GPS not reliable

[JSoloman]

Anyone had issues with the NAV system, specifically the GPS? I just spent a week in the Gifford Pinchot NF and the thing was worthless. I had a Garmin and the IPhone with me and was able to track where I was with them. I would have been screwed without them. It works fine if I am on a main arterial. Out in the woods forget it. I'm wondering if it's not the antenna. I haven't been able to get the Sirius to work for the last couple of months either. No help from the dealer on that issue. I wanted to check in with you guys before I go back and try getting some help at the dealer.

 

[Bob4x4]

If you havent had any updates there should be some available to you now

 

[Darmeisner]

My Nav worked fine for about 5000 miles then went bananas when driven for 20 or so minutes. Purchasing dealer did TSB on phone (service msg) and RA4 flash on radio. Nav still has same issues but used the map function without Nav and now it's going back in for GPS diagnostics and possibly Nav module replacement.

JSoloman, if you bought it from that dealer you should be jumping up and down on the General Manager's desk. When I bought mine I talked with several of the sales staff and found out who was their best service advisor and diesel tech. I went back a week later and introduced myself to them, either I got lucky or it's just a good service dept. Bottom line it's under warranty.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Funny my Nav system works without fail!!





Rand McNally

 

[jhenderson]

Ask a pilot why he keeps a paper sectional in a cockpit with $50,000. worth of navigational equipment installed in the panel.

 

[Wertles]

My whole unit needed to be replaced s I was having issues with the radio, satellite radio and nav. No problems since.

 

[MLee]

Have a Map as a back up and double check. Gps is as good as the information it contains. One needs constant up dates.

 

[KYOUNG]

The update for my maps is $150..........cant decide whether to do it or not!

 

[JSoloman]

I appreciate the feedback. I will be on the phone to the service dept today. I don't have a high trust level with these yayhoos. They're not anywhere close to the folks I work with in the South Valley. I'll see if I can get past the guys at the desk to who does the real work. I definitely keep the Delorme map with me where ever I am. I find it a bit frustrating to see the Nav saying I'm headed north when I'm traveling due south!

 

[MLee]

Re-read you original post . Don't think your going to get any trails unless there is a trails list somewhere in the menu for off road, which this sounds like. My Rand Mc Nalley has a trails built into it. maybe just do a map as you travel, don't know about the return, turn by turn to get back.

 

[JSoloman]

Re-read you original post . Don't think your going to get any trails unless there is a trails list somewhere in the menu for off road, which this sounds like. My Rand Mc Nalley has a trails built into it. maybe just do a map as you travel, don't know about the return, turn by turn to get back.

I was on well marked forest roads. Took a few side spurs that all show up on the IPhone and Garmin. The problem is the NAV is squirrelly. I would be traveling south and the map shows I am traveling north, in some cases 25-30 miles from my actual location. It's not consistent either. It will bounce around and back to the appropriate location, but won't hold there. I call the dealer to get the truck in. Was told they have had a few others come in with the same issue.
To be honest with you, it's hard to warm up to the electronics. I always carry the Delorme and the FS maps with me just to make sure.

 

[Too Tall]

Mine works great, it's actually very usable compared to the junk in my last Chevy. That's a joke. I just went camping in Ark last this week and used my GPS for the entire trip.

 

[TJJEEPER]

I was on well marked forest roads. Took a few side spurs that all show up on the IPhone and Garmin. The problem is the NAV is squirrelly. I would be traveling south and the map shows I am traveling north, in some cases 25-30 miles from my actual location. It's not consistent either. It will bounce around and back to the appropriate location, but won't hold there. I call the dealer to get the truck in. Was told they have had a few others come in with the same issue.
To be honest with you, it's hard to warm up to the electronics. I always carry the Delorme and the FS maps with me just to make sure.

When you have tree cover you CAN lose the signal. Your hand held has a better antenna set up than the installed GPS. There are huge signal losses in the feed from the actual antenna on the roof to the back of the unit. Not an issue with the handheld units. Also do you have the setting with "north up"? I know the GPSes I use on my motorcycles I set to north up and in the truck I haven't set that yet, it can be confusing which way I'm going.

Greg

 

[JSoloman]

When you have tree cover you CAN lose the signal. Your hand held has a better antenna set up than the installed GPS. There are huge signal losses in the feed from the actual antenna on the roof to the back of the unit. Not an issue with the handheld units. Also do you have the setting with "north up"? I know the GPSes I use on my motorcycles I set to north up and in the truck I haven't set that yet, it can be confusing which way I'm going.

Greg

Good point Greg. I'll check on that when I am at the dealer Friday. FYI, I was leaving my driveway here in PDX and the GPS said I was 30 miles SE of here on HWY 213. Crazy. I'm looking forward to some answers. It's frustrating to not be able to rely on it right now.

 

[Too Tall]

What really works well if you do a little planning ahead. Go to Google Earth on your PC or laptop, Iphone, Ipad or whatever and locate your desitnation and any other waypoints you desire. In Google Earth you can put a push pin on your waypoint or just copy the coordinates right off the screen. I put a push pin, that way I can copy and paste all my waypoints to notepad, wordpad or whatever and print them out.

Then you can punch in the coordinates on the Nav screen and save as favorites. You can select these while under way as you don't have to be stopped like when you are searching for an address.

Works well for me and perfectly accurate because you are actually getting the coordinates of what you are looking at in Google Earth. I've even found my campground site using street view in Earth and the gps will bring you right to your exact spot. I mean within 10' of your destination.

 

[Darmeisner]

with mine and JSoloman, the issue is a faulty GPS module. When Beulah (Nav) gets crappy info from Merlin (GPS) nothing good happens. You have to listen to "Recalculating route" every thirty seconds, you give up and cancel the "trip". Then just watch the map and your vehicle almost rotates on the screen showing highways that are 25 miles away. We have two Verizon phones using google maps and plan on buying a Garmin. I had my FAA license and know how to navigate.

Dar

 

[JSoloman]

What really works well if you do a little planning ahead. Go to Google Earth on your PC or laptop, Iphone, Ipad or whatever and locate your desitnation and any other waypoints you desire. In Google Earth you can put a push pin on your waypoint or just copy the coordinates right off the screen. I put a push pin, that way I can copy and paste all my waypoints to notepad, wordpad or whatever and print them out.

Then you can punch in the coordinates on the Nav screen and save as favorites. You can select these while under way as you don't have to be stopped like when you are searching for an address.

Works well for me and perfectly accurate because you are actually getting the coordinates of what you are looking at in Google Earth. I've even found my campground site using street view in Earth and the gps will bring you right to your exact spot. I mean within 10' of your destination.

I like that idea Too Tall. I will definitely use that. We do a fair amount of hiking and geocaching. This will come in very handy.