Kenwood Head Unit DNX9190dabs dust under screen

[osman]

Hi, I’ve only had this unit a few months, it came highly recommended, and comes with a high price tag !!
Just look at the touch screen, after such a short time of owning it, this is dust... underneath the screen, or rather inside it, and once noticed, you see it constantly .. a serious design issue? I would have thought a unit designed to go in the dashboard of a vehicle, should be totally impervious to dust particles for f**ks sake.

 

[VanDamMan]

I’ve got dnx9180dab.....not seen same problem....lots of fingerprints though....Warranty issue I guess get on to Kenwood

 

[osman]

I’ve got dnx9180dab.....not seen same problem....lots of fingerprints though....Warranty issue I guess get on to Kenwood

yep thankfully I purchased through an authorised Kenwood dealer and there is a standard "repair" procedure .. hmmph
Anyway I highly recommend keeping a close eye on any dust building up on these units.. its not obvious until you give it a good clean in daylight and you notice dust is not coming off.. as it's underneath the touch screen.. I expect its a problem more associated with the 9190 model as it's got the flip-up screen so, therefore, more places for dust to penetrate.. just a guess.

 

[VanDamMan]

yep thankfully I purchased through an authorised Kenwood dealer and there is a standard "repair" procedure .. hmmph
Anyway I highly recommend keeping a close eye on any dust building up on these units.. its not obvious until you give it a good clean in daylight and you notice dust is not coming off.. as it's underneath the touch screen.. I expect its a problem more associated with the 9190 model as it's got the flip-up screen so, therefore, more places for dust to penetrate.. just a guess.

That’s great you can get it sorted.....just wish the screen didn’t smudge so much ( forever wiping it). But it’s a great bit of kit

 

[osman]

That’s great you can get it sorted.....just wish the screen didn’t smudge so much ( forever wiping it). But it’s a great bit of kit

Agreed it’s smudgy and that is a shame, but not sure what can be done about that. I don’t actually clean mine very often as I know they are just greasy marks that will come off ( makes me even more unhappy about the dust as I’m not wiping it with a possibly dusty cloth on a regular basis )I only get bugged by things that are happening without a logical reason ... such as dust getting inside the screen of a £1300 head unit that boasts about its high res screen. Grease that can wipe off I can live with.

 

[osman]

Just a little update and a thought. The dash and particularly the area around of the head unit is surrounded by the vehicles heating air conditioning air flow etc, and the dash on these vehicles we tend to take apart and put back together a great deal.

Im wondering if over time the foamy seals around the air flow ducts sections that are being removed and replaced over and over during these customisations( like fitting new head units tweaks wiring etc etc ) are not sealing so well letting more air fly around inside the dash and possibly in my situation blowing dust around, and that’s what’s contributing to my mysterious dust under screen misery. I do notice quite a lot of dust on the sides of the touch screen panel when it pops up horizontal to access the cd drive .. so air is flowing strongly around it.
Also what about the fact that this air particularly in a uk winter is going to be hot air whilst we desperately try to warm our vehicles in the morning .
Obviously any head unit for a vehicle needs to be designed with all this in mind .. so it’s no excuse for the problems I’m experiencing but I’m wondering if this is contributing to the situation with this head unit...

Also I noticed tonight that with no sun light on the screen I could see no dust under the screen at all.. so it’s important to check it’s not happening by looking at the screen in bright sunlight .

 

[VanDamMan]

Ummm.....that’s interesting I’ll have a look ......when the F..ing sun comes out (little short supply at mo) just had a thought when I change discs and the screen flips up I’ve never seen any dust in that area..but mines only been stripped apart twice...but I’ll keep looking.....but it would be good to know Kenwood thoughts and solution to your issue

 

[osman]

Ummm.....that’s interesting I’ll have a look ......when the F..ing sun comes out (little short supply at mo) just had a thought when I change discs and the screen flips up I’ve never seen any dust in that area..but mines only been stripped apart twice...but I’ll keep looking.....but it would be good to know Kenwood thoughts and solution to your issue

good to know someone else does not have the problem .. in that case mine must be faulty .. its a total pita having to take out a head unit out of a dash board and send it off for "repair" when you know its faulty and just should be replaced ! its way overpriced for what it is and at least should be impervious to dust at over a £1000 for what is basically a little multimedia system with a basic touch screen.. as previously mentioned the screen is a pita constantly covered in smears and dust ..also the software is child like, the icons are boring and unimaginative .. I would never recommend this unit to others .. there must be something far better on the market ..

 

[VanDamMan]

good to know someone else does not have the problem .. in that case mine must be faulty .. its a total pita having to take out a head unit out of a dash board and send it off for "repair" when you know its faulty and just should be replaced ! its way overpriced for what it is and at least should be impervious to dust at over a £1000 for what is basically a little multimedia system with a basic touch screen.. as previously mentioned the screen is a pita constantly covered in smears and dust ..also the software is child like, the icons are boring and unimaginative .. I would never recommend this unit to others .. there must be something far better on the market ..

