Nav Override

[nyuhsuk]

I have noticed one possible annoyance of the Nav (again, I have not played with it much). When I put in my home address (9709) the system direct me to my house. But, when sitting in my driveway, the cursor is further south on the map and not sitting on the destination icon. My position is related at house number 9773 which is non existent??? I will check the system out next week when we go to Dallas for Thanksgiving. Has anyone else noticed this foible?

As with most other GPS and mapping systems, the pinpointing of the address is always an approximate location, interpolated along the road using the max addresses on the road and the road's actual length. My ES manual explains it as pulling you close enough so that you can then start looking for parking. i.e. Google maps even puts my place about 2 or 3 doors down from where it actually is. I always wondered if it did that for security purposes but it's most likely a information database constraint where actually mapping out every numbered location in the nation to the dot would be infeasible.

I was intrigued by this answer and decided to check things a little further. I really think the Nav is off in the Lexus. I parked the Lexus side by side with my VW Touareg (with Nav) in my driveway as well as breaking out my Magellan handheld GPS. The Lat/Long coordinates relate as follows:

Lexus N33 30 21 W101 53 42

VW N33 30 36 W101 53 71

Mag. N33 30 363 W101 53 711

As you can see, the VW and the Magellan agree perfectly with the Magellan carrying the seconds to 3 digits, but the Lexus is off???

Does the Lexus have any calibration adjustment parameters in a situation like this?

We did notice in our test drive of another ES350 that when approaching an intersection where we were turning, the Nav did NOT give us a turn command for the actual right turn. If the Nav is off in its calibration, then maybe we had not gotten to the point that a command would have been activated?

I will ask the dealer about this at the 1000 mile check-up, but am interested in what you folks think.

Rck

I'm not too sure how much a ~30 second difference will make in the actual position but I have noticed that the GPS in my car is pretty on point. I tried to figure out where in that little single-slice-pizza-ring icon my car actually sits by parking my car in the same spot and just positioning it in a different direction each time. I noticed that the calibration seems to place my car at the tip of the red pie slice in the center of the ring. That said, the GPS pretty much brings down to the yard or so of the spot I am on the road. I pull to an intersection and that point is flush to the perpendicular road on the GPS map.

I believe there is a calibration adjustment feature in the settings somewhere where you can minutely adjust the position. Just dig through the options sometime.

The inaccuracies with the numbered addressing is not from the receiver being inaccurate but rather the database not properly pinpointing each numbered address in the nation. It seems the longer the road, the more interpolation and inaccuracy that arise. My current building is one of two in a small loop, so the addressing is spot on when asked to look for the numbered address. My parents' house is on a 1/2 mile stretch between roads and the numbered location for it shows up at the house about 3 doors down.

Hope that clarifies what I've noticed...

Cheers---

[burcorp]

I agree there should be an over ride or front passenger function for the GPS. It is an ease of use issue and increasing functionality. Like any other driving liability, leave it to the driver to determine what they can handle. Liability and other factors can be released in a signed statement by the owner of record or on screen display at start up. Done, then we can all move our merry ways.

Happy holidays and happy driving.

[BaddBoi70]

FYI, I have started a website dedicated to getting the navigation override restored. Please visit the site and be counted!

The site is http://www.lexusoverride.com and I would appreciate folks signing up. Your email addresses will be kept confidential and only used to update you on any changes in the Navigation system. In my mind, Lexus has misjudged their customers. This is a great way to let them know how many owners are dissatisfied with the new system.

Doug Bates

THANK YOU for your efforts and concern to help the interested owners of this finely crafted automobile! The Acura/Honda NAV system is FAR superior to the Lexus/Toyota NAV system. Many other NAV systems do NOT lock the driver out of using the system while driving. Lexus should listen to the MAJORITY of us and create a "hotfix or patch" to resolve this issue.

