GPS Satellite Info - Do I Have A Problem?

[khaug]

Our '09 M35x's nav system will display a 3-D fix only about 10% of the time, hence won't display an altitude most of the time. About 40% of the time, it doesn't receive enough satellites to even compute a latitude/longitude. This is true out in the countryside where there's no vertical obstruction, and persisted in Ontario and New York on a recent trip.

OTOH, the nav system seems to function fine, giving no hint that it's receiving less position data than it needs.

Is my car typical, or is this a problem I should squawk about? Not having an altitude reading can occasionally be annoying.

-Karl

[antzrus]

My '06 won't give me the info unless it's in park. It won't even go to this screen when moving. Yours?

[EniGmA1987]

Perhaps the antenna is loose. Or maybe there just isn't good satellite coverage in your area.

[ken in az]

Mine does the same thing - wouldnt worry about it, but then again, take it to the dealer and ask..

[khaug]

My '06 won't give me the info unless it's in park. It won't even go to this screen when moving. Yours?

Interesting. Mine works fine (at least, as well as it ever does) when moving.

[ken in az]

My '06 won't give me the info unless it's in park. It won't even go to this screen when moving. Yours?

It won't let you to the screen when moving but if you park and then go to that screen and then drive away the screen should stay active.

My theory why it does what it does with the skipping around is that the GPS is only intermittant and it relies on the vehicle speed sensor and steering angle to help calculate position between GPS tracking points.

Why they would do this is beyond me. I can tell you that when I reach my house - and I have a tone programmed to come on when I reach my house (for the dog) - When coming from the south the tone activates exactly when I drive into the driveway, but when I approach from the north the tone comes on 4 houses too early every single time - weird?