Factory GPS playing up

[Steven]

Guys I've noticed sometimes now the GPS will show me at a completely different location, and no matter how many times I restart the car it keeps showing me there (fine day, no clouds either). I need to manually reset the location via the menu function. Even then it doesn't stick to the road all the time, nor shows me going in the right direction.

Anyone else have this issue? I'm going to bring it up to Toyota as a possible warranty fix, could it have anything to do with the Auto headlight function not working? Recently I took it in to have the dash rattle fixed and it came back with the auto function not working (tad peeved).

[Wulfkind]

Worked with GPS units for a couple of years, sounds like it may be an antenna problem (possibly not connected properly?) take it back to Toyota because either way, it shouldn't be doing that.

[Steven]

Long story short, the cars got to be booked in for a 3rd time now to have this same issue fixed. First 2 times all they did was tinker with the settings, and let me go saying it'll definitely work fine now....

However i was actually fortunate enough to see the exact moment it stuffed up. Going through the roadworks at redcliffe southbound onto the deagon deviation, it somehow jumped me onto the pedestrian bridge, where it stayed not coming back on. Then when i drove past the gateway it had me on it, and travelling further away from where i currently was. It didnt like it but refused to let "me" off the gateway, for several minutes. Then it came off the gateway, and it's been showing me that far away from my actual location ever since, slightly changing all the time as it coincidently jumps onto other roads and tries to travel along them.

The map dvd is 2008, so obviosuly there are alot of new roads im on and I think this is what confuses it, but Ive never seen a GPS never correct itself before. I wonder if this is a known fault with the factory unit, software wise?

[Aurion ZR6]

Place the GPS unit into setup mode so you can CHECK ALL FUNCTIONS OF NAVIGATION SYSTEM.

Read at my web site:Navigation Testing

See if you can receive the satellites on this screen:Look here

[Steven]

Thanks for that link! Although I haven't had a chance to try it yet, I do now have a theory behind the stuff up - that is, it's using the vehicles own sensors to decide on my position, and get only slight feedback from the GPS if any, hence why when i go through some roadworks where the roads have changed I end up doing something the vehicles own sensors and maps cannot cope with.

Still it should get satellite at least sometimes and realise just how screwed up it is and reset itself...

[DJKOR]

Thanks for that link! Although I haven't had a chance to try it yet, I do now have a theory behind the stuff up - that is, it's using the vehicles own sensors to decide on my position, and get only slight feedback from the GPS if any, hence why when i go through some roadworks where the roads have changed I end up doing something the vehicles own sensors and maps cannot cope with.

Still it should get satellite at least sometimes and realise just how screwed up it is and reset itself...

The speed sensor is there to help determine your position on the road when reception starts to get a bit iffy and to smoothen out the movement.

The GPS relies heavily on (you guessed it) the GPS. Think about it. If you got someone to drive down the road for you and you were only able to see the odometer, you wouldn't be able to know whether they are heading north, south, east, or west.

[Steven]

I wasn't saying the gps only lightly relies upon the gps, I was saying MY unit seems to only be lightly relying on it, otherwise it wouldn't still be showing me being several suburbs from where I currently am and staying that way no matter how often I drive.

And without good GPS, it's using the vehicle's own sensors to sense direction and speed to traverse the maps as best it can.

[DJKOR]

I wasn't saying the gps only lightly relies upon the gps, I was saying MY unit seems to only be lightly relying on it, otherwise it wouldn't still be showing me being several suburbs from where I currently am and staying that way no matter how often I drive.

And without good GPS, it's using the vehicle's own sensors to sense direction and speed to traverse the maps as best it can.

I wouldn't say it's a case of how much it relies on it... it's more of a case of it either works or it doesn't. If a GPS doesn't give a fairly accurate position, it is stuffed. Full stop.

My Garmin GPS II that I got in 1998 can give me my position on the planet accurate to within 7 metres.

[Steven]

quick update - tried the diagnostic, it goes to the first screen and fails the first test. Decided against clearing the codes as the car goes in on monday and i'd rather they look at it whilst it still has error codes.

Here's hoping I get a brand new unit out of this, sick and tired of them telling me how they've "changed a base setting" only to have it keep stuffing up.