Costaletech Navigation Enhancement Kit yet?

I decided to install my new NAV kit with Bluetooth today since I left work early during our snow storm.

The dash disassembly was straightforward enough, although the instructions could have included a few more photos. The text, however, was complete enough to fill in the gaps. It took me an hour to install.

I couldn't test out the Bluetooth functionality, but the NAV portion seemed to work as advertised. It does indeed, seem to be a macro which mimics our backdoor approach screen presses. The macro does seem to execute much more quickly than our manual approach.

Since the NAV is based on a macro, I wonder if the Bluetooth portion also operates on a macro basis as well.

 

I've wondered that myself. I've had a suspicion that it does, but that was based on the assumption that it attached to the NAV along with the override. When you try it out, you might see what screens it goes to.

 

I don't get it. What's the difference between what you have vs. my factory installed nav system. I too have bluetooth which came with the car.

 

Do you have a 2006? If so, this thread won't be as useful.

Since you have the factory installed NAV and BT system you notice that:

1) You have to press the "I Agree" button the first time the map comes up
2) You can't enter Destinations while the car is moving.
3) The same holds true for entering phone numbers while moving.

The NAV Enhancement kit will automatically press the "I Agree" button and will allow you (or rather your passenger) to enter destinations while moving. The BT add on does the same for the phone. This kit was announced over a year ago and several people had them on order since then (I ordered mine in April '05 and received it in January '06).

It was discovered in July that if you pressed the MFD in a certain sequence, that would override the NAV system and you could enter destinations while moving. The NAV kit we're talking about does the same thing. And I mean the EXACT same thing. You press DEST and you see the same screens that popped up when you were doing the override yourself. It was discovered that pressing the sequence does NOT work with the 2006, so if you were to install the kit in a 2006 that wouldn't work either. And you need the NAV kit for the BT add on to work.

 

dreichla -
A question: how & how often do you get to use your EV switch? I'm thinking of ordering one, but not sure how often I'd be able to utilize it in the "real world..."
- thanks!

 

I use it all the time - especially when I know the route and can anticipate a good amount of downhill regen time after EV use.

On my way to work, I use it on a flat stretch of road, probably about 1 mile long, which is followed by a 2 mile downhill run to the office. Depending on how far into the tank I am, I can usually gain from .4 mpg upward.

Mine kicks off at about 34 mph so it's good for city or slower backroad driving.

 

Today I had the opportunity to test out the Bluetooth portion of Coastal's NAV kit. I love it.

Once activated, it allows for MFD kepad entry of phone numbers for about 20 seconds at a clip. Then it greys out as usual. A simple press of the off hook button on the steering wheel brings it back to functionality for another 20 second period. This can be repeated indefinately.

One thing I noticed is that once activated, the phone numbers appear under text description of the One Touch Dialing Buttons. That's especially nice when viewing the last call button. Without the Bluetooth override, the numbers are there when the car is not moving and then dissapear once in motion.

This leads me to believe that Coastal has somehow tapped into the speed sensing portion of the NAV system. I wonder if he's somehow tricking the computer that the car is not moving. If the 20 second window was longer, the positional accuracy of the NAV system would probably decline.

Just a thought.

 

Yes, it seems that the original kit design did not use the built in override dance to enable the destination buttons. The automated dance can be annoying since it takes a bit of time and occurs on the first push of the destination button, even if you are sitting still. I'm guessing that this enhancement went through a significant design change between it's original announcement and final production. That probably accounts in part for some of the long delay. The I agree function seems to be consistent with the original design. I wonder if this kit would ever have been produced if the overide screen dance had not been made public by PC or PriusOnline.

 

It's possible. The date of the demo shows November '04 (although the clock on the dash and the video don't jive). We don't know what caused the delay. Perhaps the prototype was harder to mass produce for a decent price. We know what it looked like from the beginning (Jan or Feb '05).

Thanks for the info. If they offer it again I may get it.

 

I installed my Coastal NAV overide kit today AND IT DOESN'T WORK! The NAV system works exactly the same way as before. No "I Agree" press or anything.

Did anybody else who had this problem receive any help from Coastal?

 

Which version of the NAV kit did you get?

At least with the Bluetooth version, it should press the "I Agree" button whenever the map screen button is first pressed, but it won't actually override the system until the "Dest" button is first pressed.

Since it's such a no-brainer to install, my guess is you have a defective unit and they should replace it without question.

 

I got just the plain version without the bluetooth.

 

I received my kit yesterday about a year after I ordered it. The install was fairly easy and it works great.

 

mine arrived today also, one year later and a price rise. i plan to wait at least a year to install it.

 

My NAV/Bluetooth is in and I love it too.

Took me an hour to install & put everything back together - the 1st time - because at first I thought the NAV did not work too. So I uninstalled & installed it again. And then got the same issue again...

But I found this: It seems like I need to switch to Map or Destination before I engage the car in Drive or Reverse. Otherwise, if I'm moving first and then switch to NAV or Destination the macro functions don't work.

So, either hitting Map before Powering down (so it's up when you Power up) or hitting Map or Destination right after Power & before "D" or "R" seems to be the trick.

Bluetooth is okay though either way.

All in all, this is a great mod!

 

"It seems like I need to switch to Map or Destination before I engage the car in Drive or Reverse. Otherwise, if I'm moving first and then switch to NAV or Destination the macro functions don't work.

So, either hitting Map before Powering down (so it's up when you Power up) or hitting Map or Destination right after Power & before "D" or "R" seems to be the trick."

If intentional, this is a poor design. The whole idea is to save you from pressing bypass buttons. If you forget to press a button (to put it in map mode) then you must shut off the car to engage the bypass! We've traded one manual button press for others.

Maybe there is a problem with your unit? I haven't installed mine yet so I can't verify this problem.

 

I have the kit w/o the BT and the "I Agree" button gets pushed whether or not the Map is the first screen and the macro works whether or not the car is moving at the time. There must be a problem with your unit.

 

I installed mine today. It only took about 10 minutes, but I had my dash apart before (EV mod) and knew what I was looking for. Easy, simple, quick!

I haven't experimented yet. I only went to NAV screen (and watched it press I Agree), then hit DEST and watched it do the button dance. I did not drive it, nor have I tried going to drive before NAV screen. I'll be out and about today, and I'll post my results after that. I had the "combined" NAV/BT kit that you mount behind the MFD. I have no BT phone yet so I won't be able to test that function.

 

Okay, so probably just a bug with this one. I'll have to get an exchange because now that I played with it, I am not going to be able to live without it.

 

I was able to use mine as advertised last night anf this morning. I did not need to hit DEST before shifting to Drive. I didn't hit DEST until a few minutes into my drive, and it worked the button dance as it should.

Sounds like your unit is bad. Call or email and I'm sure they will send a new one with a return shipper for the old one.