GPS problems

The GPS in my 2011 X3 is unreliable and sometimes downright idiotic. It will take me miles out of the way, then double back on a parallel road. Once, it directed me in a circle that would have added more than 50 miles to my trip. This happens no matter what the setting (fastest, shortest, etc.) Not surprisingly, the arrival times it shows are WAY off. I’ve raised this issue several times with the dealer, who is unable, apparently, to do anything about it, as it’s a manufacturer’s (i.e., BMW’s) software problem. This is a $2000+ option. That it doesn’t work does not reflect well on the brand. The BMW GPS is pretty to look at, but it’s my $100 Garmin, mounted on the dash, that’s fast, accurate, and spot-on. What's wrong with this picture?

In a year of use, mine has been accurate, about on par with my Garmin.

I would say the major weakness with the X3 is the navigation. My 6 year old Acura RL is better. I test drove a new new Lexus GS- awesome navigation and the Mark Levinson sound is a nice upgrade. Doesn't drive as nice as my X3, not even close to a 3 or 5 series.

I think the navigation is completely a garbage, nothing more than a decoration. I didn't want to order it but the dealer talked me into buying an in-stock X3 that came with it. I have a iPad mini just for the car, it does the job so much better and so much more than the BMW navigation.

Mine sometimes takes a few minutes to correct itself. When I start the car at my bus stop parking lot, it has me somewhere else. At least it was close. It showed the vehicle position as driving on what isn't even
a road. Definitely the weak link in this auto. My 2007 CRV (sold) and 2006 sc 430 were/are much better.

Despite all fallacies I love x3 - F25 navigation for the fact that that it locks onto the satellite almost instantaneously v.s Tom Toms and Garmins which sometimes takes 5 minutes to lock on . Not to mention inside cities like Boston or NYC with tall buildings around.. those portables are no good.

I've been led astray onto wrong roads and highways a few times by the Nav in my 5 week old X3. Very disappointing. Especially in comparison to the FREE navigation on my Android phone, which provides perfect directions every time, instantaneous re-routing if I go off the path, Google voice search and integrated web-based search ("find me a good cheeseburger within 10 miles and navigate me there" - it really does that). On the other hand, I really like the turn by turn directions on the split screen and the voice ducking with music playing of the X3's navigation. So, I tend to use the X3's nav for long-ish trips, and Android navigation for scooting around town. I've gotten to a point where I think the X3 nav package is terrible but functional, so I'm not as upset about it as I was at first. Wife and I have already agreed that if it ends up being possible to switch out the old nav for the new '14 nav for $2k or less then it's a go; more than that, we talk/argue about it a bit.

For seven years used AT&T Navigator (originally Telenav) on my Blackberry then iPhone 4S and was very happy with it, except that I had to hold it in my lap and eventually got a charging cradle that blocked my access to the central dashboard console controls.

And, it would goof up occasionally and get me lost but not very often (live in the San Francisco Bay Area). Once I learned to trust it and let it correct itself, even if I felt like I was going in the wrong or round-about direction, would always get to my destination. I visit new clients in their home that can be located anywhere and that I've never been there before, I rely on GPS for my livelihood to get me where I need to go and on time.

My 2013 X3 iDrive 35i GPS system took some time to get used to; inputting the address was more work than on the phone using the iDrive dial, but I'm over that now. Love the soft solid voice over the radio giving directions, it is slightly more accurate than AT&T Navigator and more reliable as Navigator ran through the cell phone system which would drop out sometimes but the BMW system hasn't so far. The BMW GPS system is much faster re-thinking your route if you take a wrong turn. No hesitation, it smoothly and quickly makes adjustments as if nothing happened. The graphics on-screen are great, I've gotten used to zooming in and out using the iDrive dial and like it a lot. When I trust it and don't second guess it, it sometimes surprises me by finding faster routes that I thought I knew. The X3 widescreen display is wonderful, and I can glance at it and see where we're going while with AT&T Navigator I was dangerously looking down a lot at a much smaller screen.

The whole system works great, I can be listening to the radio, then BMW GPS turns it down to announce a turn coming up, then I can take a phone call through Bluetooth, all hands free - wonderful.

BMW does have to work on "places of interest" and finding places to eat or get coffee is still a little more difficult than AT&T Navigator was. Sometimes I'll just go to Yelp on my cell phone instead, then use the BMW GPS to get me to the recommended eatery.

The system works well, I go to at least two new locations I've never been to a week, and in a complicated environment like the San Francisco Bay Area, it's never let me down.

I'm kind of at a point with the nav where I don't dislike it, except for one feature: the incessant "Make a u-turn" instruction when you miss a street (or intentionally don't want to take its recommendation). A u-turn is the hardest of all driving maneuvers - often impossible and always more difficult and dangerous than circling around some back streets. I've noticed that the demand to make a u-turn can go on for well over a mile even after any of my other navs (iPhone, android, etc) would re-calc on the fly and work from the new de facto route. If there was a way to permanently disable "Make a u-turn", I'd probably be at about a B- or maybe even a B rating with this nav system.

