Redd

Stump, I'm a newb here and have no idea if Acura did something clever to make Real Damn Sure the car was parked, like using GPS speed data.

But AFAIK every nav unit on the planet is set up the same way: Cheap and simple. There is a dedicated wire that is used as a "parking sensor" which connects to the transmission switch (i.e. "P" position) and when that lead is grounded, the nav unit knows you are in park. Remove the ground, and it knows you are not.

Simple, cheap, reliable. And if you can confirm that from the wiring diagram for the nav unit, the solution is even simpler: Cut the wire. No wire, no ground, the nav unit knows it is never in park and you can take control back into human hands.

On some units you may need to force a ground, or a hot, but it always comes down to pretty much the same thing: One wire, connect or disconnect, and the nav unit's "park" function gets a lobotomy.

That can usually be unplugged from the pack connector, too, so it is fully reversible with no sign it has been done.

No one at the dealership will be allowed to comment on this, since it involves liability with a "safety" system. But if you can get hold of a schematic, I'll bet you find one wire that goes to the transmission's indicator switch from the nav unit. That's always the one.

To the best of my limited knowledge, the only smarter nav system is on the Nissan GT-R. On the Japanese domestic market models, it is connected to a speed limiter in the ECU, and it will not let the car exceed a set speed UNLESS the GPS has determined that the car is on one of the eight legal racing tracks in Japan.

markAZ

I don't think it cares if you're in park, only if you're not moving. If you're stopped dead, you can fiddle with the nav regardless of which gear you're in. At least, ISTR changing it while stopped at a red light and still in drive.

s40 driver

The GPS I installed in my old Ranger had a line that connected to the VSS Wire and would limit functions that way. I thought I read (maybe in this thread) that the work around for another acura vehicle meant that all functions would work while driving but that gps might stop tracking if you drove through a tunnel until you emerged.

That said, it is a little annoying, but I don't use the GPS enough to really care. I would agree that the voice commands are more distracting and would be improved if they accepted full words for inputs (If I could speak "Little John Road" vice spelling each letter).

davisinla

"Dutch Brothers Coffee" was the last command I tried to input by voice.

(Although I still occasionally say certain things to the unit, I don't expect a response. )

rickpoole

There are a few companies that produce products that will override the navigation system lockout. One of them is Prestigious Society, http://www.prestigioussociety.com. They make products for some makes/models, mainly concentrating on Toyota/Lexus. We got one for our 2013 Camry Hybrid earlier this year and it works great - press minus minus then plus plus on the steering wheel and it tricks the nav system to thinking it is stopped. Make your changes and hit the same key combination and it is back in normal operation. We are currently thinking about buying a Acura/Honda product to replace our other car and are talking to them about when they will have products for them - they are currently in R&D for many of the Acura/Honda models.

davisinla

Please keep us posted on that one!

usdmJON

In for this. My 2013 ilx tech locks me out while moving. Sometimes when Im quick to jump in the car I dont realize Ive not set the GPS until Im down the street. Pulling over to put in the destination sucks.

Be it, I dont use the GPS often, it still happens just about every time.

minnmarker

I loved the NAV on my 2008 MDX! Now putting up with the NAV on my 2012 BMW X5 and wife's new RDX. Two different evils. The BMW allows input while driving but has a crappy database. The RDX greyouts are frustrating...
Unskilled drivers and the lawyers who love them are ruining it for the rest of us. And the auto manufacturers (Honda included) are trying to make a profit center of NAV updates. I purposely did not use the word "upgrade" there!

carn1fex

So no one has figured this out yet? Argh. Just bought a 2013 RDX yesterday.. this is ridiculous.

So confirmed just now it has nothing to do with the position of the transmission which would have been an easy fix as someone suggested earlier. It doesn't disable even when driving a few miles an hour so it is sensing speed via GPS or the speedometer. A hardware hack of the speedometer may be possible but the ease really depends on the method / protocol used to send this to the nav system. A software hack is certainly preferable and would be required if it is using the GPS. Although I doubt it is using the GPS as it is unreliable and if all this bullshit is here for liability concerns I doubt they would hang their hat on that link.

