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[aaronjb]

Just picked up the new Elite and spotted something that I didn't notice on the test drive (well.. you tend not to try the GPS when you're on a test drive - at least, I didn't!)..

The navigation system seems to be 'stuck' at one single location in spacetime - Romsey, to be exact.. and I know I'm definitely not in Romsey.

I had a look through the manuals (this car actually came with some and a carpass, too!) but couldn't see anything about 'resetting' the GPS receiver.

Anyone know if that's possible, or if it's likely to be a FUBAR GPS unit?

[TheBoy]

If the GPS letters in top right of Main screen Gren, red or amber (CID) or normal or inverted (GID)?

If not yellow/green/normal, sounds like poor GPS reception.  If it is, but doesn't pick up car moving, could be no speed signal reaching system - check if SDVC works as expected (turn it to 5 is easiest way to hear the difference).


Press and hold CLEAR for 6s to restart the satnav part of the system

[aaronjb]

Thanks TB - it's a GID not CID, and the letters are normal rather than inverted (amber letters, dark background)..

I'll try the SDVC in the morning on the way to work.

[aaronjb]

So after some testing this morning it seems;

1) I was wrong, the 'GPS' is inverted (black letters, amber background) - I presume that means 'low signal'?
2) The SDVC doesn't seem to be doing anything either..
3) It's not quite stuck in Romsey, it just seems to be very lost! On my journey to work I went from Romsey (where I wasn't) to Andover (where I also wasn't) with a brief flash of calculated directions rather than 'Your destination is in the indicated direction' arrow..






It does look like the audio unit has been out at some point (it's not quite flush with the dash) so perhaps something is unplugged/trapped/broken behind there.. any clues from that description?

I was thinking GPS sensor, but if the SDVC isn't working either do they run down a common loom?

Must go find a wiring diagram somewhere!

[TheBoy]

Check the gps aerial plug at back of radio is not distorted

[aaronjb]

Thanks TB! I'll break out the radio removal tools

[aaronjb]

Finally got around to pulling the stereo out - looking at the little dinks here and there it's definitely been out before at some point (impossible to tell when, of course, but I'll bet right around the time the GPS packed up!).

The GPS antenna connector at the back of the unit looks fine, not mangled or mis-shapen, and the connector in the frame looks good too..

Which presumably means it's the GPS antenna itself, or the wiring to & from it - which could be a mission to track down and I don't fancy spending a ton of time on it, really (patience for working on cars on my own wearing thin these days!)

Still.. would I be right in thinking that the wiring from the antenna goes along the rear edge of the roof lining, then down the side of the car somewhere - possibly visible from the large access panel on the nearside of the estate boot? I ask because in there I can see a non-original looking wire, insulation tape and spade connector.. and I wonder if someone has bodged an aerial loom repair at some point  :-/

I suppose I could tear it all out and replace it with a double-DIN touch screen navigation thingy.. but even that sounds like a .. pain in the neck

[edit] Ooh I just noticed that according to the book of lies, the aerial has a power connector - anyone know if that's for the GPS or the mobile antenna? I'm guessing the GPS.. and maybe it's power supply has gone AWOL.

Wonder where it's power comes from.. oh for a wiring diagram!

[charlie]

THe gps aerial as no power supply,from the radio the gps cable goes down to the drivers side kick panel where there a join,then along the trim with the vauxhall badges are on(sill trim) the to the gps antena where there another join

[aaronjb]

Thanks Charlie Interesting though - the TIS definitely shows a power connection (could be just on some models, of course).

I managed to accidentally pull the boot light out tonight (don't ask!) and found the wires at that end .. didn't get a chance for a proper look, though, as I was in B&Q car park putting something in the boot 

A job for the weekend.. assuming it isn't pouring down  :-/

[VXL V6]

Switched power connection feeds the aerial amp under the parcel shelf (Saloon) or in the aerial base (Estate).

All aerial leads come from roof aerial (Estate) or from roof aerial and rear screen (Saloon), under the headlining is a blue connector block so you can detach the aerial, the loom then runs down the c pillar and underneath the plastic sill liner in the car to the kick panel where there is another connector block, the final loom then roots behind the dash to the head unit.

[aaronjb]

Thanks  

[Marks DTM Calib]

Check the state of the connector on the rear of the unit, I have seen one or two that are a little 'donald ducked'

[aaronjb]

I already pulled that out and checked it It looked alright to me - hard to tell whether it's making good contact without pulling the cage out too, but it's certainly not bent or misshapen or otherwise mullered (ditto for the connector in the cage - it looked in good nick to me)

If it didn't look like such a nightmare to get the cage out, I'd see if the wires came out far enough to plug in without the unit being in the cage, to get a proper feel for the connector..

[charlie]

Can the gps plug from rear of radio to kick panel be bought

[TheBoy]

Plan a route. Then press and hold MAIN for 7 seconds. Then press either MAIN or NAV again (may have to experience) - I'm after Nav Test Screen 1

First 2 numbers, top left - 00/00  (first is sats used, second is sats available)

[aaronjb]

Thanks TB, will try that in the morning

[aaronjb]

Finally got that to work and... Everything is 0. Forgot the camera so:

00/00 HDP0.0 DG 14:33 A S0.0
00:00:00. 00:00:00 H+0000 R0
N0- 0 N0- 0 N0- 0 N0- 0
N0- 0 N0- 0 N0- 0 N0- 0

[TheBoy]

Finally got that to work and... Everything is 0. Forgot the camera so:

00/00 HDP0.0 DG 14:33 A S0.0
00:00:00. 00:00:00 H+0000 R0
N0- 0 N0- 0 N0- 0 N0- 0
N0- 0 N0- 0 N0- 0 N0- 0

Thats your prob.

