GPS maps for Toyota Fortuner TRD Sportivo III - 2011 model.

[huahin4ever]

Hi,

I have the original GPS/Entertainment system in my Fortuner Sportivo III - 2011 model. I have no clue what kind of GPS this is, the system is only marked with "Toyota". For me the GPS looks similar to Garmin, but I'm not sure. Anyway the map I have in this GPS is the original map that came with the car. This map is now more than 2 years old, and it is also in Thai. I have experienced a few times that it is completely wrong due to new roads ets., so I would like to upgrade the map to a newest and English version. I know I can probably try to ask the Toyota dealership, but my experience tells me that this could take time(maybe they only have the thai maps?) and also this could be much more costly than buying the map online or in a store which deals with GPS and maps.

Can anyone here advice me what type of maps I need to buy? If it's Garmin Maps I believe I can purchase and download the maps online? If it's not Garmin maps, I have absolutely no clue what to get!

Can anyone help?

[Name Taken]

Good Luck!
I have been to numerous stores that sell GPS units and none of them had English(language) version GPS units for sale, all of the stores I went to only had Thai(language) version GPS units for sale.

It's frustrating!

[J.J.B.]

I was able to download a Thai road map to my Garmin portable system in English but it is from 2009. Although the Toyota system may be based on Garmin architecture, it is highly unlikely the disks can simply be swapped between the two. Garmin is not a supplier of map data, rather they get their maps from Navteq, one of the two global suppliers of mapping data, the other being Tele Atlas. Maps are generally updated on a quarterly cycle but these updates can still be many years out-of-date compared with what you might witness on your daily drive.

If you know that the latest Toyotas have 2012/13 maps in them, i.e. that these disks exist, I would imagine that some enterprising locals have found a way to copy them and get around any encryption that may exist. Certainly on ebay in Europe there are plenty of 'after market' disks on sale for most OEM navigation systems at prices much lower than a dealer. I would ask some locals who are working in the motor trade and see what you come up with. Aside from that, it's going to be the dealer although I would also the, as the first place to ask about getting the language changed over from Thai to English since the original map data will all be in English and should be already there...somewhere

[huahin4ever]

First of all the system in my car doesn't use a disk, but keeps the maps on a AD card. Secondly, according to a friend I spoke with today, he has checked with Toyota and they said that the unit can use Garmin maps. Well if this is the case I would think that I can get the maps online from Garmin? I will research a bit more and try to find out if this is true. Nothing would be easier than to download English maps from Garmin site directly and just copy it over on a SD car. Plug the card into the unit, and hopefully, VOILA, ready to go with English maps.

[Nereus]

Contact the following in Bangkok, they are the Garmin agents and very helpful.

http://www.gpssociety.com/EN/Pages/aboutesri.aspx

[Dannie Boy]

First of all the system in my car doesn't use a disk, but keeps the maps on a AD card. Secondly, according to a friend I spoke with today, he has checked with Toyota and they said that the unit can use Garmin maps. Well if this is the case I would think that I can get the maps online from Garmin? I will research a bit more and try to find out if this is true. Nothing would be easier than to download English maps from Garmin site directly and just copy it over on a SD car. Plug the card into the unit, and hopefully, VOILA, ready to go with English maps.

That'll be right handy for finding Birmingham!!

[a10ams]

My experience of Garmin GPS in English, is if you don't spell the destination absolutely as Garmin have it stored then you won't find it.

We had a nightmare trying to find Leluk (Laluk, Lelook, Lalux, Lelux) Hospital in Bangkok recently on a Toyota satnav. We ended up driving to roughly the area we thought it was in, then did a search for local hospitals until it came up.

[huahin4ever]

My experience of Garmin GPS in English, is if you don't spell the destination absolutely as Garmin have it stored then you won't find it.

We had a nightmare trying to find Leluk (Laluk, Lelook, Lalux, Lelux) Hospital in Bangkok recently on a Toyota satnav. We ended up driving to roughly the area we thought it was in, then did a search for local hospitals until it came up.

It can't be any worse than not being able to search for anything since everything on the map is in Thai!

[huahin4ever]

Well, here's an update for those interested.

I had some spare time walking around on 3rd. floor in Market Village while the missus was shopping. Saw one of the small shops along the wall, in the area where they have all the cell phone shops, selling gps units. Stopped by and talked to a guy there (I think it is the owner), and asked him if he had maps for my unit in the Toyota. I gave him my original SD card so he could check the type and version I have.

To make the story short, he got the latest Garmin maps of Thailand in dual language (It's a copy, not original), so I provided him with a new SD card and got the latest version onto to that, and voila, I now can read places, streets, roads and addresses. Everything seems to work just perfect.

Total cost: 190 for the new SD card and 800 for the map.

The shop's name is Mobile Cinic.

[Hobiecat]

If you need any further GPS soft ware which sounds like you don't at the moment contact these guys in BKK.

http://www.gadgetrend.com