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iPhone GPS out of whack when connected via Carplay

Kyamukun

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I recently bought 2019 Bighorn that has the 8.5" screen with Uconnect and Navigation. When I test drove it I connected my iPhone to test Carplay. When I used Google Maps the GPS was putting the CVP (current vehicle position) all over the map, but never synced with the route. I thought it was just a Google Maps issue. After purchasing the vehicle I then tested Waze and Apple Maps and experience the same thing. The issue only occurs when I connect to Carplay, meaning the issue doesn't occur if I'm just using navi apps on the iPhone when it's not synced with Carplay. When connected to Carplay and the issue occurs I sometimes get an error message on the app on iPhone stating that GPS connection was lost. I haven't fully tested this yet, but the issue also occurs when I leave the phone in the phone holder/charging station (note: my iPhone is not equipped with wireless charging).

This is the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. I'm guessing there is something wrong with the vehicle's GPS or that it's somehow interfering with the iPhone.

Would be curious to know if anyone else is experiencing and, if so, how you treated the issue.

Thanks!
Cam
 

Kyamukun

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I tested the embedded navi and experience the same issue. Seems it's a problem with the GPS antenna. Any suggestions on how to fix this? Googled the issue and one solution I found was to update the software. But I did a check on driveuconnect.com and no update is available for my truck.
 
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I recently bought 2019 Bighorn that has the 8.5" screen with Uconnect and Navigation. When I test drove it I connected my iPhone to test Carplay. When I used Google Maps the GPS was putting the CVP (current vehicle position) all over the map, but never synced with the route. I thought it was just a Google Maps issue. After purchasing the vehicle I then tested Waze and Apple Maps and experience the same thing. The issue only occurs when I connect to Carplay, meaning the issue doesn't occur if I'm just using navi apps on the iPhone when it's not synced with Carplay. When connected to Carplay and the issue occurs I sometimes get an error message on the app on iPhone stating that GPS connection was lost. I haven't fully tested this yet, but the issue also occurs when I leave the phone in the phone holder/charging station (note: my iPhone is not equipped with wireless charging).

This is the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. I'm guessing there is something wrong with the vehicle's GPS or that it's somehow interfering with the iPhone.

Would be curious to know if anyone else is experiencing and, if so, how you treated the issue.

Thanks!
Cam

I have a similar issue.

I have a 2019 bighorn with the 8.4 inch screen. I bought it used and have owned it about two weeks. I love the truck but 50% of the time or more, the truck's navi places me about 0.5 - 0.75 miles away from where I actually am, and on occasion, up to 2 miles away. Sometimes it's fine for a few miles then totally loses track of my true location and suddenly starts to yell distracting and confusing directions and speed limit warnings as a result. After a few miles or a few hours, the system will figure out where I am and then is fine for a while longer, but then randomly it seems to lose my position again and once more starts yelling crazy directions. I've verified that Uconnect is up to date. I have tried resets and driving around in circles in an open area to "calibrate" the GPS, and sometimes that actually works, but then I quickly encounter the same issue again within a day or two. The really weird part is, as you say, if I use carplay, Apple's Map program suddenly displays the same symptoms, as if the iPhone is ignoring its own GPS system and is instead using truck's faulty GPS. If I disconnect carplay and instead use the phone independently, the phone immediately goes back to perfect GPS accuracy.

RAM - what is going on here?
 
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Quint

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I don't have the Nav, so I often use Waze or Google Maps through Carplay. About half of the time, they freeze up and don't work correctly with Carplay. I can certainly disconnect my phone and it all works just fine on my phone. When I try connecting again, problems. It usually requires connecting my phone, unconnecting, shutting off programs, rebooting programs, and sometimes a phone and/or truck shutdown to get it all to work. Sometimes I hit up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-B-A-start on the steering wheel and it works, but usually I just get thirty lives...
 

Rhombus

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I’ve had muliple iPhone modles running a wide variety of IOS versions.no issues with any map program with CarPlay. The thing is, it could be a CarPlay issue or the phone software. If you happen to have access to another vehicle with CarPlay, that‘s the best way to see if it’s the phone or not.
 

