Sat Nav woes!!

amjake · Post by **amjake** » 05 Aug 2011, 20:51

Hi All

For past 18 months my TomTom XL has worked perfectly in the car mounted on a bracket level with the CD/Radio. However over the past few months it fails to pick up a signal day after day unless I mount it up on the dotted area at the top of the windscreen.

I appreciate screen is athermic and does cause problems but the satnav has worked for 18 months with no grief.

The satnav has done over 600 miles this week in 2 different cars and has worked perfectly, yet back into the C5 and it again fails to register sat signals unless placed at the top of the screen.

Any suggestions before I consider investing in new satnav, re-radiating antenna or getting Gavin from Naughtygrass to fix my hammer indentations!!!!

Cheers

Kev

wotwot · Post by **wotwot** » 06 Aug 2011, 03:49

Odd that you say it was working in that spot and now its not.
One thing you might try is the external antenna for it, I dont think it goes outside the car but plugs into the back of the unit.
If that works its obviously a signal fault which is only now showing up.
On a slight side note and only if you are uk based.
I have the tomtom xl which has been faulty from the day I got it,although I did'nt know this at the time.
It is always crashing out on me and the fault is corrupt files on the sd card.
If I were to send you a new sd card could you make a copy of the files from your card onto the new one.
I can go into more detail via a pm rather than hijack your thread.

Trainman · Post by **Trainman** » 06 Aug 2011, 07:06

I had the same issue with a TomTom 940 Live, in my old 55 plate C5. I ran the external aerial behind the window panel then out through the door jam and behind the door seal so that it couldn't be seen and I never had a problem after that.

amjake · Post by **amjake** » 06 Aug 2011, 07:37

Hi

Thanks for the responses.

I ve looked into external antennas and for this TT there isnt one as only connection is for the power supply. Hence why looking into re-radiating antenna.

And you're right it is odd, worked perfectly for so long, now plays up and yet in other cars works perfectly!

As I had had problems with radio cutting/fading out and now replaced with a new unit thought that may have been affecting it but not.

Looks like the re-radiating antenna may be the way to go.

Thanks for tips, will look at opening up the beastie and trying out a new sd card as TT have had me reformat the unit numerous times.

Kev

Gibbo2286 · Post by **Gibbo2286** » 06 Aug 2011, 09:08

Never having had any problem with my Tom Tom in the Xantia I wasn't sure what you were talking about so I looked it up and came across this:

See the warning note.

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/reradiating.php

I've just sold the Xantia and acquired a C5 so I'll have to give the Tom Tom a try out tp see if it works.

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 06 Aug 2011, 09:19

I have a TomTom One and a TomTom XL One EU and both work fine in all of our C5s. The EU one is a bit slow at picking up a signal and needs to be either on the windscreen or side window befoe it gets any signal, and it usually takes a few miles to get a signal too. It can also lose signal, only for a minute or so but it happens. I guess this is due to the heat reflecting screens C5s are fitted with. In the Xantia or other cars they work as they should.

dnsey · Post by **dnsey** » 06 Aug 2011, 09:29

I can't explain why your satnav has worked in your C5 until recently, but IME the windscreen cases major problems. As my unit has an external antenna socket, I've fitted one in the 'shaded' area of the screen, which works fine.

amjake · Post by **amjake** » 06 Aug 2011, 11:41

Hi All

thanks for info;

re: radiating antenna, seen that site and the warning (2002) but seen so many forums where others use them, especially in RV's in UK, and sold around world so will probably go with that.

Re: windscreen, does sunshine have an effect? As TT is with HD traffic etc. it picks up mobile signal for traffic, google etc but not the GPS signals and if stick up by sun visor on shaded area works fine as it used to in the car, bl**dy frustrating!

Cheers

K

Post by **myglaren** » 06 Aug 2011, 12:42

I occasionally use my daughter's TomTom 1 in the C5 and have found, contradictory to my expectations, that it always works very well.

SaabC5 · Post by **SaabC5** » 08 Aug 2011, 10:28

Older generation satnav's did have problems with heat reflecting screens but modern satnav's have a more updated chipset that can pick up the signal through thermo windscreens. My TomTom One XL worked fine in both my Laguna and the C5 with 100% signal strength as does my new Garmin 1410.
Only reason i can come up with why yours works in non thermo cars but plays up in your C5 is the chipset is not working to spec. Do you know anybody who has an identical Tomtom model to yours to check whether theirs will work in your car?