P38A P38 Sat Nav - Want To Know What's Inside The Navigation System?

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
Quantim

Quantim

Member
Posts
11
Location
Sussex
Afternoon, now before you all go "...not another P38 Sat Nav thread!", please hear me out.

I have a 2000 P38 Vogue and it's always bugged me that since getting the car just over a year ago the Sat Nav has never worked. I just get a flash of white on the screen on startup and then kind of a fuzzy black with some small white lines in the bottom left corner.

So, I decided to open up the box in the boot to see if I could find anything obviously wrong.

I have a few questions which I'd really appreciate some help with if you can:

1) What does the SatNav look like on start-up with/without the maps CDROM?
2) Do you think it sounds like my screen is OK and SatNav unit broken (or possibly both?!)
3) Does anyone know what tends to break in these things?

I couldn't see anything obviously wrong when I looked but I'm not really that surprised. Most electronic issues are invisible to the naked eye I suppose.

Anyway, here's what it all looks like inside my unit:

Front.jpg

Rear.jpg

Top.jpg

TopCoverOff.jpg


CDROMout.jpg

CDROMout2.jpg

CloseUpInside.jpg
 
Took the drivers door lock out to change the microswitch block. I have been getting low key battery message on the dash,changed the batteries for the second time in two months! I cannot sync the key using the door lock and now I have engine disabled message. I cannot enter the eka code with the key so I guess its the microswitch's or the white block connectors behind the foot well panel. Bugger, the wiring on my spare micro switch block is different. If it doesn't get sorted tomorrow then sod it for a few weeks
 
tomcat59alan said:
Took the drivers door lock out to change the microswitch block. I have been getting low key battery message on the dash,changed the batteries for the second time in two months! I cannot sync the key using the door lock and now I have engine disabled message. I cannot enter the eka code with the key so I guess its the microswitch's or the white block connectors behind the foot well panel. Bugger, the wiring on my spare micro switch block is different. If it doesn't get sorted tomorrow then sod it for a few weeks
Click to expand...

Was this supposed to be a new thread or were you just hoping?!

@martyuk is busy elsewhere at the moment so won't be checking up very often. I couldn't see the DVD in that unit so doubt that helps. Think @Saint.V8 might have played with the Sat. Nav. in the past?
 
tomcat59alan said:
Took the drivers door lock out to change the microswitch block. I have been getting low key battery message on the dash,changed the batteries for the second time in two months! I cannot sync the key using the door lock and now I have engine disabled message. I cannot enter the eka code with the key so I guess its the microswitch's or the white block connectors behind the foot well panel. Bugger, the wiring on my spare micro switch block is different. If it doesn't get sorted tomorrow then sod it for a few weeks
Click to expand...
Sorry thought I was on the what did you do with your RR today post, senior moment.
 
The sat nav screen in the fascia is likely to be fine - it is the drive that fails.

From memory there is a guy out in Poland who repairs them - there were listings on eBay awhile ago for the repair of them.
As far as I know the fault is something to do with the memory, or possibly the firmware on the drive, as they can be killed by disconnecting the battery when the drive is still powered on (it shuts itself off automatically). So as far as I am aware it's more of a software issue that bricks them, rather than a hardware fault. As to how they are repaired, I have no idea. Might be a case of replacing the memory chip, or maybe the guy that did repairs on them had the original firmware and somehow re-flashes it to get it back to normal.

@tomcat59alan I'll send you a message regarding door latches to keep it separate.
 
martyuk said:
The sat nav screen in the fascia is likely to be fine - it is the drive that fails.

From memory there is a guy out in Poland who repairs them - there were listings on eBay awhile ago for the repair of them.
As far as I know the fault is something to do with the memory, or possibly the firmware on the drive, as they can be killed by disconnecting the battery when the drive is still powered on (it shuts itself off automatically). So as far as I am aware it's more of a software issue that bricks them, rather than a hardware fault. As to how they are repaired, I have no idea. Might be a case of replacing the memory chip, or maybe the guy that did repairs on them had the original firmware and somehow re-flashes it to get it back to normal.

@tomcat59alan I'll send you a message regarding door latches to keep it separate.
Click to expand...
Thanks Marty,recieved and replied
 
Thanks for the info Marty, much appreciated. I'm interested in possibly using the screen for a rear camera - from what I've read you can use a source component to RGB converter. Might be more useful than the original Nav... anything but that black/fuzzy screen!
 
Quantim said:
Thanks for the info Marty, much appreciated. I'm interested in possibly using the screen for a rear camera - from what I've read you can use a source component to RGB converter. Might be more useful than the original Nav... anything but that black/fuzzy screen!
Click to expand...

I've not seen the Range Rover but the Jag one from about 2001 is RGB+sync and the screen is the American NTSC and not PAL. Guess Land Rover are the same? As long as you get the right lead and camera it should just plug in I believe. Normally you switch the screen on using power from the reversing lights.
 
tomcat59alan said:
Sorry thought I was on the what did you do with your RR today post, senior moment.
Click to expand...

tomcat59alan said:
Took the drivers door lock out to change the microswitch block. I have been getting low key battery message on the dash,changed the batteries for the second time in two months! I cannot sync the key using the door lock and now I have engine disabled message. I cannot enter the eka code with the key so I guess its the microswitch's or the white block connectors behind the foot well panel. Bugger, the wiring on my spare micro switch block is different. If it doesn't get sorted tomorrow then sod it for a few weeks
Click to expand...

Too late mmmmwwwuuuuuhhhaaahhhhhaaaa :p:)
 
I could be wrong - but I seem to remember that the P38 screen uses RGsB, which is RGB but with the sync on the green.

I'll have a look and see if I can find a link to the thread on Rangerovers.net where someone has done it and got it working, and they listed what converter was required to put an external video input into the screen.

EDIT: I found the link here: http://www.rangerovers.net/forum/7-...ange-rover-navigation-playing-dvd-videos.html but there seems to be issues with the site and loading it (maybe you can get a cached version?)

But there's also this video I found which was related to another thread:


And in the comments there is mention of a composite to RGsB Converter, so maybe worth looking into something like that - most reversing cameras output composite video, so that might help.
 
Last edited:
In my sat nav there is a little woman who is there for if i go anywhere near Bolton, who constantly repeats. "If possible do a U turn". Everywhere else is fine, but my sat nav will not work in Bolton, no idea why.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Montyjohn
P38A Should I put a modern touch screen radio in my car?
2
Replies
37
Views
1K
kermit_rr
kermit_rr
8v_chris
P38A I think I’ve broken my XYZ switch!?
Replies
2
Views
136
8v_chris
8v_chris
A
P38A Cairn 11 Sat Nav buttons
Replies
5
Views
507
Mark Piercy
Mark Piercy
W
P38 EAS Down on One Corner
Replies
9
Views
1K
pwood999
pwood999
Blob
L322 Solved - C1A13-64 (AF) Pressure does not decrease when venting gallery
Replies
2
Views
659
stuu
stuu
Back
Top