I'm an electrical engineer so.. I guess I'll dive into this a bit. May just keep using my phone though.. sigh. LEAST WE GOT THE POWER LIFT GATE - WOULD BE SCREWED WITHOUT THAT AMIRITE

carn1fex

This thread on the CRV is interesting. Looks like it worked for one guy but not the OP? http://www.crvownersclub.com/forums/...-moving-3.html

dmaxv8

my 2012 gmc truck was the same lockout i was able to bypassed but their are 2 things that had to be done on it the speed sensor wire cut & a interruption switch installed inline in the gps antenna that will cut your movement off on the nav screen while you program it then turn it on when your are done with your address entry the gps antenna also clocks your speed. I haven't tried on the new rdx as wife doesn't want me tareing apart her new car

dc5k20z1

I tried putting a switch on the VSS wire in my 2013 rdx tech....

it didn't work, save yourself the trouble

edman.1215

For most cars, I know it ties into the VSS since GPS fix = what if you weren't able to get a precise fix (e.g. indoors) and it doesn't give you an exact location and can't tell you're moving?

But anyway, I'd rather have a touchscreen that I have to pull over or use voice command to use, than to enter it via iDrive... Don't get me wrong, I love my car to death and all, but I insisted on finding a car with the nav, but not knowing what I'd get myself into... Sure, it lets you enter addresses/find POIs on the go, but I got 3 things working against me...

1. DVD-based navs are slow enough as it is compared to HD or SDcard.
2. No touchscreen / iDrive only = all manually put in by a silver knob that gets ridiculously hot in the summer. Oh, and for a $2,500+ factory option at the time, you'd think that voice command would understand everything... Nope, it only gets you to the right screen to dial it in.
3. For an über-precise/over-engineering country like Deutschland where steering adjustment noise must be gone, it baffles me why the DVD slot is in the front below the audio CD slot, where overspray of cleaning products corroded the surface and caused read errors sometimes, plus there's no way I'd pay $100+ for a lousy dealer DVD, so I found one on TPB. Works slower, but at least it shows the newer places in my neighborhood and the new routing of a recently-updated freeway.

So... Wanna trade places?

Then again, there are times I just simply use my phone's Google Maps Navigation feature

5 Acuras

iTrader: (1)

Just press audio, it should come up. I'm just curious, where is everyone going in such a hurry that the locations can't be entered without stopping and doing it? We're driving cars, not emergency vehicles.

davisinla

So what you're saying is that when you're on a trip, driving at 75 mph on the freeway, and decide to find the nearest upcoming coffee shop, you pull over to the side of the of the road to search for it?

I'm sorry, but the concept of pulling over to use the GPS is simply absurd. Technology should assist the driver accomplish tasks more efficiently - drivers should NOT have to alter the way do (and have done) things to accommodate the technology - especially when there are alternatives.

If this issue isn't a problem for you, by reading all the comments posted (in this thread and others) about the GPS, you should at least be able to accept that it is an issue with others, whether you understand why or not.


And speaking about being in a hurry:



-

5 Acuras

iTrader: (1)

That's exactly why I asked. And I don't like my seat belt stuck in my door if you must know.

robuckj

As I may have said in an earlier post on the subject, it is not legal in most states to pull off on the shoulder of an Interstate highway unless you have an EMERGENCY. So technically you have to already know where that coffee shop is so you can LEAVE the interstate and pull into their parking lot to adjust your Nav system <g>.

And SLOW seat belt retractors have been a peeve on every Honda vehicle I've owned since 1979 (79 Prelude, 85 Accord, 2001 Civic, 2003 C-RV, 2005 MDX, and now 2013 RDX). Usually it wasn't a problem for the first year or two, but started (and worsened) as the vehicle aged; the last two became slow in just 6 months. Only vehicle I've had in 35 years that did not have slow retractors was a Jeep I owned from 92 to 2001; in 12 years the retractors did not get slow.

edman.1215

For the belt problem, sometimes it might help to wash the belts... Even though I hardly ate in my Toyota, the belts became sticky and it helped out a lot.

As far as the whole GPS ordeal, I understand that manufacturers do have a liability issue and are afraid of being sued for some idiot taking their eyes off the road to program their GPS, but it's still frustrating to the people that actually know how to drive with what more experienced drivers consider a minor distraction.

denisecnor

I've had my 2014 RDX for one week now. Just discovered the navigation issues!!!! I am soooooo sad. This is my first "luxury" vehicle! I was looking forward to having in screen navigation and spent the extra money for it. Also, I wanted the text messages read to me. This doesn't work either, unless the car is in park. I don't need them read to me then. I usually keep a car for 10+ years. Its going to be along 10 years! :-(

OTown

I get my texts read to me on the move.

RayNA

You don't like your wife much, do you? the lockout is there for a reason, and it's the same reason why texting is illegal while driving. You may not like your wife but please consider other drivers on the road who want to arrive to their destination alive!..

RayNA

You don't like your wife much, do you? the lockout is there for a reason, and it's the same reason why texting is illegal while driving. You may not like your wife but please consider other drivers on the road who want to arrive to their destination alive!..

