,500 for a new one. I think I'll send it in myself.

Where do I get a new DVD? Is there anything important I need to know abou removing the player?

SSMTL04

^ i removed my drive this weekend and sent it to Alpine last night. Its fairly easy. Just remove the right side trunk liner (took 10 minutes). And unplug the connectors. Can't wait to get it back in working order!!!

You can get a new DVD disc here:

http://www.navigation.com/is-bin/INT...gationMenu=YES

my07tl

My 07 TL Nev. has same problem too. Do I need contact Alpine before sending in my unit?

nj2pa2nc

I hope the this problem is not effecting the tsx. I have no problems (knock on wood) after 4 1/2+years and almost 123K miles.

ReplayMan

iTrader: (5)

UPDATE: Just got mine back from Alpine. Took approx. a week. Works great, awesome thread guys. Real easy, thanks. Easy to remove and install. You don't even have to contact Alpine, no need. You DO NOT need a RMA# or anything. So just follow the instructions listed above and your good to go. They even replaced my damaged DVD. I was told to leave it in the player, and they returned it with a new one in a jewel case. Awesome.

crzygosu87

iTrader: (4)

Had this problem for at least several months on and off now - I do not have this ring on the dvd disc though. Tried dvd disc cleaner just for the heck of it as well - since I'm located in socal and finally have some time to address this, I think I'll give alpine a call and see what I can do (fyi: car is 2006 Acura TL)

ezc925

Hello Everyone,
So I was having a similar issue a few weeks ago where I was getting "Disc error" messages which all I needed to do was restart my car. After a few days of doing that here and there, my navigation screen went blank, and now I don't get any messages and cannot use the nav or audio setting features. The radio still works along with the steering wheel controls.

Do you think it is the navigation dvd rom in the trunk (which the disc as no scaratches on it) or the navigation lcd screen?

I can see that the screen sometimes looks like there is some backlit illumination but I can't tell.

Help please...

ReplayMan

iTrader: (5)

Your problem sounds exactly like what I had when I sent out my DVD player to Alpine and was driving around. With my player disconnected, when I drove around, the screen would be blank but have a subtle back light to it. But, when I played the radio, I did not have the volume or stations displayed in the clock area....because the player was gone.

So, it sounds to me a bad connector/connection to the back of your player. Did you remove it or disrupt the back, touching any of the connectors? I would re-connect all connectors.

ParaSurfer1979

Ha Ha... when you find a Garmin that can do half of what OEM Navigation systems can (Control climate control, change the track of your cd, change the AM/FM/XM station) post it. Whome ever got you to to pay 3k for the Tech pkg played you for a fool because it's only $1,500 which pays for more that just a Navigation system hence why I call it a tech pkg even pre-2009 because that's what it indeed is. I digress...
In Car navigation systems are virtually computors which can go bad over time. This was the main reason why my friend who is the Fianance Mgr. Told me to buy the extended warranty on this car (which I always do anyway) but his 08 TL-S had this same issue and the warranty too care of it. Thats all he needed to tell me to confirm why i bought it. 11mo after I purchased my vehicle (last week) my navigation wasn't doing read errors but rebooting while in drive and very delayed turning on the reverse cam or typing or pressing ANYTHING on the screen. There was a LOT of updates Honda/Alpine sent out for all the issues (07-08 model TL/Accord navi interface) i was having. Had I not had the warranty, doing all of the updates (which is dont at Acura/Honda) would have been in upwards of $300.

Handruin

How much did you pay for your extended warranty? In most cases it's a gamble and they rarely pay off for consumers so I never buy the extended warranties.

ParaSurfer1979

What would the gamble be?

ReplayMan

iTrader: (5)

LOL...of course your buddy is going to tell you to get the extended warranty. His a Finance Mgr., that's how he makes money, that's his job. Never, never get the extended warranty. You wind up paying way more over time paying off the warranty than you do for a repairs if you hadn't. It doesn't pay....proven by Consumer Reports.

So, far my only repair was this DVD player repair, which cost me $158 and 1/2 of my time.

Handruin

Much like ReplayMan said, they usually don't pay. The gamble is that you'll likely pay anywhere from $700-$2000 for an extended warranty and the only real way you get your payout is if you happen to be in need of a "covered" repair that costs more than the price of the extended warranty. I've read many stories and heard through friends of situations where the damn extended warranty didn't cover the thing they needed due to a technicality or clause in the fine print.

I'm much of the opinion to just take the money you would have spent (let's say $1500) and put it in an account that you won't touch. When the time comes that you need to make a costly repair, just use that money and work with a trusted local garage.

Basically with any extended warranty, you're playing the odds that are usually in favor of the coverage service. That goes for most anything that offers an extended warranty.

So far I've spent the $158 for the DVD drive and $350 for a Brembo brake caliper because some douchebag at the factory cross-threaded the bolt. I don't even know of the cross-threaded issue would have even been covered by an extended warranty plan.

ezc925

Thanks, I played around with the wires in the back of the DVD Nav drive but nothing happened. So it has been shipped off to Alpine to get fixed. I hope this works...

ezc925

Thanks, I played around with the wires in the back of the DVD Nav drive but nothing happened. So it has been shipped off to Alpine to get fixed. I hope this works...

my07tl

My DVD Nav drive just got back from alpine. Came with new disk too (version 4.92). Only hard part to boot it up was that I spent lot time to find dvd nav. code. Remember the code where you stored if you can not find it, you may get it from dealer.

Handruin

Nice! You received a much newer version than I did. I'm glad it worked out for you. I had that same oh-shit moment when it asked for the code. Fortunately I knew where it was.

jno3434

Had the disc reading error, sent it to Alpine. Just got it back and it works fine now. Took about 3 weeks to get it back.

Phambam12

well i sent mine into alpine about 2 weeks ago and im still waiting for it to come back. hopefully i get a newer disc too because mine would NEVER find the address i typed in.

ReplayMan

iTrader: (5)

Yours couldn't find the address? Not sure if that's a player problem.

crzygosu87

iTrader: (4)

My unit was received by Alpine on September 19 - just called today asking about the status of the repair, and it seems there are some parts that are on back order ... it'll take couple of more weeks according to the rep @___@

Hopefully the 5-week wait is worth it ><

mseason7

I also have a 2007 TL with a nav issue. I have the disc read error within 2 minutes of starting the car. I also removed the disc and it is a scratch around the entire CD. Is this an error with the system or should I get a new disc?

Thanks!