I just learned that the TL is the only luxury car that doesn't have an electronic compass standard or even as an option. Even the Corolla and Altima have electronic compasses! This is an important feature for me. . What sort of after-market solution is there that looks good as well ???

 

I was just thinking about this the other day but then I remembered that it was included in the navigation system. You can look at the display and it will show you which way is north on the upper left corner.

 

I guess you don't have the Navi. If you do there's a little GPS direction indicator that always points north in the upper left corner of the Navi screen. There are many small add ons that you can get that can be mounted on the dashboard, rearview mirror, etc. Take a look on Brookstone.com. I believe that they may have somethere on their site.

 

Somebody makes a rearview mirror with the compass direction displayed in the upper right hand corner. It is also an auto-dimming mirror. As soon as I can recall who the vendor is, I'll post it.

 

I also feel that Acura should have a compass in the mirror as standard on the non-navi TL's, I have def gotten used to using it in my last Altima and the now in our Murano. I guess it's Acura's marketing ploy to get us to spend the extra 2 grand on the navi. Unfortunately the lack of a oem compass and the coolness of the navi system means when I am ready the get a TL, hopefully this January, I will probably fork up the extra dough. If I can't get one with navi in the price range I'm willing to pay I guess I'll use a RadioShack battery powered unit. I have one I use in my Mitsu Outlander, it sticks to the windshield and isn't extremely ugly.
I don't think RS has them anymore but found a link to something that looks similar: http://www.autobarn.net/v100.html

Brgds
Dumont

 

on our suburban (1996-2003) i remember having an electronic one embedded in the mirror. but in the navi, it has one on the top left like people hav said. if you touch it, it can change from making the screen always be north, or making the screen turn with the direction your going and tells you n,e,s or w.

 

During the daytime, you could always use the sun/shadows as an indicator of which way your heading.

 

Mitch..


Try the Gentex Corp. I think they make most of the rearview mirrors with the compass displays in them. They also make the auto-dim and auto-headlamp units. Since our current rearview mirror is powered for auto dimming, switch out should not be a problem. But then again, I am not an electrical engineer either... lol.

Hope this helps.

TL42 - Gord

 

Donnely also makes one... You can look at the other mirror thread, I posted a link to the store where I bought my gentex ones... You have to phone in your order if you want the homelink one though... (I think it was a stipulation of the distributor agreement with Gentex or something)...

I'm too lazy to post the link to the other thread, but you'll be in luck if I still have the URL in my computer's memory... Looks like you're in luck... Here is the store

Installation was a breeze. About 10 minutes. You'll need to order a Honda mounting bracket though.

 

I actually switched out the Factory Donnely mirror in my pontiac with a gentex one. (The stock donnely looked exactly like the one in the TL)

The connector is different. The Donnely's connector looks like a phone jack. The Gentex connector looks like a typical connector harness. The gentex mirrors also have universal harnesses. Which means even if you get the simplest mirror they have, the harness will still have connectors for homelink power, temperature probe, etc.

I actually like the Gentex one better. The harness has a wire that you connect to something that goes to (+) when you shift to reverse, so the mirror will undim when you shift in reverse. (which the donnely mirror doesn't do).

On the car I put it in, I couldn't find one of those wires, but I didn't try too hard either. If you get the one with homelink, (if you like the mirror ones better or whatever), you'll need to run another power wire to the fuse box, which is always hot, because the auto-dim power is only hot when the ignition is on. So if you spliced in that, the homelink won't work unless ignition is on. (Which could be a good thing, security wise)

 

thanks for all the great information! you guys are great!

 

I don't know... I find the north pointer in the navi rather clumbsy to use to try and figure out which way is which. It's much more elegant/easier to have a regular one. My G35 has both. I never use the one in the corner of the navi. I always use the one in the dash cluster.

After all this talk, I think I may go out an swap out the mirror in my Wife's TL, as she always complains about not having a compass...

 

This could be an option..... http://www.1radardetector.com/silver_bullet.htm

Not sure how good it works. I remembered seeing it awhile back. Not only do you get a compass, but a nifty radar detector as well

 

I've had an electronic compass in other cars I've owned.
I think they are generally useless. When traveling on I95 north, for example, the compass rarely reads "north". So I'm really not sure it actaully helps you get where you're going. If you get lost all the time just get the navi.

 

thre are plenty of choices around... (even in radar detectors)
if you want to get a blue compass to match your LED's
you can get one of these...



Site: http://www.leeselect.com/roadpro/01240.htm


for a more professional look... get this



http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...rd_compass.php

good luck,
and you are right, it should have come standard with non Navi units.

 

I don't know... Two of my cars have electronic compasses, and both seem fairly accurate. What part of I-95 are you talking about? I'm looking at Map Point, and many parts of it, doesn't appear to actually go North-South. Some parts of it actually look like it goes East-West, like between Baltimore and Philidelphia.

The compass also needs to be calibrated when you buy the car. Usually you push the reset button, and drive in about 10 circles in each direction. (Your neighbors will look at you like an idiot when you do this) Many models, even let you specify a geographic region to adjust for the fact that magnetic north is not true north.

 

u can buy a compass and put it inside ur car...

or u can also get a navi PKG for tl~