about 95% of the time my nav system has no idea where i am, if im traveling on a road it will show my position usually between 1/4 - 1/2 mile away from the road im on. the position cursor jumps around everywhere it spins in circles.

is the nav system really this bad for everyone? any way to fix this?

 

I had a Benz I worked on once that would intermittently say the car was 1/2 way across the world or in the ocean somewhere. Also seen ones where the map keeps spinning. Will make you barf if you look too long lol. Anyways, these are typical signs of a faulty gps antenna.

I don't have gps on my MINI nor have I had the chance to work on somebody else's yet but you could check penske online parts catalog for bmw or check realoem.com for parts listings. Sometimes its easy to poke around on those parts catalogs until you find the antenna (I believe its in the rear hatch area or rear roof area). Once you find the part in the catalog you'll know the location on the vehicle.

Erik

 

thanks ill look into the antenna... one question tough is the sharkfin antenna i have now do everything? gps and radio or are there two antennas?

 

You can look at the Nav diagnostic screens and see how good the satellite readings are: http://wds.spaghetticoder.org/en/zin...I466590002.htm
If the status isn't good or it's only picking up a couple of satellites, it may be an antenna issue.

You might be able to get some improvement if there's a newer version of firmware than the one loaded on your Nav. The version number is in the Settings screen at the top right corner. For a 2002, you have a MK3 CD-based unit (not the MK4 DVD) and the last firmware is 3/1-63: http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/all...ystem-faq.html

 

I'm not familiar with the MINI NAV system. However, I know that, for my personal GPS, it has a configuration option to keep position on the road. This helps for correcting the fact the road and actual coordinates can be off up to 20 or 30 feet at times left-to-right. This, of course, does not work worth a darn if the road is newer than the maps in the system. At that point, yes the GPS starts putting me on roads nearby, or, in really bad cases, an empty field.

 

^ samething happens to me



didnt have time but tomorrow ill look into what version mine is and if its connecting to any satellites.

 

went to look at the gps sensor status... anyway im V19 (3-1/50) and im connecting to 5 satellites. the only thing that i saw that looked weird was that the gyro was moving around like crazy then after a while it started to level out and sit still. and only was moving around a little bit.

Do you guys think if i update the nav system to the latest version it will work better?

 

I don't see why not getting the latest Nav version would hurt. If memory serves, the last maps update was back in 2008.

 

Maps are updated yearly (there was a pause when BMW/MINI was switching their map supplier from Navteq to TeleAtlas). The latest can be purchased from a dealer or here: http://store.minigpsmaps.com. However, that's completely separate from the Nav firmware version, which I agree it wouldn't hurt to update.

One important thing I forgot... check the condition of your car battery.

 

will check the battery. i bought the car used form a dealer. they said they changed the batter, i looked at it and it looks "new" but will check voltages and stuff.

Edit: does that 10 CD set also update the firmware or is that another process.

 

One reminder...
The gps unit in the gen1 cars are pretty ancient...10 years plus when you include desgin lead time...heck the early units are PRE-DVD....the memory is limited...heck the $35 loss leader gps or free phone app is much more powerful with more up to date maps. I admit, having a big obsolete screen looking at you sucks....maybe somebody will create a semi perment looking mount to install a newer unit in the same spot...sure many folks would love to buy a indash mount that would hold a modern gps and look factory!! An idea for all you aspering inventors/product devolpers out there!!

 

No, those are only map data discs. Honestly, I don't think it's worth spending $200 to update the maps on your aging MK3 system, and the maps probably aren't related to your problem anyway. If you want to update your maps, look on eBay for last year (or older) maps at cheap prices. BTW, the MK4 system only needs 2 map DVD's, which further illustrates how old the MK3 is.

You can purchase the official firmware disc from a BMW or MINI dealer for about $10, part number 01 59 0 141 891. Or you can burn a copy on your own. Search online for an ISO image of V22 or newer firmware. It needs to be burned on a CD (not DVD) in exactly the right format to be recognized by the Nav computer.

 

rkw, thanks for clarifying the firmware and maps are separate. I've learned a good bit reading this thread.

ZippyNH, I understand the memory in the units is limited. It's all in how much detail they really try to cram in the maps. My old standalone GPS has a limited 2GB internal memory bank, but the maps it contains have alot of detail and lots of pre-programmed restaurants, stores, etc. They should still be able to do a good bit with a single DVD disk for the MINI units.

 

thanks for the info!