Sat Nav update/post codes

rynd2it · June 8, 2016

I bought the latest Europe West DVD for my sat nav and it does now allow destination and route changes when moving. The phone is still locked out though (apart from speed dial) - pretty dumb as a passenger could use it if unlocked.

However I discovered an anomaly that beggars belief - you can't enter a full 7-digit post code and it isn't on the first screen. I know I'm not the first to find this but surely someone at Lexus is aware of this and has commented (couldn't find it). Trying to find an address in a small village I got four digits in and then had to put the street name in or select it from a list of 273!!!! My Garmin would allow a 7-digit post code and then the option to GO! The UK postcode system is great and on average there are 15 addresses per unique code. In most cases it'll take you to within 100 yards with knowing anything else.

Has there been any dialog with Lexus about getting this fixed?

Cheers

David

rayaans · June 8, 2016

Is there a postcode input on the 2nd screen? The new models all have a 7 digit postcode entry, not sure if the RX400h has this but its on the 2nd screen for the new models and therefore might be a place to look for the 400h as well?

Also 6 digit or 7 digit postcode you were trying to enter?

rynd2it · June 8, 2016

There is a post code input on the second screen but apparently Lexus in their infinite Japanese wisdom have decreed we can only select the Post TOWN from the first four (or five) digits. Having input the first four it is then necessary to select the post town from a list. What a complete crock!

If the newer models will allow full post code entry then surely it isn't impossible to upgrade the latest map DVD?

Hey ho

rayaans · June 8, 2016

If you can only put 4/5 digits its probably better inputting the street instead - it'll be more accurate

rynd2it · June 8, 2016

True, but not the point.

You can find ANY address in the UK with a 6/7 digit post code and a house number. Highly accurate and easy, why does Lexus make it so hard?

ColinBarber · June 8, 2016

The older systems only allow partial post code input, even with the latest discs. Not sure why the limitation, probably just a financial / licensing one.

PhilipK · June 8, 2016

As well as licensing issues, there's also size (the Postcode Address File - PAF - contains around 1.8 million addresses and 29 million locations, and takes up around 428Mb). There's also the processing power required for the satnav to find a post code in a reasonable time.

<PEDANT>UK post codes do not comprise of 7 digits. They contain 7 (or fewer) alphanumeric characters. US ZIP codes are numeric, and consist only of digits.</PEDANT>

rynd2it · June 8, 2016

Size should not be a problem, nor licensing - my Garmin had 32 GIGAbytes on a tiny card. The Garmin would auto complete as you entered each character faster than you could enter.

Lexus is living in the 1990's

PhilipK · June 8, 2016

13 minutes ago, rynd2it said:

Size should not be a problem, nor licensing - my Garmin had 32 GIGAbytes on a tiny card.

Yes, but the DVD-based system that the OP is talking about only has a (circa) 8Gb disk, and that has to hold the addresses and mapping for all of Western Europe. So allocating around 0.5Gb just to allow full 7-character post code entry for the UK is probably not warranted.

It's easy to be blasé about small 32Gb disks (my FiiO X5 MP3 player has a pair of 128Gb microSD cards in it), but back when these cars were being specified and designed, 8Gb was regarded as a huge amount of data.

rynd2it · June 8, 2016

No, it only has Western Europe and only UK uses small postcodes. Why use DVD anyway? Yesterdays technology in hybrid car???

rayaans · June 8, 2016

1 hour ago, rynd2it said:

No, it only has Western Europe and only UK uses small postcodes. Why use DVD anyway? Yesterdays technology in hybrid car???

The car is nearly a decade old........

And lets not forget the 400h was actually just a new engine in a 2003 RX300 body!

rayofsunshinegbr · June 8, 2016

Good evening All.

I have to admit that I am very disappointed in the lack of 7 digit post codelso but what I find even more baffling is that the satnav system doesn't even show the road speed limit.

This would be very helpful in a prestige car that moves so silently and smoothly giving no real concept actual speed.

All other satnavs, (Garmin, Tom Tom and manufacturer fitted) seemthis facility.

I am considering buying a front facing dash cam that also has the facility for giving road speed information.

rayofsunshinegbr · June 8, 2016

Addendum

Sorrry about grammar and spelling mistakes but cannont seem to correct them on here before sending!

Ray

rayofsunshinegbr · June 8, 2016

Addendum

Sorrry about grammar and spelling mistakes but cannont seem to correct them on here before sending!

Ray

rayaans · June 8, 2016

1 hour ago, rayofsunshinegbr said:

Good evening All.

I have to admit that I am very disappointed in the lack of 7 digit post codelso but what I find even more baffling is that the satnav system doesn't even show the road speed limit.

This would be very helpful in a prestige car that moves so silently and smoothly giving no real concept actual speed.

All other satnavs, (Garmin, Tom Tom and manufacturer fitted) seemthis facility.

I am considering buying a front facing dash cam that also has the facility for giving road speed information.

Generally you should know the speed limit of the road anyway as it is.

If its something out of the ordinary i.e. a 30mph dual carriageway, then it'll be clearly signed.

rynd2it · June 9, 2016

8 hours ago, rayaans said:

The car is nearly a decade old........

And lets not forget the 400h was actually just a new engine in a 2003 RX300 body!

a) the map & software is less than 6 months old.

b) Rx300 with a different engine - I think not. Having driven both the 400h is a leap forward in ride as well as the hybrid technology.

rynd2it · June 9, 2016

5 hours ago, rayaans said:

Generally you should know the speed limit of the road anyway as it is.