Are you completely sure the back of the cage isn't distorted?

If not, I'd probably pop the top of radio (2 screws to internal amp, sometimes 2 screws holding top on), then check internal gps cable plugged it.

[aaronjb]

It looks like it isn't.. but then it is hard to tell.  I think I'll pull the cage out at the weekend (or whenever it stops pouring with rain!) and see if there's enough reach on the cables to plug it all in sans-cage as a test.

I'll also pull the boot trim off and have a look at the aerial; there's an interesting 'tell tale' line in the polish around the base of the aerial that makes it look as though it's either been off the car at some point, or replaced with one slightly smaller (by 1/8" or so) than the original - so maybe someone forgot a plug at the other end (or replaced it with one without the GPS unit in the base, if such an aerial is available from Vx?) - or perhaps they were just in there looking for the same fault I am Worth a look, either way..

[VXL V6]

It looks like it isn't.. but then it is hard to tell.  I think I'll pull the cage out at the weekend (or whenever it stops pouring with rain!) and see if there's enough reach on the cables to plug it all in sans-cage as a test.

I'll also pull the boot trim off and have a look at the aerial; there's an interesting 'tell tale' line in the polish around the base of the aerial that makes it look as though it's either been off the car at some point, or replaced with one slightly smaller (by 1/8" or so) than the original - so maybe someone forgot a plug at the other end (or replaced it with one without the GPS unit in the base, if such an aerial is available from Vx?) - or perhaps they were just in there looking for the same fault I am Worth a look, either way..

Can you post a pic of the current aerial on the car?

[aaronjb]

Apologies for the fuzzomatic pic - it's dark and I haven't quite figured out how to use the DSLR with the flash 

[VXL V6]

Hmmm, difficult to tell on the estate but the GPS and non-GPS bases look very similar.

Easiest way to tell is to remove the plastic trim at the rear end of the headlining, drop the headlining and locate the blue connector in the roof void and see how many of the three connectors are populated / see how many cables run from the aerial base.

[aaronjb]

Aye, I shall do that this weekend (rain permitting!)

Thanks Would be nice not to have to carry the TomTom around in the car (although the maps are a bit out of date as they're from 2002!)

[aaronjb]

Right-o.. Took the headlining out today and checked the aerial end - all good there, everything plugged in.

Pulled the head unit out and the cage it sits in, checked the connections there and plugged it in outside of the cage - continuity on the gps antenna is good but still no signal.

Checked the wire inside the head unit too - also connected but.. Still no gps signal.

I think that leaves the only option as the head unit being goosed.. Which means looking for an un-paired unit on eBay, I guess..

[TheBoy]

If ever you get up this way....

[aaronjb]

You'll beat me up?

[charlie]

could it not be the aerial ive gotb the same problem that i narrowed down to the lead from the kick panel to radio. i bought an aerial from maplins that when ive got the radio out of the cage and plug the aerial direct the gps signal comes straight on but with it being the lead thats broke ive got to use thedirect route straight to the back of the radio which is bloodly hard to keep the lead on the back of the radio when pushing it in

[2woody]

This may be unconnected, but I have a friend who also has his sat-nav stuck in Romsey - and he's naver been there.

wierd

[aaronjb]

Alright, I finally got around to testing some stuff..

Bought a GPS aerial from Maplin that comes with the same connector as the one in the roof lining;  tested it there - still no GPS signal at the headunit.

Bodged a connector (read: bare wires) that I could shove into the back of the headunit; as long as I was holding it in place it then managed to see 8 satellites (although didn't lock on to any - quite probably it just needed more time than I was willing to sit there holding the wire in the back  )

So it looks rather like my problem lies somewhere between the headunit and the aerial connection at the back; somewhere in that massive run of wiring.

At this point I think I might just keep a TomTom in the car! I hate dismantling interiors.. I always end up breaking half the clips I find :-/

[VXL V6]

Well that leaves either the kick panel connector or the plug at the head unit.

[aaronjb]

I don't 'think' it's the plug at the HU - even out of the cage it doesn't function, and it certainly feels 'right' when plugged together like that..

I'll check the kick panel next weekend, perhaps.. if that looks alright then perhaps it is the plug at the aerial end after all, and my aftermarket one wasn't making a good connection either.. or something like that.

[TheBoy]

The wiring to connector join at the back of the HU is shit/cheap/cost cutting/useless (delete as you see fit).

Multimeter between kick panel and cage will prove...

[aaronjb]

I'd intended (at least, at the point I left work) to have a look at this tonight.. sadly I keep forgetting that the days are an awful lot shorter now than they were a month or two ago

It'll be a weekend job, I think.. now the question is, where the heck did I put my decent multimeter when I moved house?

[bigmac]

My friend in denmark had same problem his NCDC was stuck at a certain address,in the end a new GPS module (gyro unit) sorted it
I think i have a spare one on an old machine but will have to look

[aaronjb]

That'd be good thanks

I still need to pull the kick panel off and check the wiring in there to eliminate that (per TBs advice earlier) .. here's hoping for a dry weekend!