Map update 6.11.2

Hi all. I wasn't expecting a Map Update until October, but when I checked online yesterday there was 6.11.2 ready and waiting.

The files inside the ZIP file are dated in early August (7th?), but it's called the "Spring Update". My version (updated back in April 2018) was 6.10.0WH and was definitely the latest version at the time.

After searching the forum, I found there's not a lot of information on updating the software, or on what these version numbers mean. So I'll detail my experience here.

The updates are available with the letters H or L after them. These indicate High spec or Low spec respectively. High spec comes with additional features. So you'll download a file like "6.11.2H.zip" or "6.11.2L.zip" depending on what specification of sat nav unit / car you have. There will also be another letter shown AFTER you install the update (more on that later).

For me, as I'd added my vehicle and head unit details to my Toyota Online account, the website only presented me with the correct option that was compatible.

The update costs a small fortune (£120 from memory)! But as I have the highest spec (Excel) version of the car in the UK, it luckily comes with free map updates (called Map Care) for 3 years. It showed the full price as I added the update to my basket, but the price changed to £0 during the checkout process. I then went back to my recent orders and viewed the order.

From here you need to do two things - start downloading the 8GB(!!) zip file. Confusingly, it says "Download to USB", but you will actually need to download it onto your computer first. You will see a 16 character code (not the Device ID). This is your activation code. Take a picture of this, print it, or write it down. You'll need it in the car later.

Once downloaded, you will need to unzip/extract/copy the files out of the ZIP file (i.e. the file in your Downloads folder), onto a USB flash drive with at least 9GB of free space. Don't put the files into a folder - they have to be directly onto the USB drive. The website says you can't use an Apple device to do this. I can't comment. I used my Linux laptop and it worked fine. Windows will obviously work too. Remember to "Safely Remove" the drive once the files have been extracted onto it. Unplug your USB flash drive and take it to your car...

With the car off, you then plug the USB flash drive into the USB socket on the vehicle. On my Prius Gen4 that's located just below the front of the centre arm rest. You then switch the car on into Ready mode. You really need to use Ready mode, as the update can take around an HOUR to complete. In Accessory or On mode, the car will automatically switch back off after 20 minutes or 60 minutes. If it switches off mid-update you risk bricking the system, and that will require a dealership visit to fix. So be prepared to have your vehicle in Ready mode, which the engine starting and stopping, for an hour or so. You can drive it during this time, but you won't have any of the features of the Sat Nav, Media, etc. If you do decide to drive it, you need prepare for the fact that you will need to keep the car in Ready mode until the update completes (i.e. unlocked, engine on, etc). Do not turn it off out of habit when you park. I just did it in my drive while keeping an eye on it with my security cameras.

After a minute or two, the car will detect the update, and the screen will show a message asking if you want to install it. Go for it!

Mine then popped up a message saying the activation code was invalid. I'm not sure which activation code it was looking at, given I'd never entered one, but I then went to the screen to enter the code (the one from the Order screen I mentioned earlier), and then the update proceeded.

You're then presented with a screen that asks you which map areas you want to install. You can choose East or West (half of the globe). Your choice here determines the E or W letter appended to the version number. As I chose West, my software version became 6.11.2WH (i.e. Western countries, High spec). You can then choose individual countries or parts of countries from a big check list. It's actually a very useful screen, as it gives the percentage of your storage space that map area will take up, and the amount of time it will add to the install process. As I live in the UK and I'm very unlikely to drive my car anywhere else, I selected just the UK, but tons of other countries were available to me. It's worth noting here that you can change your mind later. There is another Map Update file available online that's Free. You can use that to select different map areas at a later date.

Once you've done selecting the map areas you want, the process moves on... and this bit takes ages.

I mean... really it takes ages... A screen pops up saying it's verifying the packages. Mine had 8 packages to verify. The "Total Progress" bar reached 100% more than once. I guess by "Total Progress" it means "Progress of this stage". I left it to do its thing as at this point as I realised it was going to take a while.

Luckily, as I'd only selected the UK, when I checked back in about 20 minutes it was at 99% and it then completed. A message tells you it's all done, and to turn the car off and on. I did this. It started up normally, and when I went into the settings I could see the updated version number. Hurrah!

The maps are dated early 2018 (my previous maps were dated mid 2017). I checked some nearby roads that I knew were previously wrong and they're now showing correctly.

As far as I can tell, all my settings, waypoints, addresses, recent destinations, and so on are all the same as they were before the update, with one exception (possibly): I had Random order selected for my MP3s, and it was playing them in alphabetical order. I put this back on and all was fine.

Some things (like address entry) feel a bit quicker. This may be purely in my head, or because I only installed the UK maps, whereas prior to this it had all of Europe too.

If you want to know anything else - ask away!

 

Good to know, thanks! I guess it helps the dealerships update lots of cars without having to type in long codes.

 

Glad it helped someone!

What it means by "Radio will reset to complete update" is that you shouldn't be alarmed when the head unit reboots. It's a normal part of the update.

 

...and 6.12.0H is now also available.

 

I noticed that too. Was hoping someone would come along and confirm that worked before I tried it! Thanks!