If its something out of the ordinary i.e. a 30mph dual carriageway, then it'll be clearly signed.

I most cases I agree but the display in the Garmin screen of the current speed limit AND the vehicle speed (which turned red if you were exceeding the limit) was very useful. I miss it as much as I missed the HUD on my Corvette 50th Anniversary Edition

rayaans · June 9, 2016

4 hours ago, rynd2it said:

a) the map & software is less than 6 months old.

b) Rx300 with a different engine - I think not. Having driven both the 400h is a leap forward in ride as well as the hybrid technology.

a) The map itself may be less than 6 months old but I doubt the software is - otherwise it'd be running on the newer systems which have full postcode entry and everything is unlocked. To confirm this is the colour of the background dark blue like the colour below?

B) You may have driven both but Ive owned both for a while. There is not a huge difference in the ride between the 2nd Gen RX300 and RX400h. In fact, the RX400h actually rides/handles worse due to increased weight. There were no suspension changes between the 2nd gen RX300 and RX400h and therefore any changes are simply down to the increased Battery weight etc.

rynd2it · June 9, 2016

That's a picture of a VERY different vehicle. I have a 400h 2007 and the software IS updated - the motion lock has been removed. This changed when I put the latest DVD in. However, the newer cars do have full post code entry, but use a completely different system which can be updated via USB connections.

When my Californian 400h went in for it's service the dealer loaned us a RX350 - the difference between the two cars was astounding - even my wife commented on it and she was in the passenger seat! The 400h was in every way a superior vehicle, quieter, smoother ride and felt much more stable on the road. I was glad to give the 350 back.

rayaans · June 9, 2016

1 hour ago, rynd2it said:

That's a picture of a VERY different vehicle. I have a 400h 2007 and the software IS updated - the motion lock has been removed. This changed when I put the latest DVD in. However, the newer cars do have full post code entry, but use a completely different system which can be updated via USB connections.

When my Californian 400h went in for it's service the dealer loaned us a RX350 - the difference between the two cars was astounding - even my wife commented on it and she was in the passenger seat! The 400h was in every way a superior vehicle, quieter, smoother ride and felt much more stable on the road. I was glad to give the 350 back.

I realise its a different vehicle but the new software would all follow the same colour scheme. For example, my RX is on 2012 factory software and it still has the dark blue background.

Its possible that the software is new for the RX400h, but not "new new, if that makes sense.

There is no huge difference in characteristics of the 2nd Gen RX in the UK. Much like how there is no huge difference in ride quality between the IS300h and an IS200t, or an RX450h and an RX200t, or a GS300h and a GS450h.

rynd2it · June 9, 2016

If I'm right the technology used in the current series of cars is not DVD based and is very different to mine. The screen you showed simply does not exist - I either get the map or the audio (or climate etc) not both in a split screen. The background on those screens is black with blue (or by choice, gold) buttons.

Anyway, I did write to Lexus, waiting on a response.

rynd2it · June 9, 2016

And here it is:

Dear David

Thank you for your email regarding your Lexus RX 400h. I am sorry you are disappointed that you are unable to enter the complete post code on the satellite navigation in your vehicle.

As I am sure you are aware, this feature is available on later vehicles. Regrettably we are unable to offer a software upgrade to alter the functionality on your RX 400h.

I am sorry if this response causes further disappointment.

I wasn't really expecting anything else

rayaans · June 9, 2016

3 hours ago, rynd2it said:

If I'm right the technology used in the current series of cars is not DVD based and is very different to mine. The screen you showed simply does not exist - I either get the map or the audio (or climate etc) not both in a split screen. The background on those screens is black with blue (or by choice, gold) buttons.

Anyway, I did write to Lexus, waiting on a response.

Yes you wont get the split screen - I was just referring to the blue colour on the smaller side of that big screen.

DanD · June 10, 2016

What the 400h offered when it first became available was way ahead of the game, in particular considering that its various gadgets all came as standard when they were costly extras for other brands... or sometimes not available. However, it remains based on a 2003 design and you cannot expect functionality that was not available at the time - on that particular model on indeed on all cars - to be retrofitted.

It would be the same as expecting a 2003 mobile phone to do the same as a 2016 one!

On a different note, I am surprised that the new DVD does not allow changes on the move. I remember this was the case when I bought my first 400h, but when I updated the DVD to a later version (sorry, can't remember which version), it certainly removed all the "locks", allowing full use of both the satnav and phone functionality.

rynd2it · June 10, 2016

21 minutes ago, DanD said:

What the 400h offered when it first became available was way ahead of the game, in particular considering that its various gadgets all came as standard when they were costly extras for other brands... or sometimes not available. However, it remains based on a 2003 design and you cannot expect functionality that was not available at the time - on that particular model on indeed on all cars - to be retrofitted.

It would be the same as expecting a 2003 mobile phone to do the same as a 2016 one!

On a different note, I am surprised that the new DVD does not allow changes on the move. I remember this was the case when I bought my first 400h, but when I updated the DVD to a later version (sorry, can't remember which version), it certainly removed all the "locks", allowing full use of both the satnav and phone functionality.

You have misread the above.

The new DVD does allow changes on the move - precisely why it is perfectly possible to amend the software to input full post codes. It does NOT allow full phone use. However my correspondence with Lexus said emphatically that they won't do this.

As I spent the last 15 years of my working life updating and modernising computer software (starting with the Y2K refits) I have some experience in software development and what is and is not possible. The change would be relatively simple especially as they already have working code for it in the later versions. It's a pure marketing or commercial decision.