Prius Excel - updating the maps to 6.9.0H.

[Brendan2]

Hi, I've had a new Prius Excel since April, and noticed that the maps delivered with the built-in SatNav were way out of date, especilly speed cameras.

So I just managed to download and install the latest maps 6.9.0H (I get 3 years free updates).  Downloading from the shop was easy, putting the files onto a USB stick was easy.  But when you get in the car, power up, and then plug in the USB stick, the installation takes a very long time - 1 hour and 10 minutes.  The instructions say you must keep the engine running.  Well in a Prius the engine only runs when the Battery gets low, which it did on two occasions.

I was prepared for a fairly lengthy install by the instructions and had taken something to read into the car.  But is it really necessary to just sit there for over an hour each time the map is updated?

Nowhere in the instructions does it say if I could leave the car running (I recall in any case if I get out it will beep loudly at me!). Or whether I could do it when driving, so I don't waste over an hours time. 

I haven't yet done any significant driving with the new map - I notice one person says there is a problem with traffic warnings being for the wrong side of the road - no doubt I will find out if that's the case.

[kithmo]

If you want all the maps upgrading then an hour and 10 mins sounds about right. If you don't want to update all the map (countries) then it will take less. I just updated UK & Ireland maps, and it took about 15 minutes. 

[CPN]

The reason you need to keep the ignition in the full on (running) position is to prevent the (default) 5 minute timeout of the head unit (that you are updating), when in just accessory position, from switching the unit off part way through the upgrade and thereby resulting in a "bricked" head unit. As kithmo has already pointed out, you can shorten the time by reducing the country count but you can blame the bulk of the time on the older spec technology of the USB ports and the ridiculously slow transfer rates that Harman (the head unit suppliers) have lumbered Toyota with in that regard...

[Heidfirst]

7 hours ago, Brendan2 said:

But is it really necessary to just sit there for over an hour each time the map is updated?

Nowhere in the instructions does it say if I could leave the car running (I recall in any case if I get out it will beep loudly at me!). Or whether I could do it when driving, so I don't waste over an hours time. 

If it is like the older Touch & Go system then you can do it whilst driving - you just have to be sure that your journey is going to be long enough for it to complete the update.

At least you now have the option of doing partial map updates by country rather than the whole of Europe - when the older system came out that was not an option so it was all or nothing.

[barrycoll]

What size is the download file for full coverage I wonder

Could I use an SD card reader, and a formatted !6gb SD card inserted for this purpose???

 

[Brendan2]

Thanks for the replies - very helpful. It sounds like I'm stuck with getting a good book and being prepared to read it in the car when the maps need updating. However, it would be a good idea just to update one map at a time.  I assume that if I just update (say) the UK map, the older copies of the others will still be available.

The download file is about 6 GB (gigabytes) and this uses 7GB when extracted to a USB drive. It appears ot include everything for Europe.  There is little point in using a fast SD card (although I can't see any reason why this won't work) as the limitation is in the head, according to CPN.  I used a very fast USB drive, which can be read at over 100MB per second, so 6 gigs can be transfered in a minute or so on a USB 3 port.  In an ideal world, Toyota should aim to have updates take no longer than 15 minutes, in my opinion.

 

[kithmo]

Barry, the instructions on the Toyota Web site say you must have at least 8Gb, so what Brendan says sounds about right.

Brendan, yes you can update any of the maps at a later date using the same downloaded file on your USB stick, IIRC, each time you put the stick in it will say updates are available or something similar and you select the maps you want.

[aCactus]

I went through the same process for my C-HR in the hope that the error in the postcode for my house might be corrected and found it all very slow.  Download and unzipping seemed to take a long time for the size of the files but updating took a long time sat in ready mode even though I did restrict the update to UK maps having read another post about the update so I knew how long it had taken someone else. I haven't noticed any new problems with the map but the postcode search is still missing the last eight houses in my road. Not sure of the version that was in my car so it is possible that I already had the latest version

[barrycoll]

This does not sound like much fun.....especially if (after 1.5 hours) an ERROR sign pops up.

Will Toyota do this updat themselves with a first year service I wonder????

 

[Chris Dance]

Hi Barry:   After  the disaster of trying to update the Sat /Nav on our previous Gen 3 Prius and the dealer having to change the complete Sat/Nav.  The service manager advised me to let them do all future updates.  I have updates done at each annual service by the dealer. I am told by the technicians at the dealership that they sometimes have issues with Sat/Nav updates.

[barrycoll]

Perfect reply, thanks  Chris........just what the Dr ordered

Now I am off the hook

[PeteB]

My bigger worry is the various reports of anythings being worse after updating, with no real benefits

• map still horribly out of date (especially compared to my TomTom with quarterly updates free for life)
• problems playing using fro USB stick

I haven't updates since getting my car 14 months ago for this reason, and won't until I've heard quite a few reports of a worthwhile update with no new problems.

