Nocturnal

I've been noticing that no matter which direction I drive (N-W-S-E) the nav system always thinks I'm about 20 yards back from where I really am. When I stop at an intersection (narrow street) I have to cross it and drive for a bit before it sees I'm there. This becomes a problem with the navigation when the nice lady tells me I need to take the 3rd left when it's really the 2nd because I already passed a street it was counting.

Another effect is that when I make a turn it thinks I'm turning too early and it takes a second or two before it 'snaps' me back to the road. This morning I was waiting on an overpass to make a left turn onto an onramp (Saratoga/280). So I was on top of the freeway. The big area showed me well before the freeway but the small detail view showed me much more accurately even though the scale was comparable.

The service writer said that this would possibly be fixed with the new XM/nav update because 'it's all related'. Well that's hogwash IMO as the mapping between GPS signal and map data is independent from XM data.

I figured I'd ask here.

BTW, the GPS is in the 'green' state almost all the time so it should have sub 5 meter accuracy.

vp911

My nav is almost always accurate. You can go into the diagnostics mode and adjust the current position - to fix the issue. Try that out.

Nocturnal

Thanks vp911. I have the booklet here but didn't get to that page yet. Work keeps interfering

vp911

when you try it, let us know if it resolves the problem or not.

getakey

There is a way to adjust your car postion in the Nav Set-up. Can't remember exactly the menu sequence, but I'll look.

Nocturnal

In the nav manual on page 89 there's an item called 'Vehicle: correct Vehicle position'. It warns that it's not recommended that you do this. Of course this is an extra reason to try anyway

Related question, what is the little circle around the arrow indicator for? The manual doesn't say (I think ) and the service writer had no idea.

Thanks guys.

blueglows

Every ones navigation system, in the CL's at least, accuracy is about 200 ft. 200 ft is shown by that "little cirlce" that you see around the arrow. It means that you can be anywhare within that circle. Example: If a highway has a service road right next to it (within the cicrlce) and the navi tells you to get on the highway but you miss the entrance and keep driving on the service road, it considers that you took the entrance ramp and are now on the highway or vise versa... you might have gotten on the highway by accident and while you are on it thinks that you are still on the service road and tells you to make a right/left turn at the next interesction but you can't because you are on the highway and the turn does not exist...it thinks you are on the service road and never got on the highway.

Nocturnal

It's odd that an expensive car nav like in the RL would be less acurate than a $200 handheld device. Why not have WAAS in these things? Get accurate within a few meters where WAAS is available.

In any case, I could understand a random error that puts you in the wrong spot with some variance but in my case I'm always (well, the few days I've had it :-) the same amount 'behind'. Doesn't matter what direction I'm driving. Very strange. Thanks for the explanation of the circle btw. I figured that's what it meant but the circle is so large that I was hoping it was something else.

Nocturnal

Ok, I tried this last night. I parked at an intersection and adjusted the cars position till it matched where I really was. This seemed to hold OK while driving around. This morning it was off again although this was the first time I drove down that street with the RL. I guess this is something I'll have to keep an eye on.

vp911

I think I was supposed to check if my RL did the same thing, and indeed it does. It is off by an amount probably close to 20 yards. I wonder if the TL and TSX do this and I just got used to it that I havn't noticed this in the RL...?

Nocturnal

I don't think you were 'supposed' to do anything but I sure appreciate it Makes me feel a little better. I still intend to take some pictures to illustrate.

AcuraRLBlue

I have been having the same issue, and adjusting the car position doesn't resolve it. I believe it is a DELAY in the Nav system showing the car position, as I tested it with the car stationary and it showed the correct position. The right side enlarged view is more accurate. It is a major pain in the behind when you are moving fast and over-shoot the turn.

Nocturnal

I think you are right that it has something to do with the delay. I notice it when going under an overpass. GPS stays on for a while, then goes out and doesn't return till some time after you exit the overpass. Same for XM. It seems to buffer about a seconds worth.

I also thought the right side is more accurate.

I think it's most annoying when it tells you to take the 3rd turn when it's really the 2nd. Maybe time to properly document this and call Acura. I think the system and maps are inherently accurate enough but they're futzing up the combining of the the data. I'm always turning into frontyards according to nav and then it 'clicks' me back onto the street.

wasabe918

Yeah, it feels like the navi is delayed sometimes. My Garmin gps pda I have is more accurate and less confusing and it only cost me $400 2 years ago.

Nocturnal

Time to start collecting some evidence and calling Acura right after.

kph3

Just got back from a weekend trip to Nashville, TN. Nav did great. Took me to every destination. No problems. Much better and easier to use than that in my prior Lexus, especially since you can make adjustments while the vehicle is moving. Voice commands worked about 75% of the time. Very impressed and so was my passenger.

Nocturnal

I used it last night to find my way from 280 to Skyline using Moody and Pagemill (locals will know this area). It was definately useful although it was telling me to make turns when there weren't any turns, just a twisty road. And when Moody and Pagemill met half way up the mountain it didn't say a word

I have to say that it was a very enjoyable drive. The car did excellent. Tires chirpt every now and then but the V6 was humming all the way. There's one very narly hairpin turn when going uphill that's hard to anticipate. I overshot it a little but the car corrected nicely as I recognized my mistake.

Gator33

Nocturnal, You and I are in the same area (practically neighbors), but my nav system is dead on. I suspect your system needs some work.

Nocturnal

Gator, that would be good news but I'm afraid there are no tweaking parameters for this thing. They upload the code and that's it. I could well be wrong though and it sure would be nice if this could be adjusted. I still have to take some more pics and post them somewhere.

ScottRL

Early versions of the software for the Navigation system resulted in many of us having to periodically pull the fuse to reset the Navigation system until it got confused again. This problem has since been fixed. However I remember that in going through the reboot process the Navigation System wanted me to be in the open, parked on a well known street (I guess some streets have detailed accurate map info and some don't) so that it could set an accurate position for the vehicle. You may want to give it a try.

When taking a daughter to friends houses in Los Altos Hills, Portola Valley etc. I practically drive by looking at the Nav screen and its been accurate. If the system reboots while I'm driving/navigating like it started doing today them I'm lost.

Nocturnal

Well my nav is acurate enough that I could find my way but I think it's weird that it never seems to recognize I'm -at- the street instead of 10-20 yards in front of it, no matter from which direction I approach the intersection.

Nocturnal

Ok, I took a few pictures and posted them in my blog here: http://blog.tungstentech.com/PermaLi...0257270bf.aspx

Here is one of the pictures:



In this case I'm right at the intersection but obviously the nav system still thinks I have some ways to go.

JSakaBuck

I have to add my . My nav system was spot on when I first picked it up over 2 months ago. Lately, in the past two weeks, this identical problem has been happening to me as well.

Guess I'll try to re-boot by pulling the fuse. Next question.......where is the fuse located? I was reading the owners manual, but it doesn't specify where to fuse to the nav is located.

Any help?

vp911

By your left foot (drivers foot of course) there is the fuse box - pull open the cover and look on the back of the cover. It lists what each fuse is for. If you don't find the specific one, let me know and I will find it in the service manual for you.