Hacking 2007 nav

[happy2472]

Scott_R .......a fellow long islander ... im still a Prii noob ... and im scared any and all the things i want to change or add will void my warranty ... im trying to suck up as much info as i can .. i have had my prii for a little over a month '06 model and the only thing i have done is removed the covers on my rims .... but i want to do sooo much to my baby ... any info about warranties and any voids i might run into

[jpfcpa]

I have not looked at the physical setup of the computer yet, but the screen is there. The button for Nav is on my steering wheel. why could I not buy a GPS that is designed to work with a computer, find a usb port on the Prius computer, plug the gps into it and have it read out on the screen and execute voice commands through the car speakers/microphones? Are there too few Priuses for a gps manufacturer to have written a program that uses the in-car systems? Isn't that what the Prius GPS system does? There should be other cheaper systems that can do the same thing. Where do I get specs for the computer system?

[Muhahahahaz]

Originally Posted by Scott_R

Cue the site I put together!!! I want to update this for newer Garmins, but boy do I dislike the Nav

Hello.

I clicked your link, and I have some comments about your complaints. (Listed by the numbers you used.)



1. You are wrong, it does have this feature. The other day I had to make a trip to the dealership that I recently got my Prius from, which is some 80 miles away. (They had exactly what I was looking for and it was a great deal). I got down to only one pip of gas on the way back, and I still had about 30 miles to go, so I decided to stop for gas. I don't know this area very well, since I had to move here for college, so I didn't know anything along my route. Anyway, all I did was simply push the talk switch and say "nearest gas station", and I was promptly directed to the nearest one. When I was done, all I did was push the button again and say "home", and it began guiding me home again. It works very well.

3. Let's see... first of all, I don't see the point in accessing this. I've used the navigation many times, and the voice is all I need. It automatically prompts you with plenty of time to make the turn. Works very well. But anyway, lets suppose I DID need to look at it. This takes all of three button presses. WHOOP-DEE-DOO! I understand you don't like that it can't be used while in motion, but this is a nav-wide issue. Or even a "car-wide" issue, which includes thing like bluetooth dialing. In any case, there is a VERY simple mod (that costs practically nothing) that makes all of these features work whether you are moving or not. It sucks that this isn't the the default, but honestly, it's just something that they put in for safety. Mod your car and move on. Next.

7. I've had it do this a few times, and honestly, it's quite useful. Some freeway interchanges can be pretty confusing, so it's nice that the Nav is there to make sure you stay on the correct freeway. Does your Garmin do THAT?

12. Because you DON'T have to enter the city name! All you have to do is enter the street name, and the city is automatically inferred. If the whole country was searched, there would be too many possibilities, so they split it up into regions. The only exceptions I've found are the very common numbered/lettered street names like "First St" or "B St". In that case, there are too many results, so I have to enter the city as well. (Although more recently I've found that I don't seem to have to enter the city anymore, so perhaps it's learning?)

13. I think I have my dash on the brightest setting already, because I haven't noticed any differences when using it with my headlights on. I had no problem whatsoever using it at night in this so-called "day mode", so what's the point? The night mode isn't even necessary.

14. Don't list something more than once. Now complaint 3 is completely invalid because it's just a special-case of this more general complaint. Like I said, it's VERY easy to change this. NEXT.



In any case, yes, it's not perfect. It's a built-in software with no way of being upgraded in a cost-effective manner. Even new navigation disks are expensive (although honestly, I'll just download one from the Internet if I need the updates). Maybe I don't feel as bad about it because I didn't pay out the ASS to have Nav put in a brand-new Prius. Instead, I made the smart financial decision and bought it two years certified used, in which case getting the fully-loaded version was cheap. LOL!

To fill in the cracks, I have the iPhone. It's software is constantly being updated UNLIKE GARMIN. (I don't mean just maps).

Anyway, there's a TomTom app coming out quite soon, so maybe I'll try that out. And unlike a physical TomTom/other brand unit, I'll get program updates via the App Store which can add completely new features without even buying a new unit.

Either you go with built-in for convenience, or you go all the way with something 100% changeable, flexible, and updateable. Don't go on and on and on about your half-way unit that's still tied down to the physical hardware. Sheesh.

[Jim Calvert]

Originally Posted by jpfcpa

I have not looked at the physical setup of the computer yet, but the screen is there. The button for Nav is on my steering wheel. why could I not buy a GPS that is designed to work with a computer, find a usb port on the Prius computer, plug the gps into it and have it read out on the screen and execute voice commands through the car speakers/microphones? Are there too few Priuses for a gps manufacturer to have written a program that uses the in-car systems? Isn't that what the Prius GPS system does? There should be other cheaper systems that can do the same thing. Where do I get specs for the computer system?

Excellent questions, and I'm surprised (and a little disappointed) that no one else has asked them as well. Surely it must be possible to access the Prius display and use it as a GPS display from a Garmin or Tom Tom unit.