NAVSYS Help...What a NIGHTMARE!!!

[RWFJR]

After finding a software glitch in my GPS, (see other thread "GPS wacked out"), I emailed the help center and received this response; Dear Robert,
Thank you for contacting us. In response to your question, a technical support team is ready to assist you. Please call 800.964.0381. Technical support representatives are standing by and ready to address your map update disc concerns.
Sincerely,
The GM Nav Disc Center
Case reference: 152077

So I called and got Kimberly after a 5 minute wait...who transfered me to Havana after a 20 minute wait...Who said I needed to talk to someone in Product Enhancement...5 minute wait...talked to Harold who, after I explained my problem again...called back after 10 minutes...Then talked to Grace who was a NAV Center Specialists...and after telling her my problem, wanted to instruct me on how to calibrate my compass. I told her it was not a compass problem and all the previous people that I started out with a Garmin 50 in 1986 and have had 5 others either on my boats or cars...further I know how to use a GPS and this was a software glitch. She told me I had to take it into the dealer for them to look at. Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes.

I hope someone else has better luck...Time for a beer...

[perfect]

I don't really know what you were expecting anybody to specifically accomplish regarding this issue? If this software glitch affects millions of people and hundreds of devices (which, I'm simply assuming it could)...the most these people could do is take note of the issue and bring it to the engineers who develop the software.

There are probably 100's of reported glitches and many more that go by unnoticed. I work in an industry where software development is critical to the success of my company yet it still sometimes takes a year to get a "simple" software fix updated.

Sorry you had a bad experience...but it sounds like the stock GPS just isn't that great in the new V

[RWFJR]

Originally Posted by perfect

I don't really know what you were expecting anybody to specifically accomplish regarding this issue? If this software glitch affects millions of people and hundreds of devices (which, I'm simply assuming it could)...the most these people could do is take note of the issue and bring it to the engineers who develop the software.

There are probably 100's of reported glitches and many more that go by unnoticed. I work in an industry where software development is critical to the success of my company yet it still sometimes takes a year to get a "simple" software fix updated.

Sorry you had a bad experience...but it sounds like the stock GPS just isn't that great in the new V

Maybe as a consumer, one who has had 5 Garmins and no problems in the past, maybe expecting too much at this juncture. I am bring this to the attention of other V2 owners on this forum to see if they are experiencing similar problems. If so, then it may be addressed properly.

[stealthjr]

I am only going to say this as my personal experience.

My 2005 Chevy Avalanche had navigation and it was horrible.
My current 2007 Avalanche is even worse. It will have me exit an interstate...drive on the frontage road for 5 miles and then jump right back on the same interstate! It will tell me "left turn ahead" only to change its mind once I get to my turn and then say, "turn right at intersection". WTF?

My wife's 2004 Acura TL had none of these issues...nor does my Garmin.

I should be picking up my 2009 V any day and it seems like I can look forward to another shitty navigation system in a GM vehicle.

How embarrassing to pay $2k+ for navigation, only to use my Garmin stuck to my windshield!

My .02

Robert

[RWFJR]

Originally Posted by stealthjr

I am only going to say this as my personal experience.

My 2005 Chevy Avalanche had navigation and it was horrible.
My current 2007 Avalanche is even worse. It will have me exit an interstate...drive on the frontage road for 5 miles and then jump right back on the same interstate! It will tell me "left turn ahead" only to change its mind once I get to my turn and then say, "turn right at intersection". WTF?

My wife's 2004 Acura TL had none of these issues...nor does my Garmin.

I should be picking up my 2009 V any day and it seems like I can look forward to another shitty navigation system in a GM vehicle.

How embarrassing to pay $2k+ for navigation, only to use my Garmin stuck to my windshield!

My .02

Robert

I'm certainlly not laughing at all the problems you have had...Just the picture of a Garmin 250W stuck to the windshield of a 66K car.

[Malibu310]

If you see my other post - there are huge areas of developed land that have streets built as much as 7 years ago that simply do not exist on the GPS, yet EVERY one of my other NAV systems show all of the streets.

The excuse? My saleman who sold me the car and told me the map is continually updated via OnStar signals (boy was he wrong) now says the maps updated every 5 years...

Any how it does look nice - just think of your NAV as like a dumb blonde! On the plus side the NAV in my Aston had the streets that are missing, but it sucked compared to the Cadillac Nav.

Rick H

[mik2718]

Originally Posted by stealthjr

I should be picking up my 2009 V any day and it seems like I can look forward to another shitty navigation system in a GM vehicle.

I don't think the discrepancy reported by RWFJR equates to this overall evaluation. I think my CTS-V nav system is the best I've seen (my experience is more limited than some others on this forum), including some Garmin handheld systems. Just my opinion -- YMMV.

