Nav v not finding satellites

[Fatboydel]

Since updating to the latest maps my Nav v seems unable to find/lock onto satellites. I put in a route I use often and when riding the route is not being followed, the icon is wandering off line all the time. It’s not far from the route occasionally, but it’s not tracking correctly.

 

[Wapping]

Are you posting this a news flash or because you want help?

Await your words, please.

 

[Fatboydel]

Are you posting this a news flash or because you want help?

Await your words, please.

Looking for help

 

[Wapping]

Try, the word ‘please’.

To fix a BMW Navigator V not receiving satellites, perform a hard reboot by holding the power button until it cycles off and on, or try a master reset by holding the bottom-right corner of the screen while powering on. Ensure the device is outdoors with a clear sky view, as it may take 3–20 minutes to acquire a signal if it has not been used recently or has traveled over 100 miles.
Troubleshooting Steps

• Hard Reboot/Restart: With the device on, hold the power button for about 10-15 seconds until it turns off, then turn it back on.
• Clear View of Sky: Ensure you are in an open area, away from tall buildings, trees, or covered parking, allowing 5-10 minutes to acquire a signal.
• Check GPS Simulator: Go to Settings > Navigation to verify the GPS Simulator is turned off.
• Update Software: Use Garmin Express on a computer to ensure your device has the latest firmware.
• Master Reset (Erases Favorites): Start with the device off. Touch and hold the lower right corner of the screen, then power on the device while continuing to hold the screen until a menu appears to reset.
• Travel > 500 Miles: If the unit has been transported while turned off, it may take 3-5 minutes to locate its position.

If these methods do not work, it is recommended to let it sit in a clear, open, stationary position for up to 20 minutes to reacquire satellite data.

 

[Fatboydel]

Will give that a try, thanks

 

[Wapping]

Will give that a try, thanks

Let us know if it works, please.

 

[the woodster]

Mine did this. I had to do a hard reboot, which was a bit of a pain as I lost all my data but it was much quicker once I got rid of 9 years of junk files and routes!! I made sure I only reloaded routes that I needed.

 

[Fatboydel]

Ok, so the good news, first thing I tried was turning it on and leaving it outside on the table, started with a small red bar and after around 15 mins it changed to all green. However the motorcycle icon is not exactly where the unit is located, I will leave it until I get a chance to go for a ride. If not fixed I will do a hard reboot, all of my favourites are saved on the pc. One thing I forgot to mention, I fitted a new battery before doing the map updates (bargain for £17 direct from Garmin) I don’t suppose that should have affected it?

 

[Wapping]

Thanks for the update.

The new, presumably correct and fully charged device’s internal battery shouldn’t make any difference.

Try the hard reset.

It’s of little comfort, but my Nav IV eventually lost its ability to lock onto satellites. Next stop for it was the bin at Garmin. They did though, recognising that I was a long term customer, let me have a reconditioned ‘new’ one, either for free or a very modest charge. I forget now which.

 

[Redboots]

Ok, so the good news, first thing I tried was turning it on and leaving it outside on the table, started with a small red bar and after around 15 mins it changed to all green. However the motorcycle icon is not exactly where the unit is located, I will leave it until I get a chance to go for a ride. If not fixed I will do a hard reboot, all of my favourites are saved on the pc. One thing I forgot to mention, I fitted a new battery before doing the map updates (bargain for £17 direct from Garmin) I don’t suppose that should have affected it?

You probably lost/corrupted/have an old Almanac.
Try: If a full reset is not desired, place the device in an open, stationary outdoor area, turn it on, and leave it for 20-30 minutes to allow the GPS chip to download a new almanac from the satellites.

 

[siddo]

Since updating to the latest maps my Nav v seems unable to find/lock onto satellites. I put in a route I use often and when riding the route is not being followed, the icon is wandering off line all the time. It’s not far from the route occasionally, but it’s not tracking correctly.

That's nice.

 

[Mzokk]

You probably lost/corrupted/have an old Almanac.
Try: If a full reset is not desired, place the device in an open, stationary outdoor area, turn it on, and leave it for 20-30 minutes to allow the GPS chip to download a new almanac from the satellites.

This is good advice, if the Nav5 was not booted up for a long time it won't have a clue what time it is or where it is and it can take a long time to work this out.

 

[Fatboydel]

Ok, so I let it sit for 20 mins, it was connected to 8 satellites and the green bars were full. It found my location and elevation etc. I put in a journey to a known location and it calculated the journey time correctly. However when riding it is still not following the route, wandering around either side of the route or running parallel to it.

I have tried to do a hard reset, holding down in the RH corner and powering on, after a few seconds I get “system” in small letters running down the screen, but it never gives a menu and does nothing else.

I am beginning to wonder if there is an issue with the latest map I downloaded, as it was working perfectly fine before the update, what do you think?

 

[Mzokk]

Ok, so I let it sit for 20 mins, it was connected to 8 satellites and the green bars were full. It found my location and elevation etc. I put in a journey to a known location and it calculated the journey time correctly. However when riding it is still not following the route, wandering around either side of the route or running parallel to it.

I have tried to do a hard reset, holding down in the RH corner and powering on, after a few seconds I get “system” in small letters running down the screen, but it never gives a menu and does nothing else.

I am beginning to wonder if there is an issue with the latest map I downloaded, as it was working perfectly fine before the update, what do you think?

Re loading it won't do any harm.

 

[JoeBiff]

Re loading it won't do any harm.

I’d remove/disconnect the new battery first ; then reconnect the battery and perform the hard reset.
Followed by another attempt at a map download.

The OP doesn’t say which mapset he was running before he tried to update…. aren’t they executable program files and may be conflicting with the original loss of position of the device.?

Edit: maybe the device has been sitting unused in a drawer for a lengthy period? It’s an old device.

 

[Traffic893]

When I had this issue on my Nav V, I had some advice.
I disconnected the battery. Left it for 5 minutes. Reconnected, turned on and it was sorted. That worked for me.

 

[Fatboydel]

Ok, so having worked out how to do the hard reset, I took it outside and got the satellites connecting ok, as they were before. This didn’t resolve the issue with the navigation. So I brought it back indoors and turned off the gps, set up a route and started it running in simulate mode, it ran for a very short time then stalled. So next up I connected it to the PC and replaced the full european map with just the UK version, restored my backed up routes and it is back working fine again. So the issue was with the map and not the gps after all.

Many thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions.

Not sure how the map got corrupted, will wait for a new version before re-installing the full Europe map again.

 

[Guru Gora]

Asking an older device to ‘work hard’ by having a gazillion roads on there may be causing issues.


Kind of like a computer trying to perform multiple tasks with poor RAM and processor.

If it’s working OK in UK I’d regard it as a home country navigation machine only

 

[Wapping]

It is very rare that anyone ever needs installed maps that stretch from the north of Finland to to bottom of Greece, via Portugal and Ireland. Similarly, the pressing need to keep every route they have ever ridden, all available at a moment’s notice, can by safely done away with.

 

[JoeBiff]

The fact everyone is taking a stab in the dark at a fix, here, speaks volumes.

There’s also a good reason why Garmin stopped supporting this device a while back. Not helped by Garmin’s curious use of the phrase “lifetime” map updates causing untold angst in some quarters.

I’ve three “old” Garmin/BMW devices lying on my garage bench unused as they’ve reached the end of their useful life, as far as I’m concerned.