On my Gen 3 Prius I did the updates until about 9 months before I swapped it for this one.  Up until the last time, there were no problems *, but the maps still failed to show many things that changed over 5 years earlier.

The final time, after the very lengthy download and spending considerable time in the car updating, it immediately said it needed another update, which I begrudgingly did, only to find it had reverted to the previous version.  Since I had already started using the latest TomTom with it's best ever traffic (also free for life) I never bothered to try again.

* the very first update in 2012 did take it from 7 character postcodes to 5 character, but the following update (over a year later) corrected this.

[albany]

Brendan2, can you confirm that traffic warnings are working okay for you? I described my problem in another thread (SatNav Traffic Problem), but I didn't make it clear that all other aspects of the SatNav are operating as expected (e.g. direction signs are on the correct side of the road). It's just the overlay of the red lines that are on the wrong side. I'll re-install the update if you, or anyone else, tells me it's just my problem.

I have to agree with PeteB about the maps being way out of date - my daughter moved into a newly built house in 2015 and the street is still not showing on the map! There have been huge changes in some major roads here in Central Scotland this year (M8, M73, A725 and the new bridge over the Forth) - I wonder when they will appear on the maps...

[kithmo]

The updates seem to me to be around 2 years out of date when they come out , so your daughter's street probably just missed the last update.

[Heidfirst]

4 hours ago, albany said:

I have to agree with PeteB about the maps being way out of date - my daughter moved into a newly built house in 2015 and the street is still not showing on the map! There have been huge changes in some major roads here in Central Scotland this year (M8, M73, A725 and the new bridge over the Forth) - I wonder when they will appear on the maps...

It seems that frequently by the time that Toyota releases them  it's about a year after the data is dated from Here.

& who knows how old the data actually is is when Here releases it ...

[Brendan2]

5 hours ago, albany said:

Brendan2, can you confirm that traffic warnings are working okay for you? I described my problem in another thread (SatNav Traffic Problem), but I didn't make it clear that all other aspects of the SatNav are operating as expected (e.g. direction signs are on the correct side of the road). It's just the overlay of the red lines that are on the wrong side. I'll re-install the update if you, or anyone else, tells me it's just my problem.

I have to agree with PeteB about the maps being way out of date - my daughter moved into a newly built house in 2015 and the street is still not showing on the map! There have been huge changes in some major roads here in Central Scotland this year (M8, M73, A725 and the new bridge over the Forth) - I wonder when they will appear on the maps...

Since doing the update we've just done one long journey - London to Pembrokeshire.  Traffic warnings were working, especially for a large queue at the Severn Bridge.  I can't for sure recall but I think the red lines were on the wrong carriageway.  I had read your post, and think I was not surprised and didn't make a very good mental note.   We opted to divert, and that took us to the Head of the Valleys road - and then we were told that was shut, but only a little way before. The system should have known.  In the end we came along the old and slow A40 - but it is a lovely drive.   In West Wales we don't seem to get any traffic warnings or maybe there are no jams. 

The new maps still have plenty of errors, so it does seem they are way of date still.  I haven't done enough driving in areas I know to be able to comment more.

[johalareewi]

For satnav and traffic alerts I use the Waze app on my android device. It's not perfect but works mostly and it is free. It requires an internet connection.

For offline maps I use OsmAnd+

[ferox]

Yeah, I recently got myself into Waze app and it works on all Androids. It was even pre-installed on my phone, but haven't used it.

[Harters]

I have the latest maps and I was sat in traffic last night and the queue was showing on the correct side of the road, in my case the left side.  .

[johalareewi]

And for up to date camera data I use the camera alert app from pocketgpsworld

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/

 

 

[albany]

On 18/08/2017 at 8:30 AM, Harters said:

I have the latest maps and I was sat in traffic last night and the queue was showing on the correct side of the road, in my case the left side.  .

Thanks for that. I'll have another go at installing update 6.9.0H.

[Brendan2]

Final comment - we are back in London after several traffic free weeks in West Wales, and I confirm the traffic queues are showing correctly. (6.9.0H / 2017 V1)

[albany]

2 hours ago, Brendan2 said:

Final comment - we are back in London after several traffic free weeks in West Wales, and I confirm the traffic queues are showing correctly. (6.9.0H / 2017 V1)

Thanks for that confirmation. However, I've found that it depends on the scale chosen. I like to use the .5 mile scale so I can see traffic quite far away; on that scale the indications are on the wrong side. Shifting to the .25 mile scale they're on the correct side.

I took the first photo above (while safely parked!) using the .25 mile scale and the second photo using the .5 mile scale. Traffic is correct on the first one and wrong on the second.