Discovery Satnav Fit For Purpose?

[Salty Spuds]

We have a conversion that originally started out as a panel van, it has factory fit Discovery media /satnav. The whole thing cost over a grand. We tow a boat with the now converted van. There is an option for "trailer" in the satnav setup, but I've not yet worked out what this changes. The satnav displays the current speed limit of the road we're travelling on, but NOT the limit for the vehicle combination, I.e commercial or towing. E.g it shows 70mph on a dual carriageway, but this vehicle in its original PV for could only do 60mph on a dual carriageway. When I cross a country border, it's smart enough to tell me, and show me the speed limits for the country I've just entered, but not the towing speed limits (remember it knows I've got a trailer on 'cos I've ticked the box) neither is it smart enough to input the height of the van & trailer to avoid low bridges.
My point being, this satnav is aimed squarely at the car market, not the commercial vehicle that it's fitted to, or am I missing summat?

 

[Johnod17]

Hi
May be a silly question,but how do you select the option for towing.
I have never seen this on my 17 plate T6 4 motion panel van with discovery media fitted ?

Thanks
John

 

[Salty Spuds]

Hi
May be a silly question,but how do you select the option for towing.
I have never seen this on my 17 plate T6 4 motion panel van with discovery media fitted ?

Thanks
John

It's in the Nav setup menu, I'll get you a photo when I can. It doesn't seem to do much though. It took me over a mountain pass where trailers were "interdite"

 

[Salty Spuds]

It's in the Nav setup menu, I'll get you a photo when I can. It doesn't seem to do much though. It took me over a mountain pass where trailers were "interdite"

Satnav settings- route options- scroll down to last item- trailer

 

[rover220]

im very disappointed with mine for the money it cost

 

[TEESIXY]

I dont like mine, it doesent seem as good as the one in my first T5, 14 years ago. There seems to be a lot of errors such as it telling you to take a right turn, when in fact you need to stay on the same road, but just go around a sharp bend. I've had it directing you around in a never ending loop a couple of times. Its pretty poor really.

 

[In a state]

Mine took us the wrong way in Holland...but I reckon that was my fault as I picked the scenic route option. Set it to fastest route only and you should be fine but as above the stay right this, stay left that does confuse you sometimes.

 

[chriscroft]

If you've got the apple car play/ android auto option; and you use an android smart phone, the the free app "Waze" which uses google maps is amazing imo, you just need a net work signal i think.

 

[Murdoch]

If you've got the apple car play/ android auto option; and you use an android smart phone, the the free app "Waze" which uses google maps is amazing imo, you just need a net work signal i think.

I use Apple car play and it doesn’t seem to like Waze ....

 

[chriscroft]

I use Apple car play and it doesn’t seem to like Waze ....

No, I have the same problem; I am starting to go off apple. I mentioned apple car play, only because it is the same option
on the VW configerator as Android Auto. I have had apple phones for years, but am seriously thinking about an android next. fortunately I never bought into I-tunes; my mate switched phones I realised that his £1000 ish spent with apple on albums was a pita.

 

[Deaky]

No, I have the same problem; I am starting to go off apple. I mentioned apple car play, only because it is the same option
on the VW configerator as Android Auto. I have had apple phones for years, but am seriously thinking about an android next. fortunately I never bought into I-tunes; my mate switched phones I realised that his £1000 ish spent with apple on albums was a pita.

You can still run Apple Music on android

 

[chriscroft]

You can still run Apple Music on android

Isn't apple music more akin to Spotify?, as opposed to the iTunes service where you actually purchase the album/track?
I'm certainly no expert, and this was a few years ago, things may have changed.

 

[Deaky]

Isn't apple music more akin to Spotify?, as opposed to the iTunes service where you actually purchase the album/track?
I'm certainly no expert, and this was a few years ago, things may have changed.

It’s both. If your mate has paid for albums then he can play them with Apple Music on Android.

 

[Deleted Member]

The Discovery nav is a bit of a let down really, I've only used it once, I much prefer using Apple Maps on CarPlay instead.

Waze is coming soon onto the CarPlay platform, I've not used it myself but have read lots of good things about it.

Assume Waze and Google Maps will go live on IOS 12.

 

[Martinf]

The VW Satnav is bizzare. Mine often directs us off the main road, through a town and back on to the main road, or just off the main road and back again after going round a roundabout. Neither are shorter or quicker.

I can’t find that I am doing something wrong with the settings, but maybe. Surely a commercial system can’t act that strangely? But it is VW.

 

[TEESIXY]

..And the traffic information seems to be worse than no information at all. One of my first journeys was a trip round the M25 to Kempton Park. The nav told me there was two hours of queueing traffic ahead and diverted me through the city of London, a journey i'll never forget. It still gives me that duff information every trip there, even when the M25 is (relatively) clear.

 

[chriscroft]

The Discovery nav is a bit of a let down really, I've only used it once, I much prefer using Apple Maps on CarPlay instead.

Waze is coming soon onto the CarPlay platform, I've not used it myself but have read lots of good things about it.

Assume Waze and Google Maps will go live on IOS 12.

This is a real game changer, I will certainly stick with Apple if they support waze through Car-Play.
We've given up with the VW sat nav, and have a TomTom sat on the dash board using a bean bag; but I think TomToms days are numbered once you've used waze.
Its nice to have the VW system built in, for occasions when you don't have a network signal; but the option price was crazy for the discovery media given its capabilities.

 

[Dave276]

Any news yet on whether Waze works with the VW Composition Media optional fir for a VW shuttle SE?

 

[Jean-Louis Bourdon]

I went for the non satnav, non apple-android app connectivity either, 6 inch infotainment (composition Media I believe)
just for larger Reversing Camera Display

I think you get more for your money with a standalone navigation unit (tomtom 6200 in my case)
can be moved to another vehicle, and if i don't like the software or the map quality, £200 later, and i get something more suitable.

as far as no app connectivity:
- 1) how will it age? obsolescence, legislation change?
-2) risk of hacking: someone could jump internet - phone - satnav and start injecting a whole of stuff on the CAN network of the vehicle... (already demonstrated on several brand : IOT internet of things, where the S stands for security lol)

 

[Sturge]

As long as you have app connect, then you can use the carplay option. I've been using waze on apple carplay since it was launched, and wouldn't change back now. It has got steadily better since September, and I love the speed limits, warning about stopped vehicles, speed traps and it does a little bing when I exceed the speed limit by a certain threshold. Downsides? Doesn't do lane guidance at junctions, and the carplay interface means waze isnt quite as good on the carplay as on the phone.