GPS doen't work IN MY CAR

[Jean-Marc Aeschimann]

I have a tomtom Via séries 1534.

I also have a Chrysler Town&Country 2010

My tomtom can’t find any satellites once in the car. I tried placing it all over in the car, on the dash, on the windows, all over the windshield, left right up and down, nothing.

My tomtom works perfectly 4 feet away from my car.

I tried to stop the engine, stop the entire car, tomtom just on batteries, still nothing.

I tried it on my friend’s car, Dodge van 2013, exactly the same problem.

I tried it on another friend’s Jetta, works perfectly.

To make sure, I tried another brand of GPS, exactly the same problem.

So I know it’s not de GPS, it’s my car.

Now, does anybody knows a solution (not changing the car!!!)? Is there a way to make it work?

I don’t want a solution thru cellular or Bluetooth, just a normal standard GPS in my car.

Thank you very much.

Johnny Lesuisse, Canada, QC

 

[dhn]

Some gps devices were stymied by autos with athermic windshields (heated) but that problem was more or less alleviated with the newer models and the chips imbedded. At one time, you could get external antennas for devices with this problem. But they were normally available just in Europe. Have you tried putting the device on a vent mount? You might want to google 'external gps antennas' (lots of links) and see if any of them offer to ship into Canada (cheaper than a new car, eh?)

 

[canderson]

@dhn
Even the non-heated windshields that used a metallic film to avoid so much sun loading (similar to home "low e" glass) can cause this. Don't know if it applies to the later model Chrysler products, though. Guess it would be worth asking a reputable windshield shop.

 

[ChillyCat]

@dhn
Even the non-heated windshields that used a metallic film to avoid so much sun loading (similar to home "low e" glass) can cause this.

That metallic film you speak of: My 720 won't even blink. [Lexus] Like being in a dark hole.
Got the factory in-dash GPS, buy still mess with the *"old school" 720

*even tho the 720's 8+ years old.....TomTom's yet to have built a "better" one

 

[canderson]

Oh, I don't know about that. My 720 was relegated to dinosaur status when I got my 740 Live. That said, TomTom has yet to build anything better than these old Nav2 units. The next two generations lack the features of the older ones.

 

[Jean-Marc Aeschimann]

@dhn
Even the non-heated windshields that used a metallic film to avoid so much sun loading (similar to home "low e" glass) can cause this. Don't know if it applies to the later model Chrysler products, though. Guess it would be worth asking a reputable windshield shop.

Thank you very much, I'm going to install an external active antenna and I'll see....

 

[Jean-Marc Aeschimann]

Some gps devices were stymied by autos with athermic windshields (heated) but that problem was more or less alleviated with the newer models and the chips imbedded. At one time, you could get external antennas for devices with this problem. But they were normally available just in Europe. Have you tried putting the device on a vent mount? You might want to google 'external gps antennas' (lots of links) and see if any of them offer to ship into Canada (cheaper than a new car, eh?)

Thank you very much, I'm going to install an external active antenna and I'll see....

 

[ChillyCat]

. My 720 was relegated to dinosaur status .

WOW !!!! Had no idea what I paid back then. Shocked !!!

 

[Arno]

@Jean-Marc, The Town & Country is the one where they left out the kitchen sink but I have no problems with my lowly 2008 Grand Caravan. Check with your dealer/service garage if others have the same problem with a T&C.

TomTom's yet to have built a "better" one

They have, they have. My 930, with the Bluetooth remote control.

BTW, when I got that in May 2008 for CAD 499.00 they were still selling the 920 for CAD 752.00 on their web page.

 

[ChillyCat]

BTW, when I got that in May 2008 for CAD 499.00 they were still selling the 920 for CAD 752.00 on their web page.

I was going thru the past purchases thru Amazon & found the 720 purchase.

Also found an invoice in 2001. A 19inch square LCD Viewsonic monitor $1,290.00 <---crazy

 

[Arno]

One upmanship here!

January 1988 I bought a Toshiba 1200 laptop with 1 MB of RAM (anything above 640 could be used as a Ram Disk) for $4,000.00 and had them put ACT! contact software on it for $450.00.
The only other portable (not transportable) computer running on 110 V or battery was the GRID but at $7,500.00 starting it was just to rich for me.

 

[canderson]

Buncha pikers ... where were you in 1977?

Bought my first computer with 16KB RAM with monitor and tape recorder for storage (KC standard or Tarbell, I can't remember!) for $999, upgraded to 48KB RAM for $879 (memory was $290 per 16K + interface box) , one single sided single density floppy for $499 (a Tandon TM-100A under the hood), with a somewhat later addition of 5MB hard drive for $2,000.