Nav System: SW is a 0.6 Product

[MrSniffer]

My newly minted Model S has Firmware level 1.15.8. These comments refer solely to the center console app, not the HUD.

After several days of driving, I would describe the Nav SW as “barely functional” and quite far from where it needs to be. And that’s not likely to change overnight.

Can you imagine any automotive GPS system that doesn’t have a way to store your favorite locations (e.g. Home, Work, etc.) in a handy list? How about GPS system that doesn’t allow the user to enter waypoints, to help force a preferred routing? Or one that hides important traffic information from view when you are navigating to a destination?

Welcome to Tesla Model S Console Navigation SW, Version 0.6.

Here’s a list of the features that I think need attention, ASAP. Some are very serious weaknesses; others are “nice to have.” Other drivers should submit their personal wish list items to [email protected].

1. No named Favorites list, e.g. Home, Work, Service, etc.
2. No “Nav to Home” button
3. No “Supercharger” button or search capability
4. Can’t dial phone by touching phone number in Search results
5. Can’t hide turn list window from Nav screen
6. Can’t force “Direction Up” on Nav screen
7. Can’t see Google traffic indications on the route that is being navigated (!!!)
8. No support for Google “Send Map to Car” feature
9. Nav screen has occasional missing Google map blocks during navigation (should fall back to stored info)

 

[William13]

Gee Mr Sniffer, I can imagine cars without GPS. Alas my Toyotas have built in GPS and other than favorites, the other items you mention are MIA. After watching cenergi's videos I can say that the Tesla GPS is way better.

I would like all of your wish list though. Thanks, I hope they listen.

 

[dsm363]

I wouldn't call the Nav 'barely functional'. It is missing the features you list and they need to add them but I can get where I want to go by searching for the destination or going to 'recent destinations' if it's somewhere I went recently. I'm sure they'll add the things you listed over time but until then, I think they are off to a good start. The interface is great and the directions on the small LCD screen right next to your odometer are great. Even with it's flaws it is by far the best factory Nav unit I've ever seen.

 

[aviators99]

Gee Mr Sniffer, I can imagine cars without GPS. Alas my Toyotas have built in GPS and other than favorites, the other items you mention are MIA. After watching cenergi's videos I can say that the Tesla GPS is way better.

I would like all of your wish list though. Thanks, I hope they listen.

I can tell you that on all of my Toyotas and Lexii, #5, #6, and #9 were *not* MIA. William13, which Toyota built in NAV system doesn't have heading up mode, forced turn list window that you can't turn off, and has missing map blocks?

 

[dsm363]

Doesn't Toyota force you to accept an agreement each time you start the car? Tesla doesn't make you do that which I love. They also allow the driver to change the destination while driving which others don't have. I find that much better than something like missing favorites (which I want too) that I'm sure will be added soon.

 

[cinergi]

The fact that I can type in virtually anything into search that Google can find in order to get a location is pretty sweet. "mall" or "cheesecake factory" or whatever ... get a list of matches and pick the right one. Awesome.

 

[dsm363]

The fact that I can type in virtually anything into search that Google can find in order to get a location is pretty sweet. "mall" or "cheesecake factory" or whatever ... get a list of matches and pick the right one. Awesome.

Yes! I love that. You can also zoom in on an actual satellite image of that choice and double check to see if it looks like the place you are wanting to go.

 

[aviators99]

Doesn't Toyota force you to accept an agreement each time you start the car? Tesla doesn't make you do that which I love. They also allow the driver to change the destination while driving which others don't have. I find that much better than something like missing favorites (which I want too) that I'm sure will be added soon.

I won't be surprised if the "accepting liability" agreement gets added in a forthcoming update, unfortunately.

All of my cars with NAV have allowed me to change the destination while driving. SOME of them have tried to not allow me to TYPE IN a new destination (as opposed to selecting from the map or previous destinations), but I've always been able to override that based on secret key sequences easily found on the web.

 

[William13]

Sorry, 5 can be chosen, I thought he meant prevented. Plus this is meaningless with the huge screen in Model S.
6 I guess I have never used as I was raised using paper maps.
9 My street is still not on the Toyota updates 10 years later. My parents town is rudimentary. I guess this is not the same as a black square but I would contend equivalent.

I should be more diligent next time in replies.

 

[aviators99]

Also, #7 seems particularly annoying, because the traffic is on there, but it simply *covered up* by the overlay of the route. You can see traffic everywhere *except* where you will be driving. The workaround is to cancel navigation, look at the traffic, and then navigate again. :-(

 

[kevincwelch]

Can’t dial phone by touching phone number in Search results

Does this refer to a phone number search off Google maps or phone contacts?

