The navigation is lost

Jongi · 07-04-2006, 02:59 PM

Has anyone else experienced their navigation not being able to figure out where you are even though you are on a main road that you know is programmed? For 15 minutes today the navigation couldn't figure out the location of the car. Was very strange.

mikepinkerton · 07-05-2006, 09:36 PM

It didn't know where you were, or it was wrong? I had the problem when i first bought my car (before i set a destination the first time) that it would drift way off. Fixed itself though.

-Mike

London320d · 07-06-2006, 02:15 AM

Was this main road in a city?.

The signal from the GPS satellites is extremely weak, and the position of the satellites varies. You may just have been unlucky and had too many sats shielded for too long. The signal can be blocked by Buildings or even thick tree cover. Reception from at least four satellites are required to get a 3d fix Normally the will be several above the horizon.

I've even lost 3D fix at 4000ft over eastern England (not in my E90!!

) with only me and a couple of millimeters of fibreglass or plexiglass between my GPS and more satellites available than you'd normally see from the ground. It is also vulnerable to interference from other radio sources due to the low level of the signals.

Also disconnecting the battery or resetting the nav system will cause it to re-acquire the sats that are in range, this can take several minutes.

Unless this happens reguarly, in situations that cannot be explained by the above, I'd not worry about it. Normally the dead reckoning that the car does from wheel sensor and an inbuilt compass will cover up any short breaks in sat cover, and sharpen up the accuracy of the positional fix around turnings etc..

Ghunger · 07-06-2006, 12:09 PM

Only trouble I've had with mine lately was traveling along a country road with high, thick trees on both sides. There was another parallel road and the nav couldn't decide which road I was on, until I got to a clearing of course. Just didn't have enough satellites or the signals were poor. It would be nice if the nav gave you some indication of how accurate it was, like many of the handheld GPSs do.

vladinecko · 07-06-2006, 01:49 PM

it got me lost a few times as well since it thought i was driving on the overpass above me or on the road i was on. it constantly wanted me to turn even though there were absolutely no turns.

i think what you are thinking though is that you got no signal. i got that too a few times when coming from from Cedar Point. it just said "no navigation data" and i was stuck there without any directions whatsoever since i stopped printing out maps from the internet. thankfully i remember the way far enough to get the signal back. it sucked ass though.

Jongi · 07-07-2006, 05:03 AM

There was signal. It was just showing that I was in an area quite a distance from the main road I was travelling on.

London320d · 07-07-2006, 01:36 PM

Does this fit the bill?

http://www.bmwtis.com/tsb/bulletins/...p/B841005g.htm

Jongi · 07-26-2006, 05:07 AM

Thanks for that

07-04-2006, 02:59 PM	#1
Jongi Private First Class 6 Rep 109 Posts Drives: 320i w/Exclusive Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Johannesburg, South Africa iTrader: (0)	The navigation is lost Has anyone else experienced their navigation not being able to figure out where you are even though you are on a main road that you know is programmed? For 15 minutes today the navigation couldn't figure out the location of the car. Was very strange.
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07-05-2006, 09:36 PM	#2
mikepinkerton Private First Class 7 Rep 196 Posts Drives: '06 330i Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Northern VA iTrader: (0)	It didn't know where you were, or it was wrong? I had the problem when i first bought my car (before i set a destination the first time) that it would drift way off. Fixed itself though. -Mike
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07-06-2006, 02:15 AM	#3
London320d Second Lieutenant 6 Rep 275 Posts Drives: '06 E90 320dSE Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: London, England iTrader: (0)	Was this main road in a city?. The signal from the GPS satellites is extremely weak, and the position of the satellites varies. You may just have been unlucky and had too many sats shielded for too long. The signal can be blocked by Buildings or even thick tree cover. Reception from at least four satellites are required to get a 3d fix Normally the will be several above the horizon. I've even lost 3D fix at 4000ft over eastern England (not in my E90!! ) with only me and a couple of millimeters of fibreglass or plexiglass between my GPS and more satellites available than you'd normally see from the ground. It is also vulnerable to interference from other radio sources due to the low level of the signals. Also disconnecting the battery or resetting the nav system will cause it to re-acquire the sats that are in range, this can take several minutes. Unless this happens reguarly, in situations that cannot be explained by the above, I'd not worry about it. Normally the dead reckoning that the car does from wheel sensor and an inbuilt compass will cover up any short breaks in sat cover, and sharpen up the accuracy of the positional fix around turnings etc..
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07-06-2006, 12:09 PM	#4
Ghunger Major 56 Rep 1,024 Posts Drives: 330i Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (0)	Only trouble I've had with mine lately was traveling along a country road with high, thick trees on both sides. There was another parallel road and the nav couldn't decide which road I was on, until I got to a clearing of course. Just didn't have enough satellites or the signals were poor. It would be nice if the nav gave you some indication of how accurate it was, like many of the handheld GPSs do. __________________ 330i Monaco Blue, Terra /w aluminum trim, SP, PP, CA, PDC, Nav, Folding Seats, Sat Prep European Delivery Blog Picture Gallery
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07-06-2006, 01:49 PM	#5
vladinecko Brigadier General 299 Rep 3,924 Posts Drives: '11 E92 M3 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (1) Garage List 2011 BMW M3 [9.00] 2008 BMW 335i [0.00] 2006 BMW 330i [0.00] 1994 BMW 325i [0.00]	it got me lost a few times as well since it thought i was driving on the overpass above me or on the road i was on. it constantly wanted me to turn even though there were absolutely no turns. i think what you are thinking though is that you got no signal. i got that too a few times when coming from from Cedar Point. it just said "no navigation data" and i was stuck there without any directions whatsoever since i stopped printing out maps from the internet. thankfully i remember the way far enough to get the signal back. it sucked ass though. __________________ 2011 E92 M3 - IB/Beige/Sycamore Wood/6MT/EDC/ZPP2/Nav/PDC/Heated Seats/iPod-USB/Enh. Audio 2008 E92 335i - Montego Blue/Black/Gray Poplar/6MT/ZPP/ZSP/Nav/PDC/Heated Seats/HDRadio/iPod-USB - *Sold* 2006 E90 330i - Mystic Blue/Black/Aluminum/6MT/ZPP/iDrive/PDC/Heated Seats/Sat. Prep - *Sold* 1994 E36 325i - Boston Green/Beige/Automatic/ZPP/Heated Seats/Premium Sound - *Sold*
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07-07-2006, 05:03 AM	#6
Jongi Private First Class 6 Rep 109 Posts Drives: 320i w/Exclusive Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Johannesburg, South Africa iTrader: (0)	There was signal. It was just showing that I was in an area quite a distance from the main road I was travelling on.
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07-07-2006, 01:36 PM	#7
London320d Second Lieutenant 6 Rep 275 Posts Drives: '06 E90 320dSE Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: London, England iTrader: (0)	Does this fit the bill? http://www.bmwtis.com/tsb/bulletins/...p/B841005g.htm
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07-26-2006, 05:07 AM	#8
Jongi Private First Class 6 Rep 109 Posts Drives: 320i w/Exclusive Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Johannesburg, South Africa iTrader: (0)	Thanks for that
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