i3 Basic navigation question.

[Neill]

I'm new to sat nav and just bought a i3, a great little bit of kit and amazing value but how do I tell it to use motorways where possible? When I look in "Intersections" it doesn't recognise either the M4/M5 or M4/A46 junctions. If I plan a route from Newquay to Redhill in Surrey with Bristol as a "Via" point it still insists on re-tracing its steps and using the A303 and ignoring the nearby motorway.

I realize that the motorway route is probably neither quicker or shorter but surely I'm not banned from using the M5?

It's "only the size of a cricket ball" and there is a pretty good chance of it being bowled out of the window sometime soon!!


Sorry to post such a simple question but I couldn't find any help in the downloaded manual or a search.

[sanaar]

Make sure motorways is "unticked" in avoidances options.
also set to "fastest" or "sortest " route and see if that makes a difference.

[Neill]

Thanks for your quick reply

I did have "Highways" unticked and I tried both shortest and quickest. :x If anyone has time can they see if their i3 can do this route by motorway? Thanks!

[Anita]

[Neill]

Hi Anita,

Do you know why the M4/A46 junction (for example) doesn't appear on the "Intersections" list? I tried putting that in as a "Via Point" to make it take the M4 but it said it couldn't find it.

I did buy my i3 (new still in box) on ebay because I couldn't buy one anywhere else (at the £99 I wanted to pay... ) and I wonder if the word "Highway" instead of "Motorway" means that it was really meant for the US market and that isn't helping things. It registered with Garmin OK today though.

[Anita]

[mhb]

The intersection feature doesn't recognise motorway junctions and so can't be used to put in via points.

The only way I've found to do this is by downloading Oldboy's motorway junction POIs which then allows junctions to be used as via points. However they will only work as junctions to access motorways (or pass by them on the motorway), not as junctions at which to leave the motorway.

[Neill]

Thanks everyone for your help! I tried the i3 for the first time in anger yesterday and it navigated faultlessly though miles of winding narrow and unmarked Cornish lanes.

Shame about not being able to choose a mainly motorway route when you want it, but I did find out that you can persude it on to your chosen motorway by googling for the motorway services postcodes and using them as a via point. Mind you, the slightest sniff of a nearby "A" road and it's off like a long dog :D

Must try Oldman's POI's...

[mhb]

I think I'm right in saying that Oldboy's motorway junction POIs are now included in MaFt's POIs.

[Neill]

[OzSpider]

As everyone says, if you know better than the i3 (as in your example, you want to use the motorway but it doesn't), then just start driving on your preferred route. After a while the i3 will recalcuate based on your new position (on the motorway).

[Scarecrow]

What you have to remember is that all Sat Navs are just a tool to be used as appropriate. Like any tool it shouldn't be regarded as being smarter than the person using it.

[JohnGray]

[welshgasman]

And sometimes they can be downright stupid.

Travelling from Wales to London on M4.

Come off on M48 to use the old bridge (less traffic, better scenery), and it tells you to come off at the Chepstow turnoff (last junction before bridge westbound) and head back down the M48 eastbound.

Trouble is you cannot joing the M4 westbound there, so you would have to go on to the NEXT junction, come off there, round the roundabout and back on the M4 westbound.

It does not seem to recognise that if you keep going you will get back on the M4 westbound.

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