Factory fit Sat Nav is rubbish

[T6 CFO]

@T6 CFO. Thanks for this Mike. Any chance of even a bit more detail.... Where is your USB stick normally plugged in? Which exact options are you choosing in the menu? Anything need doing day to day? Does the set up stop you using carplay? Can the data bit be done by a plugged in carplay phone?

I think there are many of us struggling with discovery sat nav so your efforts would help many!

I’ll confine my answer to the Carstick but at the moment I’m using my MiFi but that’s another story that won’t effect most. So first off you need a VW USB Carstick plugged into USB in the glove box. Obviously it needs to have a SIM. I’ve opted for a data only SIM from Three. You then just connect to it via Settings in Discover Media as per the pictures I’ve posted. (Not the satnav settings).

I’ve not tried connecting via my phone but I’ll have a look later. I have unlimited data on mine so no doubt I could make it a hotspot and Discover Media would connect. Problem for me doing this is

1. I would have to have my phone.
2. It would have to be switched as a personal hotspot
3. Three my provider have virtually no restrictions throughout Europe but they do or at least did have limits on personal hotspot usage.
4. I don’t need to as I can use the Carstick or my MiFi which I do at present.

I get traffic updates, the ability to send routes to my satnav via Car-Net App and a permanent WiFi hotspot for my Laptop and or wife’s phone and or my iPad. Particularly useful to stream the footie via SkyGo.


Mike

 

[2into1]

Thanks Mike. When you plug in the car stick, is it just being powered by that USB in the glove box, or is it wired to the head unit? I'm assuming it's just powered, so the connection to the discover media is just via WiFi?... Just like connecting a tablet etc.

My Ocean did come with a WiFi option ticked, but I've never understood what that involved (as you can probably tell.....)

 

[T6 CFO]

Thanks Mike. When you plug in the car stick, is it just being powered by that USB in the glove box, or is it wired to the head unit? I'm assuming it's just powered, so the connection to the discover media is just via WiFi?... Just like connecting a tablet etc.

My Ocean did come with a WiFi option ticked, but I've never understood what that involved (as you can probably tell.....)

Yep just powered via the USB.


Mike

 

[Sindidziwa]

Just spent five weeks going down to southern italy - generally we resorted to google maps for many of the reasons highlighted above but the key time that factory fitted GPS is better than phone is when emerging from tunnels as it does seem to keep tracking the cali rather than giving up and sulking as Google maps is prone to do. We missed a number of turns directly after exiting a tunnel whilst GM tried to find out where it was.

 

[gvick]

I have Discover Media and I was connecting through the VW Car Stick

Which has its own SIM. SIM has run out at the moment so I now connect through my MiFi

I also use the MiFi as a wireless hotspot and for connecting to my Dashcam.

You configure what you want to use for your Discover Media through Menu then settings then

Mine in this case is Molly MiFi




Mike

Thank you

 

[WelshGas]

Just spent five weeks going down to southern italy - generally we resorted to google maps for many of the reasons highlighted above but the key time that factory fitted GPS is better than phone is when emerging from tunnels as it does seem to keep tracking the cali rather than giving up and sulking as Google maps is prone to do. We missed a number of turns directly after exiting a tunnel whilst GM tried to find out where it was.

Yes the Factory Fitted SatNav also uses Inertial guidance, speed and direction data from the car sensors to determine where it is when the SatNav signal is lost as in tunnels or cities with lots of High Buildings or even very mountainous areas.

 

[2into1]

A bit more investigation today. I have this screen....

Which appears to show my ocean is capable of broadcasting a WiFi signal. Does these mean I have the overpriced vw option of WiFi? And if so, where does the sim card go?
Cheers for any guidance

 

[Detritus]

Yes ai’ve got the same thing - I can’t see anywhere to put a sim card though. To test it out I’ve connected it to my mobile so it uses it’s personal hotspot and then broadcasts with the SSID that I set - but that’s pointless and they might as well all just connect directly to my phone’s hotspot! Is there a hidden Sim slot somewhere?

 

[T6 CFO]

You need a VW Car Stick.

I’ve had mine a couple of years and searched quite hard for it picking it up from a UK distributor. Can’t find him now but VW are extortionate and found this on on EBay

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Vo...167880?hash=item1cb388bf88:g:xzIAAOSwaJ5bWGXo

I paid £58.

You put the data sim in the carstick plug it in and then search for its WiFi connection on your Discover Media.

An alternative is to pick up a MiFi and use that as your WiFi feed.

I’m more than happy to show anyone my set up in Bristol or for you to PM your phone number and I’ll talk you through it.

Might be best for anyone struggling to check it out at one of the meets if someone with the setup is going.

I’m not scheduled to be going to any for a while.


Mike

 

[T6 CFO]

Here is an old thread on the subject

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/coupling-box-and-wlan.13547/page-1


Mike

 

[Jabberwocky]

I would never spend money on an OEM satnav - just simply overpriced. I have a Garmin that is 4 years old that I keep up to date, I paid 150 squid with free updates for 5 years. Have used it for work and holidays across 10 or so countries with out major issue. I figure it doesn’t owe me a lot.

