tsam19

Mentioned at the start of the post. The front lcd screen panel on the NHZN W57 wouldn't open. Turns out because of a sticky dry or worn cog in the drive mechanism! A slight whack on the top facia panel seemed to free the screen to open and shut. For anyone interested, there is lots of useful info on these Japan audio head units. But only on Japanese websites. However you need a VPN set to a Japan IP address, otherwise you won't be able to read the articles. You will also need auto translate to read them too. https://area456.eshizuoka.jp/e1956827.html https://minkara.carview.co.jp/smart/userid/381088/car/288341/1492540/note.aspx In the above minkara link, it shows how to access the head unit secret diagnostic pages built into the head unit software. Hope this helps someone out in the future.

Just to re-clarify to the readers. Plugged in the cable(s) to head unit and laptop. Tried with head unit powered on. Tried with head unit powered off. Laptop not showing any connected devices in both head unit on/off. Laptop recognises the cables attached i.e install driver messages onscreen. Device manager cables firewire / thunderbolt recognised. There's a hard drive in the head unit. Connecting a firewire cable should access the hard drive. But it doesn't. Its the same working principal as a computer, you power on, the power energises the internal hard drive, making it accessible. Hence the original question; what software does Toyota dealership use or what generic software program is there, that recognises that the laptop is connected to an external hard drive? Because thats what it is, an external hard drive in a car stereo head unit. The last resort is to remove head unit, dismantle and remove hard drive from it and connect via a caddy and then reassemble.....

Hello all, See if i can get any info on this question. Behind the head unit front facia there is a HDD with a firewire 400 / 4 pin socket. After much research I bought the firewire to firewire cable. Firewire socket on the head unit connect to firewire on the laptop. Also tried firewire socket on head unit to thunderbolt/firewire adapter to macbook thunderbolt. Tried the Mac Osx desktop and the Windows desktop environments. (Firewire to usb cables are a con they don't work) Turned the ignition on to power up head unit (Panasonic nhzn w57) Can anyone tell me is there is a software program that will recognise the head unit HDD and show it on the computer desktop, like an external drive? So i can transfer files straight to the head unit HDD? It is, after all a hard drive in a head unit. No different to one in a laptop or desktop machine. Or plugging in an external HDD to your machine. You can transfer files from a cd / dvd / sd card to it. So theoretically connecting a laptop should work too. Implications of cd data is 700mb, dvd data is 4.7gb and max sd card this unit takes is 2GB. The Toyota dealers must have some basic windows based software that recognises its connected to the vehicles head unit, otherwise there would be no firewire connector on the head unit. Thanks for reading.

For anyone with the same system (NHZN W57), there are 2 SD card slots. And from the instruction manual is suggests the maximum sized SD card the head unit can use is 2GB max only. Including micro sd in an adapter or full size. I tried a 128GB card in it and it didn't register. I understand the head unit can format the SD card into the file structure as depicted in the manual ready for use. See pics. There is a mention of using a specific Panasonic Jukebox pc tool software to convert or code songs to wma or mp3 format on the SD card. The exact Panasonic model number of this NHZN W57 is 08545-00Q21 Ref CQ-HS0701CJ If anyone knows how to or where to go to get the internal HDD updated to the lastest software, then do get in touch.

Yup, been through the whole NHZN W57 booklet(s) using Google translate. No English settings, quite a few functions can't be used. Not a problem! Found my way round the head unit system touch screen settings. It plays cds/dvds and reverse camera works. Sd slot works. As for the NHZN W57 radio, it doesn't have full range FM. Japan bandwidth narrower than UK. Japan radio FM range covers 76 - 90mHz only. And thats the range to choose from onsreen. As for UK/ Europe maps on a SD card. Not found any anywhere, some advice suggests none were made for this head unit. Being that its sole intended use was for Japan soil only. I'm happy to leave it in the vehicle.

arthurj, thanks for reply. Managed to get the front to open as it should. Possibly last owner didn't use it. So now able to get 1 x AM radio station and 1 x FM radio station working. I notice there is a slide door with a usb socket behind it. Looks like the head unit can be plugged into a laptop maybe. Be interesting to find the right lead and computer software. And anyway to put a UK map on it, If any exist. There is a hard drive in the NHZN W57, I played a CD and the songs were recorded onto the hard drive. Pretty cool! As for finding those SD card UK maps, unsure of where to look. The GPS sensor in the vehicle works, however onscreen there is no UK map to synch with the GPS sensor, just a blank screen and the compass top left corner. The unit can stay in the car, everything works, radio , dvd , cd , sd slot , rear roof screen, reverse camera and remote control etc, pointless removing it and binning it.

The you tube videos are false. It is someone merely pushing 2 or 3 onscreen buttons for a minute, while trying to guess what they are doing. Pointless waste of everyones time. There is NO English settings in the software in the NHZN W57 head unit.......... its a Japanese interface for Japan users only, these head units were never intended for English users, unless they understood the language! Not one of these videos shows a definite explanatory walk through that shows the change from Japanese to English for the NHZN W57 Av multimedia nav system. Translation is done by phone google translate app, point the camera at the screen or book and read whats been deciphered. I've been through 3 owner manual books that way !

Hello Rojie, Thanks for the reply. My concern is why the front lcd panel doesn't open, when buttons pressed. If it opened I could at least play a cd or mp3 on an Sd card. Alternatively I'd remove the unit and put a single din plate facia in with a single standard head unit. But again it's about finding the din facia to fit in the first place.

Hello all, Here's a link to many Jap car insurers in the UK. https://www.google.com/search?q=UK+car+insurance+for+Japan+import&oq=UK+car+insurance+for+Japan+import&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64.11853j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#ip=1 https://www.japanesempvmotors.co.uk/japanese-car-insurers Find Insurance - BIBA , search insurance , vehicle , type in imports Lots and lots to choose from in England.

Hello everyone, For those of you who have this Navigation System NHZN W57. I wanted to ask a few questions, see if I could get any help, before removing the unit from the vehicle. I have the hard back copies of the NHZN W57 stereo manuals, theres 3 in total. And I have used the Android Google translate app to go through every page of them. There's no option anywhere to change the language from Japanese to English on the stereo menu pages. It's locked according to country of manufacture. http://www.tph.co.jp/room/x8/avn/avn_manual/07model/NHZN-W57_Audio.pdf Theres no security code on it. 1) What I want to ask is, why won't the front panel open when the eject button is pressed (page 1 -10 pdf). And why it won't open from the touchscreen, from both touch onscreen selections (page 1 -14 pdf)? The buttons beep when pressed but the panel wont flip down. I've set the angle of display from small to big (page 1 -14 pdf). But the screen panel still doesn't open. 2) Are these NHZN W57 units re- flashable with a UK software conversion package of some sort for the main menus and sat nav maps , main radio and dvd functions? Are the cables that connect to the rear of the stereo compatible with any English stereo head unit with CCD (camera) ? Without having to install a new rear camera and other wires? Has anyone upgraded the head unit and used the same in vehicle wiring that the old unit was attached to? The device powers up and is in full Japanese, text, speech instructions etc. But not managed to tune the radio in or play a cd/dvd because of the panel not opening up. It seems a good piece of kit just the remove and throw away. Thanks for reading. If any one can answer, much appreciated.

Greetings everyone, new member saying hello.