I have a 2009 Aspen, with the overhead dvd monitor in the rear. When I turn on a DVD, the monitor in the rear does not power on. The DVD will play on the navigation screen in the front of the car, and audio will play through the speakers...but nothing on the rear unit.

Has anyone else had problems with this? I'm not sure if it is simply the video out on the back of the radio unit, or a dead screen. I've pulled it all down and check the connections, but have not pulled the radio out and checked the connections there.

Any thoughts? Where to get a new unit?

 

Did you make sure the VES is turned "on" on the main MyGig unit? And have you checked to see if the DVD monitor is on a separate fuse?

Just a couple of thoughts...

 

Thanks for the thoughts. The unit was working fine, then started flickering on/off, then won't even flicker. All the fuses under the steering wheel are good. Are there any fuses for interior components in the engine bay maybe?

I took it to the dealership and they said the unit is dead (though I still want to confirm that with an electronics shop before I drop $500-600 on a replacement unit).

Has anyone had any luck installing an aftermarket unit to replace the factory unit? I assume the sound would still run through the stereo system, and the wireless headphones should still work. The overhead unit truly is just a monitor.

 

Before spending that kind of money check this out:

https://www.chryslerforum.com/forum/...problem-15915/

It sounds like the same problem as the Caravan, Town and Country, and Routan VES monitors.

Cheap fix is here:

https://www.chryslerforum.com/forum/...d-cheap-19790/

Hope this helps.

 

That's a great find, 88Stepside. The symptoms sound exactly like a connector cable.

 

Yes, thanks 88stepside, that looks like exactly my problem. I'm definitely going to try this first! When I took the unit down initially, I noticed the ribbon between the mounting bracket and the screen, right where the screen pivots, and thought to myself "that would be a good place for this thing to fail!"

Thanks for the info!!!

 

Anyone want to take some pictures of the dis-assembly of their overhead console and monitor? I'll contribute a new cable.

 

Turns out it was the ribbon cable connecting the overhead mount to the LCD screen. The cable is curved around the pivot point of the screen, but there is still a sharp enough angle to cause the cable to crack over time - probably because there is no slack in the cable at all.

I've ordered the replacement cable through the eBay link provided in the post above. This should be an easy fix for what could have been a very expensive screen.

I have pictures of the disassembled unit. I'll post them tomorrow after I put them in order and upload them to photobucket (since I can't post pictures directly here).

 

Here are the pictures I took:

http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/damianshaver/library/

Here are the steps I took to disassemble the unit:

1. Remove two phillips head screws and two 7MM bolts from the underside of the unit as it hangs on the ceiling. Be careful not to drop them!

2. Disconnect the two wire harnesses from the rear of the unit, simple push in tab to release.

3. Remove the plastic bezel / housing by releasing tabs all the way around the unit. Start at the back and work your way around to the front. At the front of the unit are two white clips - lift the unit from the back slightly to help compress these clips, then use a pair of needle-nose pliers or a flat head screwdriver to pop those clips out.

4. With the bezel removed, it is easiest to remove the screen from the base unit first. Use a flat blade screwdriver wrapped in tape to pop the cover of the screen off. Start at the indentation where the screen locks into the base when flipped up for storage. Work your way around from the middle to the sides. The back will pop off pretty easily.

5. Once removed, disconnect the ribbon cable from the back of the screen using a small flat blade screwdriver to release the ZIF connector by popping the tabs on either side of the ribbon. The cable will slide out easily when properly released.

6. With the ribbon released, go ahead and insert the new cable and lock it in. The contacts should be facing up on the cable, as shown. The ZIF sockets should let the cable slip in easily when unlatched, but require holding the cable lightly while closing the latches on the sockets. With the new cable installed, put the cover back on the screen and snap back into place, ensuring not to pinch or bend the new cable.

7. Next, remove six Phillips head screws from the bottom of the base unit. Two screws might be concealed by foam strips. Remove two more Phillips head screws from the front of the unit, near the screen’s release button. Remove four Phillips head screws from the pivot brackets (two on each side) that secure the screen to the base unit. Lightly pry out on the pivot bracket to release it from the base unit and twist it out of the way. With both brackets twisted back, the metal cover should lift off easily. Push in slightly on the sides of the base unit to release the tabs on each side.

8. With the metal cover removed, release the ribbon from the base just as before with the LCD screen and discard. Feed the new ribbon through the slot between the screen and the base unit and lock it in place, careful not to bend or pinch the cable.

9. Before replacing the metal cover on the unit, fold the excess cable over itself in an S pattern, without bending or crimping. Replace all the screws from the base unit. Replace the plastic bezel, reconnect the wire harness, and mount the unit to the roof using the two bolts and two screws.

The steps are very similar to the video embedded in the eBay posting for the repair ribbon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...v=4jBndxy8rpg#!

 

Great write up.