Got my D3, XM, Backup camera installed (bypassed) and everything works just fine. However, I am seeing more problems with the GPS routing. I hope you will share your experience on this since I tend to believe this could be a common issue.

A little background on the D3:

- The automatic learnings on my unit are all about 90+% finished.

- I get full satelite signal almost all the time.

- My vehicle location seems pretty accurate on the map.

- I tested the unit with the same destination from the same original location over and over.

- The "speed limit" for different road type for ETA is set at 30,40,60.

Issues:

1. For the same destination, Google, Yahoo, TomTom will always point to the same route driving through one freeway. However, the D3, not once will use the same route. When the system is set at "SHORT", it always point me to drive around a block to get to the freeway entrance even the freeway entrance is right behind me. When the system is set at "FAST", it will point me to drive through three different freeways, which is longer in distance and speed limit is not any higher.

2. When I deviate from the route that D3 provided, it will be very stubborn trying to get me back to the same freeway entrance even when I am already right in front of the next freeway entrance, which is CLOSER to the destination. What is logic behind it to tell me to turn back in this situation!? How can that be?

3. There is a time it will tell me to get off freeway and then come back again, while I should have kept driving.

I am disappointed on the navigation performance of the D3 if it is supposed to be the way it is. My HP iPaq with TomTom GPS that the D3 replaced is much better than this. It is hard for me to rely on the route guidance the D3 suggested.

Anyone has similar issues/problems?

I too am disappointed in the routing. I live just off of exit 43 on I-295. It tells me to get off at exit 45. When I don't it tells me to go to exit 40! Maddening.

I went to the Teleatlas website and reported it but their map on the web clearly shows the exit 43 interchanges and has the traffic flow in the right directions.

It is stubborn when you skip a recommendation but recently it seems less so. I may be imagining that. Maybe I am just gettng used to it.

Finally, for the past day or two it seems to take a couple of minutes to finally get the location right.

When you're having location trouble, do you have a strong satellite signal? I live north of Baltimore and had trouble over the last few days when it was cloudy. The clouds seemed to weaken the signal (3 satellites instead of 7). I also noticed that on the cloudy days, it took longer to initially acquire the signal. If I started driving away before the system had finished loading, it didn't calculate my position correctly, but fixed itself after the first red light I came to.

I haven't had routing issues, but I've had 2 problems with address searches. One was a doctor's office on a hospital campus. The map showed the roads clearly, but the finish point was ~1/4 mile away from the actual address. I was looking for street number 3456 and the nav told me I had arrived when I was staring at mailbox #3428. The other time the nav told me to turn left and I had arrived when there was no building in sight. I had to turn around, go back through the intersection and hang a right, another 1/4 mi behind where it directed me. Again the roads and the route seemed correct, but the address was wrong.

Yes, I got full satelite signal. It is really not the location problem. The GPS can locate me just fine. It is the routing comes out very weird and stubborn when you do not agreed with it.

The biggest problem I can see is even when you are right in front of a freeway entrance, it will tell you to make a U-turn, go back to the original route and freeway entrance. It cannot do a smarter reroute by using the most convenient and efficient way right next to you.

I think you can use the short cut option to fix this problem but im not sure since i have only seen this feature and not really used it, but also do you have the navi disk in when you go off the unit route because if so, whenever you are running a route of the unit memory instead of the disk, the unit will always tell you to go back at the point you veered off especially when the distance between start and finish is far.

Ive spoken with pioneer a few times about the destinations being way off or not there at all. For example theres been a target store in southern california in the same place for many many years. The pioneer unit doesnt even know that its there, let alone anything thats there. It has an address that is nearly 5 blocks (5000) addresses away. Pioneer suggests that this is just somethign omitted from the dataebase info. They also say that if the unit doesnt know exactly where an address is, it falls back to longituted and latituted settings, and gets you 'close' to where you want to go based upon those numbers.

