Question on Navigation System

[inna]

I am still waiting for my x5 so I can't verify this . I loved the car when I test drove it although I felt that the Navogation was one of its weakest points especially when compared with my touchscreen Honda or Lexus. But I tnink I should be able to get used to it.

The question I have has to with its features. On our Honda or Lexus Once I select a destination and given a route, I can display this route and then select certain streets or freeways and ask the GPS system to "avoid" them. As the result GPS will create a new route that does not include these streets/hways.
AS I understand it, X5 GPS is integrated with the live traffic system where it is available and would automatically reroute me around the congestion area.
BUt is there a way for me to manually tell it to avoid certain streets/hways? My salesman told me that he did not think it were possible. And yet it seems like such a useful feature.
Has anyone found a way of doing this ?

[chonko]

I have to agree with your sales guy. Neither my 08 X5 nor the 330i nav system has that functionality.

[acattaneo]

you have to use split screen, half map and half info and even then its not going to update you on traffic conditions. Opps! I was talking about my
Magellan with service option...

[inna]

accattaneo,

Can you clarify what you mean ? If I split the screen in 2 , will I be able to ask it to avoid certian streets ?

[GPSnV1]

Originally Posted by acattaneo

you have to use split screen, half map and half info and even then its not going to update you on traffic conditions.

I am curious about this as well, My salesperson wanted me to belief that in certain cities that the nav would pick up radio reports and give me infrmation about places to avoid. What I read in the manual didn't clear this up for me and I don't understand how you can have a meaningful radio input without some kind of subscription service.

[SirBobUK]

Originally Posted by GPSnV1

I am curious about this as well, My salesperson wanted me to belief that in certain cities that the nav would pick up radio reports and give me infrmation about places to avoid. What I read in the manual didn't clear this up for me and I don't understand how you can have a meaningful radio input without some kind of subscription service.

In the UK/Europe this is called TMC. It's a traffic broadcast that is transmitted over an RDS radio channel (Classic FM in the UK I think).

The broadcast is free, but the manufacturer (BMW) has to licence their Navigation disks to contain the relevant TMC codes that enable the nav to automatically change your route to avoid the traffic. So essentially you pay for it in the purchase of the Nav system and subsequent disk updates should you be so inclined.

I might add my UK X5 works perfectly with TMC input so I know the BMW implementation in the E70 works as intended. It's saved me from a long wait a few times already and I've only had the vehicle a week!

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_Message_Channel or for details for UK system or http://www.rds.org.uk/episode/rdstmcbrochure.htm

[GPSnV1]

I am now past the half way point of a 3K+ trip. Today going west on I-40 in NC, I saw this info feature work three times.
First, it was for the morning rush traffic in Raleigh and I made the wrong decision by not taking the detour.
About the same for a construction backup, but this time I used the cb and I was told the traffic was only 1 mile. That driver was way off.
Then there was a terrible accident. First notice came 50 miles in advance. The nav gave a perfect detour (at least on its 2nd attempt). The only problem was that there was deisel all over the west lanes so my route was ruined by traffic diverted by police because they had no other option. But the nav got me back to I-40 before the others knew what to do.
Anyway, I know more know how to use this feature and only wish we had broadcast where I live (OKC).
BTW, anyoone know how long we have this free subscription to traffic info?

[y5choi]

I let it drive and change routes as I drive, it will recalculate

[SirBobUK]

Originally Posted by GPSnV1

BTW, anyoone know how long we have this free subscription to traffic info?

Essentially the traffic broadcast is free for as long as you use the Nav DVD with the TMC codes. i.e. the one you are currently using.

Should BMW decide to no longer include these codes on future Nav DVD updates (unlikely) and you choose to buy an updated disk without these codes, then the feature would stop as the NAV system has no way of determining how to interpret the TMC broadcast info to the map you are using.

However I doubt BMW would choose to do this.

Glad it worked for you. I use it every day and I tend to use the Nav even on journeys I know well, just so I get route diversions for incidents ahead that I wouldn't know about should I just follow the routes I know.

One thing to note is sometimes even though there is an incident, it will not send you via a diversion as it calculates it is still quicker to sit in the traffic than taking the alternate route. So just because it hasn't avoid a long queue of traffic, doesn't mean it isn't working or accurate.

Obviously it's routes are based on the quality of information it is fed from the radio TMC feed, so if this is dubious or out of date, then the NAv won't know any better.

It isn't perfect, but it has saved me hours and hours in traffic in the various cars I've had with it integrated into the Nav (inc Porsche 997 and Audi A8). Even this last Wednesday it saved me probably 3 hours in standing traffic by sending me down some tiny little back roads but avoiding a huge accident queue.

Bob

[GPSnV1]

Originally Posted by SirBobUK

Essentially the traffic broadcast is free for as long as you use the Nav DVD with the TMC codes. i.e. the one you are currently using. *Should BMW decide to no longer include these codes on future Nav DVD updates (unlikely) and you choose to buy an updated disk without these codes, then the feature would stop as the NAV system has no way of determining how to interpret the TMC broadcast info to the map you are using.*However I doubt BMW would choose to do this.*Glad it worked for you. I use it every day and I tend to use the Nav even on journeys I know well, just so I get route diversions for incidents ahead that I wouldn't know about should I just follow the routes I know.*One thing to note is sometimes even though there is an incident, it will not send you via a diversion as it calculates it is still quicker to sit in the traffic than taking the alternate route. So just because it hasn't avoid a long queue of traffic, doesn't mean it isn't working or accurate.*Obviously it's routes are based on the quality of information it is fed from the radio TMC feed, so if this is dubious or out of date, then the NAv won't know any better.*It isn't perfect, but it has saved me hours and hours in traffic in the various cars I've had with it integrated into the Nav (inc Porsche 997 and Audi A8). Even this last Wednesday it saved me probably 3 hours in standing traffic by sending me down some tiny little back roads but avoiding a huge accident queue.*Bob

Thanks for such a helpful post.One question. If I am dependent on BMW codes, what happens if I purchase an upgrade DVD directly from NavTeq rather than BMW? Does that mean I lose this servicee (where it is available)?