L322 L322 and the dreaded Infotainment System

• #1

Hello all, and a HNY to all!

Despite over eleven years of my MY2008 L322 Vogue SE ownership, I’ve been largely lucky to have avoided radio / MOST / infotainment system issues. Whilst I’ve looked through many posts on the subject (apologies if I’ve missed some), I’m not sure I’ve come across one which reflects my circumstances, and I’d be very grateful to tap into the vast knowledge on this site.

Over the last few weeks, the infotainment has slowly been faltering; sometimes the radio works, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the clock / date can be reset and the info stored, sometimes not. Sometimes the rear reversing camera works, sometimes not. Sometimes they all work for 15+ seconds, then all stop working, and I’m left with the green oval and the hard buttons don’t work. The orange power button both stays on and switches off upon depressing the button, but the green oval remains on the Touch Screen Display (TSD) regardless. My iPhone won’t now connect to the car’s Nokia module.

If I use the TSD diagnostic codes (three digit and six digit codes separately), then I can find my way into the SatNav, and rear reversing camera / setup screens, and the TSD work fine, but no radio stations. Sometimes the Rear Screen Entertainment (RSE) and TV are shown as both ”Fitted” or ”Not Fitted”; similarly with the “Companion Camera” (venture cam?). See the photos attached. I’ve disconnected the battery +ve and -ve leads and touched the leads together, but with no change. There’s no sign of water ingress in the boot either. I’ve pulled the fibre optic plug on the Bluetooth Nokia unit and can see a red light on the incoming signal (but forgot to check the outgoing signal!).

I’ve also run the MOST self test feature, which is coming up with a lot of errors once the TX count gets over 900ish (second column on the right of the screen), and the display shows in blue font “AMS Rex Error”, whatever that means as Dr Google doesn’t return any guidance.

The MOST FBlock diagnostic screen also shows none of the Shadow FBlocks (whatever they are) existing. Should I be looking to replace the Integrated Head Unit, or am I barking up the wrong tree?

The Odyssey Extreme battery is a year old, a 100A unit and kept charged.

Any assistance / guidance would be gratefully received.

Cheers

Steve

[edit: re-post from the general thread]

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L322 Range Rover Vogue SE 3.6TDV8
1992 RRC Vogue SE
1991 RRC Vogue SE
1986 RRC Vogue EFi

With that many errors, I'd try a MOST bypass plug, one module at a time, starting with the Nokia BT (due to the phone no longer connecting which is nothing to do with any other module) and run it for a couple of days. Its possible the BT module is randomly dropping or corrupting data packets, the good news is it can be replaced with a Ford one from 2010 as fitted to L320's.

Thanks Graculus, with the pricing of these modules, it was something I was prepared to load the parts canon with, then re-run the test again; primarily because of ease of access, but also because the IHU isn’t as accessible. My thoughts are that the TSD is probably fine because of its behaviour once in test mode, so likely to be either something pulling together the various signals (IHU) or a signal generator (Nokia module).
But happy to learn if my thought pattern is flawed.
Cheers
Steve

I agree that the IHU is probably the least-likely culprit (and putting a MOST loopback on it won't prove anything!) You can (or could) get the loopback connectors on fleabay for less than £10.
I suspect one module is corrupting the data stream to the point where everything else is just 'getting shouted over', the Nokia BT module is in the middle of the MOST loop so in theory you should at least 'see' everything after it, but if the commands are not getting through....

SteveLondon said:

I’ve pulled the fibre optic plug on the Bluetooth Nokia unit and can see a red light on the incoming signal (but forgot to check the outgoing signal!).

Click to expand...

There isn't a separate outgoing signal, pretty sure it's the same light going in and out then onto the next module.

backinblack said:

There isn't a separate outgoing signal, pretty sure it's the same light going in and out then onto the next module.

Click to expand...

Thanks BackInBlack, I believe that too. Possibly what I should have done at the time was to reinstall the incoming fibre optic back into the Nokia module only, turned the ignition key, then held a white piece of paper against where the output fibre signal comes out to see if there’s a red light or not - if that makes sense.
What I don’t know is, can a red light appear at the output and the module still be faulty?
Cheers
Steve

Yes & no, a module will emit light on powering up to initiate the timing to the next module in the chain and say 'im here', on MOST, there is no 'master' as such.

ETA - the light is just the 'carrier' the data modulates it (to fast to see) so yes, you can have light that is meaningless / corrupted in terms of the MOST

Graculus said:

With that many errors, I'd try a MOST bypass plug, one module at a time, starting with the Nokia BT (due to the phone no longer connecting which is nothing to do with any other module) and run it for a couple of days. Its possible the BT module is randomly dropping or corrupting data packets, the good news is it can be replaced with a Ford one from 2010 as fitted to L320's.

Click to expand...

Graculus said:

I agree that the IHU is probably the least-likely culprit (and putting a MOST loopback on it won't prove anything!) You can (or could) get the loopback connectors on fleabay for less than £10.
I suspect one module is corrupting the data stream to the point where everything else is just 'getting shouted over', the Nokia BT module is in the middle of the MOST loop so in theory you should at least 'see' everything after it, but if the commands are not getting through....