Personally, i dont see how pioneer can have a unit much bigger then many hand held units (though it does so much more) and be off and have things like "sat signal' as a fault.... the smaller units are able to function just fine with clouds in the sky, but not the pioneer? Its got to be stupid hard to have every info into the system and with all the updates its got to be crazy work, but again, other smaller portable units do it ok all the time.

I think you can use the short cut option to fix this problem but im not sure since i have only seen this feature and not really used it, but also do you have the navi disk in when you go off the unit route because if so, whenever you are running a route of the unit memory instead of the disk, the unit will always tell you to go back at the point you veered off especially when the distance between start and finish is far.

The nav. disk is always in the drive.

I tried anything I can within the navigation setup... FAST, SHORT... ROAD SPEED... RESET.... but the problem still exists....

I am wondering if it has anything to do with the by-pass...

id doubt the bypass is doing anything, its merely allowing you to use the functions, its not like its interupting the vss or gps signal

It cant be the bypass as posted above the bypass has nothing to do with its gps function but have you tried route edit and edit that part. I know you can do that in this case because you know where you are going and that wont be the case when you dont but gps unit no matter what brand or type will never replace the knowledge of someone who knows the area.

It cant be the bypass as posted above the bypass has nothing to do with its gps function but have you tried route edit and edit that part. I know you can do that in this case because you know where you are going and that wont be the case when you dont but gps unit no matter what brand or type will never replace the knowledge of someone who knows the area.

You were right. I was not looking for a gps unit to replace my knowledge to the area that I know.

It is the fact that the unit AS ALWAYS will pop up with a longer route is what I am having troube with. It is the efficiency that I am concerning. What could happen if the destination is far away and is unknown to me but my experience is telling me that I am not being guided to the more DIRECT pathway. It becomes pointless of having a GPS unit that cannot do its job right.

Well not really especially when you are lost and you want to get there. Afterall, the point of the object is to get you to the place as efficient as possible, meaning not direct you to drive around in circles a million time. My unit navigates me pretty well but sometimes it chooses less than perfect exits but my TomTom did that too, this is where experience plays a role. The only thing that give me trouble is i dont understand why when it reroutes you it tells you to get off the freeway and reenter the same freeway at a different spot that sounds weird, you should try a reset. I tried purposely entering a freeway at a different location and my unit doesnt do that.

I have a D3 without a by past and the unit was installed by pro's. The routing on mine works great if you have never used anything else. I have used Megelans and own a cheep Garmin. They are way better than the D3. Mine will drive me by the intersection and than have me uturn ,sometimes miles up the road. Than i back track and turn down the same street i just pasted. I wrote Pioneer and they sure seem to know they have a problem and said they would send out a fix if they ever get one. This happens about 40% of the time. Everything else about the D3 is great! It's just how it routes that stinks! For less than $500 bucks the Garmin will put the D3 to shame. But the D3 gets the chicks!

Not certain how getting chicks relates to getting lost. However pioneer should be researching how to fix this problem. Its really a problem and totally annoying...

Agreed. The navigation on the D3 totally sucks. Its not even that it doesnt do it the most efficient way, it just doesn't make any sense at all. I tested it yesterday going to my mom's. First, it was going to have me drive right past her road. I turned anyway cuz i had no idea what it wanted me to do. As i'm driving down her road, it tells me to turn right OFF of her road??? I look at the route, and it wanted me to turn right, drive about a mile, make a circle, and come right back to the SAME EXACT INTERSECTION where i already was and could just go straight. THAT MAKE NO F**KING SENSE!. Sorry for ranting but this thing is just absolutely ridiculous. Pioneer needs to release a firmware update to fix this POS. Don't get me wrong, I love the radio, i just hate the navigation. I really hope Pioneer doesn't screw us, and keeps up to date on the firmware and maps for this thing.

Not certain how getting chicks relates to getting lost. However pioneer should be researching how to fix this problem. Its really a problem and totally annoying...

I wouldnt mind getting lost with chicks

I have Spoken to Pioneer about this and they told me that they haven't heard anything about this problem, and that no firmware will be requested until this is noticed as a problem.

