GPS signals are very weak. I've had this happen with other GPS systems so as far as I can tell its interference causing this.
GPS Gets Confused...?
I've had several instances in the past couple of months where the navigation system seems to think my car is as much as 1/4 mile from where it actually is. Picture me driving down a major interstate and GPS thinks I'm on a totally different road running parallel. It keeps telling me to take this turn or that turn but never quite figures out I'm not where it thinks I am. One time, it seemed to eventually correct itself. Other times, I've tried turning off the car and back on at a red light and it still is confused. I have not reported it to the dealer, but have had all the latest software updates applied (at least as of a couple of months ago). This was all in Phoenix metro area (flat ground, straight roads, etc.).
Anyone else seeing this weird behavior or have any ideas what might be causing it? I've probably noticed it ~20 different times in past 6 months.
Anyone else seeing this weird behavior or have any ideas what might be causing it? I've probably noticed it ~20 different times in past 6 months.
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I have had other GPS systems sometimes think that I am on a frontage road that parallels a freeway, but that's like 100 ft or so, nothing close to 1/4 mile as the OP is reporting. And it usually self corrects after driving a mile or so.GPS signals are very weak. I've had this happen with other GPS systems so as far as I can tell its interference causing this.
Actually I drive a local route that has some frontage roads and I never have this problem (although I'm not using built-in NAV). The frontage road issues that I had in the past were always in other cities and I suspect that some of them were due to map inaccuracy. I suppose interference is also possible.
Try using Google Maps on your phone and see if it does the same thing, if not then it could be an error in the Garmin map data. You can also plug your phone into the driver side USB port and run Google Maps in Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, but I assume that you prefer to use the built-in NAV. However if you just aren't familiar with Google Maps you may want to give it a try, most people including myself consider it far superior to the built in NAV, mainly in terms of constantly updated data. Some people prefer Waze (a subsidiary of Google) because of its simpler interface, but Waze has less capabilities than Google Maps.Anyone else seeing this weird behavior or have any ideas what might be causing it? I've probably noticed it ~20 different times in past 6 months.
You can reboot the infotainment system by pressing and holding the audio power button for a few seconds. That way you don't have to shut off the car, you can even do this while driving. In fact shutting off the car does not actually do a reboot it just puts infotainment into sleep mode. Only pressing and holding the audio power button does a full reboot.Other times, I've tried turning off the car and back on at a red light and it still is confused.
My favorite GPS "error" occurred on I-90 in Pennsylvania. The eastbound lanes were under construction so all the traffic was routed to the westbound lanes. Google Navigator kept trying to get me to get off the highway and move over to the correct lanes.
I've had several instances in the past couple of months where the navigation system seems to think my car is as much as 1/4 mile from where it actually is. Picture me driving down a major interstate and GPS thinks I'm on a totally different road running parallel. It keeps telling me to take this turn or that turn but never quite figures out I'm not where it thinks I am. One time, it seemed to eventually correct itself. Other times, I've tried turning off the car and back on at a red light and it still is confused. I have not reported it to the dealer, but have had all the latest software updates applied (at least as of a couple of months ago). This was all in Phoenix metro area (flat ground, straight roads, etc.).
Anyone else seeing this weird behavior or have any ideas what might be causing it? I've probably noticed it ~20 different times in past 6 months.
I’ve had this same issue multiple times. I’ve had it in to the dealer 3 times and called Honda customer service. The dealer says they cannot find the problem. Please call and report your issue. I’ve been told there have not been any complaints or recalls. I’m sure there are more people and if everyone starts calling customer service maybe we can get a recall started. I will be dropping my car off for 4 days next week hoping they can duplicate the issue on a drive.
At the top of the infotainment screen just to the right of the Source button is a satellite icon. When you first start the car this icon will be flashing indicating that it is searching for the GPS satellites. Once it has located enough GPS satellites to calculate your location it will stop flashing. Each time you start your car make a note of how long it takes for it to find the satellites, to see if it sometimes takes longer than other times. It normally shouldn't take more than a few seconds, unless you are inside a parking garage or something. Also next time the problem occurs take a look to see if the satellite icon is flashing. If the problem only occurs while the icon is flashing then it indicates a problem with the GPS signal. Now that could be due to temporary interference of some type that is not related to your car, or it could mean an intermittent hardware problem with the GPS receiver in your car.
As an additional test, run Google Maps on your phone simultaneously anytime that you are using the built in Nav system. When the problem occurs in Nav see if Google Maps is still working on your phone. Google Maps uses your phone's GPS receiver which may be a better receiver than the one in the car, so it's possible that Google Maps will work when the car Nav doesn't.
