No GPS issue

[RedlandRanger]

Something odd just started happening to my truck - I don't know if it is a problem or if it is related to upgrading Sync or what.

The last 2 weekends I went hiking and on the trip to the trailhead everything worked as expected. When I got in the truck to head out (both times), I get a screen that looks something like this with the GPS with the red slash thru it:

I did some searching and it sounds like some people say this is an APIM issue. The odd thing for me is that when I get home, turn the truck off and then back on, it figures everything out and shows me in the correct spot. It almost seems like it couldn't get a signal at the trailhead when it started up and it freaked it out for the whole duration of the drive.

Does anyone know the causes of this? @UofMEngineer, do you have any input on this? Is it indeed a failing APIM? Or is there something in the more recent Sync updates that might be causing this?

The even odder thing is that when you get this, the arrow moves, but the compass is 180 degrees off (more or less) and it shows you WAY off from where you really are - at some points it was showing me driving across lakes!

Thanks for any thoughts or ideas.

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[AzScorpion]

At some points it was showing me driving across lakes!

Sorry Rob... I couldn't resist.

 

[RedlandRanger]

Sorry Rob... I couldn't resist.

And here I thought I was getting a HELPFUL message on this issue!

It was pretty weird seeing the little red triangle moving across the middle of a lake..... Even weirder it happened two weekends in a row.

 

[AzScorpion]

And here I thought I was getting a HELPFUL message on this issue!

It was pretty weird seeing the little red triangle moving across the middle of a lake..... Even weirder it happened two weekends in a row.

Then you saw it was me.

Yeah that is strange and hopefully someone (obviously not me lol) can help you out. ?

I had my screen get wonky on me a couple weeks back. It froze up, dimmed and the whole screen was the nav and I have it set in a grid form with my entertainment and phone info on the right and nav on the left. Shutting it off and restarting didn't help but once I got back home and shut it down for several hours it was fine and has been ever since. Might have been an update?

 

[Motorpsychology]

And here I thought I was getting a HELPFUL message on this issue!

It was pretty weird seeing the little red triangle moving across the middle of a lake..... Even weirder it happened two weekends in a row.

Ice fishing?

I think that for whatever reason, the GPS was not receiving or not processing the signal
from the Waas-84 satellites, or not enough of them to triangulate. I had an early Rand McNally TND700 GPS that began taking me overland all over the planet when the antenna or signal processor failed.
edit: I also have heard that the military can prioritize all or part of a satellite constellation which may take them off line temporarily for civilian use.

 

[GitRDone]

Question for OP: Is this factory GPS or through Android Auto/Apple CarPlay to a nav app on your phone?

 

[RedlandRanger]

Question for OP: Is this factory GPS or through Android Auto/Apple CarPlay to a nav app on your phone?

This is the stock Nav system - Sync3. My phone was working fine. The nav system worked fine on the way in, just not on the way out. That is the really weird part - maybe that is just a coincidence but I'm not sure.

 

[dondonbabyraptor]

This is the stock Nav system - Sync3. My phone was working fine. The nav system worked fine on the way in, just not on the way out. That is the really weird part - maybe that is just a coincidence but I'm not sure.

I have not updated the sync since September 2020, not sure if there is even an update. But, probably. Maybe it's just a slight bug in the new updates between then and it will get sorted out with enough reports... hopefully...

 

[mtbikernate]

edit: I also have heard that the military can prioritize all or part of a satellite constellation which may take them off line temporarily for civilian use.

they can do that, but outside of combat zones, I don't believe they've done that since selective availability was turned off 21 yrs ago.

I don't have nav in my head unit, but I've had phones behave similarly with GPS over the years. hasn't happened on my newest phone, but my last phone (LG V20) did it somewhat regularly. the informative part is that my wife's phone (same model) was behaving normally. So not an external factor. internal to the device.

I think this only gets compounded when you're dealing with other apps and outside networks. the other day, I got off work and spotify just refused to work. I was in the middle of town, so my internet signal was strong. but spotify couldn't connect to the network for some reason. google maps worked fine, too. something with spotify's network or the spotify app is all I can figure.

 

[Grumpaw]

You have traveled to, ...

 

[UofMEngineer]

Does anyone know the causes of this? @UofMEngineer, do you have any input on this? Is it indeed a failing APIM? Or is there something in the more recent Sync updates that might be causing this?

No idea. I've heard of faulty hardware causing it before but ?.

 

[RedlandRanger]

No idea. I've heard of faulty hardware causing it before but ?.

Bummer, I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on it. My concern is that if I took it in, I would get a "its working fine" answer at this point. I will keep an eye on it to try and figure out a pattern, or be able to replicate it before taking it in.

 

[gcan]

I had an appointment booked over a month in advance for this same issue, on the appointment day as luck would have it the entire system froze on the way. The service manager pulled it around, left it running for almost 2 hours before the tech even looked at it. The tech sat in it for a couple of hours doing something and after almost half a day of my time I was told to take it home and connect to my home WIFI and let it go through the auto update process.

Needless to say I was beyond frustrated.

 

[Murphie]

I have a 2019 Ranger with factory navigation. Mine did the same thing yesterday. Maybe related, I pay for the AT&T WiFi, and noticed lately that it's not connecting all the time. Wonder if it's a antenna connection issue, or bad APIM. Still under warranty, so I'll take it into the dealer next week.

 

[RedlandRanger]

I have a 2019 Ranger with factory navigation. Mine did the same thing yesterday. Maybe related, I pay for the AT&T WiFi, and noticed lately that it's not connecting all the time. Wonder if it's a antenna connection issue, or bad APIM. Still under warranty, so I'll take it into the dealer next week.

I think mine was caused by a software issue. I updated my sync version and it has not happened since.

If yours is consistent, a trip to the dealer is probably in order. There are most likely several things that could cause it.

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