Problem with Via 1535TM

[wjlelectric]

I purchased my "first" Via 1535TM about 3 months ago brand new and soon noticed one particular problem. As I was driving down a major street in my city the display on the unit for example showed a RIGHT turn in 2 KM which was correct. As I continued to drive the voice would say LEFT turn ahead which was incorrect. As I approached the right turn as indicated on the screen, the voice would correctly say turn right. This problem with the voice saying opposite of the screen would happen approximately 40% of the time.
I decided to take the unit back and I received a brand new Via 1535TM which I had to re-register and set up all over again.
QUESS WHAT???? The new replacement is doing the same thing as the one I took back!
About 40% of the time the voice direction for left or right doesn't match the screen display (which is always correct).
Has anyone else had this problem? It's still under warranty and after all the inconvenience I'm ready to take it back for a third time and get a different model.
ANY INPUT IS APPRECIATED!!!!:doh::doh::doh::doh:

 

[dhn]

There are flaws in the map data in certain places whereby the voice interprets the directions incorrectly than what the map is actually showing.

This also tool place with Nav2 devices from time to time.

Can you give a starting and ending point of a journey along with the location the voice direction is wrong? We can demo it and, if replicated, report the issue to TomTom.

 

[wjlelectric]

Thanks for the reply. I just found two brand new identical units with the same problem a bit strange.

 

[Andy_P]

I have to say , in all my years of TomTom use, I've NEVER had a single instance where a TomTom has shown a left or right turn in the status bar on screen but given the opposite direction by voice.

Please can you give us an example start and end point for a journey where it happens?

I would also LOVE to see a video of it happening... any chance of doing that?

(You wouldn't have to do it while you drive, just find a place where it happens and then recreate it with a route "demo" back at home).

 

[dhn]

I have seen posts here about it and it did indeed happen to me once, Andy. I'll be darned if I remember the unit (I think a 540 North American) or the map version but I do remember the location.

Travelling east along a major road in Toronto (Eglinton Avenue), I wanted to go onto the exit that accessed the 404 Northbound. The status bar correctly showed a right turn but the computer voice said 'turn left' .....

Not a frequent situation for me, to be sure.

 

[Andy_P]

Maybe once in a blue moon then... But 40% of the time seems like a much more major problem!

 

[Andy_P]

Travelling east along a major road in Toronto (Eglinton Avenue), I wanted to go onto the exit that accessed the 404 Northbound. The status bar correctly showed a right turn but the computer voice said 'turn left' .....

They must have fixed it since....

I just tried that route on a GO940 running v885 North America maps. and it seems to be telling me all the right things.

I did a demo from Eglinton Av. East (at N49.906622 W79.14517) to the 404NB (at N43.88845 W79.37854) and it first says:
"ahead keep right",
"after 400 yards keep right"
"keep right"
....to stay on Eglinton Ave as you pass Pharmacy Avenue.

Then after another mile or so I get:
"right turn ahead",
"after 400 yards turn right, then take the motorway",
"turn right, then take the motorway",
.....to go onto the Don Valley Pkwy N (which becomes the 404 NB)

It only mentions "keep left" for the big junction about 3 miles later where it actually becomes Highway 404 and Highway 401 goes off to the right.
Everything seems to agree with the graphics all the way.

 

[dhn]

Okay, thanks..........it was at the point "turn right, then take the highway (US English here) that the arrow pointed right but the comp voice said 'left'.

 

[wjlelectric]

It happens to my Via 1535TM often. I was travelling down a major street and 800 meters from my right turn my screens arrow and distance showed RIGHT TURN in 800 meters.
The voice came on and said "LEFT TURN in 800 meters". I took the first one back and had it replaced but obviously the problem has NOT been solved because the second one still does the same thing.

 

[Andy_P]

PLEASE can you (or anyone else) give some actual examples so others can try the same route (as a demo) to see if they can reproduce the error. A full report can then maybe get passed onto TomTom.

Please tell us the software and map version numbers you are using and some actual routes/locations where you have seen this happen.
Best way to give us the route info is if you can quote two pairs of Latitude/Longitude coordinates for the start and end of a short route that shows the problem. They are easy to read off the "Browse map" screen of most TomTom models if you turn it on in Options/Advanced/Show co-ords.

Thanks

 

[wjlelectric]

When I recreate the same route or any route useing the demo mode, the problem is no longer there. I only seems to do it when I'm actually driving a route for real !!!

 

[Andy_P]

Never known a demo to behave differently to real life before.....

 

[wjlelectric]

Well I guess this is one for the history books. If I drive this route (and other routes) at the same point, about 800 meters it says "left turn ahead" when the arrow on the screen is pointing right.
The right turn arrow is the correct direction while the voice is wrong. When I do the exact same route in the demo mode everything is correct.
This being the second replacement Via 1535TM in addition a download TomTom says I have waiting but it disappears off the screen when I attempt the download, I have had enough with this unit.
Tuesday I am returning it under warranty for a totally different model. Thanks for everyones help.

 

[Andy_P]

Any chance of those co-ordinates anyway, so it can get reported to TomTom?

 

[wjlelectric]

Unfortunately the Via 1535TM went back to the store before I read your above request. I have a refund from the store to pick another GPS unit. ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. SOMETHING THAT HAS A GOOD RATING. Thanks

 

[Andy_P]

Difficult to say... all TomToms use the same mapping and basic navigation engine/software so it's hard to see how one model would do something as fundamental as getting left and right muddled up but another model wouldn't.

 

[wjlelectric]

Any TomTom models more popular and recommended?

 

[canderson]

Makes a difference where you live as to which models make the most sense, and there's no location info in your ID box over on the left. Had to take a peek.

For our Canadian moderator, I can save you the trouble ... roughly Winnipeg.

The reason I mention this to dhn is that if traffic services are important to you, he needs to know where you are to qualify any answers he gives about Canadian traffic service availability up there.

Given that you had a Via 1535, you could up the screen size to 6" with the same basic feature set with a Via 1605. It's not just the same bits spread across a bigger screen, either .. it's a significantly higher resolution display (800 x 480 vs. the usual 480 x 272).

We'll have to wait for dhn to chime in to tell us what kind of services are possible on a Live unit (e.g., GO 1535) up in your area. I can never keep track.

It all depends on the features you need.

 

[wjlelectric]

I need a GPS that I can use around the city (Winnipeg Manitoba Canada) but I travel to Hawaii every Xmas and also go across the border to Minneapolis occasionally and various other states.
I know it's hard to suggest a unit that covers all the requirements in one unit but you guys are knowledgable in what is out there and what would be good for me. I used my older Go630 in Hawaii last Xmas and it worked quite well but I decided to retire it and get a newer one. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks to all of you for the input.

 

[dhn]

LIVE services (only the 1535 LIVE model is available in Canada) will not work when you enter the States.

LIVE traffic works ok in and around the Toronto area and other locations I've travelled to in Ontario. Google local search helps in cases where the imbedded poi data is reasonably crappy.

I honestly don't know if and how good the addressing is for the multitude of alpha-numeric streets in Hawaii.