How will any of this help solve your problem? Well when you are calling Honda support or reporting the problem to the dealer this type of information can help them figure out where the problem is, especially if the problem doesn't happen all of the time. It will also help if you tell them how often the problem occurs in relation to how often it works fine, which I couldn't tell from any of the posts on this topic. It's understandable that the focus is on when it's not working, but a technician needs to also hear details about when it is working, because as part of troubleshooting an intermittent problem they will be trying to figure out what is different when it is working as compared to when it is not working.
It also helps to know if turning the car off and then on again ever fixes it. It probably won't, but again that is helpful data to a technician to know if the problem remains after restarting the car.
As an additional test, run Google Maps on your phone simultaneously anytime that you are using the built in Nav system. When the problem occurs in Nav see if Google Maps is still working on your phone. Google Maps uses your phone's GPS receiver which may be a better receiver than the one in the car, so it's possible that Google Maps will work when the car Nav doesn't.
How will any of this help solve your problem? Well when you are calling Honda support or reporting the problem to the dealer this type of information can help them figure out where the problem is, especially if the problem doesn't happen all of the time. It will also help if you tell them how often the problem occurs in relation to how often it works fine, which I couldn't tell from any of the posts on this topic. It's understandable that the focus is on when it's not working, but a technician needs to also hear details about when it is working, because as part of troubleshooting an intermittent problem they will be trying to figure out what is different when it is working as compared to when it is not working.
It also helps to know if turning the car off and then on again ever fixes it. It probably won't, but again that is helpful data to a technician to know if the problem remains after restarting the car.
At the top of the infotainment screen just to the right of the Source button is a satellite icon. When you first start the car this icon will be flashing indicating that it is searching for the GPS satellites. Once it has located enough GPS satellites to calculate your location it will stop flashing. Each time you start your car make a note of how long it takes for it to find the satellites, to see if it sometimes takes longer than other times. It normally shouldn't take more than a few seconds, unless you are inside a parking garage or something. Also next time the problem occurs take a look to see if the satellite icon is flashing. If the problem only occurs while the icon is flashing then it indicates a problem with the GPS signal. Now that could be due to temporary interference of some type that is not related to your car, or it could mean an intermittent hardware problem with the GPS receiver in your car.
As an additional test, run Google Maps on your phone simultaneously anytime that you are using the built in Nav system. When the problem occurs in Nav see if Google Maps is still working on your phone. Google Maps uses your phone's GPS receiver which may be a better receiver than the one in the car, so it's possible that Google Maps will work when the car Nav doesn't.
How will any of this help solve your problem? Well when you are calling Honda support or reporting the problem to the dealer this type of information can help them figure out where the problem is, especially if the problem doesn't happen all of the time. It will also help if you tell them how often the problem occurs in relation to how often it works fine, which I couldn't tell from any of the posts on this topic. It's understandable that the focus is on when it's not working, but a technician needs to also hear details about when it is working, because as part of troubleshooting an intermittent problem they will be trying to figure out what is different when it is working as compared to when it is not working.
It also helps to know if turning the car off and then on again ever fixes it. It probably won't, but again that is helpful data to a technician to know if the problem remains after restarting the car.
At the top of the infotainment screen just to the right of the Source button is a satellite icon. When you first start the car this icon will be flashing indicating that it is searching for the GPS satellites. Once it has located enough GPS satellites to calculate your location it will stop flashing. Each time you start your car make a note of how long it takes for it to find the satellites, to see if it sometimes takes longer than other times. It normally shouldn't take more than a few seconds, unless you are inside a parking garage or something. Also next time the problem occurs take a look to see if the satellite icon is flashing. If the problem only occurs while the icon is flashing then it indicates a problem with the GPS signal. Now that could be due to temporary interference of some type that is not related to your car, or it could mean an intermittent hardware problem with the GPS receiver in your car.
As an additional test, run Google Maps on your phone simultaneously anytime that you are using the built in Nav system. When the problem occurs in Nav see if Google Maps is still working on your phone. Google Maps uses your phone's GPS receiver which may be a better receiver than the one in the car, so it's possible that Google Maps will work when the car Nav doesn't.
How will any of this help solve your problem? Well when you are calling Honda support or reporting the problem to the dealer this type of information can help them figure out where the problem is, especially if the problem doesn't happen all of the time. It will also help if you tell them how often the problem occurs in relation to how often it works fine, which I couldn't tell from any of the posts on this topic. It's understandable that the focus is on when it's not working, but a technician needs to also hear details about when it is working, because as part of troubleshooting an intermittent problem they will be trying to figure out what is different when it is working as compared to when it is not working.
It also helps to know if turning the car off and then on again ever fixes it. It probably won't, but again that is helpful data to a technician to know if the problem remains after restarting the car.