 

[MrSniffer]

Does this refer to a phone number search off Google maps or phone contacts?

Say you enter the name of a restaurant in the Nav search. (The results might be supplied by Google, but it really doesn't matter.) Assuming the restaurant is found, search returns with both the address and phone number. You can click on the address and it is entered as the navigation destination. But clicking on the phone number doesn't dial the restaurant (using my BT connected phone).

 

[kevincwelch]

Say you enter the name of a restaurant in the Nav search. (The results might be supplied by Google, but it really doesn't matter.) Assuming the restaurant is found, search returns with both the address and phone number. You can click on the address and it is entered as the navigation destination. But clicking on the phone number doesn't dial the restaurant (using my BT connected phone).

Seems like one of those "nice to have" things, then.

Can't you just split the screen and use the dialer in the other window?

 

[Tempus]

The traffic part is the one that bothers me. Not just not being able to see traffic on the route, but not having the nav system take traffic into account on route timing and selection. That seems like a no brainer since traffic info is there.

 

[Cottonwood]

6. Can’t force “Direction Up” on Nav screen
...
9. Nav screen has occasional missing Google map blocks during navigation (should fall back to stored info)

My biggest concerns are #6, #9, and confusion between Google Maps on the 17" screen and the dash GPS in some directions.

Having "Direction Up" on the Map screen, #6, is very useful for situational awareness while using the map to navigate. Even when using a paper map, I usually orient it to "Direction Up."

#9 can lead to a totally blank screen when driving in areas of no cell coverage. A vehicle as smart as the Model S should have a backup base map, cache the map data or some combo of the two.

I have posted elsewhere the confusion that exists if you search for the Durango, CO airport. The 17" shows the correct location on the map, you select it as a destination, and then the nav function takes you elsewhere. I have been taken to the smaller airport, Animas Air Park, and other places in Durango. This problem does not exist in the on-line version of Google Maps or the version on the iPad. I don't know if it happens for other destinations, but this is a definite bug to watch out for. (I have not verified if this problem still exists in the latest SW: 1.15.8)

 

[kevincwelch]

Well, it sounds like it is a work in progress (like many things) for Tesla. I am optimistic, however, that the navigation, media system, and other firmware issues will be resolved over the next several months with future updates. These all seem like things the Model S should have, but I just feel less concerned about these firmware "premium" items and more concerned about other more tangible issues the Model S has.

Frankly, just having a map in my car that is bigger than 3 inches will be really exceptional.

 

[shokunin]

Also, #7 seems particularly annoying, because the traffic is on there, but it simply *covered up* by the overlay of the route. You can see traffic everywhere *except* where you will be driving. The workaround is to cancel navigation, look at the traffic, and then navigate again. :-(

That's not good.. Hopefully many of these will be addressed soon. They seem to be way behind in their software development. As long as the car has been in engineering, I would have hoped they'd be further along the software development cycle. Nav, door, remote app, charging schedules, wifi, and tethering still need work.

 

[dsm363]

That's not good.. Hopefully many of these will be addressed soon. They seem to be way behind in their software development. As long as the car has been in engineering, I would have hoped they'd be further along the software development cycle. Nav, door, remote app, charging schedules, wifi, and tethering still need work.

I'm glad the software is stable and very responsive first, features can come later. If they had come out with the software totally feature complete but extremely buggy then people would be very upset. It definitely is missing some features but a '0.6' product as you described means to me it is still a beta and unstable. It may not have many of the features you want but that doesn't mean it is a beta, just not packed full of features.

 

[PRJIM]

I'm glad the software is stable and very responsive first, features can come later. If they had come out with the software totally feature complete but extremely buggy then people would be very upset. It definitely is missing some features but a '0.6' product as you described means to me it is still a beta and unstable. It may not have many of the features you want but that doesn't mean it is a beta, just not packed full of features.

My Nav does not work at all. When I attempt to select the Route option-in the cluster, the 17 inch display freezes and I have to reboot it.

 

[cinergi]

My Nav does not work at all. When I attempt to select the Route option-in the cluster, the 17 inch display freezes and I have to reboot it.

Is that *after* you input an address into the 17" screen? You shouldn't be able to select GPS on the cluster until a destination has been accepted, *and* I believe the instrument cluster will always change to GPS after it's been accepted so you shouldn't have to manually select it unless you selected away from it *after* an address was accepted and it was already showing.