George Knighton

In the TLX Forum, people were talking about developing technologies, the positives and negatives and how well the technologies are working.

It caused me to think about my own AcuraLink experience and I wonder if anybody else has used AcuraLink as much and if you have observed the same things that I notice.

Some things can't be figured out, I am afraid. :-(

AcuraLink was supposed to enhance the Navigation system, for example. You were supposed to be able to blurt out, "1000 Van Nuys Ave in San Francisco" and that was all you'd have to do.

Well, it works much of the time.

But it's at the mercy of the quality of the car's cellular signal.

I haven't figured out yet how this works, but the car seems to be able to switch carriers to get a stronger signal...but only after you've failed once.

So for some reason AcuraLink will hold onto a one-bar signal for a long time, and when you try to use AcuraLink your first attempt will be with the one-bar carrier. This could cause the voice recognition not to work as well as you are expecting, and it can even cause a complete failure...a failure so bad that your attempt to say no could be heard as a yes.

If you try AcuraLink again right away, the car seems to understand that you've had an issue and it will switch carriers for the next attempt.

I use AcuraLink quite a bit and I have noticed several times that it'll start out with a one-bar signal (I am guessing it is a cheap carrier like TMobile) and then sitting in the same spot on the next attempt it will have a much stronger signal (and I am assuming this will be AT&T or Verizon). Your second attempt, the voice recognition is much better because you've connected to Acura's servers with a much stronger signal with much less aberration and warbling.

This is all one dumb old man's observation and opinion, but I use AcuraLink quite a bit and I cannot imagine what else would be causing this.

AcuraLink is still a step ahead, but I can very well imagine how frustrating it can be if you are trying to negotiate a crowded Interstate while trying to concentrate on what is going on with AcuraLink.

Anyway...I think that is one example of, [Ronald Reagan Voice] "We're doing the best we can."

I don't see how they can do any better than this with the technology that is available, and at the price points the public are willing to pay for such services.

George Knighton

Am I the only person who makes such extensive use of AcuraLink? :-)

holografique

I've been using it alot more now that you turned me on to the "new destination" function which in most cases does work better for blurting out addresses, locations, than does the normal voice-commands.

However, what I found to be a consistent problem is that once it has located the destination, and it asks you to confirm "yes or no" on downloading it to the car, no matter how many ways or times I say "yes", it doesn't recognize the yes, and after two failed attempts it hangs up. Pretty annoying. Not sure why it does that, but that's the only problem I've had with it so far. The full-proof way is to just call the concierge service. And that does work 100% of the time. Pretty nice getting a human on the other end

holografique

oh, and regarding the cell coverage issue, it's not something I've really looked at closely. I do know that occasionally I'll look up and see the signal indicator showing red instead of green, I'm assuming that means it doesn't have a signal. But I don't think I've had a single situation yet where I wasn't able to connect when pushing the button.

George Knighton

Please, is the signal indicator looking good in the bend of the L when that happens?

That's the kind of thing that happens to me sometimes when there is a weak signal and just like one signal wave showing in the L.

I'll have to be less shy about using that service. Maybe if we start costing them a fortune by using the human service, they'll think of something to do about upgrading the server's voice recognition.

:-)

artdawe

My TLX Navigation is extremely slow when starting the car. It takes 45 plus seconds from the time I start the car until the Navi responds to me pushing the "Menu" button. Anyone else having this experience? My brother's 2014 RLX responds within 10 seconds.

George Knighton

Mine probably responds to the buttons in that short a time, but it's not like the system has generated the voice commands yet. :-)

That can be a frustratingly long time if you want to use voice.

woropallo

I assume from reading these entries that you have the Acuralink paid service beyond the free 3 yr travel and whether service, is that correct? I have a couple of questions:

1. Do you feel the paid service is worth the money?
2. It sounds like the car uses it cellar capabilities instead of your cell phone connection, is that correct? So you are not paying for your cell phone data time as well.
3. The Nav has voice recognition commands, what the difference between using the paid service to put in a location versus using the voice commands?