I have used my phone maps along side the car navigation. The reception is fine. This isn’t only happening when I first start the car. I can be traveling for 30 min on a freeway and the icon drifts off the map. Then I start getting directions to find the freeway I am on. I have pictures and a video while it is happening. Once I was on my way home getting directions as if I were several streets away. I parked in my driveway and still getting turn by turn direction as if I were blocks away. I feel this can be a dangerous situation as it starts in the middle of a trip. If I am following the verbal directions I could be lead to a dangerous area. I can’t rely on my new car to take on a driving vacation so I have to use my old car. I asked the dealer to find out how to replace the entire nav system. He said that can’t be done because it’s expensive. I said I KNOW. I paid for it!
I’m not sure if you can view the photo and video of the navigation but the video is while I am on the 210 after driving 10-15 mile It started veering off my course and was giving me directions to find the freeway. The photo is while I was at my house (the flag) and the go’s is still giving me directions from several blocks away. This is not due to poor reception. I drive this route often and started using gps all the time now to test it. I also noticed it happens when just using the map, not gps. I can see the icon drift off of my route.
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A lot of navigation systems try to keep you on interstates, even when non-interstates are a better choice.I’m not sure if you can view the photo and video of the navigation but the video is while I am on the 210 after driving 10-15 mile It started veering off my course and was giving me directions to find the freeway. The photo is while I was at my house (the flag) and the go’s is still giving me directions from several blocks away. This is not due to poor reception. I drive this route often and started using gps all the time now to test it. I also noticed it happens when just using the map, not gps. I can see the icon drift off of my route.
No that’s not the issue. Sometimes the icon of floating over a hill or a wash. The navigation is sporadically placing me a mile away from where I am. It has nothing to do with reception or satellite location. My phone works fine. I make the same trip multiple times week on a main freeway and sometimes it work and other times I’m getting instructions that are way off course It’s not that the gps is giving me optional directions it just can’t pinpoint where I am. I never have this issue in my other carA lot of navigation systems try to keep you on interstates, even when non-interstates are a better choice.
I've had the same issue a couple of times with my 2011 Volt. One time, the OnStar tech had me pull over and shut the car down for five minutes. The system was fine after a re-boot.No that’s not the issue. Sometimes the icon of floating over a hill or a wash. The navigation is sporadically placing me a mile away from where I am. It has nothing to do with reception or satellite location. My phone works fine. I make the same trip multiple times week on a main freeway and sometimes it work and other times I’m getting instructions that are way off course It’s not that the gps is giving me optional directions it just can’t pinpoint where I am. I never have this issue in my other car
Not a solution, but a related data point.
I understand what you mean, but just to keep the terminology straight when you are talking to a technician, GPS is a radio signal that your car receives, and your Nav system is always using the GPS signal to determine your location, whether you are running a route to a destination or just showing your current position on the map.I also noticed it happens when just using the map, not gps
We don't really know that. As I mentioned your phone may have a better receiver than your car, so when there is a weak signal the car Nav may start faltering but the phone GPS will continue working. However for a normally functioning system that should only happen very rarely, but it can happen with any system. That is why you are getting comments from people saying "yeah I've experienced that too". And a technician will very likely make this assumption also if they are not given quantitative data from you about how often the problem occurs in relation to how often it works with no problem.It has nothing to do with reception or satellite location.
I get the impression from your messages that it happens much more frequently and of longer duration than can be attributed solely to the occasional weak signal. If it is happening frequently then it is almost certainly a defect in the system. I am not arguing against that I'm just trying to help "debate prep" you for discussions with a technician who will possibly have some built in biases until they hear specific information convincing them that this is not the normal occasional problem that any GPS system can experience.
So can you quantify that. You said you run Nav regularly on the same route, considering each segment to and from work or wherever as a separate "trip", does it happen on half the trips, one out of twenty? Even one out of twenty is way too often, and again being able to give that specific type of information to the tech is much more likely to convince them of a problem rather than just saying it happens a lot or it happens often, which they might interpret differently than you intended.sometimes it works and other times I’m getting instructions that are way off course
Also if you drop off the car at the dealer, it helps if the tech has some idea on how long it normally takes to duplicate the problem. Typically when your ticket comes up the tech will go out to your car and start it up, check the Nav system, maybe drive a couple of miles, most likely it will work okay during their brief test drive and they will likely bring it back and say they didn't see any problem. However if you have already told them ahead of time that it's very random and it might take say a couple of hours of driving to see the problem, then they will realize that they likely won't see the problem for themselves, and while they will still check out the system they will be more likely to shift their attention more to your experiences. Many techs will take action based solely on the customer description, hopefully you wind up with a tech like that.
