DB11 Infotainment Screen Dead?
Discussion
2018MY DB11 v12. Strange issue developed today... Set off on a short journey - screen powered up as usual. Parked, locked it. Came back out 30mins later and upon opening the door the alarm went off which I stopped with the key fob (that's a bit odd). Upon starting it the screen remained black, no audio, some of the buttons are unresponsive (camera, engine stop/start cancel, sport button and suspension on steering wheel) and the red LEDs either side of the CD slot keep blipping as they do when it's parked/locked. Does the infotainment still think the car is locked?
On its last outing last weekend it went on a long run and engine stop/start was functioning (something it only does if it's happy with battery charge etc). Has since been parked for 7 days which is not much. And any longer than that and it's usually on a battery conditioner.
It does have an IDCore carplay module but I don't think that's part of the issue (can see phone connects to it and phone thinks the music is playing).
Left the car for 20mins and rechecked but still the same. Will now leave it overnight on the conditioner and see if its different tomorrow.
Car starts, runs and is otherwise fine.
Any thoughts or experience on this? And way to reset the infotainment module?
On its last outing last weekend it went on a long run and engine stop/start was functioning (something it only does if it's happy with battery charge etc). Has since been parked for 7 days which is not much. And any longer than that and it's usually on a battery conditioner.
It does have an IDCore carplay module but I don't think that's part of the issue (can see phone connects to it and phone thinks the music is playing).
Left the car for 20mins and rechecked but still the same. Will now leave it overnight on the conditioner and see if its different tomorrow.
Car starts, runs and is otherwise fine.
Any thoughts or experience on this? And way to reset the infotainment module?
You hint at battery and that was my first thought.
Judging by this forum, electrics haywire and often it turns out to be the battery reaching the end of its life.
Presumably yours if original, would now be about 7 years old.
Clearly enough oompf to start the engine, but perhaps not enough for all the electrical systems to be happy.
Jon39 said:
You hint at battery and that was my first thought.
Judging by this forum, electrics haywire and often it turns out to be the battery reaching the end of its life.
Presumably yours if original, would now be about 7 years old.
Clearly enough oompf to start the engine, but perhaps not enough for all the electrical systems to be happy.
Feels like a battery, even if old, that has enough power to fire up a big engine should be able to fire up the screen....
Brian_Blessed said:
Definitely a possibility. Just seems really odd that the alarm went off when opening the door (just that once) and since then the infotainment is permanently off with those red leds blipping on the cd slot like it does when it's locked. No matter how many times I press to fire up the infotainment (with or without starting engine) it just won't have it.
Feels like a battery, even if old, that has enough power to fire up a big engine should be able to fire up the screen....
Feels like a battery, even if old, that has enough power to fire up a big engine should be able to fire up the screen....
AM PHers have described various different component failures.
It was much easier in the old days. When the starter motor began cranking slower than normal, that wastge warning sign, no other nonsense.
With modern cars that won't let us manoeuvre a car even one foot unless the driver is wearing a seat belt, you would think that if cars are as clever as the make out, why don't they display a message stating, 'You will soon need a replacement battery'?
Starting to suspect something more than just battery health... Had it on the battery conditioner for a few hours and it's now showing as 100% and green. Problem still persists though....
Will check tomorrow.
Also seems that fuse boxes for interior functions are in hard to access places like under a rear seat and behind the dash where a glove box would be.
Will check tomorrow.
Also seems that fuse boxes for interior functions are in hard to access places like under a rear seat and behind the dash where a glove box would be.
Six- or seven-year-old battery could easily be on its last legs - I changed mine on my VH V8V at 7 years just in case. The different display of the warning lights after the new one was fitted on my battery conditioner says it was the right thing to do in my case.
Edited by LTP on Monday 3rd March 13:22
Brian, please would you do me a favour?
If the screen is still blank when you next start the car, please locate your ID-Core processing unit and press the reset button (using a pin or biro) for a few seconds - the blue light next to it will go out whilst the switch is pressed in.
The unit will reboot after the reset.
Make sure the infotainment power button of the car is turned on.
If the screen is still off after this (try pressing camera, Nav, Phone, etc.), the fault is almost certainly not related to the ID-Core unit, however if the screen turns on, then you’ve shown the fault is almost certainly related to an issue with the ID-Core.
If the screen is still blank when you next start the car, please locate your ID-Core processing unit and press the reset button (using a pin or biro) for a few seconds - the blue light next to it will go out whilst the switch is pressed in.
The unit will reboot after the reset.
Make sure the infotainment power button of the car is turned on.
If the screen is still off after this (try pressing camera, Nav, Phone, etc.), the fault is almost certainly not related to the ID-Core unit, however if the screen turns on, then you’ve shown the fault is almost certainly related to an issue with the ID-Core.
VantageHead said:
Brian, please would you do me a favour?
If the screen is still blank when you next start the car, please locate your ID-Core processing unit and press the reset button (using a pin or biro) for a few seconds - the blue light next to it will go out whilst the switch is pressed in.
The unit will reboot after the reset.
Make sure the infotainment power button of the car is turned on.
If the screen is still off after this (try pressing camera, Nav, Phone, etc.), the fault is almost certainly not related to the ID-Core unit, however if the screen turns on, then you’ve shown the fault is almost certainly related to an issue with the ID-Core.
