I have a question about after market add on GPS like Garmin or Tom Tom I have used both. Some of you might remember my transmission problem from four year’s ago I use it as a speedometer and it work’s great for speed I am now in need of a new one. I have heard that some will l also show elapsed mileage. My question is do ant of you know of one that work’ that way? I am what you woulld call computer illiterate I did an online research and found nothing that said they would do eather speed or elapsed milage. I lucked out when I got my first Garmin I did not know then that it showed the speed untill after I got it but found after the transmission problem and have been using it for a speedometer ever since but now would like to get one that will do both.
You don’t need a GPS anymore.Download a gps application for you cell phone.A lot of them are free…I like that!
Like I said I am computer illiterate and do not have a smarter than me cell phone just the old type flip phone.
I guess you want to use a GPS as a type of tripometer . If it is oil change just go by the months since you probably don’t drive that much now. Current speed is common to most CPS units and distance to destination but I don’t think any keep track of distance traveled .
Oil change’s are no problem I change every 9 month’s to a year I was offered a part time job a while back based on millage and had to turn it down for that reason.
If I can add to @COROLLAGUY1 response, I have an app on my Android phone called 'gps speedometer and odometer (pro). It provides speed and distance, and has worked well for a few years.
I think that you would likely pay not much more for an up-to-date Smartphone than you would for a new Garmin or Tom-Tom. Even if the price of the Smartphone was substantially more, the satisfaction that you would get from all of the FREE apps available on a modern Smartphone is almost incalculable.
That being said, the WAZE app that can be downloaded gratis is incredibly accurate, and it displays your current speed, the speed limit on the road that you are traveling on, and even obstacles/accidents/speed traps that you are about to encounter.
I resisted the move from an old flip phone to a Smartphone for several years, and I now regret that I waited as long as I did.
Are you willing to go to a store that sells GPS units? If so, tell them what you want and see what is available. Add lifetime map updates. You need a computer to get the updates. The GPS has a cable with a USB connector on one end. Plug that into your computer and follow the instructions to download updated maps. You should do this at least every other year to make sure it doesn’t do something flaky, like send you off a mountain. Real thing. After a few years, the software doesn’t sync well and does weird things, even if you don’t travel on new roads.
Edit: You might also consider a new prepaid smartphone. I checked the Target site, and they have both Android and Apple phones available. Apple is too expensive for your use. You can get Android phones for less than $100, and you could download a GPS app if there isn’t one on there isn’t one already. This might end up being less expensive than buying a GPS.
I have not checked this out, but I know mine old Nuvi can kind of do that. Maybe if you just put in final destination, like somewhere you never go to than do an add to route any places you want to go to. I think ours are at least 10 years old, but the LTM Lifetime maps updates works great. Unlike our 2017 cars, toyota $700, GM $199.
What is wrong with the old unit? is it LTM?
The GPS unit I am considering is about 150.00 , how much to fix the speedometer on your truck Renegade ?
A few years ago both of our mothers were in an intermediate phase of declining vision where they no longer could see the speedometers (in shadows in their cars) but insisted on continuing to drive, one even talked herself out of a ticket for doing ~ 95 on a Rochester NY highway - charming lady, she was only driving her age… We got them dash mounted Garmins that featured a trip computer page that displayed current speed in large digits (the key criterion) - the only problem is that each time the devices were powered up one needed to re-select this page from an on-screen menu - okay with one mother but beyond the frustration tolerance of the other. These pages also offered some trip computing features including maximum speed since last reset (which neither of the ladies liked to share). Fortunately they’re no longer driving, but still with us.
A quick on-line check of Garmin’s current offerings doesn’t show such pages, including in the one on-line manual checked. I don’t know whether they’ve discontinued or just chosen not to show them, but but they do show pages that display current speed and speed limit, and they can alarm when the speed limit is exceeded.
You might look into GPS units made for bicycling - I believe some of these (Garmin) have a page that allows one to select which parameters are displayed “large”. Some of the smart phone apps we use (Waze, Gaia GPS) indicate current speed with relatively small numerals (possibly too small for a quick glance), but there may be other apps available that display larger. You also might be able to find a display that takes speed from the OBDII port.
I apreciate the comment’s about the smart phone but I have no desire or need for one.
If I ever decide to get one in the future I may feel the same way but for now I am happy with what I have.
[quote=“jtsanders, post:8, topic:163391”]
Are you willing to[quote=“jtsanders, post:8, topic:163391, full:true”]
Are you willing to go to a store that sells GPS units?
The only store near me that sell’s them is walmart no one there has any idea about the other than what can be read on the package.
As far as the life time map’s go I have a computer and know how download them along with the update’s.
As far as the smart phone I have no need or desire for one
The first one I had was the nuvi and I have done what you said and it worked great the only problem was the charger went bad when I tryed to get a new one it was discontinued so I got a new one.
When I got the truck fixed four year’s ago we took a transmission from a wrecked truck that was six year’s newer that did not have the hole in the side of the transmission to put the speedometer in as it was some hoe done through the computer. At that time it cost $1200 to fix I also did the clutch while we were in there. At the time I was not woried about the speedometer as I had the GPS unit.
As far as smart phone’s go them are good for those who need them I realize there are a lot of app’s that can be downloaded but I have never seen any that I needed or wanted I live the simple country life without too many outside influences and prefer it that way. When I am driving I keep my phone in my pocket so the GPS app would not work for me if I need to use the phone for any reason I pull over and stop.
The main reason for the post was to see if any one knew of one that showed the elapsed other than that one time I never needed it but thought it would be nice to have.
I just got a new flip phone- the Razr has been reincarnated.
I have a Magellan that does speed, distance, and elapsed time. I don’t know if it’s still being made. I haven’t used it in 4 years.