Real cures for erratic behavior Zumo 660

[joebedford]

Every time I go through Toronto on the 401, my 660 takes me off the highway and right back on. In places where it's 16 lanes, that can be annoying. I know the road and know there is no reason to divert so I just ignore the GPS. There have been a few times when I've been in unfamiliar country that I've taken the exit only to kick myself right back onto the highway.

I run car mode, shortest time. Latest firmware but probably not latest map because, why?

[carolinarider09]

I do my planning in a 2013 version of Microsoft Streets and Trips and upload the GPX file to my 665.

My 665 is always in the motorcycle mode when on the bike and usually set for shortest route. I too have had some detours, mostly on divided highways.

I think the issue is with the way the GPS calculates the route and it thinks its doing the right thing. Since I have the GPS in front of me, I can see the route and just ignore the "bypasses". I suspect the algorithms used to do route calculations are hard to get "right" for every facet of our major highways.

One of the more fun things about the calculations is that, on long trips, I usually get routed through a part of town that is well not a normal traffic pattern for locals.

I remember one trip, 12 or 15 years ago, I was in a Days Inn North of Birmingham, AL. When we left that morning, headed back to SC, the GPS routed us to a single lane road, behind the hotel, up a hill and then back down to a major road. No white lines, no road signs, paved all the way and sort of a nice detour.

So, I sort of look forward to the "calculated" route from the GPS as an adventure.

[dave726]

I do my planning in a 2013 version of Microsoft Streets and Trips and upload the GPX file to my 665.

Results unpredictable when you don't use the Garmin maps for the Garmin GPS.

[Wingstyle]

I find that hard to believe. I've always left my Z665 in default motorcycle mode. I also always use fastest time, not shortest route, both in MapSource and in the Zumo. There are very rare occasions where the GPS has had me exit and reenter a limited access road, but I don't remember the last time that happened, maybe early in the 665 versions when Garmin was still supporting the 66x firmware.

Dave, Thanks for jogging my memory. I don't put my unit in automobile mode like I said in my earlier post. I kept thinking that I didn't get a warning when I put it in the motorcycle mount and was wondering what I did to keep from getting the warning. As it turns out, I do have it in motorcycle mode and that is why I don't get a warning. What I changed to help the routing problems was on BC. I changed the routing option from Motorcycle to Driving (automobile). That did help immensely. In BC Garmin separated Car/Motorcycle into two choices, and like a dummy, I picked motorcycle. This gave me all kinds of routing problems while generating a route and also problems when following routes. On MS Car and Motorcycle are together as one choice. Like you, I use fastest time. This helped alleviate some issue with MS.

[carolinarider09]

I do my planning in a 2013 version of Microsoft Streets and Trips and upload the GPX file to my 665.

Results unpredictable when you don't use the Garmin maps for the Garmin GPS.

Of course they could be. But you are only using reference points on the map. You are also making assumptions that the software doing the routing is the same in the computer based software and the GPS software, which I doubt but don't know for sure.

However, from what I have seen/been told or seen published on the web is that there are only a few "sources" of mapping data. So the likely hood is that the maps on Streets and Trips came from the same source as Garmin map data (and yes its an older version).

My routing is for fun, generally, and not for speed from point A to point B. When using the GPS in the car, its set for fastest mode. On the bike it is set for shortest distance.

But, by including sufficient reference points I generally get the route I want. But I also preview the route on the GPS since that is the tool I will be using while riding. If the route is not what I want, I add some more points.

For instance, I have a four day trip planned through SC, NC and TN. It has 68 routing points. One day has 30 routing points to ensure I am on the roads I want.

So, its a matter of "trust but verify" when I do routing. Even if I were to use Base Camp, I would still have to do the same number of routing points to make sure I covered the roads I want. And I would still have to review the map on the GPS to make sure it goes where i want it to.

[menhir]

I had an opportunity to try using the Automobile mode on a motorcycle day trip last weekend.

It's to laugh.

I didn't fall for any funny stuff because I really didn't need the GPS as I was more-or-less familiar with the route.
The GPS was set for fastest time, and the only avoidances were non-issues...ferries, U-turns, Dirt roads.

On the way home my chosen route was a simple "ride down this highway and make a right onto the next highway."
Simple, quick, and fast...which is why they build them thar highways in the first place.
Yet the device kept prompting me to take almost every earlier exit that pointed in the general direction of my ETA, always increasing the time expected time of arrival, until I got to my chosen highway exit, at which point the device showed that I was now saving time.

Then, as I was nearing my last exit, the device directed to take an earlier exit.
I was then in an area that I'm very familiar with and I can tell you in no uncertain terms that there is absolutely no remotely conceivable way in hell that I would save time by following it's directions.
So I didn't. Oh...And when I passed that exit ramp, the device again credited my ETA.

Go figure.

So in my case, the auto made didn't make much of a difference.
I know now to check my device's routes in detail when riding through unknown territories, so I'm not going to worry my little head off about it. Garmin certainly isn't concerned.
The annoying part is that this behavior is much more common than it used to be. Dunno why.


To be fair, I also used CoPilot as a backup, or as a convenience when I don't feel like doing the ever-so-slow POI search with my Garmin.
It really threw me a whopper last week that cost me almost an hour of unnecessary driving. On the whole though, CoPilot seems to be come up with far less funny stuff than the Garmin.

That's my report.
No film at eleven.
Sorry.

[dave726]

Did you do a Master Reset after you last loaded a new map set on your 660? Save your Favorites before the Master Reset so you can reload them.

[menhir]

Did you do a Master Reset after you last loaded a new map set on your 660? Save your Favorites before the Master Reset so you can reload them.

No. I've been holding it as a last resort.

In my searching, I've read far too many threads where a Master Reset was often suggested almost reflexively, and far too many responses that said it didn't do anything to solve the issue...Whereupon it was suggested again.
I don't think it's the panacea that people think it is.

Still...Except for an extensive favorites file which is easy enough to back up, I don't have much in the way of custom routing stored on the device and it's easy enough to note how I have it configured. Nothing else has worked so I'll eventually give it a go.

[dave726]

What I do whenever I load a new map version:
1. Delete all routes and all Favorites. I always keep my current "2018Favorites.gpx" in the GPX folder, so if Favorites don't exist it's easy and sometimes automatically imported.
2. Connect to PC, delete all *.gpx files using Windows10 File Explorer, including Temp.gpx and Current.gpx.
3. Run Garmin Express. Install new maps, including to PC.
4. Restart Z665 while holding lower right of screen pushing Power until restart begins. This should bring up the System Reset messages and load Favorites if you have them saved as a gpx on your device/SD card.

Neither of my Z665 has had erratic routing. But the Z660 is a little different, folder structure is different too, so I understand reluctance.