Hi ...agree with the smears...but it saved me putting an amp in...also my bro has got a 2020 golf 7.5 end of line has a new type screen and that smears ..I think @Donk has fitted an Alpine unit ...but it’s a costly exercise swopping out units...big thing for me was paying more for a VW system then getting stung for carplay.....Infotainment For the future my end up like a tablet built around you and not the car.

 

[osman]

Hi ...agree with the smears...but it saved me putting an amp in...also my bro has got a 2020 golf 7.5 end of line has a new type screen and that smears ..I think @Donk has fitted an Alpine unit ...but it’s a costly exercise swopping out units...big thing for me was paying more for a VW system then getting stung for carplay.....Infotainment For the future my end up like a tablet built around you and not the car.

Exactly it would be ideal to have something like the alpine halo but that was just a enclosure for the amp and radio navigation etc and software for an iPad or even large screen phone that became the screen ... my iPhone XS is almost the same screen size as this Kenwood unit and does not have dust under the screen.. I imagine Apple could come up with a good solution to this on going search for the best head unit / format

 

[osman]

So after much head scratching I decided to go ahead and remove my Kenwood unit and send it
in for ‘repair’ !! Having to remove a head unit that you have painstakingly wired in to your van for reverse camera dash cam etc etc is a total pita .. and to not know how long I’ll be driving around with no head unit / reverse camera etc is worrying ... also to send it in by Royal Mail cost me £64 (ouch) for recorded delivery with insurance .. BUT I’m not going to just put up with a unit that is allowing dust to get under the touch screen after just a few months of owning it .. I’m surprised that I appear to be the only Kenwood 9190 owner that is having this problem .. but hopeful that it is replaced with another unit that works correctly as other people are not getting this issue . I don’t think anyone wants to see dust under the screen of a £1000 worth of head unit . I noticed the original VW unit is mint !

 

[Walgerm]

I have the same problem with my Kenwood DDX9019DABS dusk under the Screen glass. I have had mine repaired 4 months after buying it and now 11 months later same problem again. I spoke to Kenwood and they are repairing it again but im worried what will happen when the warranty runs out. I would not recommend buying this Kenwood model and its suppose to be a high end model.

Not happy at all i would not buy Kenwood again

 

[YellowHound]

Oh dear - I have a brand new one sat in a box waiting to be fitted....

 

[osman]

I have the same problem with my Kenwood DDX9019DABS dusk under the Screen glass. I have had mine repaired 4 months after buying it and now 11 months later same problem again. I spoke to Kenwood and they are repairing it again but im worried what will happen when the warranty runs out. I would not recommend buying this Kenwood model and its suppose to be a high end model.

Not happy at all i would not buy Kenwood againView attachment 82111

Yes it’s totally unacceptable .. I’m going to ask for a refund .. the dust in my unit started out in exactly the same location probably within weeks of installing it .. this repair they do is also no good for the unit as they have to strip it down and put it back together I can see damage to the screws that hold the screen together on mine .. it’s not fit for retail if it’s not impervious to dust under the screen

 

[Blitz]

Hi
Unfortunately I have the exact same problem in both my bottom corners of the screen. It's quite viable now

 

[osman]

Hi
Unfortunately I have the exact same problem in both my bottom corners of the screen. It's quite viable now

Yes once people realise this is happening it’s going to be a problem for Kenwood .. I think that many have not noticed the build up yet .. i was quite fastidious about dust in the vehicle and noticed it pretty quickly .. however I didn’t want to strip it all out of the van during the lockdown and find myself waiting for months for a repair and drive around with no head unit no reverse camera no sat nav etc etc So I waited until things were relatively normal again.

Kenwood have had a nice extra 6 months or so of not being hassled about this issue .. however they certainly know about it now..this product is a real pain in the ass .. it’s a lot of hassle fitting it, buying wiring looms and fittings only to have to rip it all out every few months send it off for repair and pay for the postage.

 

[osman]

Oh dear - I have a brand new one sat in a box waiting to be fitted....

Send it back for a refund

 

[VanDamMan]

Hi All ..as said before have the Dnx9180dab ( nearly 2 yrs old )... just taken a few pics...but can’t see it’s as bad as yours regarding dust just seems really strange...I feel bad that I’ve recommended this to others.

 

[osman]

Hi All ..as said before have the Dnx9180dab ( nearly 2 yrs old )... just taken a few pics...but can’t see it’s as bad as yours regarding dust just seems really strange...I feel bad that I’ve recommended this to others.

View attachment 82121View attachment 82122View attachment 82123View attachment 82124

I thinks it’s the 9190 model that has the issue maybe something to do with flip screen I don’t know ‍..

 

[Blitz]

I dont have the same model but looks
Exactly the same from the front, none flip.