Todays trip was sadly to a funeral. Left in plenty of time and a simple route up M6 to Stoke and then towards Leek. Thought Miss SatNav would help me round the Stoke bit. Got to Stoke OK then at a crucial moment there was a short blip and the screen went blank. A few swear words. SatNav started up again ok but by that time had missed the proper route and spent ages trying to avoid road works and negotiate minor roads . Wife panicking trying to find where we were on the map. SatNav kept telling me to go back to the road works. By instinct and some luck we got onto the proper route again and arrived with a few minutes to spare. Moral is use my trusted TomTom or go back to maps.

ptecuk, I have had this problem but only once. I pulled into a lay-bye turned off the engine and restarted the car and it still stayed blank. Got to my destination using a map. When I returned to the car and started it, all was fine with the sat nav. That was over 2 years ago and it is still OK. I never found what caused it.

waaxh03

Any sat nav can go wrong, either a failure as you describe or invalid data sending you down inappropriate roads.

A map book may eventually go out of date but if you know how to read it you it doesn't "blip".

A couple of years ago I wanted to go from Peterborough to Colchester via the then new A120. The sat nav initially sent round the A14 past Ipswich, no real problem I just told it to avoid the A14/A12 junction.

Its response....

"It is not possible to reach your destination avioding that point"

I just turned it off!!!  Prog rock is cool!
2012 XS SD4 Indus Silver

Did it to us in the middle of France last year, when we got back booked the car into the dealer and I added it to the list of ''issues''. When I got the car back later they said that the disc was dirty and just needed a clean.....been fine since (even in Belgium, Lux, France + Switz this year).
So maybe eject the disc and give it a wipe with a lint free cloth can't do any harm

Thanks mcphersonstrut for the idea. It has only happened the once but as you say it shouldn't do any harm to give the disc a clean.

I have retro fit a gps box on a 7' kenwood screen (dvd and digital TV). So far (2 years) works well without a single problem. But since I am doing more than 15000Km per year abroad, I always carry a handheld gps with me. Why let a small problem with the car gps ruin your day.

The thing is we don't realise how we depend on them if you are not careful.

Somebody I worked with was on holiday in Bournemouth area with his kids and was on the way to some local safari park. Blindly following the sat nav, "turn left", "second exit" etc. The system was working fine but it just ocurred to him half way to the destination, at that point in time he did not have a clue physically where he was.

When you follow a map you tend to go from point A to B to C and therefore have some idea where you are all the time (unless you are lost). Prog rock is cool!
2012 XS SD4 Indus Silver

Absolutely correct. It's loss of situational awareness.

How many times have you driven an unfamiliar route with a sat-nav, then been able to drive the same route without it, the next day ? Try this with a map instead, and I bet you have a damn good chance of being able to do it.

The great thing about sat-navs is the ability to re-route you after a wrong turn or somesuch.

Like anything else, it is but one tool in the box. We Don't Care About Pot Holes !!

Interesting comments. Just an update - I took disc out to clean as recommended by mcphersonstrut and was surprised how dirty it was. Gave it a radial wipe with spectacle cleaning cloth and it came up nice and shiny. Noticed it had 2006 on the label so it must be one of the early ones.

I was once heading back to Birmingham from Cambridge and as I got on the A14 my Sat Nav kept telling me to exit at next junction. I ignored it for about 6 miles.....................then ended up stuck in a 2 hour traffic jam coz of a pile up further down the A14. Im sure my satnav was sniggering at me for not listening to it!!

L.R. Sat Navs, like most other in car systems are not too special. I would not even dream of relying on mine, and use it in conjunction with my Tom Tom. When the going gets tough, and confusion takes over, the L. R. system is the one turned off !!!

given the proliferation of aftermarket Sat navs (and phones that think they are sat navs) it can't be long before this becomes a delete option!! There's always a way forward!

2008 Freelander Td4 GS - Stornoway Grey - Now Gone - Sob
2011 Freelander Td4 GS 150 - Rimini Red - in its place - Better x far x 4!!

if anyone has a more up to date dvd than mine ( 2007) and cqan send me a copy i'd be more than happy to 'compensate them' for the efforts  freelander 2 SE black and beige - now sold

Got a set of 2008-2009 DVD's. Open to offers. Hi Darling, I'll be home in 10 mins. If I'm not back, please read this message again...