Sat Nav / Head Unit in GT

[iainw]

I have decided on a GT for sure and organised to go and see one this weekend, and another in London the week after.
One must have is a working Sat Nav (I couldn't find my way out of the drive without it).

Has anyone on the forum had a double din exchange? Any experiences anyone can share?
I have had quotes ranging from 5000 pounds (A months full time work - must be a lot of wires...) to below 1000.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Wack61]

Tomtom.

I've read somewhere that an iPad type device stuck over the screen works, they're pretty thin these days

Spending 5k on a built in sat nav is crazy

 

[Doohickey]

The sat nav is rubbish - it doesn't take full postcodes so you can get within half a mile and then you're stuffed. There was a thread about someone willing to share/sell an upgrade pack but it doesn't get you round the basic problem.

I stick my Garmin to the screen instead; doesn't look great but at least I get there. If you used a smart phone then it might look a bit tidier.

 

[Wack61]

Surely it takes street names, even the first one I had 15 years ago did that

 

[CatmanV2]

I've never understood why people want postcode search. But there we are

C

 

[Doohickey]

Surely it takes street names, even the first one I had 15 years ago did that

It does but inputting takes forever - scrolling and prodding around the menu and 'keyboard' is a PITA. Touch screen on the Garmin is much easier. My Garmin also has live traffic and avoidance.

 

[Wack61]

I don't think any built in satnav can beat the latest stand alone units, I've got a tomtom 6000, the traffic on it is brilliant, last week we went to the trafford centre, M60 backed up for 2 miles, came off a junction early and we were parked in 5 minutes

 

[bigbob]

The sat nav is not brilliant but it is better than on my wife's S3.

It shows TMC fine and most venues can be worked by a street address. I don't understand why it would be enough to put anyone off buying one of these cars. Anyway you can always turn on the voice commands on an iphone if you need to.

 

[2b1ask1]

Iain,

Hi, the problem with swapping the unit out is you loose Info-CANBUS signals and will pop errors on the dash and logged on the system all the time. There has been some effort made to decode the serial signal coming down the wires but this was around 5 years ago by a chap in the states who moved on from a 4200 and it never got completed. There is absolutely a possibility of removing the bezel with the phone pad and modelling a modern replacement to house something like an i-pad hard wired in and hooked up to your house Wi-Fi so it got updates, if it was set to power down afrer a couple of minutes on battery it would be pretty easy to do. You could easily position a button to use the home and others to manage the other i-pad buttons and connectivity. If you did this I would suggest relocating the old screen and buttons into the armrest or behind the new bezel so they could be accessed should any maintenance be needed to the car's systems.

This would naturally mean you would lose your trip meter, climate settings and a couple of other indications but the thought of having your entire i-tunes nestled in the bezel is quite attractive but not as appealing as the idea of a large touch screen

 

[StuartW]

The sat nav is not brilliant but it is better than on my wife's S3.

It shows TMC fine and most venues can be worked by a street address. I don't understand why it would be enough to put anyone off buying one of these cars. Anyway you can always turn on the voice commands on an iphone if you need to.

I agree, I've seen worse but it is a bit patchy in cities (and in the countryside for that matter...)

 

[MAF260]

I was told by a main dealer that part of the GranTurismo refresh will major on the infotainment system as it's so outdated in the current cars. The system in the new Ghibli and QP is very good indeed IMO.

 

[StuartW]

I was told by a main dealer that part of the GranTurismo refresh will major on the infotainment system as it's so outdated in the current cars. The system in the new Ghibli and QP is very good indeed IMO.

They told me that too and I agree, the Ghibli unit is excellent with the touchscreen & DAB too

 

[Wack61]

As dab was meant to be the new broadcasting system very few cars have it fitted as standard which I've always found a bit odd as its been around for years now

 

[iainw]

Wow - 2b1ask1 - that sounds ideal. can you do that? what would you charge
If you could email me i would really appreciate it to ask advice.

I agree re Tom Tom - but I really think anything 'stuck on affects the aesthetic' the idea of trailing wires or sucker pads in the GTS sends me cold. I would prefer to open the windows and listen to the wind.

Interesting what big bob says. I sort of thought some may be overreacting - I haven't actually used it myself yet. I would be happy typing in a street name if it worked. But the iTunes angle and big screen sounds good. Especially with a Trident Screen saver...

 

[Doohickey]

I would be happy typing in a street name if it worked. But the iTunes angle and big screen sounds good. Especially with a Trident Screen saver...

It does work with the street name and I think you can put in a house/building number in as well - it's just a faff. No iTunes or big screen unless you are going to buy a brand new one in a year or so however! I think the later GTS's have Bluetooth connectivity.

 

[conaero]

If I were going to spend big on an in car system I would go Apple Carplay as I have Apple everything and their stuff always just works.

[video=youtube;NLYcohHOB-0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLYcohHOB-0[/video]

 

[Wack61]

Until it gets to a few years old and they stop updating it

 

[MAF260]

If I were going to spend big on an in car system I would go Apple Carplay as I have Apple everything and their stuff always just works.

[video=youtube;NLYcohHOB-0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLYcohHOB-0[/video]

I had it in my 159. It was OK, but temperamental. To mirror the apps on the head unit you had to plug the phone in - felt like a retrograde step to me. More hype than anything IME.

 

[2b1ask1]

Wow - 2b1ask1 - that sounds ideal. can you do that? what would you charge
If you could email me i would really appreciate it to ask advice.

I agree re Tom Tom - but I really think anything 'stuck on affects the aesthetic' the idea of trailing wires or sucker pads in the GTS sends me cold. I would prefer to open the windows and listen to the wind.

Interesting what big bob says. I sort of thought some may be overreacting - I haven't actually used it myself yet. I would be happy typing in a street name if it worked. But the iTunes angle and big screen sounds good. Especially with a Trident Screen saver...

Iain, if I could magically produce an extra couple of days in the week maybe but as yet it remains on the wish list for me. It has as I said been done in the US but as far as I am aware nobody has done it this side of the pond. I believe it is eminently doable as a full bezel replacement would allow a large landscape orientated screen to be selected. With modern 3D printing and a matched silver spray, why not. If anyone fancies this project, I'm more than happy to forward anything I have here squirrelled away.

 

[iainw]

I can definitely get the bezel 3D printed at work if you have any idea where I could get the STL /CAD file .
I would be happy to provide for other forum members for cheap .Or part ex towards a Larini
If you could forward anything you have re the wiring set up that would be great and I could perhaps ask a car audio company.

Apple Car Play looks a good second option...