[mastequila]

Originally Posted by stealthjr

I am only going to say this as my personal experience.

My 2005 Chevy Avalanche had navigation and it was horrible.
My current 2007 Avalanche is even worse. It will have me exit an interstate...drive on the frontage road for 5 miles and then jump right back on the same interstate! It will tell me "left turn ahead" only to change its mind once I get to my turn and then say, "turn right at intersection". WTF?

My wife's 2004 Acura TL had none of these issues...nor does my Garmin.

I should be picking up my 2009 V any day and it seems like I can look forward to another shitty navigation system in a GM vehicle.

How embarrassing to pay $2k+ for navigation, only to use my Garmin stuck to my windshield!

My .02

Robert

I just used mine for the first time Sunday to go somewhere new.
Had the same issues with "Keep left" while the display shows a right exit. It's the 1st nav I've used other than an old handheld GPS III+. I haven't tried the onstar voice nav yet but guess it may be more accurate.

[commander112]

I am not a GPS expert but the unit is only following the mapping software. To my knowledge, there are only like two or three actual mapping services that provide the mapping to the GPS makers. To date I have found that every GPS I have used in a car has done some of this strange stuff. Does not matter if it was the one built into my personal car or may portable Sony unit or even the rental units I used to get in the Hertz/Avis/National car I rent.

[RWFJR]

Originally Posted by mik2718

I don't think the discrepancy reported by RWFJR equates to this overall evaluation. I think my CTS-V nav system is the best I've seen (my experience is more limited than some others on this forum), including some Garmin handheld systems. Just my opinion -- YMMV.

Because you mentioned my name mik, let me just reiterate one item; My first GPS was a Garmin 50 in 1990 (the first GPS unit available for civilian use) for my boat. I have had five (5) since then for both boat and car, the last being a Garmin StreetPilot 7500 for my Town Car which did not come with one. Having had some experience with NAV Units and the lack of problems with them, I mentioned this problem, with this unit, that is, for me, unusual and wanted feed back from others.

[mik2718]

Originally Posted by RWFJR

Because you mentioned my name mik, let me just reiterate one item; My first GPS was a Garmin 50 in 1990 (the first GPS unit available for civilian use) for my boat. I have had five (5) since then for both boat and car, the last being a Garmin StreetPilot 7500 for my Town Car which did not come with one. Having had some experience with NAV Units and the lack of problems with them, I mentioned this problem, with this unit, that is, for me, unusual and wanted feed back from others.

My interpretation (purely my opinion) was that your report of a legitimate problem did not translate into a judgment of "another shitty navigation system in a GM vehicle" as another poster expressed.

The CTS-V system is not perfect and may be surpassed by other systems but, for me, it's pretty darned useful and I like it. I have not yet experienced a problem similar to yours and can't directly address it.

[mik2718]

On occasions when I've been told "keep left" for a right exit, it has been the case that either the exit had two lanes initially and I should be in the left of those two lanes to translate to the correct direction on the connecting intersection or that I needed to bear/turn left immediately after taking the exit on the right. The first time or two I heard "keep left" in such a situation it did sound odd to me.

[vperl]

When I picked up my V from Scott and he waved goodbye, with a tear in his eyes.. I drove back home 2500 miles though places I had never seen or been before. The V2 Navigation system worked like a champ and never once had a problem. I suspect some may be not listening or understanding what it is saying..... two exit lanes each going separte directions may confused the less than attentive driver.....

I like my Navagation and use it all the time, but I would like to have an update if the software is out of date. Who is the one that knows the mapping is out of date ? or just won't show the gravel road you live on ?

[marktanner]

The system is very good and easy to use, but it is not perfect, by any means. Some quirks you just have to learn, like the "stay left" then "exit right", which isn't really wrong, just non-intuitive. Other times it will take you around the block, like it was confused, or it gets to a new median and tells you to turn onto the street when you should clearly go straight. Sometimes, it works perfectly and takes you on a quicker and shorter route you didn't know about. While it is annoying, most in-car systems have these quirks. I try to review the route before setting out, to make sure it makes sense, and I don't follow it blindly if I know better. The NAV is pretty quick at re-calculating should you modify the route, because it doesn't know all traffic patterns, light times, etc like you do. It doesn't learn preferred shortcuts, unfortunately.

In spite of it's faults, I find myself using it more and more, just to get the en-route traffic updates. I just don't expect perfection. You may get more accurate instructions from Onstar, and they can down load it to the NAV unit if you like.

[JFJr]

Another good thing is that even when you have not had the system plan your route, it still has a scrolling map on the screen that allows you to see roads before you get to the intersection and prepare for a turn; very useful in a larger city. Other than the annoying "BONG" before you arrive at a planned intersection turn, I like the system a lot and admit to having a "thing" for the female voice that I have named "Wanda." Ha Haa!