George Knighton

I have the Connect Package, which is everything except the Concierge.

When I the first RLX, I sprang for Premium but when I got the new car and the time came to change to the new VIN, I realized that I had only used the Concierge twice in 10 months, and both of those times the Agent could have done the same job.

Connect Package is:

• Crash Detection
• GPS Locator (if stolen or emergency)
• SOS/Emergency Services
• Remote Door Lock/Unlock
• Vehicle Status
• Car Finder (Lights, Horns, or Both)
• Destination Download

I do, yes. SOS and Crash Detection, especially.

If you're as old as I am, you find yourself forgetting where the car is sometimes, too.

I've unlocked the doors once in a downpour. :-)

It's a trivial thing, but as you're planning your departure time it might be helpful to be able to see the car's fuel gauge to know if you'll have to plan on stopping.

When you're using navigation and traffic, you are using the car's cellular signal, not your phone's. When you use the AcuraLink Maps server or you are speaking to the Agent, you are also using car's cellular data, not your phone.

Speaking with an agent, it's not always the highest quality signal even if the waves in the "L" would indicate you should have a great signal. Sometimes it sort of sounds like the Agent is at the other end of an old fashioned analogue phone that has defaulted to ½ bit rate, if that makes sense to any old timers like me.

Nevertheless, if the server fails to understand you, the Agent always will!

• Push the green button
• Say New Destination
• Say "Hugo's Restaurant in Arlington Virginia"

You could be 100 miles away and that will work. You don't need to know an exact address because the name of a place is something the server will recognize. And if it doesn't, ask the Agent.

You could try "Find the nearest fancy French restaurant" and then try to sort the results, I guess, but you know that if the car's moving that won't work very well.

If you're not worried about crash detection, you don't think you'd ever want to push a button to get emergency services, and you never lose your car in the parking lot, or you're never surprised at how little fuel you have, maybe the standard free package is all you need.

I mean, it works perfectly well by itself for three years and even includes traffic. Not awesome traffic, but it's something and it's free.

The cheapest way to buy the package that I have is 693.00 but that is for five years.

vgr926

Just wonder why Acura wants us to pay extra for features like checking the vehicle status on a cellphone? I mean, this simply uses the capabilities that are already built into the car, and no external assistance is required for that. Things like the diagnostics, checking the fuel level, flashing the lights etc. should be included for free without any limitations. After all, we are already paying for them when we purchase the car.

Don't you guys agree?

2.4L TLX

neuronbob

GM has OnStar and you pay for those services, too, in addition to using an app on your cell phone. Acuralink is trying to emulate that and to make a bit of money from it. The difference is that at least Acuralink has a free service that you can upgrade. OnStar has no free service at all, you must pay or it doesn't work. Just speaking as an 8-year OnStar customer, starting when I had my 2G RL with OnStar and continuing the service with two Cadillacs.

Personally, I wish Acura had continued the relationship with OnStar, the service is impeccable and the kinks worked out.

BTW, with Acuralink, can you map out a destination on your PC/phone, then transfer it to the car? That's my favorite OnStar feature and that alone was worth the price for me to continue it. That's priceless when planning a road trip, which I do a lot of.

George Knighton

Honda hinted that they hada problem with OnStar security, to the extent that it was too easy for an outside agency or hacker to turn on the microphone. Sometimes Honda/Acura makes noises that sound like Apple.

From your computer or the smartphone app, you can find your destination and then transfer the address and route to the car.

Your saying "map out a destination" makes me wonder. You can't draw a route on a map. There would be three recommended routes from which you could deviate voluntarily and still be guided to the destination.

The three default choices would be Fastest Route, Economy Route and Direct Route. You can also set the system to make full use of or avoid things like ferries and tolls.

neuronbob

Sounds like the functionality is similar.

On a PC, Mapquest is OnStar's preferred partner and I can select destination and route from there, then send to OnStar, then once in the car, I can download the route from OnStar via voice command.

George Knighton

In the RLX, the NAV will alert you immediately on initialization that it has a destination waiting.