Garmin

What is a trip log and how does it work?

Trip logs are points that are automatically stored when the device is locked onto a satellite signal and is moving. It is the electronic equivalent a "breadcrumb trail" marking the path that has been traveled.

Some Garmin On-The-Road GPS devices can change displayed speed limit values on roads where the current City Navigator map has an incorrect speed limit.

Why is my volume level low?

If you are having trouble hearing the sound coming from your on the road device, first make sure that the volume or master volume is set to an audible level.

1. Touch the Volume icon on the Where To? View Map screen and confirm that the volume is set to the desired level and it is not muted

Understanding Alerts vis-à-vis POI Coordinates

The first Garmin devices that offered Junction Views displayed a full-screen view of the junction for a few seconds, then reverted to the map view.

For several years now, Garmin's City Navigator North America maps offer Junction Views on many of the On The Road devices. There has been a lot of discussion and guessing as to the various Garmin devices' differences in the number of Views displayed.

How do I disable the Auto Zoom feature on my Garmin device?

While many Garmin auto devices automatically adjust the zoom level, some allow you to either enable or disable this feature.

Active Lane Guidance is a feature that takes Lane Assist and Junction View to the next level. When on a route that contains an area compatible with Active Lane Guidance, the device will switch to split-screen view.

Voice-activated navigation is a feature on some Garmin devices that allows you to use the device by speaking voice commands. Note: The text and voice language settings on the device must be the same as the language you'll be using with voice command. The selected voice language must also be one that supports text-to-speech.

How do I find the coordinates for an address using my automotive device?

You can find the coordinates of an address by first finding the address and then making it a Favorite/Saved Place and then using "Simulation" to set the location of the device to the saved favorite and, finally, viewing the coordinates:

To view the coordinates of a saved location:

Shaping Points

Note that Shaping Points guide navigation but will not "alert" during the trip.

These devices allow shaping points:
Roughly, these are models introduced in 2013 and later

Many Garmin devices let you create a multiple-point route allowing you to route from point to point without having to enter a new destination after each stop.

All compatible Camper/RV, dezl, dezlCam, LIVE, nuvi, nuviCam, and zumo devices have a limit on the number of waypoints you can enter within each route.

For older devices that use the standard Routes tool, the limit is 200 waypoints.

Content that will be transferred:

If your GPS has a nüMaps Lifetime subscription, the new owner will be able to continue updating the unit because map updates no longer require registration. The update can be done with either Garmin Express or Web Updater.

Content that won't be transferred:

How to search for an address by ZIP code?
Starting with the City Navigator North America NT 2012.10 mapping version, most Garmin automotive devices allow you to search for an address in the US using ZIP code. If your device has City Navigator North America NT 2012.10 maps or newer, the option to search by ZIP code will be displayed after touching Address in the Where To? menu.

If you are having trouble getting Garmin Express to run successfully, follow these steps:

Step A: Close all running programs

Step B: Clear "Temp" files
1. Press the Windows key + R
2. Type %temp%
3. Press OK
4. Press Ctrl + A
5. Press the delete key
6. Confirm that you would like to delete all files

Checking what system software version is loaded to your device:

nuvi 30, 40, 50, 52, 54, 300 and 600 series, zumo 300, 400, and 500 series
1. Touch Settings
2. Touch System or Device
3. Touch About

Many new Garmin On The Road GPS devices now offer Real Directions when using navigational voices that speak Garmin Real Directions™. In addition to navigating with spoken directions including street names, Real Directions now adds comments including terms like stop sign, traffic light, and at the end of the road.

DEM Map issues

In 2019, it's become clear that Garmin's GarminMapUpdater program no longer can be used to update City Navigator maps to Garmin GPS units so all below can now be ignored. But if someone stumbles across this FAQ wondering why they can't update their maps anymore with it, the above is the answer. Map updates now can only be perfomred with Garmin Express software.

Why is my Refurbished Garmin LMT not offering a Lifetime map update?
When you purchase a refurbished unit (supposedly with lifetime maps), sometimes you may be asked to purchase a map.

In order to receive a map update, your unit needs to be registered with Garmin first. Garmin does the registration by using Garmin Express (GE).

My story

My first via points were created to select one road over another to avoid congested areas. My home is on Long Island. To get to the mainland, I have to cross one of many bridges to go through New York City, where gridlock was invented. Would you let the GPS tell you what bridge to take? I have a via point for every bridge.

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