Satellite Navigation for Prius V ZVW40R

It sounds like a little deception was involved in your purchase. I am sorry you are having to deal with this.

It would be difficult/costly to my understanding, to retrofit a Nav into a non-Nav vehicle because there are a lot of connections to the unit. As mentioned to you it is also not a Toyota accessory to be installed and hence has no direct Toyota instructions on how one might do so.

There have been complaints against the factory navigation system. If you haven't experienced using one, it might be good to go test drive a model with it and see what you think, and go from there. There are two different navigation systems available....

 

Easy fix, consider a aftermarket system that would provide satellite radio, navigation, and Bluetooth. Check with a local audio shops for approximate cost. The only real issue with aftermarket navigation is finding and tapping into the speed sensor wire.

 

You could go with a new Garmin 7" GPS with lithium battery and bean bag mount. No wires, better graphics, and free map updates you don't get with toyota. Then put it in a rental car or other vehicle when on vacation without the car.

 

welcome to priuschat! factory nav is not intuitive, and you can read a lot more complaints here than praise. i would keep searching for a replacement unit while using a portable. all the best!

 

I have been using the factory NAV in my 2012 Prius V 5 and found it to be fine with no major issues. One time whenever I come near my house, I will hear the ding-dong bell which I finally figured out that you can attach the audio prompt to any destination to remind you that the destination is nearby (like your favorite restaurants or gas stations).
My friend found it other use by programming those to his sister car that he borrowed! Just to annoy her.

Anyway, a few months ago I decided to update my map and I did not want to buy the CD from ebay because I read that I'd need other accessory to do the job. So I ordered the CD with my dealer. However a week later, they told me that they received the part so I brought my car in only to find out after an hour wait that my 2012 model has NO update CD but requires the USB dongle. The technician told me that they have the USB dongles but 35 of them, so they didn't know which one is for my car. And since they have never done this NAV update before, the decided to call the other dealer who did it. An hour later, I got my car back with newer version NAV and with no charges simply because they told me that they made me wait too long to be a guinea pig.

If your dealer can get the same car with NAV, you should exchange it, but you may have to wait a little.
When I ordered mind, they had to get it from a dealer in different state and charged me extra.

 

Funny, I was just typing on Tapatalk on my son's iPad a lengthy response and it crashed on me! (But the gist as it's my son's birthday and he'll wake up soon...)

There have been less complaints against the higher end navigation system than the more basic one. One big issue, which is not specific to the Toyota brand or either version, has been the cost of updating the maps. It is akin to buying a new paper map as roads and stuff change over time. It cost me over $300 to do it on my own. I would have saved if I had just gone straight to the dealer. This is beyond difficulty in trying to use it. Personally I studied in the computer related field so I am actually biased in favor of any technology such as navigation systems. (I also don't really complain about the cost having tried to write computer code in the past, although it is definitely cost prohibitive.)

I believe someone recommended you take the dealer's offer to return the car. Since this seems to be an honest mistake I would have to 2nd that notion. There have been issues with both systems, and it would be wise to have one that has the warranty protection provided in a Toyota built car. There are big challenges involved in installing one. (Having removed the nav from the dash in ours to install the factory alarm, removing the old and putting in the new is probably the least of your worries. It is more the harness and running all the wires where they need to go and connecting them properly.) Then there are the bugs in the system that have been reported, which Toyota seems to be addressing. You'd really want a warranty to help whenever you have these issues, ie. unit doesn't show your correct location or stops telling directions...

Many things for these systems come on USB. Here is the company/site that sells them in the United States:

Welcome to Bosch Automotive Service Solutions LLC Toyota

In the upper left hand corner there is a search box. Type in "USB" and change the pull down from "Tool Number" to "Tool Name". Click "GO" and you'll find a list of USB dongles that update the systems. Even dealers seem confused at times.......

It will be cheaper, if they do return all your money, to buy the car optioned exactly as you want it, than to buy a base model and retrofit.

Jesse

 

While I appreciate the integration of the in-dash navigation systems in our Prius v and Sienna van, our inexpensive two year old Garmin sat nav units are easier to use -- excellent voice recognition and hands-free phone; lifetime free updates and traffic monitor with rerouting.

The attached photos show the iOttie Easy View mount that my wife normally uses to hold her iPhone in her Prius v. The Easy View mount series has a 17mm ball that is compatible with Garmin. Remove the phone holder from the Easy View, press on the Garmin holder and you are set to go unless you want to hide the Garmin's power cord/traffic receiver in the dash. An attached photo shows the type of socket adapter (cost about $5) I have used when hardwiring a Garmin to a vehicle's accessory circuit so that the Garmin powers on and off with the ignition. I have found that recent model Garmin traffic receivers work fine even when hidden deeply in a dash.



