PSA: Never buying a (Toyota) nav system again?

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow In our Prius I decided not to give in dash navigation and bought a Garmin GPS and stuck it to the windshield. It was a very nice GPS unit. But, it was constantly falling off the windshield which is to say the least distracting while driving. Eventually I gave the Prius to my son and he finally junked the GPS since it wouldn't stay on the windshield. And he didn't like having something on the windshield. You can get dashboard mounts which I think are preferable to windshield mount but not everyone wants something on the dashboard.

I don't think you can blame the Garmin for the improper or defective mount. My Garmin stays mounted on the windshield 24/7 and it does not fall off on its own. To mount these properly, it's important to have a clean windshield and clean cup surface. I use a wipe cloth with alcohol that I use for my glasses to clean the surfaces. There are also vent mounts that work quite well.

This is my mount with dedicated power wire:

DSCN0610.jpg

[Katsmeow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 I don't think you can blame the Garmin for the improper or defective mount. My Garmin stays mounted on the windshield 24/7 and it does not fall off on its own. To mount these properly, it's important to have a clean windshield and clean cup surface. I use a wipe cloth with alcohol that I use for my glasses to clean the surfaces. There are also vent mounts that work quite well. This is my mount with dedicated power wire: Attachment 19514

We cleaned multiple times. I've used one before (at one point we had three vehicles with Garmin windshield mounts so had a lot of practice). So, I have had them where they stayed on. But, this one stayed on for awhile most of the time, then just keep falling off constantly. Not real sure what happened there, but it was annoying. This was not user error.

So I most certainly think I can blame Garmin for it. That is not to say that I think that all of them are defective, but this one most certainly was.

[braumeister]

Using the Garmin suction cup mounts, I've only had them come loose when the car was left out in the sun and it got extremely hot inside.

The best trick for me has been to use one of those little disposable alcohol wipes that are meant for cleaning eyeglasses. Wipe down both the suction cup and the surface it will go on, before applying it. Lasts for many months.

[Walt34]

A sign painter gave me this tip. Do not use Windex to clean your windows. According to him it contains petroleum products that leave a film and attracts dust. I use one of the super concentrated mixes aimed at pro window cleaners from Lowes or HD and is diluted at 32:1 water/product ratio or something like that so a gallon lasts "forever". We haven't had any problems with the suction cups falling off. Except when DW uses Windex....

[REWahoo]

For Father's Day DW gave me a cool little mounting device you can use for a phone or a Garmin. A little pricey but it really works great: Amazon.com: Nite Ize STCK-11-R8 Steelie Car Mount Kit for Cellphones

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo For Father's Day DW gave me a cool little mounting device you can use for a phone or a Garmin. A little pricey but it really works great: Amazon.com: Nite Ize STCK-11-R8 Steelie Car Mount Kit for Cellphones

That company has some nice accessories. Further research is in order.

I used a Garmin portable friction mount. It worked very well until the base got slippery. Twice it (with the nuvi) slid off the dashboard. First time the connector broke, second time the nuvi died.

[NW-Bound]

No bitty portable GPS or smartphone screens for me during my RV treks. Instead, a big (relatively) screen of a netbook is used to run MS Streets & Trips, along with a USB dongle GPS.

I have ordered an OBDII bluetooth device with the intention of using it with a second netbook to display engine parameters like rpm, temperature, mpg, etc... Will I dedicate a 2nd netbook for the engine display, so as not to detract from the map display of the 1st netbook if one netbook has to host both apps?

The wide and deep dashboard of the class C is a secure perch for the laptops/netbooks. And the big windshield means that I can have 2 of them there, heck even 3, without obstructing the vision any. So, two displays it is.

And I still have that 3rd netbook. And my laptop. I need to think of something to display on them too, to keep my copilot busy. Heh heh heh...

[easysurfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB That company has some nice accessories. Further research is in order. I used a Garmin portable friction mount. It worked very well until the base got slippery. Twice it (with the nuvi) slid off the dashboard. First time the connector broke, second time the nuvi died.

I had a similar thing happen with my old Garmin bean bag friction mount.

I did fix that problem with some extra anti-slip grip tape.

Amazon.com: Incom RE3952 Black Gator Grip Anti Slip Safety Grit Tape, 4-Inch by 15-Foot: Home Improvement

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by easysurfer I had a similar thing happen with my old Garmin bean bag friction mount. I did fix that problem with some extra anti-slip grip tape. Amazon.com: Incom RE3952 Black Gator Grip Anti Slip Safety Grit Tape, 4-Inch by 15-Foot: Home Improvement

I smeared silicone caulk all over the bottom of mine once it got slippery and that worked for a long time. As I live on a dirt road, eventually the dust worked its way into the silicone and it, too, became slippery.

[MBAustin]

I didn't want the NAV unit when I bought my 2010 Prius, but for me a sunroof is a must - I never thought I would want one until I ended up with one when I got a hand-me-down car from my parents about 20 years ago. On the Prius that year, the only way to get the sunroof was with the NAV package. So far no issues, but I refuse to pay the hundreds of dollars for a map update so sometimes I have to use my phone because the maps are too old.

[Gumby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow Edit: On the backup camera -- I totally agree with bUU. We are about to buy a vehicle for my daughter and I won't consider one that doesn't have a backup camera. W2R you see way more with the backup camera than you do without it. I have backup cameras on several cars and it gives me a much greater field of vision.