So here's what we need to do...

You need to call Pioneer and make a complaint about this problem. Basically just tell them that the navigation doesn't route the fastest way possible and it will actually make you do circles before getting to the destination. Just give an example of a problem you had.

Make sure to get a call log number to ensure that they have actually input the complaint.

We need as many people to call as possible so that they see this as a "problem". so tell this to anyone you know who owns a D3. And if you are good with computers (as I am Not), try to post this as many places as possible, to get the word out.

We need to pool together to get this fixed.

Thanks

G

I'm on hold right now submitting a complaint. I keep getting transferred back and forth between installation/operation and the complaint department. Of course they told me i'm the first person to complain about it, and he said "it routes just like any other navigation system". Anyway, hopefully enough people will call and they will take notice that there is a real issue....

Ok the lady i just spoke with insists that i send the unit in for service, but in the mean time she's going to submit the complaint, and now I have a case #. I gave her an example of what it did with addresses and all.

Right On!

Just curious to know why she said to take it in. The guy I spoke to said that it was just the navigation system that it has. And that maybe its not that Great.

Did she say what they would try to do to the unit when you took it in??

Lets keep on them until this is Fixed.

G

After I described the problem she was just like "that just doesn't sound right, I've never heard that complaint, i really think you should send it in for service". The guy i spoke with said that "it routes the same way as any other navigation system" and then told me i should contact TeleAtlas. I told him I already did that, and that their maps show the roads and traffic flow correctly. He then said that maybe I wasn't getting good signal, or that the gyro sensor could be bad, but the map always shows me in the right location, going in the right direction. It also knows where my destinations are. Its just the way it routes. I explained that to both of them, and said it's like no other navigation system i've ever used. The lady then said "well i can submit your complaint, but what do you want Pioneer to do?" I said "find the problem and fix it with an updated firmware." So we shall see...

cool.

Yah I'm calling them right now to see if I can get a case # to put on here so that they know that its the same problem for everyone.

It's not problem with it locating me or my destination (as you said). The only problem is the route it chooses to get there makes you do circles. The map knows where I am as I can see it show me do the full circle to get onto the road I could have just turned straight onto.

I'll post the number we should refrence when calling as soon as I get through.

I think its funny they said "what do you expect Pioneer to do".

FIX THE PROBLEM, what else do you think.

A better question would be "what ARE you (pioneer) going to do"

It's their product why should we be trying to fix it.

What did the atlas place tell you?

G

I didnt actually call TeleAtlas, i just submitted two complaints on their "mapfeedback" site.

I know the Gyro and Bypass has nothing to do with it, but just to make sure...

Has anyone had this problem who hasn't bypassed the Navigation.

Or

Can anyone reverse the bypass (so its back to normal factory condition) and see if it still makes you do circles.

Pioneer couldn't give me reference number but if you call and tell them its the D3 and what its doing, if we get enough, they should fix it for us.

G

I'm not having as bad of a problem with the routing, but its very annoying. I will be on the freeway in my area, and there are some places it will have me take an exit, only to get right back on the freeway goin the same direction. It tells me to "Keep right ahead" and shows it on the map, but it never say anything else. Its like it thinks the exit is the freeway. Like I said its only in some places, but it does it every time in those places. The annoying part is if you aren't paying attention and you take the exit only to find out you are getting right back on. The other problem I have recently had, I have beend driving on roadtrips, and out of nowhere, it will "recalculate" and place me in Los Angeles. I saw that someone else had posted this. I the first time it corrected itself within a couple min. The second time, it took me pulling over and turning the car off several times for it to reset. I cheched signal streght that time as soon as it started. I had none, but with in a couple seconds I had full signal again. Still it took several times shutting it off to reset it. fyi I'm bypassed

hey cowboy.

Where do you live Canada or U.S? just trying to see if its happening almost every where. have you called Pioneer to "inform them of the problem"? If not you should call them to let them know.

thanks

G

I'm in the US. Oklahoma to be exact.