Scott

[BaddBoi70]

IUnless it is fixed, I will never purchase another vehicle from Lexus/Toyota again. Its as simple as that.

Do you promise you'll post on one of their forums too?

I love this LOL, why would we give a crap what you buy next time? Get over yourself.

SW03ES - If you are not currently employed by Lexus I heard they are hiring! You seem to be able to dish it out to everyone on this site, yet you take serious offense to anyone who serves you up some of your own words! Seriously, you have over 12K posts on this site - do you have a life outside of this site?

If you are not employed by Lexus and if you are not self employed I have pity on your employer - oh you live in Gaithersburg, MD - maybe you are one of the many FED employees that sit at your desk and do all of us a grave disservice by chatting online (creating posts) ALL day long on our tax payers dollars!

[smooth1]

Well, I just bought the 08' IS 350. ( I really like this car.) I read earlier in this thread about the "I agree." thing. I can tell you in the IS 350 anyway, you don't have to acknowledge that anymore. While it shows some safety message for about 30 seconds, it does go on to the functions with out having to agree.

I am a big aftermarket guru. I have a Pioneer AVIC D3 DVD/Nav in dash sytem, I beleive it has a 7'' screen. Anyway, at anytime during motion or stand still you allways have full functional use of all operations including DVD watching, route plotting, and poi settings, with alphabetical listings of everything. You can even select the back up camera and use it like an extra rear view mirror while driving. I can operate the nav system, while watching a dvd and driving 80 mph all at the same time. This is in my IS 300 by the way. I will tell you, that you can't watch a dvd and drive. I consider myself a very good driver, and it is impossible to watch a movie and drive at the same time anyway. I actually found it more annoying that my front passenger would be watching a movie or something, and thier reactions would cause me to want to look at the movie instead of the road, and I didn't have any other audio options. Which is why I bought a 12'' portable dvd player. My wife can now sit back and enjoy her movie with headphones, and I get to listen to Diana Krall belt it out on the piano.

As far as the navigational lock out, While I admit there have been a few times I found it limiting, Here in Orlando anyway, there are plenty of red lights I have to stop at anyway, and once I have familarized myself with the system, I have it more than enouph time to navigate my needs on the system, and then move on.

The one thing I have found curious is the fact that it is ok for me to look down and enter the number I wish to dial on my phone while driving, but I can't do that on the nav screen for some reason. But again, easily gone around with whipping out the phone and dialing on that key pad instead. On a side note: Can you dial by number in the voice mode while driving? I'll need to look into that.

So, my opinion, while improvements to come I am sure they will figure out things we or atleast I haven't even thought of yet, ( How many of us would have dreamed of having any kind of nav system in a car 10 years ago? So who knows what's next.) I am overall very happy with the car. ( I haven't made up my mind on the steering assist thing. Feels funny right now. but most new things do.) And man that IS 350 is quick for being stock and a four door !!! there are many other things I really love about the car.

As for comparing other car mfgr. nav units. I guess I look at it like you have to give in order to get. Such as Acura is a front wheel drive car, ( I personally hate front wheel drive cars.), The new BMW's are Fugly, ( the 3 series) the M5 is nice but twice the price!!, and Mercedes C class 230-350 quite frankly felt cheap and uncomfortable. Again, higher up the prie scale felt and looked better, but neither had that tight, refined, sport luxo feel like the Lexus does. And again, just my opinion, that's what I thought was the most important thing. For those of you who just bought a new Lexus, didn't you do the list thing where you go," Ok, Lexus I get this, this and that, but not this or that, and with Infinity i can have those and that but not this, which I really need, so Infinity is out, and so on snd so on?" And knowing what you know now about the nav unit would have completely changed your purchasing decision?

[SW03ES]

SW03ES - If you are not currently employed by Lexus I heard they are hiring! You seem to be able to dish it out to everyone on this site, yet you take serious offense to anyone who serves you up some of your own words! Seriously, you have over 12K posts on this site - do you have a life outside of this site?

