*****important kenwood update info****
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 18,293
Likes: 137
From: Hazel Green, Wi www.doubledmods.com
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
*****important kenwood update info****
IMPORTANT UPDATE INFORMATION REGUARDING ALL KENWOOD UNITS.....
With numerous updates coming from Kenwood for all DNN/DNX/DDX units... This includes current and past models...
To avoid any catastrophic complications with your firmware updates.... Always perform update with CAR RUNNING and not just with key on!!!
Especially in the C6 where the key will time out after a period of time.
With other models of corvettes not having keyless start, you still take a chance on draining the battery while updating with just the key on.
We just found out the hard way what WILL HAPPEN if car times out or battery goes down in the middle of update.
Results- ONE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE PAPER WEIGHT
If power is lost during update it will FRY the unit!!!!
Should you need any help performing your update for you radio purchased from us @Double D Mods please call us or kenwood tech support!
Dennis
With numerous updates coming from Kenwood for all DNN/DNX/DDX units... This includes current and past models...
To avoid any catastrophic complications with your firmware updates.... Always perform update with CAR RUNNING and not just with key on!!!
Especially in the C6 where the key will time out after a period of time.
With other models of corvettes not having keyless start, you still take a chance on draining the battery while updating with just the key on.
We just found out the hard way what WILL HAPPEN if car times out or battery goes down in the middle of update.
Results- ONE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE PAPER WEIGHT
If power is lost during update it will FRY the unit!!!!
Should you need any help performing your update for you radio purchased from us @Double D Mods please call us or kenwood tech support!
Dennis
Last edited by Double D Mods; Jun 6, 2013 at 02:18 PM.
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 18,293
Likes: 137
From: Hazel Green, Wi www.doubledmods.com
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
and why would you say this?
I guess if anything you can blame the design on GM to shut the car off after 10 minutes on a C6 as you can not leave the key on like a C5. The battery drain on the C5 is also a GM flaw. If you update any radio even say a Pioneer and the car battery dies or it shuts off due to RAP timing out your going to mess up the radio.
I guess if anything you can blame the design on GM to shut the car off after 10 minutes on a C6 as you can not leave the key on like a C5. The battery drain on the C5 is also a GM flaw. If you update any radio even say a Pioneer and the car battery dies or it shuts off due to RAP timing out your going to mess up the radio.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,078
Likes: 17
and why would you say this?
I guess if anything you can blame the design on GM to shut the car off after 10 minutes on a C6 as you can not leave the key on like a C5. The battery drain on the C5 is also a GM flaw. If you update any radio even say a Pioneer and the car battery dies or it shuts off due to RAP timing out your going to mess up the radio.
I guess if anything you can blame the design on GM to shut the car off after 10 minutes on a C6 as you can not leave the key on like a C5. The battery drain on the C5 is also a GM flaw. If you update any radio even say a Pioneer and the car battery dies or it shuts off due to RAP timing out your going to mess up the radio.
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 18,293
Likes: 137
From: Hazel Green, Wi www.doubledmods.com
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
ITS NOT KENWOOD ONLY
AS I SAID ITS ANY RADIO
Kenwood also warns of loss of power during a firmware update will cause you problems in the details on how to perform the update.
All this was is to maybe tell someone who mainly has a C6 who wants to update the firmware on a unit to be careful or you will have an issue. Most updates are only about 5 minutes however this one just released is a large file and took longer.
The radio will boot up and you will get the start up screen. You just will not have the complete operating system to download into the radio. So in return your radio is wiped of an operating system just like you could do to a computer.
Last edited by Double D Mods; Jun 6, 2013 at 02:58 PM.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Hockley TX
Dennis,
I would not say its a "horrible" design but one of these manufactures of the radios should be able to figure out how to recover. I can boot my computer if the HD fails with a CD or USB drive to recover. Not knowing the technology inside these units maybe its not possible, but it would be a good idea.
I would not say its a "horrible" design but one of these manufactures of the radios should be able to figure out how to recover. I can boot my computer if the HD fails with a CD or USB drive to recover. Not knowing the technology inside these units maybe its not possible, but it would be a good idea.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 968
Likes: 8
I agree. The price for many of the units is beyond a good computer, and even reasonable PC's often have a /'backup' of the ROM in place for rescue.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,078
Likes: 17
Now that it's been mentioned...I did pay $450 for my touchscreen asus laptop that I absolutely love...and it moves around with me... no wonder I can't bring myself to pay big bucks for a head unit that is stuck with the car...especially considering the fact that I'd have to duplicate it because I have two vettes that I'm working on.
Poor design and that doesn't fall on the auto manufacturers shoulders.
Poor design and that doesn't fall on the auto manufacturers shoulders.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,071
Likes: 14
From: Odessa TX
I don't think a failed hard drive is a good analogy. If your computer loses power mid way through a BIOS update, more often than not you will need a new EEPROM chip and your computer won't boot. Or another one, if you're flashing a bootloader on your smartphone and your battery dies, you'll "hard brick" it and it'll be a paper weight.
So it's not really a bad design. When was the last time you updated something and it didn't say "DO NOT SHUT OFF" or etc? Hell, even when you're saving a game on your PS3 or Xbox it'll say that.
So it's not really a bad design. When was the last time you updated something and it didn't say "DO NOT SHUT OFF" or etc? Hell, even when you're saving a game on your PS3 or Xbox it'll say that.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,078
Likes: 17
I don't think a failed hard drive is a good analogy. If your computer loses power mid way through a BIOS update, more often than not you will need a new EEPROM chip and your computer won't boot. Or another one, if you're flashing a bootloader on your smartphone and your battery dies, you'll "hard brick" it and it'll be a paper weight.
So it's not really a bad design. When was the last time you updated something and it didn't say "DO NOT SHUT OFF" or etc? Hell, even when you're saving a game on your PS3 or Xbox it'll say that.
So it's not really a bad design. When was the last time you updated something and it didn't say "DO NOT SHUT OFF" or etc? Hell, even when you're saving a game on your PS3 or Xbox it'll say that.
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 18,293
Likes: 137
From: Hazel Green, Wi www.doubledmods.com
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
From Kenwood guide to performing the update
Found via this link
http://www.kenwood.com/cs/ce/mm/firm...Wupdate_en.pdf
Precautions
• Update cannot be performed with other media.
• Be sure to park the vehicle in a safe place before updating. Keep the
engine running in order to prevent battery from running out.
• Do not turn off the engine or Navigation/Multimedia receiver power
while updating. Update cannot be performed correctly and the
Navigation/Multimedia receiver may become unusable
Racer
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 337
Likes: 1
From: Westchester Co. NY
What I can't figure out is how to keep the update from wiping out my stored radio stations and my saved places. I tried saving the setup info prior to the upgrade, then restoring it, but that didn't work.
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 18,293
Likes: 137
From: Hazel Green, Wi www.doubledmods.com
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
your going to not be able to retain anything as your basically wiping and adding a complete new firmware to the radio. It will retain nothing at all.
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 7,035
Likes: 134
From: North Augusta, SC
I've taken pics of each setup and favorites screen with my phone, then after doing update set them all back to where they were. If you have the memory just leave them on the phone, if unit ever resets for some reason you can return settings without having to figure everything out all over again.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 337
Likes: 1
From: Westchester Co. NY
Good suggestion, thanks. But I still think there ought to be some way to save or export the station presets and the saved places. When I update my smartphone, I don't expect it to wipe out my contacts or other saved information.
It does seem that saving the setup options preserves the sound settings.
It does seem that saving the setup options preserves the sound settings.