sorry for the second post, I haven't called them yet. I've kinda been putting up with the random exiting, but now that it's straying over 1200 miles off, I'm calling them when I get a chance.

P.S

I'm not trying to be a dick or cut down the product in any way, because I think it's pretty sweet other than the small issue with the Nav. I'm just optimistic that if enough people call pioneer, it will make make pioneer "aware of this problem". And if all goes well they wil fix it.

Thanks

G

If you're not getting a good GPS signal it can't figure out where you are and places you in LA - the default location. Look at the GPS satellite signal strength when this happens. It also defaults to LA the constant 12V is first applied until it figures things out. If the GPS signal stength is okay make sure your constant 12V connection is not intermittent.

Quick update: I install TomTom navigator 6 on my at&t tilt. It uses the 2007 TeleAtlas maps, and gives me routes 40-50% shorter than the D3, so the problem is obviously with Pioneer, and not TeleAtlas. Yesterday i compared them driving home from work. I was on a main road driving the direction of my house. The TomTom correctly had me driving straight ahead with a total trip of 17.8 miles. The Pioneer wanted me to turn around and go some ridiculous way for a total trip of 32 miles. If i ever go on a trip i will probably just end up using my phone instead of gambling with the D3.

IT IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE SIGNAL. THE MAP IS FINE. IT KNOWS WERE I AM ON THE MAP.

ITS JUST THE ROUTE IT CHOOSES THAT IS MESSED UP.

G

See the thread I started a while back about the D3 being a bad trip planner. On my vacation from Northern Virginia to Duck, NC - the D3 was suggesting that I go WAY, WAY out of my way and never could come up with the correct route:

http://www.avic411.com/forum/viewtopic. ... highlight=

if you are reading this post...

Make sure to call pioneer as they wont make a fix, until they see this as a problem. When I called they said they haven't heard of anything about this issue.

The product specialist there is named Frank so when you call, ask for him and let him know this problem. If we call enough maybe they will "see this as being a problem.

Guys, Im sorry to say this but your all wasting your time. Calling Pioneer is not going to do any good. They wont actually look into the problem unless they start getting a substantial amount of units in for service. They have the worst support staff that will talk to you like you have no right to contact them with a problem or that your not qualified to even suggest it is a problem without it being user error. And if you do want to get anywhere with them DO NOT ever mention this site. You will be discredited almost immediately. I say all of this because I have contacted them several times about other minor issues with the D3 and the response has nearly always been this way. And if they do sound receptive they will tell you they will look into the problem but it will most likely never be pursued. They also monitor this site and they know what problems people are reporting. But they will typically only fix an issue when they have received an overwhelming amount of units in for servicing and unless everyone sends there units in they wont consider it a problem. Sad but true.

Is the D3 the only bad trip planner / route calculator of Pioneer's fleet or are they all quirky ?

Whatever the problem is, at least it seems that the unit does learn a little. I took a trip to Las Vegas. Knowing that the D3 will sometimes make outragous routes (although, I haven't had much trouble with it locally) I mapquest my trip.

Mapquest said it would take about 5 hours to get to Las Vegas. On the day of the trip, my d3 said it would take 9 hours! Well, I just followed the mapquest directions. During the trip, on a stretch of 30 or 40 miles, I noticed that the timer on the D3, it was counting down minutes like seconds.

On the way back, when i calculated the route home, I noticed that the time for the trip was down to 6 hours. So, I guess if you drive around with the D3 a little, it might get a little smarter.

Here is Franks phone number.... I hate giving out peoples direct numbers but this issue is retarted and if it takes us "pissing them off" to get any reaction. LETS DO IT!!!! call them until they need another phone line just to take the calls reguarding this issue.

1-905-946-7403

Sorry Frank. It had to be done.

G

Whatever the problem is, at least it seems that the unit does learn a little. I took a trip to Las Vegas. Knowing that the D3 will sometimes make outragous routes (although, I haven't had much trouble with it locally) I mapquest my trip.

 

Mapquest said it would take about 5 hours to get to Las Vegas. On the day of the trip, my d3 said it would take 9 hours! Well, I just followed the mapquest directions. During the trip, on a stretch of 30 or 40 miles, I noticed that the timer on the D3, it was counting down minutes like seconds.