If you are not employed by Lexus and if you are not self employed I have pity on your employer - oh you live in Gaithersburg, MD - maybe you are one of the many FED employees that sit at your desk and do all of us a grave disservice by chatting online (creating posts) ALL day long on our tax payers dollars!

I am indeed self employed. I could probably buy and sell you several times over too, so don't worry about me.

And I'm sorry if my hobby of chatting on this internet forum bothers you. In fact, if it weren't for me and the other significant administrators and members of this site spending time here and working on the site...it wouldn't be here for you to enjoy. So...you're welcome.

Look around the internet, 12k posts to an internet forum is hardly a lot.

Anyways, you say I can dish it out but I get offended when people disagree with me. I *never* get offended by anything anyone says to me online. In fact, I don't think I've shown any offense or anger at all in this thread. I simply have an opinion, as you do. It differs from yours, but I'm just as entitled to it as you are.

Since you're new to our forum I'll let you know that you're welcome to debate the topics with anyone here including me, but singling people out and rideculing them in the way you've attempted but failed to do here is not acceptable and won't be tolerated.

[BaddBoi70]

SW03ES - If you are not currently employed by Lexus I heard they are hiring! You seem to be able to dish it out to everyone on this site, yet you take serious offense to anyone who serves you up some of your own words! Seriously, you have over 12K posts on this site - do you have a life outside of this site?

If you are not employed by Lexus and if you are not self employed I have pity on your employer - oh you live in Gaithersburg, MD - maybe you are one of the many FED employees that sit at your desk and do all of us a grave disservice by chatting online (creating posts) ALL day long on our tax payers dollars!

I am indeed self employed. I could probably buy and sell you several times over too, so don't worry about me.

And I'm sorry if my hobby of chatting on this internet forum bothers you. In fact, if it weren't for me and the other significant administrators and members of this site spending time here and working on the site...it wouldn't be here for you to enjoy. So...you're welcome.

Look around the internet, 12k posts to an internet forum is hardly a lot.

Anyways, you say I can dish it out but I get offended when people disagree with me. I *never* get offended by anything anyone says to me online. In fact, I don't think I've shown any offense or anger at all in this thread. I simply have an opinion, as you do. It differs from yours, but I'm just as entitled to it as you are.

Since you're new to our forum I'll let you know that you're welcome to debate the topics with anyone here including me, but singling people out and rideculing them in the way you've attempted but failed to do here is not acceptable and won't be tolerated.

WOW SW03ES - nice threat I guess you have that privelage since you are an "Administrator" of the site. Before you utilize your bestowed powers to threaten me, you may want to review some of your most recent posts, which I have read as a newbie to this site. Again, it seems you can dish out comments and ridicule, but you can't take it.

If you can honestly say that you have NOT done so, then this thread is over b/c you have serious ego issues. As I see it, as an administrator of this site you have agreed to take on certain responsibilities. One of them should not be to ridicule others or to inform them that "YOU" don't care about their choices and to make people feel as if their issues and concerns are illigitimate. As a representative of the "Lexus" brand, you should ONLY be providing factual information and NOT personal opinions and/or conjecture.

[SW03ES]

I haven't rideculed anyone. Show me where I've rideculed anyone? I've expressed frustration with people who come here only to complain, which is genuine.

I am not a representative of the Lexus brand. This site is not owned or operated by Lexus in any way shape or form nor do I work for or recieve compensation from Lexus. The entire point of belonging to a forum such as this is to express and discuss OPINIONS. It is a DISCUSSION FORUM. I'm a member of this forum just like you and I am entitled to my opinions whether you share them or not.

I'm a manager here as a volunteer, unpaid, because I enjoy working on the site. It doesn't remove me from my right to have or express my opinions.

