Since August 2021 when my free year Sirius XM trial was about to end, had a problem others have posted on the forum prior and continue to post. It appears when I started to use the Thumb Dive with >1000 songs used in my C7s.

A Poster found what turned out to be a particle solution. After tests he concluded the Thumb Drive plugged into the USB port and the NAV Card were using the same buss to communicate launch. If his songs were over 160 kbs it created a conflict and the SD Card Removed issue.

I found a simple way to convert the whole Thumb Drive file to 160 kbs or lower if they started lower. Sure enough, found 1/3 of my songs were >160 kbs and I would get the error about a 1/3 of the time I started the car. (The method is in this PDF link http://netwelding.com/NAV_SD_Card_Error.pdf It has another advantage as it allows a safe way of ripping any song playing on your computer!)

After a message on the right side of the dash display this appears when you press the NAV Icon on the center screen. Chevy has no solution, some dealers replaced the card reader! No help, that is NOT the cause.



BUT recently found a much simpler solution in a Truck Forum I happened to see:
Fix From GM Truck Forum:
“The problem is the NAV Card is locked. The Truck is trying to initialize the card and write data to it - but can't! Remove the card (engine off) move slide to unlock position (see pic below.) Insert Card. May get a Confirm Request. Accept and your good!”

Has worked for a month so far so good!

 

I was getting the error message regularly, but I don't recall any since an OTA update back in March. But I also don't regularly use the Nav system.

Anyone know if the nav SD card is installed at the factory or during the PDI? If the latter, it could be that moving the unlock switch prior to the install was just a missed step at the dealer.

I'll check the setting on my card.

Update: Did some more Google research and found advice similar to Jerry's, except they say to place the SD card tab into the locked position.

 

^^^^
The NAV SD Card comes installed by BG with the write option locked. I don't use NAV often either BUT noticed I was not getting the speed limit showing in HUD! Need NAV working to get that. .

Yep, I assume the Card would say keep locked. That is the way the new Card came bought directly from GM. If you look at the posts about the subject (which i outline in the first old part of my PDF) you'll see Chevy had no solution for the Vette. There was a Bulletin for cars with the same GM infotainment system as the Vette, but it's not listed. However the bottom line is interesting: Technical Service Bulletin 19-NA-279 with the NAV error - states:

“SD Card Error code 0x40000 • SD Card Removed message when card has not been removed • Cause The cause of the condition may be software anomalies.”

You'll also see comments of dealers ripping the console apart to install a new SD Reader- which did nothing. I've had all the updates offered for my C8 and no help. Keeping the Card Unlocked is no doubt a workaround. GM will probably not endorse. I tried on my old OEM SD card not the updated one I bought from GM a month ago as it produced the same error. If after some additional time everything is fine, I'll do the same for the new card!

 

I doubt the bit rate (160kbps or higher) has anything to do with it. I've got several thousand songs recorded at 320kbps / 44.1KHz on a thumb drive, and have never gotten that error message.

 

^^^
Many folks have reported not having the issue with larger song files, so it appears the "software anomaly" is only in some GM cars/trucks. So far the solution found in the Truck Forum is working for me!

The poster that found that it did, Z06DevilCar, did a lot of testing. As I said mine was doing it at every 1/3 start and ~1/3 of my songs over 160 kbs. However as the GM Bulletin 19-NA-279 on the subject although not for the Corvette but for a number of other newer GM Cars/Trucks with the Corvette infotainment system" "It's a software anomaly" and gave NO solution!

I'm confident he was correct and the NAV and USB were using the same BUSS to initiate their functions. So his logic and what I found made sense. BUT I was still getting it every 15 or 20th starts, a PIA. Could not just shut off and restart quickly, it stayed in the SC Card Removed state! I would go a grocery store and when I came back in 10 minutes it would often work fine

 

Nice investigative work, Jerry.

 

@DSOMrulz Do you have a 2020? This issue may be limited to these. I have about 100 tracks on my USB thumb drive recorded above 160 kbps.

Jerry's last post just explained why my HUD also isn't showing posted speed limits lately. I hadn't considered it related to the Nav card issue. Now I know!

 

I am not following how excess bus bandwidth utilization is related to a locked Nav card.

 

I had been thinking it may be related to when the 2020 was built as well. There does not appear to be a high number of us with the issue. But for most who post, it does not go away with software updates etc. As That GM Bulletin noted they had no solution and said it was a software anomaly!

My C8 was built at the end of August 2020 just before the software fix for the Frunk opening. The way the announcement of the fix was worded it sounded like the dealer would have to update my software. I had actually made and easy to install Frunk Hood Tether to install before driving it home! I asked the great Corvette Tech t the small Chevy distributorship at my CD dealer if he had updated the software. He said not was required. He had also done the PDI and other work on my 2017 Grand Sport. When we checked the car that software had been installed at BG, must have been some of the first batch to have that done at BG.

So the software "anomoly" may not be something eastly addresses with an update as could be part of a general operating system. Don't know.

 

The testing and efforts expended by Z06DevilCar a year ago defined that the same Buss was transmitting info to initiate both NAV and whatever is connected to the USB port causes NAV to not complete. From what I observed, it appeared to depend on the song that was playing when I stared the car. Files over 160 kps caused the NAV not to initiate! That is what Z06DevilCar defined as well. If the Thumb Drive is removed or not use it's a non issue!

