disabling navigation system?

While I've never tried, I think you can just take the DVD out of the NAV computer under the driver's seat. For that matter, you might be able to get away with just unplugging the wire connector on the NAV computer under the drivers seat.

I'm trying to imagine a situation where I would want to make absolutely certain that I had no idea where I was. Could you perhaps explain what you are trying to accomplish by disabling the NAV? Perhaps there is some alternative that doesn't involve disconnecting or disabling it?

 

It does not work that way. Your GPS only receives signals... it does not send any signals out.

If someone is tracking you, they would have to put a transmitter into your car - which would not have anything to do with the existing navigation unit.

The navigation system does have a "recording" function that tracks where you have been. But you can turn that off before you start your journey through the menu buttons. This function cannot be transmitted to anyone - they would have to go in your car and look at your display to see where you have been. But again, you can turn off that function through the menus before you even drive the car.

 

Some tracking systems don't use a transmitter, but are in fact only data loggers, which record your travels for later review. Either way, with a transmitter or logger, the tracking device will have its own GPS receiver which is completely independent of the one built into the car. In other words, don't worry about disabling your NAV system, as it won't do any good. If you are really worried about a tracking device, take your Prius to a service location and have them look for any extra devices hiding underneath.

Tom

 

Now that your mind is at ease w/ the Prius, if you have a newer cell phone, start worrying about that! Some of them have transmitters that CAN be used to give your location.

 

But even with those you generally have the option of either having the sending on all the time or only during 911 calls.

 

The car does not know or care if you are an officer. If there were a built in remote tap function anyone could use it, and you'd think we'd have heard about it by now. To access it, you would need a way to send out data from the vehicle. The bluetooth is the only thing it has to transmit with, and that maxes out at around 300 feet with a class I device. The Prius is probably a class III transmitter, which is just strong enough to reach the trunk.

 

Either the cop is confusing the type of system used in police cars and ambulances with a regular commercial GPS or is confusing it with something like Onstar. Police car's GPS receives satellite GPS or triangulation of radio info and then that info is relayed via radio signal to the dispatch computers. That way a dispatcher knows his location. These signals are sent across city/county reserved bands also used for other emergency communication. The antennas are very obvious and they use the unit radio or an additional radio for just this purpose. My ambulance is tracked exactly this way. The equipment is quite visible. GPS units themselves are only antennas, and the info is then processed for you to use and can be logged or just be a logger as mentioned above.

 

I would like to second ScubaX. What you're describing is possible with an OnStar eqipped vehicle. You're friend may not realize that the Prius does not have OnStar.

 

I'd like to add some reasonable comments here, not intended to flame either.

1. A basic question is whether you THINK someone might stalk you, or whether you've done something for which you're reasonably SURE someone is following you. If it's the former, perhaps you're easily swayed by movie plots and your friend the cop. If it's the latter, then the trackers will probably have other ways to follow you, to tap your phone, bug your house, etc. Tracking your car may be only one of their tactics.

2. Don't bother searching inside the vehicle. If the trackers can get into the locked car or the engine compartment, then they're going to be too good. Are you going to pay mechanics to tear apart the doors like the DEA might? Who is going to guard the disassembled car overnight at the dealership, to prevent the trackers from reinstalling a device?

3. Assuming we're looking under the car, a device is probably small. As suggested previously, it will record rather than attempt to transmit. It could be as small as a cigarette pack. But it will NOT have a nice blinking light like in the movies. It would be dirtied to look like part of the car. I doubt most mechanics---even at Toyota---know enough about the Prius to say "Hey, this looks different."

4. Any planted device must be easy to plant and remove quickly and without suspicion. While you're shopping for groceries, it has to be easy for a guy to slip under the car, pull the device and replace with another. So it won't be way underneath, because they're not going to jack up the car in a parking lot.

5. Most modern cell phones receive GPS and transmit their location to the tower in case you dial 911. This info cannot be easily intercepted; it probably needs a court order to the cell company. (Of course, nowadays there's no such thing as due process of law. And if it's not law-enforcement after you, they don't need a court order.)

It all adds up to common sense. If someone is intent on following your movements, they probably can do so.

 

Just because your paranoid doesn't mean your NOT being followed!

Since the gps can track and back track your course and speed, I would guess there is SOME memory in it that COULD be accessed and exported from the gps memory to "track you".

I would think that if you are really that worried about being "tracked" I would worry more about all the "security" cameras everywhere that really can track you if someone really wants to look into them.

Big Brother is watching!, Soma anyone?

Icarus

 

In order to read memory from the GPS unit, the trackers will have to break into the car and remove the unit. That's quite a bit beyond just "following."

The Nav certainly remembers prior points you've entered as destinations; they're in the Previous memory. But it surely doesn't remember the route you took to get there. It just calculates on the fly; there's very little it has to remember about the actual route. Still, given the start and end points the trackers can simply fire up another Prius nav to see how your nav suggested the route.

But even then, there's no way for anyone to know that enroute from home to Grandma's house you detoured off the route, grabbed a few drinks, then continued to Grandma's.

 

Makes one wonder what you have been up to?

Data logging GPS trackers cost a few hundred dollars, they have no screen or external controls, an internal battery and are very sensitive allowing them to be hidden. They don't recieve all the time but at short intervals to save batteries allowing extended tracking. Get rid of your phone and take public transport if you are being tracked.

Did you sell weapons to the resistance? or is it serious?

 

Do you have a LoJack installed?

 

So many worries...so little time. Gee, I must lead a pretty boring life.