No established address found

I just tested your 6721 Douglas Ave address. It is listed in Urbandale rather than Des Moines. This is common on the Garmin Maps in areas that have contiguous metropolitan areas. I have found it better when entering an address to use the "Search All" instead of "Spell City". After entering the street address, it will give you a list of cities to choose from.

The other issue is a routing issue. It could be related to your address entry problem or it could actually be a routing problem. You can experiment with it in simulation mode to see how it routes with a correct address.

Edit: In rereading your post you first said 6721 Douglas Ave, then later referred to the 6200 block. Could this be part of the routing issue?

Hi Alan,

I never thought about the address as being in Urbandale. Good call; thanks! I'll use the "search all" in the future.

I double-checked on a map, and the address onto which the GPS said to turn only leads to a parking lot with no outlet except on Merle Hay Road and Douglas. It appears that the GPS wanted me to cut through a parking lot. It doesn't work, even with the alternative address I later gave.

I just simulated your route on my 755T using a starting point in Ankeny on I35 South and 6721 Douglas Ave as the destination. I am familiar with the area although not intimately. It seemed to take a correct route .... took I35 to exit 131, then south to Douglas Ave, then west on Douglas to the address.

Since you have a new unit, if you have updated maps or firmware, I suggest you do a hard reset on the unit. I have also had wierd routing issues after updates. Usually the hard reset will resolve it.

Alan, thanks for all your help. I have a very basic question to which I can't find an answer. When you input an address, how do you simulate the route? When you hit the "Go" function, obviously the GPS wants you to start driving the route. When I click on map, then I get a map of the destination, to which I can zoom in. But how do you simulate the route so that you know which streets it uses to get you there?

You put the nuvi in simulation mode with Tools - Settings - System - GPS Simulator - on. Then establish a beginning location with Where To - (select a starting point using any method) - Map - Set Loc. Then go back to the menu and use Where To to select your destination. You will be prompted "Do you want to simulate driving this route". Say yes. You can then operate the nuvi just like you would in real navigation.

Another way you can test a route is to use the Where To - Custom Routes - new. Create and save a new route using any start point and destination you wish. You can then call up the saved route and view / edit it.

Thank you very much. I've played so much with the GPS that I have to recharge the battery, via the USB port. However, while it's charging, the unit won't turn on. So, I'll wait awhile and then am eager to follow your instructions.

You might be able to put the nuvi in navigation mode while charging thru the USB (depends on your OS / computer whether it works) On my XP machine, I can go down in the system tray and select "Safely remove hardware", and select the nuvi as the device to remove. That will cause it to boot into navigation mode while charging. On my Vista Home Premium 64 laptop, that doesn't work, but I can go to the computer Window where it displays the drives, then right click on the nuvi drive and select Eject. That causes it to reboot into navigation mode while still charging. Other users have reported unplugging the USB cable, then quickly plugging it back in while it is rebooting. You will have to experiment to find what works for you.

Very cool, thanks. All I did was click on the "safely remove hardware" (and didn't remove it, of course) and all of a sudden, it kicked on. I also have Windows XP (and will until Microsoft pries it from my hands), and it works like a charm.

Can you please tell me how you did that (using a starting point other than where you actually are)?

Put the nuvi in simulation mode (Tools - Settings - System - GPS Simulator - on). Then use any method in "Where To" to identify the location you want to set. On the screen where you would normally press "GO", press "Show Map", then on the map screen press "Set Loc.". Now exit all the way back to the "Where To" menu, so you can pick a destination. This will simulate a route from the "Set Loc." point to your selected destination.

If you need a more detailed tutorial on this, you will find it on Gary Hayman's Tricks and Tips site (http://home.comcast.net/~ghayman3/garmin.gps).

Have fun!