 

On the way back, when i calculated the route home, I noticed that the time for the trip was down to 6 hours. So, I guess if you drive around with the D3 a little, it might get a little smarter.

I really don't think it's learning at all. It's just that the calculation is different in one direction verses the other. It's also probably that you were driving faster than the average speed in the D3 for the road you were on.

EVERY time I calculate the route from Northern Virginia to Duck, North Carolina, it comes up with the same, ridiculous, overly-long route. It's learned nothing from the couple of times I've driven that route.

Whatever the problem is, at least it seems that the unit does learn a little. I took a trip to Las Vegas. Knowing that the D3 will sometimes make outragous routes (although, I haven't had much trouble with it locally) I mapquest my trip.

 

Mapquest said it would take about 5 hours to get to Las Vegas. On the day of the trip, my d3 said it would take 9 hours! Well, I just followed the mapquest directions. During the trip, on a stretch of 30 or 40 miles, I noticed that the timer on the D3, it was counting down minutes like seconds.

 

On the way back, when i calculated the route home, I noticed that the time for the trip was down to 6 hours. So, I guess if you drive around with the D3 a little, it might get a little smarter.

 

I really don't think it's learning at all. It's just that the calculation is different in one direction verses the other. It's also probably that you were driving faster than the average speed in the D3 for the road you were on.

 

EVERY time I calculate the route from Northern Virginia to Duck, North Carolina, it comes up with the same, ridiculous, overly-long route. It's learned nothing from the couple of times I've driven that route.

Ahh, that makes sense too as I haven't been back to Vegas since then.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE NEED TO KEEP CALLING THEM BECAUSE EVERYTIME I CALL THEY SAY THIS A NEW ISSUE AND HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE. BULL$HIT!!!

KEEP CALLING FRANK HE IS THE HEAD CAR ELECTRONICS GUY IN CANADA. IF YOU TALK TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MENTION FRANK DE ANGELO ( IT THINK THATS HIS LAST NAME) THEY WILL KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. EVERYONE WHO IS ON THIS OR READING THIS SHOULD CALL.

1-877-283-5901. ASK TO SPEAK TO FRANK

REMEMBER TO MAKE A NOTE OF YOUR CALLS REFERENCE NUMBER SO WE CAN MAKE A LIST AND I WILL WRITE THEM A LETTER REFERENCING ALL OF OUR COMPLAINTS, SO THEY CAN'T SAY THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE.

JUST POST YOUR REFERENCE NUMBER ON HERE AND I WILL MAKE THE LIST. HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET MORE THAN 30.

G

in actuality, the trip time changes based upon your average speed. It isinitially based upon what you have entered in your units preferences and the road types on your route. Once you start driving it uses your actual travel speed in an algorithm including remaining distance and road types, again using your avg speed prefs.

Whatever the problem is, at least it seems that the unit does learn a little. I took a trip to Las Vegas. Knowing that the D3 will sometimes make outragous routes (although, I haven't had much trouble with it locally) I mapquest my trip.

 

Mapquest said it would take about 5 hours to get to Las Vegas. On the day of the trip, my d3 said it would take 9 hours! Well, I just followed the mapquest directions. During the trip, on a stretch of 30 or 40 miles, I noticed that the timer on the D3, it was counting down minutes like seconds.

 

On the way back, when i calculated the route home, I noticed that the time for the trip was down to 6 hours. So, I guess if you drive around with the D3 a little, it might get a little smarter.

 

I really don't think it's learning at all. It's just that the calculation is different in one direction verses the other. It's also probably that you were driving faster than the average speed in the D3 for the road you were on.

 

EVERY time I calculate the route from Northern Virginia to Duck, North Carolina, it comes up with the same, ridiculous, overly-long route. It's learned nothing from the couple of times I've driven that route.

I just spoke to Frank on the Phone again and he see's very willing to fix This issue. I am going to start logging my trips where it takes me all over and email it to him. He said they are aware of the issue and really want it fixed.

See's like were getting somewhere.

I keep you all in the loop

G