And for the record I'm not threatening you, I'm informing you that personally attacking other members here is not permitted. Read the posting guidelines you agreed to when you joined the site. If you want to discuss opinions and be a contributing member to the site, please do so and have fun thats why the place is here. If your goal is to try and drag me or anyone else out into a flamewar by pulling out an 8 month old post like you did with your very personally insulting first post we'll ask you to leave. Not a threat, but a fact.

[gfraigun]

Okay, I want to put my 2 cents in (about all I have left after buying a lexus :D )

Anyways, We just traded in our 2002 infiniti for the lexus, and most nav functions are blocked out while driving. You can get the last 5 destinations, the first 5 in the address book and the first 5 of certain POIs while driving. We thought the system was great. If we needed to change where we were going we could reprogram at a stop light or just get off the freeway for 2 minutes.

We also have a 2007 Chevy tahoe with the nav (multiple GMs use the same one). The nav is even better than the infiniti, touch screen a lot of voice options. Any address in the address book that I recorded voice tag for I can program at any time, I have gas station and fast food icons showing on the screen, if I want to go to one while driving I tap it and can add it to my destination (usually the only in route places we go, get gas or soda). Plus a couple of other nice features. However, programing destinations is not possible, I can while driving get to the first 5 in the address book and the last 5 previous. But I think it is great.

We've also tested a lot of cars, and I think most auto NAVs block you out.

However, with our new GS460 being only a week old and also being primarily for my wife I've not gotten fully versed on using the nav, but so far it is even easier to work with that the others (except the voice tags, haven't figured out if they are an option yet). But I think it is great, with a voice command I can put various POIs on the screen and even tap on them go route to them. I can program various other things with voice. It seems a lot less limited to me. But the more I drive the car the more I appreciate the way things work.

As far as my opinion on locking features out while driving; I do think that it would be great if my wife could program while I drive or the other way around. However, I understand the lock out... No offense to anyone specific, but in general many people are stupid, inconsiderate and brainless when driving and doing other things. Just the other day, I saw a lady driving down the street with one had on twerling her hair and one hand holding her phone, I doubt she had a third had for the wheel. Now do you really want to give her the added function of playing with her NAV while driving? I've seen drivers watching DVDs, playing computer games, reading emails and doing all kinds of stuff while driving. Personally, I think we should just stick with driving safely.

In this world people are so concerned about getting there right now that they don't even realize that for the average street trip driving 50mpg instead of 40mpg only saves a couple of seconds but puts a lot more at risk. On the freeway 75mpg saves only a minute or two over 65mpg over a 20 to 30 mile drive.

Now, lets look at it this way, if you don't like certain features you either have to deal with it, use a work around or trade in, sorry but I think that's the options. However, if you don't agree with someones opinion don't put them down, treat them with the respect you would like and listen to what they have to say. They may have a point. Case example, my Tahoe has TSBs and issues that are 2 years old with no fixes yet. On the chevy board I posted on they jumped down my throat for asking about them even though they are real acknowledge issues.

Oh, and please, if I said something to offend, I appoligize, I don't mean too... I like my Lexus, I like my Tahoe, I love the way the NAVs work, for the most part they get me from point A to point B, that's what I bought it for...

[LeodLion]

I am new to Lexus and we just drove 350 miles on our 2010 RX 350. I did not even know about the nav override until I read it in this forum.

I have used a gps like Tomtom. I assumed that the Lexus nav would function similarly in that I can change the destination while in motion. I thought at first that the unit is not working. Then when the POI button wouldn't work I realized it was designed that way. It is irritating and very limiting. I think stopping on the highway is more dangerous.

Then when I was going to make a phone call, the Contact button is dead. Again I realized it was by designed. But why was the Speed Dial button active? Hmmm. One is more complicated than the other? The vocal command system will dial the phone number for you except half the time it can not understand me. Must be the noise or what? Will it get better?