Jimmy07

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I recently bought 2019 Bighorn that has the 8.5" screen with Uconnect and Navigation. When I test drove it I connected my iPhone to test Carplay. When I used Google Maps the GPS was putting the CVP (current vehicle position) all over the map, but never synced with the route. I thought it was just a Google Maps issue. After purchasing the vehicle I then tested Waze and Apple Maps and experience the same thing. The issue only occurs when I connect to Carplay, meaning the issue doesn't occur if I'm just using navi apps on the iPhone when it's not synced with Carplay. When connected to Carplay and the issue occurs I sometimes get an error message on the app on iPhone stating that GPS connection was lost. I haven't fully tested this yet, but the issue also occurs when I leave the phone in the phone holder/charging station (note: my iPhone is not equipped with wireless charging).

This is the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. I'm guessing there is something wrong with the vehicle's GPS or that it's somehow interfering with the iPhone.

Would be curious to know if anyone else is experiencing and, if so, how you treated the issue.

Thanks!
Cam
CarPlay does use the truck’s gps, not the phone’s. What is the behavior of your compass headings in your truck? If you’re heading a certain direction, and make a right or left turn, does the compass immediately reflect the direction change?
 

Rhombus

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CarPlay does use the truck’s gps, not the phone’s. What is the behavior of your compass headings in your truck? If you’re heading a certain direction, and make a right or left turn, does the compass immediately reflect the direction change?
That’s not an absolute whe using a wired connection. It’s part of the protocol but is not mandated. It IS an absolute when connected Wirelessly to CarPlay
 

Jimmy07

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That’s not an absolute whe using a wired connection. It’s part of the protocol but is not mandated. It IS an absolute when connected Wirelessly to CarPlay
When you plug the phone into the usb media hub, and launch CarPlay on the factory radio screen, any map you use (Apple, google, Waze) will base your location and headings off of the truck’s gps/compass. The phone’s gps will be irrelevant as far as any maps on CarPlay go.
If you disconnect the LIN Bus wire from the overhead console (where the compass module is housed), and you are plugged into the usb media hub using CarPlay, every map will show the same screwed up location until you unplug the phone and use the maps on the phone screen itself.
 

Rhombus

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Then that’s a RAM specific implementation as the protocol intends for the phone to do the heavy lifting. Except on a wireless connection
 
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I’ve had muliple iPhone modles running a wide variety of IOS versions.no issues with any map program with CarPlay. The thing is, it could be a CarPlay issue or the phone software. If you happen to have access to another vehicle with CarPlay, that‘s the best way to see if it’s the phone or not.
carplay and the iphone built-in GPS are rock solid pieces of software, tested by millions of iphone users. I've used it in many other vehicles without issue. In my opinion this thread reveals a common problem when working specifically with the uconnect system in the RAM 1500. If I had to guess, I would say that the "dodgey" (no pun intended) GPS information being passed from uconnect to the phone is what is making carplay crash for some people. My information is that RAM is aware of the issue and in my case they are replacing the head unit under warranty. I will report back here if the replaced unit fixes the issue.
 
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Apple carplay and the iphone built-in GPS are rock solid pieces of software, tested by millions of iphone users. I've used carplay in many, many other vehicles without issue. In my opinion this thread reveals a common problem when working specifically with the 2019 (ish) uconnect system in the RAM 1500. If I had to guess, I would say that "dodgey" (no pun intended) GPS information is being passed from uconnect to the phone, and that is what is making carplay crash or act weirdly for some people. To be clear, no matter what app you use on your iphone, the uconnect system absolutely IS pasing it's own GPS information to the phone over the wired connection. My information is that RAM is aware of the issue and in my case, they are replacing the head unit under warranty. Interestingly, the navi and carplay work perfectly in the 2017 Ram 1500 rebel they gave me as a loner. I will report back here if the replaced unit fixes the GPS issue in my 2019 bighorn when using either carplay OR the uconnect navi system, so stay tuned. Other than this issue, I love the truck.
 
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My issue with GPS and carplay is now resolved. The entire head unit was replaced under warranty and so far the gps seems to work fine. It seems like if you are experiencing this issue, replacing the entire unit may be your best option.
 

Kyamukun

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My issue with GPS and carplay is now resolved. The entire head unit was replaced under warranty and so far the gps seems to work fine. It seems like if you are experiencing this issue, replacing the entire unit may be your best option.
they uploaded new software to the HU. so far it's working great. they said if the issue persist then they'll need to replace the HU.
 

Kyamukun

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CarPlay does use the truck’s gps, not the phone’s. What is the behavior of your compass headings in your truck? If you’re heading a certain direction, and make a right or left turn, does the compass immediately reflect the direction change?
it was definitely the truck's GPS. compass in the cluster also was not working.
 

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