- My GPS unit will not turn on
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- If your unit uses disposable batteries, try a new set of batteries.
- If your unit has a rechargeable battery, try recharging the battery. Make sure all charging lights come on to eliminate the charger as the problem.
- Does the power button feel loose compared to previous uses? If yes, it may have a broken connection on the inside of the unit. In this case it is best to contact the manufacturer for repair.
- Try powering the unit on using external power. If your unit will turn on, there may be a problem with your battery.
- If problem is not resolved, please contact the manufacturer for repair information.
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- GPS satellites will not lock
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- Take the GPS outside where it can get full view of the sky and leave it in a stationary position. The unit may require up to 20 minutes to start tracking satellites.
- Try a firmware update by visiting the manufacturer's website and downloading the necessary firmware update. Once the update is done, take the unit outside and leave it stationary for up to 20 minutes while it tries to obtain a satellite lock.
- Sometimes the internal antenna stops working. If your GPS has the ability to use an external antenna, give one a try. If the unit starts to track with an external antenna, then the internal antenna needs repair.
- If problem is not resolved, please contact the manufacturer for repair information.
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- If you are in a canyon, open pit mine, or a mountainous area you may have a tough time tracking WAAS. This happens if you are in an area where the WAAS satellites have a low elevation on the horizon.
The signal may be cut off due to obstacles blocking the signals. In this case you will need to try moving to an area that is visible to a lower horizon.
- Check that the WAAS setting is turned on in your GPS. Check the WAAS coverage area to ensure you are in range of the WAAS satellites.
- If problem is not resolved contact the manufacturer for repair information.
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- I can't see the maps I just loaded
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- Some maps will not view when other maps are turned on in the unit. Go to your map settings and make sure that only the one map you want to see is turned on. Be sure to zoom into the area that you have loaded to check the coverage.
- If the map is not listed in your map settings, try loading the map again.
- If you get an error similar to 'Can't unlock Maps', then you will need to contact the manufacturer for assistance. The maps may not be properly registered to your GPS.
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- My GPS unit will not connect to my computer
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- If you are using a USB connection, make sure you have the correct software drivers installed on your computer to talk to the GPS. Also be sure to use a compatible program like 'Basecamp' for Garmin units.
- With a Serial (RS232) connection, sometimes operating systems or programs will try to auto-recognize devices connected to this low tech port. When this happens it stops other programs from connecting to the port. Make sure any software that has an auto-detect feature for serial devices is disabled.
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- My unit is speaking a foreign language
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- The unit language settings are incorrect for your region. Changing the voice and text settings vary between units. Resetting your GPS will sometimes get the voice back to the default language. The icons of menus do not change between languages so you can use the manual to systematically find the menu you are looking for to change the voice.
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- I can't find a city, address, or POI in my GPS
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- Please check that the maps in your GPS are enabled.
- If the maps are enabled, check that you are searching within the correct state or province. There will be a prompt as you enter in the address or city data to change the state/province.
- When entering an address be sure to keep it simple for the GPS. Do not enter apartment numbers, street name suffixes (ie. St., Dr., Ave.), or city quadrants. Example: if the address is ÒUnit 10, 1556 Waverly Street NE, Mission, B.C.Ó, then when the unit prompts you for the house number, put '1556' without the unit number. When the unit asks you for street enter only ÒWaverlyÓ. The unit will return the best known addresses in the database. Choose the one that matches the address you are looking for.
- If the data still cannot be found, then it may be missing from the map. Be sure to fill out the map reporter tool on the map manufacturer's website. The two most common mapping companies are Teleatlas and Navteq.
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- My GPS does not say the street names
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- Not all preloaded GPS voices will speak the street name. Go into the voice settings of your GPS. Be sure to select a voice that will speak street names. For example: Garmin units that speak street names will have TTS (Text-To-Speech) or the name of a person beside the language choice. (ie. American English Jack)
- Check the volume settings. Do you hear other sounds from the GPS like beeps when the buttons are touched? Your speaker may be corrupt.
- Some GPS units have an FM transmitter built in for audio out. Make sure you are tuned to the correct radio station or turn the FM transmitter off in the unit's settings.
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