You switch on your Chrysler RHW radio, press the “NAV” button and… You find that the navigation does not work. What is going on? Why is the navigation not working? You can read about the causes of this fault and the repair method in the article below.
By reading this article, you will learn:
- Why your Chrysler RHW navigation does not work
- What causes this fault
- How to identify your radio model
- Whether repair is the best solution in this situation
Navigation not working in Chrysler RHW – what are the symptoms?
Let's start with a brief description of the symptoms of this fault. The problem appears when you have the radio on and try to launch the navigation function using the NAV button. The following message then appears:
Navigation Database Not Detected
Please Install Navigation Database
You can see this in the photo below (here in Italian). This is a permanent fault and it means the navigation cannot be used.
We mentioned that there can be three reasons for this problem – let's go through them.
Reasons why navigation does not work in Chrysler RHW
The appearance of the message above suggests one of the following faults:
- Damage to the hard drive that stores maps and navigation data
- Radio software error
- Damage to the electronics on the unit's main board (which means the radio cannot see the hard drive with the map)
A hard drive fault is the mildest one – it is enough to replace it and the navigation will work again without any problem. Software is also not a major issue, as updating it or reinstalling it usually solves the problem. By far the worst and most serious fault is damage to the electronics on the main board.
Why is this the worst fault? Because it requires specialist repair and only a handful of workshops in Europe are able to deal with it. In this article we discuss the repair of a radio with damaged electronics, but we can also repair the two previous cases without any problem.
Before we describe how your radio is repaired, let's make sure that your unit is exactly the one described in this article.
Identifying the Chrysler RHW radio
The easiest way is to check which radio designation is shown in the bottom right corner on the front panel. Yes, right next to the AUX socket you should see RHW.
In addition, the radio discussed here was fitted to the following vehicles:
- Jeep
- Chrysler Town & Country, Chrysler 200
- Dodge Avenger, Dodge Caliber, Dodge Challenger
- Dodge Durango – Alternate Mount, Dodge Grand Caravan
- Dodge Nitro, Dodge Ram 1500
- Dodge Ram 2500, Dodge Ram 3500
- Jeep Compass, Jeep Grand Cherokee – Alternate Mount
- Jeep Liberty, Jeep Patriot
- Jeep Wrangler JK
- Ram C/V, Ram Dakota
Good, we’ve made sure we’re talking about the same unit, so now we can move on to describing the repair. Although no, before we tell you about the repair, let’s consider whether there are any better ways to solve the problem of the navigation not working.
Are there better solutions than repair?
First, you can go to an authorised dealer, but… be prepared for a serious hit to your wallet. No dealership will bother repairing your unit – the only thing they will offer is a replacement, and that costs a lot of money.
Second, you can buy a used radio and pay just a fraction of the price of a new one. But what warranty do you have that you’re buying working equipment? And what if in six months the “new” radio develops exactly the same fault (or another one)? Besides, despite the lower price, buying a used unit still isn’t the cheapest option, because that is actually…
Repair!
At Komtel Serwis, we have been "bringing factory radio and navigation systems back to life" for years, and we repair even hopeless cases.
And while others will advise you to replace it or buy a new unit, we have good news for you:
Your broken navigation is now good for only… repair!
Professional Chrysler RHW navigation repair
We mentioned earlier that in the unit under discussion, the electronics of the main board were damaged. We diagnosed this using service equipment here at our workshop.
However, you can also carry out such a diagnosis yourself at home if you like a bit of DIY and feel up to it. Otherwise, leave it to us, because the diagnosis with us is always FREE.
Here’s how you can diagnose your radio yourself:
1. Go into the service menu. When you are in the main menu, press MENU and SEEK UP and SEEK DOWN at the same time.
After a moment you will see a screen like the one in the photo below, where you confirm “OK” and you are already in service mode.
Then go to the VERSIONS tab.
In the VERSIONS submenu, do you see information about the drive? We are interested in the HDD Model and HDD Firmware entries. If there is no data there (as in the photo above), it means the radio is not detecting the drive.
An additional confirmation is the display of the message:
NAV: can’t open /mnt/nav/database
Now we need to make sure whether it is the drive that is faulty, or whether the problem lies with the main board – for that we move on to step two.
2. Remove the hard drive and, if you can, connect it to a computer. Then check it using a free program (e.g. Crystal Disk Info) – if it shows status GOOD/OK, then we already know the drive is working properly. Time for the final confirmation, step three.
3. Make sure the drive fitted in the radio definitely does not start up. If you can’t hear it spinning or making any sounds, then you already have 100% certainty that it is the radio electronics that are damaged, not the drive.
Cause
The reason for all the trouble in this case is a faulty hard drive power supply circuit. It is located on the unit’s main board, and repairing it requires intervention in your radio’s electronics. We know how to do it and will repair your Chrysler RHW navigation without any problem. And best of all – it takes us an average of 1-3 working days!
Thanks to a professional repair, you will not only save money, but also gain the certainty that your unit is fully working. This is a much better solution than overpaying for new equipment or buying a used pig in a poke – especially as, in the process, we will inspect and test your radio to ensure it works correctly. The repair itself is quick, and thanks to it you will get back a fully working radio with navigation.
Besides, see for yourself – in the photo below you can see that the navigation starts up again in the unit repaired by us:
Let’s go back to the service menu – your working navigation shows the drive details without any problem:
We restore the comfort of travelling by car
Many companies offer car navigation repairs, but only at Komtel Serwis do we have our own methods for fault removal, measurements and tests. We use new components (even small resistors). We are confident in our work and give you peace of mind, meaning a one-year warranty on our service.
Express shipping
We care about your convenience, so we will send the unit back to you IMMEDIATELY after the repair and tests. We will not wait for your payment – we will send it by courier cash on delivery. A well-protected parcel with the navigation unit will reach you in no time, and you will pay for the service on delivery!
By servicing with us, you gain:
- Free assessment and quote
- Confidence in an effective repair
- Full navigation function test after repair
- Short turnaround time and express shipping
- 12 months’ warranty on the service performed
- You do not replace the unit = you save money
If you’d like to talk to us about repairing your radio, click the orange “REQUEST A QUOTE FOR REPAIR” button.