Of course you could instead affix a 3M adhesive disc to your dash and then attach a portable sat nav suction cup to it. The coolest feature of iOttie holders is that their sticky suction discs will adhere well to even a textured dash on their own, are easy to remove and do not leave a residue: iOttie Series_EasyView An iOttie would allow you to experiment with the best mounting position. A 3M adhesive disc can only be used only one time and can leave a residue when removed.

Since your car salesman made a mistake, perhaps they would hardwire a portable sat nav for you. With their knowledge of your vehicle, it should take them only a few minutes.

Or if you do not need sat nav very often, maybe you could use a navigation application on a smartphone.

 

I don't know how well the Nav unit works in Australia but in the US I prefer the $140 TomTom from 5 years ago with 4 year old maps to the basic navigation I purchased for lots lots more in my 2012 v3. Interestingly, I stopped by the dealers just 15 minutes ago to discuss my issues and the service tech said he had the same issues with his. The car goes in tomorrow nite for them to look at doing any updates though I'll wait till December to get the map update that is supposed to come out in November. But maybe a basic software update will change its behavior (knowing the route but failing to give any guidance until just past the turn causing you to need to slow and make a "U" turn. This is worse than no advance warning so you can get in the correct lane, it is no verbal instructions at all though the turns are indicated on the map. Can't read the map and drive safely now can we.)

 

I'm afraid I wasn't aware that there were only two models in Australia, and such a large difference in pricing. There are many models to choose from here. If you can get the VIN of an I-Tech v then you can get part numbers for the navigation through EPC/Techstream. I wouldn't be surprised if there were an Australian equivalent to Techstream. Again, my apologies for being ignorant to the situation there!


iPad ?

 

The base v is primarily based off the Euro spec hence the dead Nav button. It only works for Euro where an additional module goes in that contains the navi circuitry.

A possible location to put the tomtom is on the dash in front of the digital dials on the far left side.

If you are thinking of replacing the centre console, just be aware most aftermarket units are designed for left hand drive with the volume on the left rather than the right as an example.

 

Get a Garmin, I use the 2707LMT; also read my post in here about my experience with the nav system from Toyota and how Toyota Care doesn't take care of you. Can not beat a Garmin, I also have a Montana 600 for hiking/geocaching and have had several nuvis over the years!

 

Techstream is Toyota's technical information system here. It is what dealers use to diagnose, maintain, and repair the cars here. You had mentioned that the aftermarket places there could only get a hold of left hand drive Navigation parts, so I have suggested a way to actually find the correct parts for your right hand drive car. I would think updates/fixes would be available at a place similar to the website link I posted, so that retrofitting is a plausible solution...

I tried to do a rough calculation of the cost of a base Prius v here based off MSRP and that was around $29,157. I got our Prius v Five with Advanced Tech Package for $33,600, a fully loaded one, searching around for the best price. But this price was before taxes, license, and registration fees.

The plug-in Prius here is not considered a "v" (lowercase v). It is the midsize Prius. There are three sizes to choose from here. (I think I should really find the Aussie website and do some research there to see what is going on....)

 

(I have been busy with family issues. I am sorry if I haven't been able to work on this thread much because of this.) I just took a peek at the Australian Toyota website. You have 3 sizes as well, Prius, Prius c, and Prius v. I noted that the Prius v there has 7 seats. (I would love to have a 7 seat Prius v! Ours only has 5!) I was trying to check the pricing and it asked for a postal code, so I had to search the format up, (in Canada its numbers and letters as I understand,) found an example on Wikipedia, and used that, "2148." The price between the two choices is huge! The difference between a base model Two MSRP at $26,750 and highest $37,265 model Five with Advanced Technology Package, is about the same, but there is a Three at $27,515, which includes a Navigation system.

I still have the instructions for installing the alarm and remote start somewhere. For sure for one of them I had to remove the Navigation head unit from the dash. Toyota instructions for the installation are so detailed/wonderful, if removing and putting in another one is all you needed to do then I'm pretty confident almost anyone could do it. The cost for the unit is another issue, and $4000 seems like a huge amount. Here in the US one can shop around and find discount stores, to possibly get a better deal, but maybe the best is 20% off.

I'm glad you did the research on maps and cost of updating over there. It is very costly. I am not sure of road conditions where you live, but in large cities like New York I tried a portable unit and it just didn't like all the tall buildings around, (no good sight of the sky. One needs 3 satellites signals to pinpoint a location.) If you are in the open most of the time this is not an issue to a portable unit. Built in units supposedly have dead reckoning to help by calculating vehicle speed, braking, and directional data, when satellite data is not completely available.

I'm glad we could be of some help to you, and welcome to the forums!