This fix of moving the NAV SD Card to unlock (defined in the Truck Forum) has worked for me and appears for whatever reason the imitation now occurs. Very simple to try for those with the issue. Many have large song files for higher quality.

Mine songs have all been reduced to that 160 kbs level for about a year. As my PDF (Link in my post #1) outlines the open source sound software, Audacity I used to change all my songs that were over 160 kbs to that level in one simple copy and past of the whole file.

I also found I could use that free software to rip any song playing on my Lap Top. Turns out it is dependent on the computer sound card as it does not work on my Desk Top! But if it's playing in YouTube etc I can record. That was possible several years ago with a YouTube link. However when they were sued for copyright infringement theirs and other US based copy systems stopped offering. There are some overseas sources but they can and are reported to also cause viruses etc. This is all accomplished with the free software no extremal connections.

 

No, mine is a '21. It might also have something to do with the data transfer rate of the thumb drive. A slow USB drive could have problems with high bit-rate files.

 

Sorry, should have waited a little longer! A few NAV SD Card Removed Popped up!

It may be like many things those of us with the issue have tried, thought worked and then found didn't. It's not a real high frequency but a nuisance! Will keep looking and trying!

 

Are all your music files still 160kbps?

 

^^^
Yep, thought a few might not be so checked. But your comment about speed made me think my 2014 flush mount Thumb Drive might not be the fastest so have a later 3.1 coming. Will load songs on it!

Also as I said was a little concerned about allowing the car to write to the NAV Card. NOT what it should do and was concerned that might mess something up! So I did that only on my old card! Will test the new Thumb Drive on both.

 

Your proposed solution never made sense from a technical point of view.

 

^^^
It wasn't MY SOLUTUION! Picked it up from a GM Truck Forum! The reduced bps has improved it quite a bit. It's an issue with a number of GM cars. The GM Bulletin bottom line "that it's a software anomaly" is about like your reaction! USELESS!

Not sure of the cause except what Z06DevilCar tested and found a year ago. Both NAV and USB Thumb drive are initializing over the same BUSS (probably other stuff as well.). Something causes a conflict in the NAV initiation. In fact says that when after you get a message on the center dash that you have to press OK to get past when you press NAV on the center screen.. It shows imitating for 5 or 10 seconds then the"Card Removed" message. Exactly what the GM Bulletin about the issue for some other cars (not the Corvette) states for 2019 and 2020 with similar infotainment systems. After over a year so far no mention of a solution from GM for the C8!

It's illogical to say the Truck Forum proposed solution makes no sense when we have no idea of the exact problem other than NAV fails to initiate. Truck Forum said it was because the car was trying to send something to the Card. Was worth a try as that poster said it worked for him. Frankly we have had others (including myself) think they found a soliton only eventually have it pop up again!

I tried a number of things a ~year ago as have others, like cleaning the contacts, putting a plastic shim over the card to increase contact pressure etc. All at first look like they help then it's back! Some reported going to a dealer who thought that would solve the issue- did not!

Yep I'll keep on looking and trying. No cost but time. Since it appears to be only a small percentage of C8's probably not high on GM's fix list!

 

Just checked the 2021 manual. It states If the SD card has a switch that be be set to read-only mode, ensure that it is the upward position and not in read-only.

Sounds like whoever is installing them sometimes doesn't pay attention to detail.

 

^^^
All the cards come installed! Second the new card I bought (partly to see if my year living with the error NAV SD Card removed might go away) came Unlocked. The Truck Forum said moving it to "unlock" solved the issue. Easy and worth trying!! Thought I did that but frankly after swapping back can't be sure!

If you read this Thread and the GM Bulletin I referenced for some cars and trucks from 2020 with the same infotainment system that addresses the subject, the Bottom Line was No Solution saying it appears to be a "software anomaly!" (Other Corvette Forum Threads on the subject starting ~1 1/2 years ago- no solution yet!.)

SIDEBAR
I'll spare folks the full details of my experience with a number of "software anomalies." One that lasted a year+ and a very smart (high paid) programmer could not find their error! It was called the "Smiling Green Light" by our 7 Regional Sales folks and 30 field technicians who sold and serviced over Million Dollar, CNC Plasma Cutting machines. The Green On, "I'm running button" was lite but the machined was stopped. Big irritant to a large fabrication shop, shipyards etc. Spent a lot of money solving that for a CAT Tractor fabrication plant when our GM of that operation would not! Got us ~8 more large cutting machines, 3 for a new plant CAT built in Mexico and ~5 from folks the welding engineer from that plant let visit their plant in Peoria to see their operation and comment vaporable on how well it worked.

Have others with our microprocessor MIG welding machines (we introduced the first in the industry early 1980's) but long stories! Yep the best programmers can have "software anomalies"- some never found!!

 

Where is the Nav SD card located? I know it's probably listed in the owners manual but I'm curious to look at mine just bc if this thread.

 

In my previous life as a hardware technician our programmers laughingly called these "software anomalies" "features". Not exactly the definition I used when troubleshooting.