Click to expand...

Hi Graculus, can the Ford unit be introduced into the MOST circuit unadjusted, or does the multi plug connector need altering please? And would a change of module require the serial number databank to be updated within the binnacle?
Cheers
Steve

The Ford unit is a slightly different pin-out, I'll dig up the details but essentially it only needs a +ve & -ve connection (plus MOST) and works without any further configuration - it's a much better unit all round.

Bluetooth info https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/bluetooth-module-pinout-wiring.389914/

Graculus said:

Yes & no, a module will emit light on powering up to initiate the timing to the next module in the chain and say 'im here', on MOST, there is no 'master' as such.

ETA - the light is just the 'carrier' the data modulates it (to fast to see) so yes, you can have light that is meaningless / corrupted in terms of the MOST

Click to expand...

I'm sure I read somewhere that the modules don't talk to each other, they talk to a master which then talks to the rest. I'll see if I can find it.

The IHU is the timing master for the MOST system. The IHU controls and manages the MOST ring and the system components. It is also responsible for the MOST security system. Each component in the MOST ring has a unique serial number. The component serial number is stored in a registry file in the instrument cluster. If any component serial number is not recognized, the entire audio system will not function.

Some of that is familiar - the bit about the IHU being the timing master certainly. Experience doesn't bear out the serial number portion though, It's probably part of the MOST specification but not implemented, at least not for all components.
I've exchanged BT modules (L319, 320 & L322), audio units (L319 & 320) tuner units (L322) , CD & DVD players (L322) TV Tuners (L405, 494 & 319) & DAB tuners (L319, 405 & 494) all without any configuration to be recognised on the MOST, I've never had to replace any IHU's, I've replaced amplifiers which have always needed configuration, SDD doesn't make it clear what's being configured though and I've replaced more IPK's than I care to think about, none of which have impacted on MOST functionality whilst the hardware & software changes were in progress (I used to put the radio on whilst I was stuck in the car!)

Yes I'm not sure about the serial number bit either unless all the serial numbers have a prefix that just needs to match. I have however replaced my amp without having to configure it.

The amps we were replacing were new so would be 'blank' as far as the EQ profile etc. they certainly were mute until configured, yours probably had the profiles from it's previous vehicle which matched yours well enough to work.

Sounds about right

Graculus said:

With that many errors, I'd try a MOST bypass plug, one module at a time, starting with the Nokia BT (due to the phone no longer connecting which is nothing to do with any other module) and run it for a couple of days. Its possible the BT module is randomly dropping or corrupting data packets, the good news is it can be replaced with a Ford one from 2010 as fitted to L320's.

Click to expand...

My MOST bypass plug should be arriving tomorrow, so hopefully I'll know a little more over the weekend.
Many thanks.

we had similar. No radio no screen nothing . Bypassed the bt with ebay loop fibre optic and it all came on. Hopefully it's that.

f40cab said:

we had similar. No radio no screen nothing . Bypassed the bt with ebay loop fibre optic and it all came on. Hopefully it's that.

Click to expand...

Let’s hope so f40cab. My bypass plug was due to be delivered today, but nothing so far. Perhaps tomorrow - but that’s great to hear, esp as it’s the easiest to get to.
Cheers
Steve

Hi all, apologies for the delay, but the car has been away for a couple of weeks for welding of the rear sills / wheel arches, then we went on holiday, returning a few days ago.

This afternoon I managed to get the MOST bypass plug around the units in rear LH boot space. Fitted to the Nokia BT module, the Traffic Master unit, and what I believe to be the RSE module and the amplifier (could have been the TV module [located behind the RSE module]). Fitting the bypass cable didn't provide for any changes on the TSD - just the logo displayed, with the power button's LED flashing orange. All four units in the boot space also showing the red light through the input fibre input cables.

The MOST self test provides for failures from about 4870 (higher up the numbers than I think the last test), but unlike the last test, the "MOST Status" and "Test Status" were flicking between "Net On" & "Lock Stable OK; and "Net Off / Virtual Zero / Zero Power / Confirm S" and "Lock Stable / Lock Short / Unlock Error".

Going into the "753" diagnostic menu within the TSD, the power knob illuminates both solid orange and off when depressed (flashes orange when not in diagnostic menu). When in this mode, the rear reversing camera works fine (so presume the TSD is working fine?), as does the SatNav, so presuming the IHU is working fine too? It's the radio and TV options that don't work, and my phone doesn't connect to the BT module (but it does connect to an Arcam mini-Blink unit I added into the system some years ago). So my gut feeling is Nokia BT unit, amplifier unit, RSE module and the TV module.

Although not a huge fan of firing the parts canon, I'm getting haft tempted just to swap out the BT module just to see . . . . . . . .

I haven't explored the CD auto changer yet in the front passenger compartment.

Would grateful receive any further advice on this as I was hoping the fibre optic bypass plug would clarify the faulty component . . . . . . but not sure that it has.

Cheers

Steve

2007 TDV8 Vogue SE