Not planning the fastest route

[gfallon58]

I have a TomTom XXL 540 and I just ran intot a problem where it is not planning for the fastest route even though I have it setup to do so. I was using it to come home from somewhere I've been dozens of times and I know the fastest route. It showed I was goign to arrive at 11:07 using the route it planned for me but as soon as I went past the exit it had planned it replanned to the route I take and now showed my arrival time at 10:53. Why would it not have planned the fastest route to begin with? It did the same thing on the way up but on the way up it warned me there was a route that was 40 minutes faster (the route I had planned to take anyway) and did i want to take it.

Any ideas? Could the fact that I Have IQ Routes active have anything to do with it?

Thanks George

 

[dhn]

Welcome to TTF.

We've seen this thing happen on occasion in the past. What map version do you have on the unit? Besides 'fastest', do you have any restrictions in route planning that may have come into play, by any chance?

Do you have the traffic model for the 540?

Things that may factor in ..................

 

[gfallon58]

Thank you

I stepped through all the route setup yesterday and I didn't see anything that should cause issues except maybe IQ but I don't really know exactly what that does. I do have traffic but it showed both routes as green light to traffic. I have the latest map version because I do have lifetime maps too. I've had it for about 4 months now and never really saw this issue but this was a 4 hour trip that I have takn emany times and I wanted to use it for the trip. I mean I can understand 5 minutes one way or the other but 40 minutes on the way up and 15 on the way back just seems odd. I'll have to question whether I'm taking the quickest way now when I don't know where I'm going.

 

[gfallon58]

Map Version

Sorry, I didn't answer your question.

I have US & Canada Map version 875.3669

 

[dhn]

Check back on this thread. I suspect other mods will join in with better information than I'm providing you.

 

[gfallon58]

Thread

Thanks very much.

 

[canderson]

Is your Home setup configured to enable MapShare data back from TomTom? If so, use Home to delete that data, and don't accept any new MapShare data until you have had a chance to test that route again. Tell us whether you see any difference in the results.

 

[gfallon58]

Map Share

I seem to remember adding that the last time I updated. I will take your advice and report back my findings. I won't be heading up that way until March but is there a way that i can see turn by turn directions if i naviagte to it from my home. I can try it before deleting and then delete and see if it changes to what I know.

 

[canderson]

Unfortunately, there's no way to blow past the routed exit in Demo mode. However, if you set up a route and look at the ETA that your unit provides on its own, then use Avoid Part of Route to kill off the segment that you don't want to take, forcing a new routing to occur, see what that ETA looks like by way of comparison. Using Avoid Part of Route, you can usually force just about anything you want - eventually.

 

[gfallon58]

Map Share

I will try this tonight and report back. Thanks to both of you!

 

[gfallon58]

Map Share

I know I have downloaded this to my Tom Tom but when I go to manage my Tom Tom on Home I do not see it as being there. Am I looking in the wrong place?

 

[canderson]

Probably - it's not handled in "Manage my.."

You need to look in Home's tabs up top..

Tools / TomTom Map Share

 

[gfallon58]

Map share

I found it in tools and I hit remove corrections. I checked both boxes for corrections I made and other corrections. I hit done. Is it now deleted?

 

[canderson]

Yes, that should eliminate any errant MapShare data from the equation. Now it's time to test again.

Using the same route as before, let the TT do the planning, observe the elapsed time it projects, then knock out the piece of road you don't want it to take until it gets to the one you think to be faster, and see what the elapsed time would be for that route.

I had a similar (but very minor) issue with the 875 map where my preferred route is just a couple of minutes faster, but the TT won't route using it without 'encouragement'. In fact, once it gets on that track, it would keep trying to get me to double back to that route even though it becomes more and more obvious that it's going to take longer to do so. Like a dog with a bone. Finally, past some point of no return, it realized that I had taken it on a faster route and displayed the ETA that was a couple of minutes faster than if I'd taken that last turn that it recommended to its preferred route. My preferred road has no IQRoutes data (yet), and the road the unit prefers does. That tends to explain my particular problem since IQRoutes can be pretty pessimistic about speed on a secondary road with no speed data.

 

[gfallon58]

I give up

I cannot get it to go the route i go no matter what roads i tell it to avoid. The way it plans for me to go is the second fastest route and I know because I have gone both ways. When I tell it to avoid that portion of the road it takes me all kinds of ways that just don't make any sense. When i go on Google maps and ask for directions it gives me two alternatives. The way TT tells me to go or the way i go, i have no idea why TT doesn't see that other way to go.

 

[canderson]

Since you've nuked MapShare data, it must be a problem with the map itself. Based upon your description, there must either be a turn restriction, blocked road, or really messed up speed in there somewhere.

If you can provide us with very specific information, we can forward it to TomTom's map folks for review. It's obviously not something you can deal with through the usual tools.

I didn't check your post count (and it's not visible when replying) but if it's enough, PM me and we can avoid a public display of your home location that way - assuming it's your start point, that is.

 

[canderson]

OK - this is interesting - your 540 probably duplicates the routing that is presented here: Route Planner - the best route, maps and traffic info from TomTom

Running GO1535 with map 870. Ran routing plan for NOW (about 11am your time). Routed me on 276/476/80 through Loganton, your preferred route!
GO1535 estimated 3:17 elapsed (which includes 4 minutes of traffic delay) at this time.

Running GO740 Live with map 875. Ran routing plan for NOW. Routed me on 276 via Harrisburg.
GO740 Live estimated 3:29 elapsed (which includes 3 minutes of traffic delay) at this time.

Used TomTom's online route planner. Routed me on 276 via Harrisburg.
TomTom planner estimated 3:31 minutes elapsed.

I've noticed that some of these newer units are using a different routing algorithm than either the older TomTom units or the online service. Looks like they are improving things, and that we are not dealing with a map error.

I have my gripes with the newer platform, but the routing engine does seem to be better than it used to be.