Garmin sat nav constantly wrong

[Dos_Box]

I know I've complained about my Garmin Nuvi 225w in the past, but tonight really is the final straw. On a 17 mile journey up the A6 to just south of Lancaster it failed to make any of the correct turnings or roads (off the A6) 100% of the time. It even told us to turn around 50m from our destination to send us down the M6! If it wasn't for the fact I'd looked up the route on Google Earth before hand we'd be doing a 40 mile loop.

I have lifetime map updates and the device is fully patched and it's total lack of accuracy is getting worse and worse, whilst correctly locating us at the same time.

Is it possible that a sat nav can go senile because mine increasing seems to be doing so? I know Garmin get some stick on other forums about their poor routing algorithms, but tonight was an utter joke.

Oh, and CoPilot on my Nexus 4 performed faultlessly on the way home (just to check).

Edited November 29, 2013 by Dos_Box

[elsiegee40]

Mr gee40 had a garmin lent to him in Australia and it was useless. He ended up sticking an Australian map on our TomTom and taking that back out with him. Sadly that TomTom died after years of good service and we replaced it with a newer model which isn't as good.

[sted]

never had an issue with mine except when i went to thruxton it seemed allergic to the m40 i suppose a roads might of been quicker but i doubt it

[laserblazer]

When you consider what it has to do, the mapping algorithm is pretty clever. That said, I make a point of planning my route on a proper map and just you the satnav to guide me the last few miles. It find it most useful for getting out of a strange town. I live a mile from the M5 junction 5 but the satnav insists on me adding 10 miles to my journey by going to J6. I've found the Garmin recalculates very quickly. The one that's fixed in my wife's Nissan will go for miles telling you to u-turn.

 

Incidentally, I just replaced my Garmin Nuvi 250 battery using a £12 Ebay kit and a youtube tutorial. Pretty quick and easy except the tool for opening the case was useless and I used a knife blade. It hasn't made it any quicker getting a satellite fix but at least I can leave it on for a few hours without the battery failing.

Edited November 30, 2013 by laserblazer

[Trapper]

The best sat nav I ever had (and lost!) was a £40 eBuyer own brand jobbie.

 

Hopeless mapping software, but after a few hours of Googling I found out how to install the Tom Tom mapping software onto it. Not bad for £40.

 

It was a bit slow though - I have noticed that cheaper sat navs have problems about turns and roundabouts compared to actual Tom Toms. They seem to lag a bit.

 

At the moment I'm using Maps on my iPad for navigation. That really is a nightmare.

[laserblazer]

I'm using Navfree on my android stuff. It's ok, a bit of lag but there are free maps for just about anywhere.

[twin--turbo]

I have a £50 Ebay special. Had it 24 months and it's been gr8 for the money.

 

 

Before that I had tomtom running on a Dell Axim. It was good but always froze at the most inopportune moments.

 

Rob

[Earthling]

I've got a Navman F20 (I think), seven years old in January. I don't use it much, but when I do it gets me where I want to go. I should really get a new one, as the maps are out of date in some places and I haven't seen any updates for it since I bought it. When I went to Lincolnshire to buy my car, it showed the last four or five miles as driving through a featureless, grey landscape, like something out of a Stephen King novel.

 

Then I looked out of the windscreen and realised I was driving through a featureless, grey etc.

 

The 'Home' button is the one I use most. I call it the 'Get Me The F*** Out Of Here' button.

[tmcd35]

I've been using Navigon (by Garmin) on my iPhone for years. Pretty much like @laserblazer, mostly last 5-10 minutes of journey stuff to navigate around unfamiliar towns. So far, touch wood, it's works a treat. One of the reasons why I can't jump ship from iOS to Andoid (love the sat nav and would cost £50 to repurchase on another platform )

[EvLPhenom]

I have a trusty NavMan. It does the job but hasn't updated in a long time so you have to guess from time to time when you come to a round about when it thinks it shouldn't be there. Now though I just use google maps on my iPhone and jobs a goodun'.

[Dos_Box]

I use CoPilot on my Nexus 5. At £20 it's an utter bargain.

[Sirbendy]

I have my ancient Garmin i2 Streetpilot, god knows when it was last updated. Works well still, bless it. Might see about using openmaps on it. Navfree on Android seems pretty good too. I gave up on the Google maps nav, after it repeatedly failed to get me home the same way it got me somewhere and led me on a merry dance, on one occasion down the horseshoe pass in the dark, with new unbedded-in brakes. After I specifically told it to avoid that.

[laserblazer]

When I went to Lincolnshire to buy my car, it showed the last four or five miles as driving through a featureless, grey landscape

 

We went down that road as well. In my wife's new Nissan with uptodate maps.

 

I've heard recommendations not to put Home in on your satnav. The thief has your car and doorkeys and the they know where you live! I've just got J5 M5 in mine. I can find my own way from there.

[Michael]

I know I've complained about my Garmin Nuvi 225w in the past, but tonight really is the final straw. On a 17 mile journey up the A6 to just south of Lancaster it failed to make any of the correct turnings or roads (off the A6) 100% of the time. It even told us to turn around 50m from our destination to send us down the M6! If it wasn't for the fact I'd looked up the route on Google Earth before hand we'd be doing a 40 mile loop.

I have lifetime map updates and the device is fully patched and it's total lack of accuracy is getting worse and worse, whilst correctly locating us at the same time.

Is it possible that a sat nav can go senile because mine increasing seems to be doing so? I know Garmin get some stick on other forums about their poor routing algorithms, but tonight was an utter joke.

Oh, and CoPilot on my Nexus 4 performed faultlessly on the way home (just to check).

 

Like yourself I update my Garmin once a year. It's a Nuvi 650 or something like that (top of my head), so quite old now but does the job. I've found doing a factory reset does it a world of good. Failing that, it's new satnav time.

[LosOjos]

My missus' parents bought her a Garmin to replace her broken TomTom; god awful piece of [expletive]. Using Google Maps on my SGS3 now while I wait for a new battery to be delivered for the TomTom (and pray that's all the problem is).

[sted]

We went down that road as well. In my wife's new Nissan with uptodate maps.

 

I've heard recommendations not to put Home in on your satnav. The thief has your car and doorkeys and the they know where you live! I've just got J5 M5 in mine. I can find my own way from there.

 

not the worlds worst idea ive got it set to the local iceland as its close enough

[LosOjos]

I've heard recommendations not to put Home in on your satnav. The thief has your car and doorkeys and the they know where you live! I've just got J5 M5 in mine. I can find my own way from there.

 

Surely the best place to set it is the local nick?

[chazzy2501]

Living in the countryside my Garmins have always taken me down some farm tracks instead of near parallel A roads. I've been down the sketchiest (off) roads. Thanks to Garmin.

[Sirbendy]

I once got directed through a ford that was at headlamp level by the i2 - the car got through it, engine 3/4 submerged at least, all warning lights on, alternator failed, lots of steam, and dropped a cylinder. All came back after a few minutes. Mind you, a few days later the head gasket let go...

[laserblazer]

not the worlds worst idea ive got it set to the local iceland as its close enough

 

:Posted from Reykjavik

[sted]

:Posted from Reykjavik

 

the other option is posted from wherever it is your mum goes (for anyone not in the uk its icelands advertising slogan)

[jinnantonnixx]

I have my ancient Garmin i2 Streetpilot, god knows when it was last updated. Works well still, bless it. Might see about using openmaps on it.

 

I've got an i3 (colour - hah!). What's this about Openmaps?

 

 

 

Edit: Well check this out...

http://www.mkgmap.org.uk/

Edited December 3, 2013 by jinnantonnixx