2010 IV Nav unit traffic abilities

Do you have the Nav manual?

 

I have a 2010 also with Nav. Traffic and it does work.

It will route you around problems if a reasonable alternate exists, but,..... you must always use the system for it to be of any use.

Let me explain; unless you program a destination, it may have icons that show up on screen with the infamous yellow triangle incident, (you can press these for more info) but if the car doesn't know where you are going it is not going to suggest you steer clear of these areas/incidents. Same with the green average speed of traffic lines following monitored roads... they will change color even if you have not programmed a destination.

As traffic updates are made available to the satellite service, they will be offered as an update on your screen. You have to answer 'yes' that you would like to update traffic info. t seems to do this only when an alternate is known to the system, and may even need to be entered by Nav. Traffic people, just guessing there though.

I've had it work well for me around LA on the freeways, have seen some stupid detours up here on the Trans Canada, where it takes you onto a collector, and drops you back into a freeway that is blocked up. You know, like a 'cheater' who tries to butt in on other drivers by pretending they didn't know a lane was ending.

... so treat it like GPS in general, very helpful, but always add some common sense into the mix so a bit of bad map data or something doesn't try to lead you into a lake or something stupid.

Roland

 

I'm pretty sure you have to get the traffic subscription from XM radio for this feature to work.

 

I have been waiting to update my navigation disk until some major roadwork projects wrap up here around the BC Lower Mainland. But even though I haven't updated this last year, more and more roads are popping up with traffic details as they add sensors to pick up average speeds.
If a new disk lets you get even more information, all the better, as I prefer to not listen to the AM radio traffic stations, but more to the satellite radio or the music on my iPhone via Bluetooth. Navtraffic gives me alerts over top of those inputs as long as I have programmed destinations. Maybe the service will just get better after updating.

Roland

 

I can say that the 12.1 disc recognises the Golden Ears bridge, which did not exist on version 11.1, but despite my preferences being to avoid toll routes, the system doesn't hesitate or warn before plotting a route over this tolled roadway.

While no system that I have ever used is without some sort of issues, I remain comfortable in my decision to having purchased the navigation package in this car. I use it all the time as a rule.

Still planning to buy 14.1 later this year.

Roland

 

Of course I will, thanks for asking me to.

Just yesterday as an example using my 12.1 setup, it was a confused navigation system taking me through changes to all the new interchanges built just west of the new Port Mann bridge. Lots of highway improvements were made and it takes time to be printed to disk.

Despite living here, and learning the new roads, it is often helpful, especially when the fog rolls in from the pacific, to have the navigation system guide you through the maze.

Speaking of the fog, that is when I love the radar pre-collision system to warn of cars up ahead... around here at least, I am still surprized at the number of people who fail to turn on their headlights in the dark, never mind the rain and fog. Guessing that their dashboard lights come on with their daytime running lights and they are clued out?

Roland

 

Completely agree with you. I tend to always use the radar with the long distance setting as a rule, with the only odd exception being when traffic is very dense, then others look at the distance between myself as a spot to accelerate in briefly to catch up to the bumper of the person I am following.

Doesn't matter to them that I am keeping up with the speed of traffic and matching speed... they just have to fill the gap.

I have done it to reduce the amount of excessive lane changers in front of me, but I really shouldn't as it is better to keep safe distances when travelling at speed, and the car adjusts and falls back on it's own despite everyone moving at roughly matched speeds. Just those behind start getting aggressive if you leave too much space in there minds.

Love the split screen on the factory navigation screen especially when in unfamiliar areas when taking a road trip, where a nice image of an exit or freeway split shows up ahead of time. Keeps a person from becoming stuck in the wrong lane.

Roland

 

Forgot that feature, but always appreciate it; when on a highway the split screen shows information concerning upcoming exits. Very useful.... take as an example rest stops should you have passengers that need to 'go'.

The arrow most often as you know allows for expansion of longer names, sounds like it may not be right on your 13.1?, and often if the attraction or service station is far enough off the highway, a MAP button is displayed and you can press to invoke on the fly routing to get their.

Again, very helpful system to have in vehicle. I don't miss the old paper map days.

Roland

 

True.... I know that tons of stuff doesn't work when underway, that is why I put certain programmed destinaions on the list just below the map image... you can get those anytime, and I find you can actually scroll through a few previous destinations when moving before it makes them inaccessible. It could very well be that I thought I could press the arrow indicative of a long name but never tried it to find it was 'greyed' out.

I'm sure you did and are correct, I only made an assumption that it would operate.

P.S. with you operating in more snowy weather than I tend to.... have you had issues with the mudguards you added?

Roland

 

That issue of being able to hit the curb when parking is one of the concerns that left me to have leaves and stuff build up on the car during those times of the year.

Also, when you have passengers, going over some of the speed bumps, especially the higher ones that you tend to crawl over, I'd be concerned about landing on the splash guard as the vehicle came down off the hump.

As it is, I have had the bottomed center of the car scrape over cables strung over top of a speed bump when leaving a 'redneck' parking lot with a visiting circus/fair. Doesn't hurt the pickup truck crowd with the ground clearance being higher than Prius' 5.5 inches.

Because of this concern I neglected to add the guards to my car despite wishing to.

Roland