RayNA

It's not about unskilled drivers or lawyers, it's about distraction while driving and about other's lives as you don't seem to care about yours!... We just don't wanna be hit head-on by a driver fumbling with his/her GPS and not watching the road. I am as much annoyed with the GPS lockout on my 2013 RDX as the next guy but I wouldn't be defeating it even if that option was available. Inputting GPS data while moving can be quite a distraction, better is to learn to use the voice commands, this way you can just glance the screen quickly when neccesary but your hands and your mind will still be on the wheel and on the road.

davisinla

I'm betting that, like me, RDX2013 is talking about when his wife is in the passenger seat. In that case, the lock-out is a pain and my wife pulls out her iPhone.

kareshi

so can anyone summarize what should i do, while driving, if i want the nav to guide me to a destination?

1) to a certain street, i.e. "GO TO 123 ABC ROAD"

2) to a mall, i.e. "GO TO Paramount Mall"

Type X

Get siri eyes free

hold talk button , ask for nearest "whatever you need" & you have the audio commands through the car

spektator

Just got my new Rdx, any idea how often Acura issues updates on thr Nav maps and system. I have a 2007 Mercury and have seen updates at least annually. By the way, my Mercury does not allow Nav input while moving. I assume the same is true for all Fords...

twsi_06

This hack to use nav while driving is MUCH needed. Also a hack to remove the safety warning that you have to press okay to when you first start the vehicle NEEDS to be disabled. Those are my two biggest things. I wish I had the ability to hack it hahaha

ceb

You can buy new maps annually - usually October'ish, but not all areas are updated at the same time so there are generally 3 or more years between updates for any given area.

The maps are provided by NAVTEQ - the same company that does most OE and aftermarket GPS devices.

ceb

Not going to happen. IMO, the system should allow input while moving if the passenger seat is occupied but I don't see the lawyer nag screen to be much of an imposition.

mr.zeros

The 'lawyer nag screen' really is annoying and I wish it could be hidden for good. At least give me the option of defaulting to the audio/radio display so I can see what's playing without having to fumble with one more thing before I'm on my way.

predacon

And in New Jersey, it' illegal to sit idle. You must shut off your car if you are at a highway rest stop. So thanks for nothing Acura!

ceb

y o u c a n I n p u t t h e a d d r e s s b y v o i c e c o n t r o l i f y o u h a v e l o t s o f t i m e

Acura/Honda is in the dark ages when it comes to voice control. The whole integration seems amateurish. The buttons on the steering wheel look like an afterthought (c'mon designers, you've been using the tacked on buttons for ten years now) and the address input by letter is absurd. It isn't even accurate and you find your self screaming at the nav "I said 'a' damnit, not 'q' " and realizing that the nav input is the definition of distracted driving.

robuckj

ceb, you said a mouthful--and I say "Amen (damnit)."

davisinla

The irony and absurdity of that hit me a couple of weeks after purchase:

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rdx-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-405/tale-two-navs-896589/

thephantom

What I don't understand is why Acura disabled the ability to quickly input your destination tactility, yet allow you to fiddle with the HD music library freely. I'd think trying to find an artist or song via the dial while driving is more distracting than setting your destination.

swimmerbryan

careful what you wish for. my wife's audi q5 has the most confusing map system I have ever seen

MJ-bos

RayNA - while I agree with the safety premise ... you don't address the core problem we're talking about here - when a passenger can't use the nav while we're driving, it's a total fail... they get out their iPhone, and then I have to look at their phone for mapping info. How safe is that???!!??

CEB- another AMEN ... the voice recognition is BULL****. I tried it (again) this morning just for fun, and oh my god by the 3rd try I was swearing at it like a sailer. U ... not umlaut G-D-AM--IT... just a painful experience.

Siri, find Upass Street. Done.

Acura ... Address... Street... U... 1... P... 2... A... 1... S... 3.... S.... 3...

at each letter I have to take my eyes off the road ???!!??

When I test drive the X3 and Cherokee next year, this is going to be one of the things I spend time on ... nav and tech functionality.

I very much doubt Acura will be on my list of considered vehicles this time around. Too much pent-up frustration over the horrible technology features for the last 2 years.

MJ-bos

I should add ... when I had a rental Grand Cherokee with Chrysler's fancy uConnect, I was pretty impressed. Heck, compared to what we have, Ford's SYNC is a step up.

RayNA

In that case the system must be smart enough to tell that it is actually the passenger and not the driver who fumbles with the Nav input, otherwise it would be mostly pointless.