Thanks VH. Do you think it can be an IDCore issue when the screen doesn’t even power up through the normal sequence with DB11 logo etc, several buttons on the dash are not working and the S mode button on steering wheel also? If so, would it better to bypass it totally? No idea how feasible that is though…If the screen is still blank when you next start the car, please locate your ID-Core processing unit and press the reset button (using a pin or biro) for a few seconds - the blue light next to it will go out whilst the switch is pressed in.
The unit will reboot after the reset.
Make sure the infotainment power button of the car is turned on.
If the screen is still off after this (try pressing camera, Nav, Phone, etc.), the fault is almost certainly not related to the ID-Core unit, however if the screen turns on, then you’ve shown the fault is almost certainly related to an issue with the ID-Core.
Brian_Blessed said:
Thanks VH. Do you think it can be an IDCore issue when the screen doesn’t even power up through the normal sequence with DB11 logo etc, several buttons on the dash are not working and the S mode button on steering wheel also? If so, would it better to bypass it totally? No idea how feasible that is though…
Good point Brian - the reason I suggest this is that 2 years ago, my screen went blank when I turned on the car. When I talked to my car audio installer, he suggested performing the ID-Core reset (which worked). This would last a few more engine starts, then the next time, the screen would go blank again (necessitating another reset). This was cured with the firmware update (I know you have the latest firmware, so it may not be this).From what you describe and the other symptoms, it may well not be the ID-Core responsible, however the fact that everything on the screen goes through the ID-Core unit and the fact that I also suffered ‘blank screen syndrome’ made me comment in this thread. Just a hunch, hence the recommended experiment…….
So… little update… I did the thing that has cured countless Astons in the past…. hooked it up to a battery conditioner overnight and checked it this morning. All working perfectly.
I think the issue was triggered by me opening the door and setting the alarm off and the centre console was still left in its sleep mode with red leds blinking on the cd slot. Once it’s reset itself from that it’s fine.
Now whatever circuit it was that went a bit funny could still be impacted by an old battery (as has been pointed out above) so I think I’ll get it booked in proactively for a new one in the coming weeks.
Will post separately about recommendations as I often find that manufacturers don’t specify the best batteries and I’d want a Varta or Bosch silver presuming they fit.
I think the issue was triggered by me opening the door and setting the alarm off and the centre console was still left in its sleep mode with red leds blinking on the cd slot. Once it’s reset itself from that it’s fine.
Now whatever circuit it was that went a bit funny could still be impacted by an old battery (as has been pointed out above) so I think I’ll get it booked in proactively for a new one in the coming weeks.
Will post separately about recommendations as I often find that manufacturers don’t specify the best batteries and I’d want a Varta or Bosch silver presuming they fit.
In a similar, but not quite the same vein, something that might help someone in a similar, but not quite the same problem.
V12VS with AMiIII - so not the MB infotainment system. Old battery eventually went flat. I managed to jumpstart the car (it is worth reading the manual for this as it’s not what I’d call a normal jump start procedure). But even though the engine fired, the screen stayed down in the dash and refused to rise. I left the car on a conditioner to recondition then recharge the battery - still no difference.
But disconnecting the battery terminals, leaving the car for 15 minutes, then reconnecting cured the problem. Odd.
V12VS with AMiIII - so not the MB infotainment system. Old battery eventually went flat. I managed to jumpstart the car (it is worth reading the manual for this as it’s not what I’d call a normal jump start procedure). But even though the engine fired, the screen stayed down in the dash and refused to rise. I left the car on a conditioner to recondition then recharge the battery - still no difference.
But disconnecting the battery terminals, leaving the car for 15 minutes, then reconnecting cured the problem. Odd.
BlackTails said:
In a similar, but not quite the same vein, something that might help someone in a similar, but not quite the same problem.
V12VS with AMiIII - so not the MB infotainment system. Old battery eventually went flat. I managed to jumpstart the car (it is worth reading the manual for this as it’s not what I’d call a normal jump start procedure). But even though the engine fired, the screen stayed down in the dash and refused to rise. I left the car on a conditioner to recondition then recharge the battery - still no difference.
But disconnecting the battery terminals, leaving the car for 15 minutes, then reconnecting cured the problem. Odd.
Yes, sounds similar even though the hardware is different. Like a circuit that is meant to enable power to the media console just locks up maybe due to battery issues and makes it look like something worse has happened. V12VS with AMiIII - so not the MB infotainment system. Old battery eventually went flat. I managed to jumpstart the car (it is worth reading the manual for this as it’s not what I’d call a normal jump start procedure). But even though the engine fired, the screen stayed down in the dash and refused to rise. I left the car on a conditioner to recondition then recharge the battery - still no difference.
But disconnecting the battery terminals, leaving the car for 15 minutes, then reconnecting cured the problem. Odd.
Have just had exactly the same issues occur with my 19’ db11 v8. Phoned AM Nottingham to book it in, even before they’d seen it they asked if I had an aftermarket CarPlay system installed which I have. Took it in and they confirmed the CarPlay system was an early variant installed in the footwell where commonly they get too hot and that it had developed a permenant fault that was interfering with the cars electrics. So car now working perfectly…but with no CarPlay system 
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