 

[Freeley]

Personally recommend that anyone spec'ing a new Cali adds the 'AppConnect' option.

If you have an Android or Apple phone then this will help future proof your Unit as Android Auto / CarPlay are constantly updated

Couldn't agree more.
I bought a Pioneer sat nav and had it fitted in our Cali a few years back but the maps were out of date from day one, and they've only released 2 updates in 6 years since!
Don't know the model number of the head unit in my new Crafter, but I specced it with app connect and always use Google Maps anyway.
The maps are always up to date, the traffic info is spot on and most of the time it's reliable (with the odd exception!)
Built in sat navs seem archaic these days, would never buy another one.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[soulstyledevon]

I’ve come to the conclusion the T6 satnav isn’t as good as the old T5.1...

However, I have got rid of the 3 options and set it to quickest route with no traffic avoidance.
I then use my phone separately to give me an idea which one to trust.

One of the key plus points with built in Satnav guidance, is the indication on the central panel (MFD). Which I tend to follow. Personally find thst easier to track than app connect on the sat screen

 

[VWDrooper]

Disappointment at weekend, in Hawskhead and all three options to go south to M6 used the ferry across lake, ridiculous, used Apple maps instead

 

[WelshGas]

Disappointment at weekend, in Hawskhead and all three options to go south to M6 used the ferry across lake, ridiculous, used Apple maps instead

Does it have the Option to Switch Off, Use Ferry. My RNS510 does and can’t believe that the latest unit doesn’t have such an Option.

 

[Amarillo]

Does it have the Option to Switch Off, Use Ferry. My RNS510 does and can’t believe that the latest unit doesn’t have such an Option.

Yes it does. There are a whole host of avoid options: ferries, toll roads, motorways (I think). One option missing that should be there (in my opinion) is avoiding unpaved roads.

 

[Drpps]

I have the RNS510. I turned off 'Ferries' when in the Lakes but it still insisted on trying to take me on one!
Agree about unpaved roads. The routing algorithm on it really is awful.
I like having the map screen always on. I use Google maps for the route on my phone, conpare with the factory one before choosing and usually have both running with Google for the traffic having turned off the RNS dynamic routing.
The only plus point is that at least it has 7 digit postcodes unlike the one on my previous Audi.

 

[VWDrooper]

Does it have the Option to Switch Off, Use Ferry. My RNS510 does and can’t believe that the latest unit doesn’t have such an Option.

It does but that's not the point, I don't see why I should need to do this extra input having requested a route home, checked the given three options only to see they all involve a ferry, a simple 5 mins drive north not south means I can reach the head of the lake and drive down the other side, no ferry required. Apple maps, Google maps and tomtom all managed it.

Whilst on the subject when in Luxembourg this year there was a road closure, this was clearly marked on the screen with a no entry sign and guess what the sat nav tried to take me down the closed road so it can't even interpret its own information.

I've been an advocate of the factory unit but I'm increasingly getting frustrated by it to the point of not trusting it, shame.

 

[Amarillo]

It does but that's not the point, I don't see why I should need to do this extra input having requested a route home, checked the given three options only to see they all involve a ferry, a simple 5 mins drive north not south means I can reach the head of the lake and drive down the other side, no ferry required. Apple maps, Google maps and tomtom all managed it.

Whilst on the subject when in Luxembourg this year there was a road closure, this was clearly marked on the screen with a no entry sign and guess what the sat nav tried to take me down the closed road so it can't even interpret its own information.

I've been an advocate of the factory unit but I'm increasingly getting frustrated by it to the point of not trusting it, shame.

It does some very quirky things from time to time. In Belgium, on a congested urban motorway, it wanted to take me off on an even more congested slip road then straight back onto the motorway.

 

[motacyclist]

Maybe VW should have stuck to this system:-

 

[Perfectos]

Maybe VW should have stuck to this system:-

It’ll never catch on

 

[Erbster]

Maybe VW should have stuck to this system:-

Great clip! It’s striking how few cars there are, either parked or on the move.


https://caliventures364847572.wordpress.com/

 

[Ting Tong]

It does some very quirky things from time to time. In Belgium, on a congested urban motorway, it wanted to take me off on an even more congested slip road then straight back onto the motorway.

Ours always does that on the A42 Ashby both ways, M5 Minehead and wants you off the M5 southbound for 1 junction at N Worcester. I think that’s the “Discovery” element in it.

 

[Joker 1299]

Ours always does that on the A42 Ashby both ways, M5 Minehead and wants you off the M5 southbound for 1 junction at N Worcester. I think that’s the “Discovery” element in it.

I often travel that route to my office in Worcester and mine doesn’t do that. What settings/route do you select? I almost always choose the red route.

 

[Ting Tong]

I often travel that route to my office in Worcester and mine doesn’t do that. What settings/route do you select? I almost always choose the red route.

I always choose the top one on the list: can’t remember the colour. First time I fell for it and was beaten to Strensham services by something I’d passed earlier..last time I ignored it and there were no delays.