I think the backup camera is a fine option for those who see some value in it. I don't think it should be mandatory for everyone.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby I think the backup camera is a fine option for those who see some value in it. I don't think it should be mandatory for everyone.

I would need to see the math to determine if it makes reasonable sense as a regulation, but I would not dismiss it out of hand.

It obviously makes cars safer if you can see more with a camera than without. And I think these cameras and displays are pretty cheap these days, and the display gets multi-use in many cases.

People back up w/o looking at all (camera or not), I don't think we can fix that (hmmm.... retina scans? no backwards acceleration until the eyes have focused on the mirrors/cameras? That could work, but it's a ways off!). But it seems these cameras show more than most of us can see w/o one, so it seems to be a positive. I'm making an educated guess that it is a pretty good bang for the buck, I lean towards making it mandatory (and I think the govt over-regulates in general), unless someone can show a better return for the investment.

Note to bUU: see, I'm agreeing with you on this one!

-ERD50

[easysurfer]

Another feature talked about (saw the story on the morning news) for the future is smarter cars to sense when I child in left inside. As sadly, the backup cameras came about after the horrible experiences of kids run over while backing up.

In that story, what was in a way a "you gotta be kidding" is there are apps that tell if your child is still in the car. Silly in the sense that folks are now so glued the the smartphones that an app is needed instead of just turning around and checking? But I guess some get distracted and forget

[Katsmeow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 I would need to see the math to determine if it makes reasonable sense as a regulation, but I would not dismiss it out of hand.

It is mandated as of May, 2018. This has a lot of information about why it is being mandated:

https://www.federalregister.gov/arti...ear-visibility

Quote:

Rear visibility systems meeting the requirements of today's final rule are predicted to have an effectiveness of between 28 and 33 percent—substantially higher than other systems (e.g., sensor-only systems) that are currently available. Applying that estimated effectiveness to the latest information on the target population, the aforementioned systems are expected to save 58 to 69 lives each year (not including injuries prevented) once the entire on road vehicle fleet is equipped with systems meeting today's rules requirements (anticipated by approximately 2054).

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow We cleaned multiple times. I've used one before (at one point we had three vehicles with Garmin windshield mounts so had a lot of practice). So, I have had them where they stayed on. But, this one stayed on for awhile most of the time, then just keep falling off constantly. Not real sure what happened there, but it was annoying. This was not user error. So I most certainly think I can blame Garmin for it. That is not to say that I think that all of them are defective, but this one most certainly was.

Not sure, but it could be where you live.... I have bought 4 mounts for our Garmin and all seem to eventually 'dry up'... and we do not use them that much... just sit in the glove box most of the time....

[bUU]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby I think the backup camera is a fine option for those who see some value in it. I don't think it should be mandatory for everyone.

Folks said the same thing about safety belts, and passenger side mirrors.

For many of these things, the value in it is perceived by people we interact with: the car driving alongside of us on the highway; the person walking behind our car as we're pulling out of a space in the parking lot; etc. In addition, for many things, widespread adoption greatly reduces the cost and therefore the price, and so the value others perceive, in the context of the reduced cost, may make things even more worthwhile despite the failure of others to see any value.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 Note to bUU: see, I'm agreeing with you on this one!

Ring the bell!!

[Gumby]

Using the numbers provided by Katsmeow above, it appears that between 58 and 69 lives per year will be saved - when it is fully implemented in 2054. Let's assume the high end. Let's also assume that the camera setup increases the price of the car by only $100 initially and that it never needs repaired. We know that approximately 15 million new cars are sold every year. So we will spend $60 billion dollars (15 M cars/yr x $100 x 40 years) before we get to the point where we are even saving 69 lives. That's $869 million per life. I acknowledge that some lives will be saved in the interim, but even if we only took the annual expense ($100 x 15 million = $1.5 billion), you are still spending $21.74 million ($1.5B / 69) to save a single life. I'll agree that backing over a child is a tragedy, but don't you think that $21.74 million could save a lot more than one child if it were used for proper prenatal care and pediatric medicine? This is one of those "feel good" solutions that doesn't make economic sense.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 It obviously makes cars safer if you can see more with a camera than without. And I think these cameras and displays are pretty cheap these days, and the display gets multi-use in many cases.

Well, yes, they're cheap initially, but then the manufacturer adds on a markup. And then it becomes obsolete or stops working and replacement is NOT cheap. Every time they add something else electronic to a car I think, "more stuff that will cost a bundle to fix if it breaks down". Have you ever tried to replace an electronic key fob?

[bUU]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby This is one of those "feel good" solutions that doesn't make economic sense.

Like democracy, and liberty, and justice.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby <snip> So we will spend $60 billion dollars (15 M cars/yr x $100 x 40 years) before we get to the point where we are even saving 69 lives. <snip>I'll agree that backing over a child is a tragedy, but don't you think that $21.74 million could save a lot more than one child if it were used for proper prenatal care and pediatric medicine? This is one of those "feel good" solutions that doesn't make economic sense.

I'm a retired actuary so this type of analysis warms my heart. There's not enough of it. I've always said that if we want safer cars we could all drive around in tanks, but (thank God) the market won't support that because they'd be too expensive, wouldn't go fast enough and would probably get 2 mpg. At some point you need to make an intelligent decision about what you're spending to prevent something and whether the money would be better spent elsewhere.