I'm going to sneak this question into this thread so I don't look like such a fool---We drove our new 2.8 X3 home Sat evening and decided to use the Nav on the way home; worked fine, but now we don't know how to TURN IT OFF !!! looked in manual, no help there. Can you folks help??? Our trusty 04 X3 did not have nav so it's new to us in BMW. Thanks...

In the Idrive menu under Navigation there is start guidance and stop guidance. Just click on stop guidance.

Originally Posted by James B

I'm going to sneak this question into this thread so I don't look like such a fool---We drove our new 2.8 X3 home Sat evening and decided to use the Nav on the way home; worked fine, but now we don't know how to TURN IT OFF !!! looked in manual, no help there. Can you folks help??? Our trusty 04 X3 did not have nav so it's new to us in BMW. Thanks...

Not sure what you mean:
- If you want to stop the route guidance w/voice -> select "Stop Guidance".
- If you want to shut off the display -> switch to another display (e.g. Radio, etc). You can also shut the display off so it goes black.

I did not provide the click-by-click and figure you can manage that with a little searching.

The guidance system works fine sometimes in my new 2013 X3 35i but sometimes it takes me around in circles and will go past the address. Then it will ask me to do a U turn and go through residential streets to get to my destination. I am not sure if the Navigation system has been updated for some time.
I have an appointment on April 30th with Murray Motors to see if there is a new Update or something for the maps and streets. They will keep the car for one day and give me a loaner. I am starting to like their dealership a lot!

Is there a way to see the next step in the directions? To be more clear a list of all the turns to make on this nav? I tried searching and can't find it anywhere.

I always like to know 2-3steps before the nav tells me when to turn so I can prepare well in advance for what lane to be in.
Thanks all


Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

If you look at the center console you will find that information there. The clock and the mpg will disappear and in instead you will see arrows pointing straight, left or right and how many miles, feets are left for the next street. The name of the street should be there also. Hope this helps

I too have been very disappointed in the Nav system. We first used it on the way home from the PCD and thankfully we knew the way home. It would tell you turn when there was none anywhere,make U-turns, and send you in the complete opposite direction when there was no way whatsoever to get home.

I have tried it numerous times and it sends you the longest and with most traffic each time. Only 2 or 3 times has it gotten me out of a lost situation.

Originally Posted by guyver626

Is there a way to see the next step in the directions? To be more clear a list of all the turns to make on this nav? I tried searching and can't find it anywhere.

I always like to know 2-3steps before the nav tells me when to turn so I can prepare well in advance for what lane to be in.
Thanks all


Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

Split the screen and the turn by turn direction will be on the right side.

Thanks all ill try it later today.


Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

Not really! You can use bmw remote application and use google for step by step directions and send it to your car.

Hey,

Not sure if the 2013 software is different than the 2012, but our 2012 x3 GPS was not accurate at all. It was a 2011 build, maybe that had something to do with it. The 2013 seems much more accurate and the the heads up display I find it very useful. I use the BMW app and send directions to the car. Get in the car check messages, start guidance and off we go..

Impressed so far!!!

I am in the process of buying a new MY14 X3 - we pick it up and sign final papers tomorrow.


In the process I did a lot of reading on this and other forums. The Nav system in the F25 X3 is much discussed. And there appear to be a good number of complaints about***********:

• accuracy of directions
• ease of use

While I did not make a detailed record of all the entries and posts regarding these issues, here is my general conclusion (on which I based my own purchase and therefore spent my own money):

• Complaints are mostly from MY 2011, 2012 owners
• Complaints from MY13 owners seem to be those who purchased earlier in the MY.
• Owners who upgraded the Nav software to the version available as of beginning of calendar year 2013 (BMW - North American Premium - USB 2013 Version) report the that the quality of directions issues have disappeared to the point where they are not any worse than an average nav system. Ease of use is mostly tied to the iDrive platform and people either are OK with it or they aren't
• Software upgrades can be done for as little as $50 if you connect with the backchannel guys. Buying from BMW the cost is $245, not including labor cost if you get the dealer to install it.
• I tested the late manufacture MY2013 cars on my dealers' lot and verified for myself that the nav system was at least as good as the system I own now.

I don't think that the cost of the upgrades is reasonable, though I understand this is licensed intellectual property that BMW has to buy/license from a vendor and so some cost is involved. My personal feeling is that this ought to be part of the 4-year free maint. There certainly ought to be enough margin in the cost of the nav systems ($2150 MRSP this year) to cover the SW updates.

Nav update can be obtained here: http://navigation.teleatlas.com/bmwusa

For those of you whose nav system is aggregeously wrong, perhaps a complaint to your dealer or BMWNA might get you an update for free or at a discount??

Our X3 (delivered early March of 2011) with nav system, while not always up-to-date (we still have the original map data), has never been as bad as you describe. I wonder if you're having antenna problems or some other issue affecting the data feed or power to the receiver? It's unlikely to be the receiver itself which is mostly contained in a single chip. It'd be interesting to compare your system with another at the same time and location. Perhaps your dealer could help with this? I find the system, as is, very usable and useful, at least as good as my Garmin which has the "latest" maps.

An aside: I find it amusing to read complaints about the cost of map updates. Yes, once created, it costs almost nothing to distribute but it must cost a fair amount to collect and process the data. Are the companies doing this making obscene profits? I don't think so, their stock prices would be a lot higher.