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Navigation with no 3G

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brianman

Burrito Founder
Nov 10, 2011
17,620
3,227
I don't remember seeing this posted yet, and I ran across it this weekend. I figured some might be interested. When you don't have a 3G signal, navigation is still functional but the handoff from Google to Navigon is, of course, unavailable. In that event, you are offered this UI:
NoConnectivity.jpg


I believe this is only for those with the Tech package.

Note that I typed in the Street Address field after the UI displayed, but before I realized I should take a picture. :)


The picture was taken between Skykomish
Skykomish.jpg


and Leavenworth
LeavenworthLights.jpg


More specifically, my phone (which took the picture) pegged the location here:
NoConnectivityLocation.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hey all -

Based on Francis Lau's post, I was expecting to have no Google Maps and only turn-by-turn Nav info on my trip to Whistler 3 weeks ago. Oddly enough, I had Google Maps running perfectly the entire way from Seattle, WA to Whistler, BC and back over a long weekend. I kept waiting to get some error message after I crossed the border into Canada, or start seeing the tiles just not load as I progressed further North. But nope, Google Maps stayed up the entire time. I used Nav on the way up, but didn't on the way back. Plenty of car ons and offs - kept expecting Maps to be nonfunctional every time I got back into the car. Nope - perfect!

I might just be an exception, but I wonder if they've changed their temporary contract with the unnamed data provider or something?

I wish I had thought to take screenshots, but trust me, it was Google Maps on the 17" display, working perfectly, the entirely weekend into Canada from Seattle. I also didn't think to try browsing or using Slacker, which might have shed some light.

But I'll be going to Vancouver in March again, so I'll keep you updated.
 
Hey all -

Based on Francis Lau's post, I was expecting to have no Google Maps and only turn-by-turn Nav info on my trip to Whistler 3 weeks ago. Oddly enough, I had Google Maps running perfectly the entire way from Seattle, WA to Whistler, BC and back over a long weekend. I kept waiting to get some error message after I crossed the border into Canada, or start seeing the tiles just not load as I progressed further North. But nope, Google Maps stayed up the entire time. I used Nav on the way up, but didn't on the way back. Plenty of car ons and offs - kept expecting Maps to be nonfunctional every time I got back into the car. Nope - perfect!

I might just be an exception, but I wonder if they've changed their temporary contract with the unnamed data provider or something?

I wish I had thought to take screenshots, but trust me, it was Google Maps on the 17" display, working perfectly, the entirely weekend into Canada from Seattle. I also didn't think to try browsing or using Slacker, which might have shed some light.

But I'll be going to Vancouver in March again, so I'll keep you updated.

Hmmm, interesting. Take note of whether it still says 3G on the upper right corner. Mine disappeared.
 
Are you saying that when there is no cell service, there is no Map? What good is that. I routinely drive in the boonies where there is no service and I would expect the maps to display and the car to know where it is just like every other GPS based system. I hope I just misunderstood your comments.
 
Are you saying that when there is no cell service, there is no Map? What good is that. I routinely drive in the boonies where there is no service and I would expect the maps to display and the car to know where it is just like every other GPS based system. I hope I just misunderstood your comments.

According to my experience in Canada where I lost 3G access, the Google map stops working but the "turn by turn" on the driver display works. Also, the small gray "turn by turn" panel on the center panel works as well. Without 3G, I had to enter an address and was not able to do a POI or free text search.
 
When you say "works", that includes displaying roads, names, etc... On the instrument cluster display?
Yes .

- - - Updated - - -

According to my experience in Canada where I lost 3G access, the Google map stops working
It's actually a little weirder than that. Elaborating...

Once you have a established a route (by picking an address with 3G / Google and transferring it to the Navigon, or directly with the prompt I showed a screenshot of), the instrument cluster navigation behaves the way you expect (works) with or without 3G access.

(The weird part...)
Once you have lost 3G access, the Navigon (instrument cluster) continues to work fully but the 17" display goes into "orange path only" mode where none of the Google tiles render but the path continues to draw and update properly -- with the usual up-is-north behavior.
 
I suspect the Navigon is running off of a vector based data set stored for offline usage, while the main display is just trying to download image tiles from google via 3G. It's a shame the main display can't make use of the Navigon data to display the map when offline.

Or, cache enough image tiles to still be able to show maps. How much data are we talking about?
 
Well this is weird. As soon as I crossed the border into BC I lost Google maps, internet radio, voice commands and turn by turn. Been here for several days...I rebooted several times, and nothing. Also the iPhone app can't communicate with the car. I have full bars on 3G so I'm guessing its something with the car?
 
I'm guessing Tesla does not pay AT&T for international data roaming. Perhaps when they start offering data packages there will be a way to activate international data so that road trips to Canada can be done.

We're in BC once or twice a year to visit my wife's family (they live on Salt Spring Island) -- so I'm quite familiar with turning on international data for the duration of the trip on my iPhone so I can stay in touch with work...
 
Well this is weird. As soon as I crossed the border into BC I lost Google maps, internet radio, voice commands and turn by turn. Been here for several days...I rebooted several times, and nothing. Also the iPhone app can't communicate with the car. I have full bars on 3G so I'm guessing its something with the car?

Once you cross the border you are in "roaming" territory. I suspect Tesla doesn't want to pay the exorbitant roaming fees. Can't blame them for that.
 
Talked to Tesla today and they told me that navigation and turn by turn should work while roaming in BC, just no web access. Apparently there in a new update for google maps that populated yesterday and will fix that. Waiting for the update to be pushed to my car and we will see.
 
Hey all -

I took another trip to Vancouver, BC this weekend (from Seattle) and remembered to get a pic of Google Maps working while in BC (it worked both with and without an active navigation destination).
photo(1) copy.jpg


As we crossed Blaine, WA into BC, the Google Maps tiles started dropping out, then about 5 miles into BC, it seemed to "refresh" and then loaded tiles totally normally, like nothing happened.

Interestingly, the web seemed to be working for me in BC as well (didn't get a pic tho), but CNN loaded perfectly.

So, dunno what is supposed to or not supposed to work for us while in BC, and I'm not sure if it's dependent on individual cars, but it all seemed to be working perfectly for me!