I agree that seems to be the problem. In my opinion it's not a software glitch, it's more likely a hardware problem with reception of the signal. Based on what you have provided so far it's very possibly due to a defective GPS receiver, either perpetually weak and thus subject to problems when the GPS signal is weaker, or perhaps with an intermittent hardware problem that can occur even with a strong GPS signal. I don't know where the GPS receiver on our cars is located, it could be completely separate from the infotainment screen, and possibly can be replaced independently. I am not trying to armchair diagnose the problem but that might be something to discuss with the technician if they know anything about the location of the GPS receiver.It’s not that the gps is giving me optional directions it just can’t pinpoint where I am.
I've had auto repair depots (independents) ask me for permission to allow their technician to drive the vehicle as their own for a few days, in order to try to get the intermittent problem to show itself. There's only so much that a tech can see in a five minute drive. I've given said permission, and it's worked out the very few times I've done it, specifically with my '87 Jeep Wrangler.
If all else fails, you might ask the dealer if their policies will allow for such a thing.
If all else fails, you might ask the dealer if their policies will allow for such a thing.
Two ideas for this situation.No that’s not the issue. Sometimes the icon of floating over a hill or a wash. The navigation is sporadically placing me a mile away from where I am. It has nothing to do with reception or satellite location. My phone works fine. I make the same trip multiple times week on a main freeway and sometimes it work and other times I’m getting instructions that are way off course It’s not that the gps is giving me optional directions it just can’t pinpoint where I am. I never have this issue in my other car
1) Turn the car off and pull the negative 12v battery cable for a few minutes - this reinitializes many, if not all the user settings.
2) Update your maps, even if they're the same version as what Garmin currently has for the Clarity.
#2 won't be it because he says he drives the same route, sometimes it works fine on that route and sometimes it's way off. Same map data in both instances so it won't be the map data.Two ideas for this situation.
1) Turn the car off and pull the negative 12v battery cable for a few minutes - this reinitializes many, if not all the user settings.
2) Update your maps, even if they're the same version as what Garmin currently has for the Clarity.
#1 is a longshot, but certainly we have seen more than one weird problem fixed by it so it doesn't hurt to give it a try. However whenever you give out that advice you should let people know that the normal result of doing this is that when you first turn on the car after reconnecting the 12V, it will give you several ominous messages basically telling you that none of the critical safety systems on your car are working anymore. However these messages are perfectly normal and expected after a 12V disconnect, and all of the messages will clear out within the first mile of driving. Same thing happens when replacing the 12V battery because obviously you have to disconnect the old battery before installing the new one. But if someone doesn't know that this is normal behavior after a 12V disconnect they will panic when they see the messages and will be afraid to drive the car. They will turn the car off and on several times but that won't clear the messages, you have to drive the car to make the messages go away. It sounds bizarre saying it is normal but it is.
Kind of like the "Not Ready" message you get from the OBDII port if you remove the 12V on an ICE vehicle. I've been bit in the butt by that one. Had to meet the "drive cycle" requirements before I could get smogged, after a PbA battery failure on my 2008 Honda S2000. Took a week and 200 miles of various types of driving to clear that one. There are worse things to have to do...#2 won't be it because he says he drives the same route, sometimes it works fine on that route and sometimes it's way off. Same map data in both instances so it won't be the map data.
#1 is a longshot, but certainly we have seen more than one weird problem fixed by it so it doesn't hurt to give it a try. However whenever you give out that advice you should let people know that the normal result of doing this is that when you first turn on the car after reconnecting the 12V, it will give you several ominous messages basically telling you that none of the critical safety systems on your car are working anymore. However these messages are perfectly normal and expected after a 12V disconnect, and all of the messages will clear out within the first mile of driving. Same thing happens when replacing the 12V battery because obviously you have to disconnect the old battery before installing the new one. But if someone doesn't know that this is normal behavior after a 12V disconnect they will panic when they see the messages and will be afraid to drive the car. They will turn the car off and on several times but that won't clear the messages, you have to drive the car to make the messages go away. It sounds bizarre saying it is normal but it is.
And for pure irony just think about all of the pollutants that you had to put into the air so that your car would pass a smog check.Kind of like the "Not Ready" message you get from the OBDII port if you remove the 12V on an ICE vehicle. I've been bit in the butt by that one. Had to meet the "drive cycle" requirements before I could get smogged, after a PbA battery failure on my 2008 Honda S2000. Took a week and 200 miles of various types of driving to clear that one. There are worse things to have to do...
Yup. That 200 miles represented more miles than I had put on the car in the previous two years.And for pure irony just think about all of the pollutants that you had to put into the air so that your car would pass a smog check.
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