I recently received an email about the latest Garmin Map Update for Europe 2012.40, handy for the trip to Austria! So I happily plugged in BMW Navigator IV and started the upgrade, this was the start of my problems, hopefully this post may help you avoid these difficulties.
Unfortunately the new update 2012.40, with more detail and coverage, will NOT fit on to a BMW Navigator IV or Zumo 660 which has 4GB of internal memory. So what to do. Well the answer after speaking to Garmin Technical Support is that you need to install the UK & Ireland ONLY to the Internal Memory. The best way to do this is via the Garmin MapUpdate programme which is downloaded from the web via your myGarmin account.
You will need a 4GB microSD card for the rest of the maps about £6 from Tesco. With this installed you then use the Garmin MapInstall program to select the remaining bits of Europe you need and these are then installed to the SD card.
Once this is all done the unit will happily use both maps. Full details are contained in this document from Garmin Technical Support. Caveat Emptor applies and if in doubt you should speak to Garmin but this might save you a few hours of frustration! The principles are the same for the older Garmin units and Mac or PC but the program names may change.
Installing A Region Then Sending Additional Mapping To A SD Card
Hi Steve, I seem to remember having a similar problem to this last year. I’ll update you on how I get on with this latest upgrade. I opted for the single payment (I think £80), for lifetime/licence updates, so it will be good to see if this works. I’ll be doing this via the MacBook Pro.
Thanks Ken
Hi Ken, thanks I think you must have hit the same problem before with the Zumo 550. Garmin suggested not to use the lifetime updater program, but MapUpdate from the website, this gives full control. The ideal is to get the internal memory to hold UK & Ireland so the SD has as much space as possible for the rest of Europe. These units only support 4GB max, and with system files this filled my BMW Nav IV, so I think it would be worth trying to get as much space as possible on the SD. Looking at the Nav IV it shows everything as one map even though it is in two places! This does mean more work on updates.
Please post your results! Best wishes Steve
I had a shock the first time I did the update, on the 550, as it didn’t make it clear, anywhere, that the update was too big for the internal memory. I just selected download to the computer only, at that time, and bought an sd card later. At your leisure you can select the maps that you need rather that the whole lot if the card isn’t big enough.
Bob
Hi Bob that seems an elegant solution. I did try deleting the installed .img file from internal memory to free space and then used map install to load the maps. Not a good idea as the unit can only validate a map installed by the map updater! After I had recovered by reinstalling UK & Ireland I used the SD card. I think the real issue is storage space. If the maps get bigger we would need to balance the maps on the internal memory and SD card. I think your method is simplest but I think you have to have something on the internal memory! Steve
Thinking ahead, is it the same principle to use the 550/660/NavIV to take to the USA and download this map ? Anyone done this ?
Hello Steve
A very good site for Garmin Zumo is the following web site,
http://www.zumoforums.com/
I have used it for a few years now and its been helpful in any problems that have come up.
I may add I have never had to make a post always found the answer by other peoples problems, highly reccomended.
Dave
Hi Pete, looking at myGarmin I can buy the North America map for my BMW Nav IV for £64.99 as a download so It should work on an SD card. Perhaps on of us should call Garmin Technical Support to check and post the answer. Best wishes Steve
Hi All
I’m no techie …………….so here is my simple method!
Purchase Garmin Nuvi255 (car one) mounted in bracket from ‘Sport Touring’ and powered by cig lighter on my GSA
( Only limitation is waterproofness)
Hasn’t been that much of a problem tucked behind screen. Approx cost £150
Have purchased 2012 microSD/SD card of Garmin City Navigator NT ..North America About £50 off fleabay
Go toTools>Settings>Map>Map Info>North America. Then select ‘Change Country’ on address input screen. Job done. No downloads/updates etc.
Ok no computer planning of routes can be done.
This with paper maps and ‘odd’ mistake gets me to any destination. Without the update ‘pains’ mentioned in this thread. Cheers John
hello again Steve
The internal memory will stay in the background while the instrument chooses the latest version from the SD card. In the settings, in the 550, there is an option to tell it which memory to look at. Even if the int and sd, are selected, it will choose the sd automaticall as it has the newer info on it. If you select sd only it works faster apparrently. That’s how mine is set.
Bob