I also realized that Lexus designed it this way to avoid any possible lawsuit arising from foreseen accidents due to people fudging on their nav. Okay I agree with that. Then there was suggestion of the passenger being able to do all of the nav function instead of the driver. Good point. Problem is if you provide an override people will ignore the intended purpose, defeat it, and make the driver do all of the changes anyway.

There is a gadget in the market that can be bought to provide nav override, I found out. It will cost me $299. I have to wait and see if this is irritating enought for me to buy and install one.

Will I not buy a Lexus if I know of this problem? I will still buy a Lexus. As somebody said, the car main purpose is driving not providing navigation help. I seldom use the nav anyway but I know its very useful.

When I got delivery of the car, the salesman spent all of his time explaining all of the gadgets including the phone and nav system. He never once open the hood. Hmmm. The first thing I did when I got the car home is open the hood and remove all of that plastic cover and look at the engine. Thats more exciting.

[Bill C.]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I came across this and thought I would share what I have learned. Im not sure if this has been "solved" or not but I came up with a solution. I have a 08 RX350, 08 LS460, and a 07 ES350, so I have experience with Lexus nav. I have only tried this on the ES, but if you depress the emergency brake just enough for the car to recognize it but to not engage it, it will unlock the controls. Hope this helps someone.

-Bill

[ClayShooter]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I came across this and thought I would share what I have learned. Im not sure if this has been "solved" or not but I came up with a solution. I have a 08 RX350, 08 LS460, and a 07 ES350, so I have experience with Lexus nav. I have only tried this on the ES, but if you depress the emergency brake just enough for the car to recognize it but to not engage it, it will unlock the controls. Hope this helps someone.

-Bill

Bill,

I too have an 07 ES350. I tried this today and no luck. Everything still stayed 'grayed out'...are you sure you didn't do something else in conjunction with using the brake that made it work? Am I not holding my mouth right? What? :o

Ben

[Bill C.]

I am pretty sure there is nothing else I have done. Are you sure that the car recognized it being depressed? I can even play dvds. I cant try it in the LS, no ebrake pedal, but I will try sometime in the RX.

[joeb427]

I am pretty sure there is nothing else I have done. Are you sure that the car recognized it being depressed? I can even play dvds. I cant try it in the LS, no ebrake pedal, but I will try sometime in the RX.

Does your e-brake dash light glow?

I would think the dash light would have to be on.

[Bill C.]

It comes up on the display between the speedometer and the tachometer that the ebrake is engaged.

[ClayShooter]

It comes up on the display between the speedometer and the tachometer that the ebrake is engaged.

My light comes on too, but I still have grayed out options...I even took it up a fairly deserted road today and pushed the brake half way in; so far that it was slowing the car down, and still no luck.

One thing just occured to me...did you punch up the menu AFTER you pressed the brake? I already had the menu up when I engaged the brake, thinking that the icons would appear, but they didn't. Maybe I need to fiddle with the menu after I push in the brake?

I'll let you know if it works.

I'm still using the original 2007 disc, if that matters.

[JerryF7]

It comes up on the display between the speedometer and the tachometer that the ebrake is engaged.

My light comes on too, but I still have grayed out options...I even took it up a fairly deserted road today and pushed the brake half way in; so far that it was slowing the car down, and still no luck.

One thing just occured to me...did you punch up the menu AFTER you pressed the brake? I already had the menu up when I engaged the brake, thinking that the icons would appear, but they didn't. Maybe I need to fiddle with the menu after I push in the brake?

I'll let you know if it works.

I'm still using the original 2007 disc, if that matters.

I'm new but read all the threads yesterday & tried it out(menu/volume/top left/bottom left/top left/bottom left/ overide/back) on my 2007 ES 350 disk Version 5.1 & to my surprise it worked.

I am wondering if you can update the maps (new areas in Florida that i visit from NY are not on my Version 5.1 disks) but they are on my RX 2010. Can you update the maps without updating the software & loose the overide. $300 bucks is a lot to update maps.

JerryF