Navigation reception is off

[TDot]

Has anyone else had this issue. Over time my position is slowly drifting from where I actually am, like 1 meter/3 feet for every 10 minutes of driving (drift is front/back not to the left/right) seemingly based on speed. And every once in a while if I make a turn the coarse isn't expecting the position will go WAAAAAY off a good 500ft to 1 mile. I haven't looked at the satellites yet (which I'll do later today), but I'm in open areas so obstructions are not issues. The only thing I can possibly think of that I did recently is put an external gps unit that has a magnet right behind the rearview mirror. But many gps units have magnets in them and that shouldn't affect it. I want to see if anyone else has had this issue before I go though the hassle of removing it just to go through tests because I have its wire running through the headliner and A pillar. Or could it be the second gps unit it self.

[EniGmA1987]

Could be that you are not actually getting a GPS signal and the system is just basing your location off of internal maps and speed + direction. Bad GPS signal could be from location, bad connection of the antenna, or something else. If you changed your tire and/or rims from the stock size to something else your speed will now be off and so will your navigation movement. The system can only correct +/- 2.5 degrees and this offset must be set manually in the deep diagnostic menu.

[svard75]

I'm thinking that perhaps it's normal. GPS requires at least 3 satellite signals to be received to be 95% (~+/-25ft) accurate. Does this happen when you are driving in an area with lot's of tall buildings or anything that could obstruct at least one satellite signal?

A GPS receiver listens to specific low power radio frequencies. I'm not sure a fastening magnet would make any significant difference.

[TDot]

I know the connections are good, and I think the equipment is good. I've done some reading and found other people with the same issue who has changed the unit and antenna and the same issue persisted.

I checked my gps info and it seems like the gps lock is sporadic. I'm in Brampton, Markham area in Ontario right now with wide open views of the sky and I have intermittent lock on sats which doesn't make too much sense to me until I remembered that originally when I put my computer in I put its GPS receiver where the center speaker is which is where I believe the cars gps is and I was having issues with it. I'm just perplexed now because I never saw drifting like this before.

I'm going to open up the center speaker again and see if I can do some manipulation and relocation of it. This poor location is probably why the navigation is designed in conjunction with the speedometer and steering wheel which is soooo stupid.

My wheels are 20" with 40 sidewall, I don't think I should be seeing what I am seeing.

A GPS receiver listens to specific low power radio frequencies. I'm not sure a fastening magnet would make any significant difference.

I agree, but since it's the newest thing I've added to the car since I've noticed this, and I know the computer is interfering with the communication between the fob and the car, I'm just placing the blame towards that outside influence until I can rule it out.

[svard75]

Ah, what are you doing in my neck of the woods. Work?

[The00Dustin]

I seem to recall several people with the nav hack talking about how the car doesn't move on the maps when the hack is on and they have to turn it off and slow way down the GPS to get them back in the right place via satellite. Given that, keep in mind that the GPS system will use the vehicle speed sensor to mark your position so that the navigation keeps updating when underground, for instance. I believe it was determined/decided that the vehicle speed sensors are used instead of satellite signals to keep track of vehicle location at high speeds. That having been said, if you have non-oem sized tires, then a different rolling radius could cause noticeable variance over longer differences. Beyond that, it sounds like you are not using the nav hack (even temporarily while driving to set a destination), but if you are, don't expect accurate GPS results while the hack is enabled or until you slow or stop afterwards.

[TDot]

These are my neck of the woods lol...Toronto and etobicoke at least. Just visiting family and old friends.

Yes I remember that discussion with the nav hack, and that explains why different people had different results. I now think it had nothing to do with speed, but simply a matter of gps lock happening at all. I'm going to be watching it on my way back to NY and see what happens.

[svard75]

So NY in your profile stands for north york? I assumed new york. Cool another active NY member!

[TDot]

No, no, it does stand for New York. I just meant my neck of the woods b/c that's where I grew up.

So I'm back in NYC and since I hit NJ off the 81 the GPS has been working flawlessly (it was drifting from Canada to about 200 miles past Rochester). Sat lock is still bad, but not as bad as when I was in Canada. It pops in and out enough to keep my position without issue, with buildings all around. But that's still not good because my computer has a constant lock on 9 satellites and this is having a problem locking on 3...just ridiculous. I'll monitor it a few more days and see what happens.


Can anyone verify the little black box with the white label in the upper right hand side is the GPS? If it is I might see if I can relocate it a little, which should also help in requiring the position faster with the nav hack. If not I'll just install a gps app on my computer and use that when I'm out of town and call it a day.

[svard75]

Yup.

[The00Dustin]

Also, doesn't the GPS have region settings? I'm thinking there are like 7 regions for North America. Maybe you need to change regions when you're in Canada? I'm not whether or not this is for accuracy and/or to use different satellites, but maybe it'd be worth a shot. I know someone talked about moving their GPS antenna before, but I can't remember if they thought they could move it and get better signal or if they actually moved it and got better signal.

[TDot]

It looks like it def had something to do with up state NY/Canada. Have not had any issues at all since I've been back.

The region is only for mapping...plus I had it set to Canada anyway.

[TDot]

I'm programming my own navigation mapping system and remembered this thread and the solution I found and decided to post the link to the other thread that has the answer in case anyone comes across this and not the other.
gps-constellation-winking-in-and-out-of ... ?hilit=Gps

[lovemycarM35]

I have 20's on m 2007 M no issues like that with my NAV

[Ilya]

My 07 and current 11 never have issues with GPS in upstate/western NY...not sure what happened to your system. In fact, I was in Buffalo on both cars within the last 2 months.

[TDot]

It's really nothing to do with my particular system, it's simply a design flaw. If you read the link I provided, he actually explains everything. And his procedures mimics my issues almost exactly. It's a flawed design the way infiniti placed its GPS receiver. I haven't had any issues since I've been back. Where I was my unit wasn't seeing the satellites properly. I did a few tests since I've been back that were explained in the link and came up with the same issues.

Anyway, even though it's working fine now, I was determined to never run into this situation again so I decided to program my own navigation system into my front end app based off of google maps, so now i have traffic capabilities. So far it's coming along great. The only major obstacle I've had so far is to make the bearing of the map change with direction, but I think I've figured a way to do that. I've even been able to program turn by turn voice nav even though google was determined to prevent it lol, and add traffic accident/incidents even though google doesn't provide it.

[EniGmA1987]

That is pretty cool. The joys of having a carputer.