TomTom troubles....

[megadyptes]

Does anyone here have the TomTom option fitted to their Altea?

Ours seems to be behaving a bit eratically - sometimes it works, sometimes it continually reboots, and sometimes it doesn't even recognise that there's a card in it.

All this has happened since the unit was first connected to the dashboard unit, before that, it worked as a standalone unit just fine.

Hooking the unit up to the PC sometimes shows it as an available USB device, and I can browse the directories, sometimes the PC says the card isn't formatted, and sometimes the PC just doesn't recogise it's there at all. When it is recognised by the PC replacing the files on the card from a backup resolves the problem, it works as a stand-alone, but as soon as it sees the car the fun and games start again.

I can't help but thinl that the attaching/detaching to the dashboard unit has caused this problem as the unit work fine in stand-alone if I use a different card (I'm reluctant to hook it up to the car just in case....).

Before I head off to the dealer and start asking them why the car's knackering the TomTom, can anyone tell me if I'm missing something or doing something daft?

Ta muchly!

 

[Tell]

From what you describe either you got two problems, one being the connectivity of your Tom Tom too the PC and the other to the car. I can't but help think it may be inside the Tom Tom on the comms... you need to test another Tom Tom in the car.

My Becker suffers from reboot from time to time which isn't much good at a crucial point when Ms Becker stops giving directions.

 

[RJS]

Do i take That you have the same set up on your Altea that you get in the XL or do you an XL.

 

[Tell]

Nope that was a bit of computer / electronics advice. Either two problems or one, given that it doesn't connect up well with a PC then it's pointing to the Tom Tom unless it's two problems... the XL software won't mess up a Tom Tom's failure to connect to a PC, but a faulty chip in the Tom Tom could effect both, that will be the bit that handles Comms.

My minor in computer science comes in handy at times .

 

[RJS]

Hi Tell
I was getting at that if he had a Tom Tom mount in his Altea same as the XL.I would like one for Altea.
JR

 

[megadyptes]

Thanks folks, looks like it's a trip to the dealer to get a replacement - wonder if they'll try and bounce me to TomTom?

The bit that has me confused is that the problems only occur once the unit (containing the Seat-supplied SD card) sees the car. For the past week, I've been using a different SD card and there have been no PC connection problems, no continual reboots, as a stand-alone unit it just works. I don't have a comp sci backgound , but to me this suggests that connecting to the car somehow corrups the SD card. Put the original SD card back in and the TomTom's as much use as a chocolate teapot.

RJS - the car's an XL, so connects via the Seat dashboard mount rather than TomTom's suction-cup attachment.

 

[aceman]

I know from past experience that SD cards can be very fickle and often cause lockups and reboots. Some cheaper branded cards can suffer from this and maybe SEAT are using a cheaper brand and you have one that is faulty as it certainly sounds like it if you have used another card without problems.

You should get your dealer to swap it !

 

[DAN M]

I've just bought an Altea XL, and had the TomTom mount installed (already had a 710). Mine also seems to be erratic. Sometimes the sound goes through the speakers (but this is really quiet), the dash displays phone when this happens. Other times no instructions come through???
Works fine in my other car, when using the suction cup thingy

 

[megadyptes]

DAN - Now you mention it, I've seen that behaviour as well. I put it down to the sequence in which the car was started and the tomtom connected.

Something along the lines of:

• Connect TomTom
• Start car
• Car's speakers are used (and you're right, it shows up as 'phone' on the display and is very quiet)

Or alternatively:

• Start car
• Connect TomTom
• TomTom's built-in speaker is used (I found this preferable)

Does this sound similar to how your's behaves?

 

[DAN M]

Just been in the car - to setup my wife's phone on the TomTom. I noticed that this time the instructions seemed louder and every instruction came through the sound system.
Maybe its down to the phone???

Did you get a SEAT instruction manual for the TomTom. I have an original TomTom manual and the SEAT radio/CD manual. Can't find much info about the phone settings.

 

[Tell]

Yep, as Aceman says SD cards do get corrupted and the question is whether it runs fine on this card, not connected to the car. From reading the thread it seems like this topic is going to be a runner like the Bluetooth connectivity one.

I would never rely on just one SD card any no back up off it.

 

[Rallye Dale]

Just check what software version you are running on the tomtom,latest is 6.522,tomtom will tell you to do this first

Just tap the screen on the right hand side where the gps signal bar is,then on the right hand side bottom it wll say version in a small box

 

[megadyptes]

No SEAT manual came with it, more a case of 'Here are the keys to your car, and here's the box containng the TomTom'. Are SEAT likely to have done anything else to the SD card other than add a different splash/suspend screen and the locations of the SEAT dealerships?

Quite glad I copied alll the files to the PC before using for the first time!

EDIT: Software version on the card that works is showing as 6.511, the version on the SEAT card that I'm having problems with was updated from 6.511 to 6.525 the first time it connected to the TomTom Home on the PC - how likely is it that this update is part of the problem?

Edit #2: Would you believe it, I've spent most of the day getting all the bits and pieces together to take back to the dealer and the chuffing card has just started working again - had more of a console look on startup before going into the SEAT splashscreen that it usually does, but is showing that its using the 6.525 software. Be interesting to see how it behaves if I connect it to the car tomorrow and take it for a 'test drive'.