Fixing map errors (Garmin)

Thanks,

Even though, I had reported my issue earlier.
I am unable to enter "Tesla Motors" in "What Garmin Device Are you Using?" It essentially says that the field is reuired. Even though I have entered "Tesla Motors" in it.

Reporting to Garmin will only help if/when we ever get updates to the onboard maps used by the navigation software - and even when those updates get distributed, the maps are usually already out-of-date.

A better solution would be to move away from the "annually updated" navigation maps - to maps that are kept-up-to-date, such as the Google maps used on the display. I'm in a new housing development with new roads opening every few months - Google maps shows the updated roads quickly - but the navigation maps don't know about them. The navigation software won't route on the new roads - and when I use them, the navigation software shows me as "off road".

It would help to have the navigation maps updated (doesn't appear my late-2012 Model S has yet received an update) - but even if the navigation maps are updated - they won't reflect new or changed roads for 1 or 2 years later...

bob_p said:

Reporting to Garmin will only help if/when we ever get updates to the onboard maps used by the navigation software - and even when those updates get distributed, the maps are usually already out-of-date.

It would help to have the navigation maps updated (doesn't appear my late-2012 Model S has yet received an update) - but even if the navigation maps are updated - they won't reflect new or changed roads for 1 or 2 years later...

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I really am curious about updates. Sucks that we as owners can't see the version of the map database (or did I miss something).

I'd love some clarity from Tesla on this .... They just completed a major interstate change in my area and the maps are completely outdated.

dsm363 said:

I also don't understand why they went with Garmin

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I suspect because of the graphics that were already done and the ability to navigate when out of cellular reach. BTW, the area has improved. Last time I went through Kansas it was mostly out of range the whole time. This time there was just a small stretch of Northern Kansas on Hwy 77.

And I don't have much hope of them improving the Garmin maps in any reasonable time frame either. However, Garmin is far better than Denso.

Pile-on time. There two chances of ever getting a current Garmin map - slim and none.

I deeply hope they are working on google nav but shall not hold my breath.

PhilBa said:

Pile-on time. There two chances of ever getting a current Garmin map - slim and none.

I deeply hope they are working on google nav but shall not hold my breath.

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Complain about Garmin as much as you want, but at least the database is there when you are out of cell coverage. I am probably out of cell coverage somewhere between 5% and 10% of my driving time; this is proved by the Google Map not being updated.

I don't want a Google or other on-line mapping solution until you can show me that it works reliably with no cell data connection. There are many ways to solve this problem and update the data when in cell or WiFi coverage, but on-board navigation must work without a data connection available.

Cottonwood said:

Complain about Garmin as much as you want, but at least the database is there when you are out of cell coverage. I am probably out of cell coverage somewhere between 5% and 10% of my driving time; this is proved by the Google Map not being updated.

I don't want a Google or other on-line mapping solution until you can show me that it works reliably with no cell data connection. There are many ways to solve this problem and update the data when in cell or WiFi coverage, but on-board navigation must work without a data connection available.

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Google has offline capability for maps though they seem to have downplayed that recently. In a previous version of maps on android, you could explicitly cache a large region and use it offline. After all, it's just data.

PhilBa said:

Google has offline capability for maps though they seem to have downplayed that recently. In a previous version of maps on android, you could explicitly cache a large region and use it offline. After all, it's just data.

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I could not agree more; memory is cheap; use it!

Whether you are in a mountain canyon far from cell coverage, in the basement garage out of cell coverage, or in an area where the cell data service is overloaded, it is very important for the map data to be cached. The first versions of the map were terrible at that (they seemed to age out data without replacement), and have only gotten slightly better. It is obvious that the current implementation was developed and tested by engineers who always had good cell coverage...

It's interesting that Garmin has gone to Open Street Map data for its latest cycling GPS product (Garmin Edge Touring). I don't know if this indicates a future direction for using crowd sourced maps that are kept up to date more frequently. There's always the issue of uploading the maps on a regular basis. though.

Wrong direction

Does anyone know how I can report a GPS issue to Tesla? We were going to JW Marriott Palm Desert over the long weekend, but the car's GPS took us to a place that's completely off, about 8 miles away. Luckily my phone's Google GPS didn't fail.

Here is the address: 74-855 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260

See the thread Fixing map errors (Garmin)) where there are instructions as to what someone did to report an error.

araxara said:

See the thread Fixing map errors (Garmin)) where there are instructions as to what someone did to report an error.

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Thank you Araxara.... I guess its a hopeless issue. Offline Google Map on my phone seems to be the way to go.

Cottonwood said:

I could not agree more; memory is cheap; use it!

Whether you are in a mountain canyon far from cell coverage, in the basement garage out of cell coverage, or in an area where the cell data service is overloaded, it is very important for the map data to be cached. The first versions of the map were terrible at that (they seemed to age out data without replacement), and have only gotten slightly better. It is obvious that the current implementation was developed and tested by engineers who always had good cell coverage...

Click to expand...

At least in the past, the issue was that even if you cached the Google Maps data, routing was all done on the Google servers. So if you strayed from your path when outside of cellular coverage, there would be no way for the car to re-route you. I don't know if Google has switched to on-device route computation, but given the complexity of that problem, I suspect they haven't.

So then you have the choice between a map that is perpetually out-of-date, but will always be functional, or a map that's always current but may be unavailable for re-routing. Neither is an ideal solution, and being able to have both is, I think, a nice touch.