bmw navigator v

Moto – GPS – BMW Navigator V – Tips & Tricks

1. Moto - GPS - BMW Navigator V - Manual

2. Moto - GPS - BMW Navigator V - Tips & Tricks

BMW Navigator V can’t find any music on internal memory card.

In case you are using an internal memory card to store your music files, it is possible the Media Player App won’t find any music at all. This was not an issue at the time I purchased the GPS, so I think it’s an issue introduced since the latest firmware upgrade (3.0).

There’s a very simple workaround to solve the problem :

  • Put 1 music file in the MP3 folder located at the devices internal storage.
  • Put all other music files in the Music folder located on your memory card as described here.
    It seems like the Media Player App stops searching for music files when it doesn’t find al least one music file in the internal memory.

 

Problems Sync’ing music from your computer to your BMW Navigator V device.

At the moment I bought my BMW Navigator V, it was no problem at all to sync music files from my computer to the GPS while the GPS was in “MTP Auto Detect Mode”.

Since the latest firmware upgrade (3.0) I have to put the GPS in “Mass Storage Mode” to be able to synchronize the files.

Improve readability.

Depending on the way you mounted your BMW Navigator V on your motorcycle, you’ll sometimes have problems reading the display in bright sunlight. Although the readability improved a lot compared to the old BMW Navigator IV or de GARMIN Zumo 660, there still is a little trick to help you read the display on sunny days.

Adjust Map Layers – Disable 3D Terrain
Start up the BMW Navigator V.

Select Settings.

Select Map & Vehicle.

Scroll down.

Select Map Layers.

Deselect 3D Terrain.

Now return to the main screen and watch your Map. You’ll notice that the map background is much brighter due to the fact woods and terrain details are not displayed anymore.

Remark

The visibility was improved in BMW Navigator V – Firmware 3.20.

3. Moto - GPS - BMW Navigator V - Backup

The best thing to do after you just purchased an brandnew BMW Navigator V is to make a full device backup. Create the backup as soon as possible and keep it stored in a safe place on your computer or an external harddisk.

Creating a full device backup :

Put the device in Mass Storage Mode as described in this article.
Set your Windows Explorer to show hidden and system files.
Open Windows Explorer.

Select in the menu Tools – Folder options.

Deselect the option Hide protected operating system files (recommended).

Select Show hidden files, folders and drives.

Press OK. and close the dialog box.

Now connect your GPS device.

Browse to the BMW Navigator V drive.

You’ll see all the content of the GPS device including the hidden .system folder.

Backup the complete content of this drive to a secure place.

After that, restore you Windows Explorer settings to hide hidden and system files again.

At last, disconnect your GPS device, boot it and put it back in MTP Auto Detect mode as described here.

Warning

Always leave the hidden .system folder as it is. Don’t move it, don’t remove it, don’t alter its content. The .system folder is needed to restore the GPS device in its factory state.

If you need to clean up space in your internal momory :

  1. move your music to the optional internal SD card
  2. reinstall your map using GARMIN Express and select a smaller map region

4. Moto - GPS - BMW Navigator V - Warning message

When you power on the BMW Navigator V, the device shows a warning message right after the BMW Motorrad logo. You can edit this message or replace it with your own text easely.

The original warning shows, depending on your language settings, this text:

Do not attempt to enter route information or adjust this device while driving. Failure to pay full attention to the operation of your vehicle could result in death, serious injury or property damage. You assume total responsibility and risk for using this device.


To replace the warning message

  1. Connect your BMW Navigator V to your computer
  2. Open the folder Text
  3. Find, according to your language settings, the correct language file
    For UK English, it’s en_GB.glx
    For Dutch, it’s nl_NL.glx
  4. Backup the language file, in case something goes wrong
  5. Copy the language file to your computer (it’s read only when it’s on the GPS device)
  6. Open and edit the language file in an advanced text editor like for instance (the free and very powerfull) Notepad++
  7. Find the <entry handle=”WARNING_TEXT>” tag
  8. Change the text between the next<visual>…</visual> tags into whatever personalized text you prefer, for instance your name, address and phone number (so if found the device can be returned to you)
    Do not use any special characters or any HTML tags, it could prevent your GPS device from booting normally!
  9. Save the langage file
  10. Copy the modified language file back to the Text folder on the GPS device, overwrithing the previous (original) version
  11. Disconnect the GPS device and power it on

Beware that the modified language file will be overwritten by GARMIN Express the next time it updates the main language files. In that case, simply repeat the procedure on the new language file.

5. Moto - GPS - BMW Navigator V - Mass Storage Mode vs MTP Auto Detect Mode

In a Microsoft Windows (7 or 8) environment, the BMW Navigator V will be detected using MTP Auto Detect. Therefore the GPS and the inserted microSDHC card appear as one unit called “BMW Motorrad Navigator V“.

There’s nothing wrong with this way of presenting things and I would advice you to leave it this way.

But if you’re looking for more, you can put the GPS in Mass Storage Mode.


Boot the device.

Press the speaker button.

Press the upper right corner for at least 5 seconds.

Scroll down.

Press MTP Settings.

Change MTP Auto Detect into Mass Storage and press the Save button.

Press the Back arrow to save and exit the menu.


Now the GPS is presented in the normal Mass Storage way.

If you set your Windows Explorer to show hidden and system files, than you’ll see the hidden .System folder.

The hidden .system folder is containing the installed NavTec map and also all the files the GPS needs to keep the device running and to restore it to its factory settings after a hard reset (pressing the startup button for 10 seconds). 

Don’t forget to put the GPS device back in MTP Auto Detect Mode after you’re done.

Tips:

  1. Create a folder \Garmin\GPX\ on your memory card to store your personal .gpx files (tracks, routes, waypoints…)
  2. Read this article if you want to store music files on your device.
  3. Backup the device content.

Warning :

Always leave the hidden .system folder as it is. Don’t move it, don’t remove it, don’t alter its content. The .system folder is needed to restore the GPS device in its factory state.

If you need to clean up space in your internal momory:

  1. Move your music to the optional internal microSDHC card
  2. Reinstall your map using GARMIN Express and select a smaller map region
  3. Allways install additional maps in a folder GPX on your memory card

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