2011 LR4 Lux Non-HD Head Unit Replacement

Looking for a replacement or upgrade to my head unit. The cameras have been going on and off with the "cameras" rectangle on the display screen going gray (cameras off) then lighting back up (cameras on). A few times, I have gotten a "Cameras System Fault" and after sitting for a bit, it will go away. Just now, the entire screen went blank and didn't come back on. When the cameras aren't working I will hear a sound under my dash behind the head unit display that sounds like a Tupperware lip opening and closing with a *pop*. Whatever it is, I want to get it fixed or upgraded. My priority is retaining full-functionality. I would be fine with a 2011 display if everything worked or would be willing to upgrade to a contemporary display that retained the same functionality. Any suggestions or leads would be greatly appreciated.

Now, after 30 minutes, or so, everything is back to normal. I'm thinking maybe it's a short in the wiring.

Hey BigBri! - I had head unit issues in the early days of LR4 ownership; there was a thread recently where I provided information on purchasing a replacement unit on Ebay. My issue was with the unit not saving radio stations... It was a minor issue but in the end quite annoying! Let's see what others say with regards the camera (I have no experience with that), if you need a new unit then I can dig deeper, here's my original thread:


Bear in mind that the head unit and display are two separate distinct parts... The head unit being the brains! In fact, I still have the old head unit if you want to try a substitute? LMK.

Thanks @Longtrail I think my 2011 is just getting old, like the rest of us. Private message me about your head unit. I'd be interested to give it a try. My concern is that my 2011 is the Denso unit. They may have changed that in your 2012. Thanks again!

Following up. The cameras issue is random and intermittent. It also cuts out the radio and aux sound (play list on thumb drive) on a cycled pattern when the cameras are down (3 seconds of sound and 2 seconds of silence on what seems to be a recurring loop). The one constant is I get a mechanical "popping" sound under the dash directly behind the touch screen. It's like a Tupperware lip being popped closed. Sounds like something is binding and then releasing. It happens every minute or so. When the cameras are up and operational, there is no popping sound.

When the cameras really go down good, I'll get a "cameras fault" amber warning light indicator. When I park it and later start it back up to head out, the cameras will be active again and the fault indicator gone. Not sure what getting a reading on the fault code is going to provide. Will it just tell me it's a cameras fault or something more specific?

Doing my research and have a call in to the local car stereo experts also have been looking around online to see if I can find a used working or remanufactured OEM unit to replace the one I've got. Ultimately, the problem is the unit is old and outdated and replacing it with another 15-year-old unit isn't going to fix that. I want to keep the original functionality. Maybe that's not possible and I will just have to upgrade and give something up in the exchange.

UPDATE: Got off the phone with the local auto stereo expert. He worked on one of these before and said it was a "nightmare". Problem is that everything is tied in to everything else and it's all high-end and proprietary. He did some research on aftermarket fixes to the existing head unit and said there was one company that once offered components but that it's all discontinued. Also, the 2010-11 Denso unit is even harder to source. Tough situation. He said if I can get an original head unit in the vehicle that works, he can do all sorts of upgrades. The only other alternative is to tear everything out and replace it.

Talked to a guy at a wrecking yard down in California that has head units. Says his mechanics go through them to make sure they work before being shipped out. He also suggested that I pull the existing unit to check the part number, connections, etc. He said that it might be a filter too. Apparently, there are 3 of them. No idea what a "filter" might be. Finally, he said that a guy might want to get himself a "fiber optic loop" and check to make sure everything is sending signal correctly. That sounded fine. Now all I have to do is figure out what a fiber optic loop is and what connections I can check with it and how. Oh, and if I do find a bad connection with the fiber optic loop, what then? Bought some nylon trim tools today. Figure I'll get to work tearing apart the dash over the weekend. It's not going to fix itself. Getting in there and seeing what's going on seems like the next right move.

Sometimes I really miss the days of DIN and double DIN head units.

Watched a video on how to troubleshoot a stereo system using the fiber optic loop. Looks simple once you see it done. The components of the system are linked through fiber optic harnesses (instead of wire). By removing the harnesses and bypassing each unit in the sequence with the fiber optic loop you can see if that upstream component is the the source of the problem. The ends of the fiber optic connectors will flash red when they have a signal to send. No flashing red, no signal. That's how to isolate which upstream component is the source of the issue.

My challenge is the camera fault is intermittent and I would need to have it malfunctioning in order to test the system with the loop. Since you have to tear apart the dash to get to the components, I'm not sure how to pull that off. Maybe I just wait for it to totally die and diagnose it then. The visual screens work. 4x4 info screen. Navigation screen. The only thing to go down are the cameras. When the cameras are down the audio still works, but the sound periodically cuts out and comes back on the radio, aux, and nav.

The one tell is the popping sound underneath the dash. As soon as I hear that sound, I know the cameras have gone out. Or if the cameras are out on start up, the popping sound happens too. No sound when the cameras are working. That pop sounds physical, mechanical, not electrical. Hoping I'll see something obvious once I open up the dash and visually inspect.

BigBriDogGuy said:

That pop sounds physical, mechanical, not electrical. Hoping I'll see something obvious once I open up the dash and visually inspect.

Click to expand...

Is the pop coming from the speakers? Might be an intermittent power issue that affects both the power amplifier(s) and the camera?

Doesn't wound like a popping speaker. More like a binding and releasing sound. Rover Range suggested maybe an air conditioning mechanism opening and closing. Not sure, But now I've got a bigger problem, a metallic popping and scraping sound coming from my driver's side rear wheel. Someone suggested it might be a broken parking brake shoe. Don't see anything looking at it from the outside. Need to get it looked at because it's scary sounding, like something busted up.