Sat Nav Woes

[Carlos]

Hi, I wonder if anyone else if having similar problems.

I own a 2005 C5 VTR estate, and I borrowed my mates TomTom 300 last weekend for a trip to London. The problem is, it can't pick up any satelite signals inside the front windscreen. It works fine outside the car (although the wife didn't appreciate holding it outside the window on the M'Way), but as soon as it goes up against the windscreen, all satelite signals are 'lost'.

I seem to remember looking through the handbook that there is a reference to a coating on the screen to help with heat reflection from the sun. Could this be the cause of my problems?

The unit works fine in my mates Hyundai, and the Rover he had before, just doesn't want to know inside my car.

Can anyone help?

Carl

[Bassrock]

Mmmmmmmm

 

 

Athermic windscreen, similar to the GNER virgin scenario, sat nav will work on a GNER train but not on a virgin train as it has athermic windows (heat refelective).

 

sat Nav should work up around the rear view mirror, (where all the black spots are), or mount it so that it has view of the drivers window.

 

If that don't work then you will have to spend extra for an external arial, or try a GPS system that has sirfstar III chip technology, highly sensitive and should work in C5, my GPS is sirfstar II bluetooth and that works if I leave it in the wee tray in front of the ashtray.

[Randombloke]

I have the same problem using the Telepéage box on the French motorways, which is similar to DART Tag.

 

AS Bassrock says, there is a small area of the windscreen which does not have any coating. It is right next to to the mirror mount, on the drivers side, and this applies to either RHD or LHD cars AFAICT.

 

It may not be sensible to try to get your Tom Tom to see satellites through this little area, but it might work if you placed the Tom Tom as normal, and stuck an external aerial against the screen in this uncoated area.

 

HTH.

[Guest CantfaultmeC5]

AS Bassrock says, there is a small area of the windscreen which does not have any coating. It is right next to to the mirror mount, on the drivers side, and this applies to either RHD or LHD cars AFAICT.

 

It may not be sensible to try to get your Tom Tom to see satellites through this little area, but it might work if you placed the Tom Tom as normal, and stuck an external aerial against the screen in this uncoated area.

 

 

Hi,

I don't Know if this helps but my Navman F20 works anywhere in the middle of the screen on my 2001 C5 but gets a bit lost at the sides.

[tonedepear]

I have an old tomtom 700 and had no joy with it at all in the c5. I managed to bag an external antenna thingy off ebay, and it works perfectly now. (which is lucky, as the speedo's just broken so it's all I have to tell me how fast I'm going!)

 

The external aerial thing doesn't need to be outside th car, it seems to work ok even through the metal by virtue of just being a far better thing than the one inside the unit. They seem to go for £10-£15 ish complete with the bit that attaches to the unit.

[Johndouglas]

I recently got a Tomtom 1 Europe and I've been playing around with it all week. It works fine on the inside of my C5 windscreen. The only problem so far is that as I drive down my road it tells me to turn left, and when I ignore it it tells me again 1/4 mile later. Both turns are only 4 feet wide with "cycling prohibited" notices on them.

[underwaternutter]

Hi, I wonder if anyone else if having similar problems.

 

I own a 2005 C5 VTR estate, and I borrowed my mates TomTom 300 last weekend for a trip to London. The problem is, it can't pick up any satelite signals inside the front windscreen. It works fine outside the car (although the wife didn't appreciate holding it outside the window on the M'Way), but as soon as it goes up against the windscreen, all satelite signals are 'lost'.

 

I seem to remember looking through the handbook that there is a reference to a coating on the screen to help with heat reflection from the sun. Could this be the cause of my problems?

 

The unit works fine in my mates Hyundai, and the Rover he had before, just doesn't want to know inside my car.

 

Can anyone help?

 

Carl

 

 

 

Its really quite simple. Your car has a heat reflective windscreen to help the air con unit. you need to get an external aeriel that stick on the outside of your winscreen at the point where you put the tom tom, and then, hey presto, it will work. try halfords or moto save.

[shallishanti?]

i sit my receiver aerial on the top of the door trim, instead of on the dash. it works fine.

[Guest mick m]

Just the same problem.

Bought an external aerial on Ebay and mounted it on the area of windscreen by the mirror mentioned by others....very little improvement.

I have now stuck it on the post between the drivers door and rear o/s door underneath the black plastic trim. About half way down the post seems to give you enough space to put the trim back.

It now works fine.

To remove the trim, pull it downwards as far as it will go. It then clears some clips which allow you to pull it off.

The wire I have run inside the door seal and the trim to the right of the winscreen, which also unclips in tue Citroen fashion!

[KeithC5]

I have a 2005 1.6HDi VTR with the original windscreen and I use a TomTom OneXL Europe on the bottom corner of the windscreen with absolutley no problems whatsoever, full satelite signal at all times.

[800jimbo]

I've just fitted an external aerial as I kept loosing the signal without it. As Mick M I've stuck it on the corner above to pillar between front & rear doors, though I haven't hidden it. And I ran the wire through the door trim, behind the dash and up in the corner of the windscreen (where I also have a power lead fitted).

 

It's a massive improvement.

[bigdavie]

i just ran my external aerial up to the parcel shelf less clutter on the dash i find .

[legin]

I bought a Sony NV-U53 last week and it works fine mounted in the middle of the dash above the trip screen.Only cost £80 from T J Hughs.com.