GPSrChive Discussion Forum

Hello all,
Hope you are doing well.
Just bought a Etrex 32x to test along the 30 and 30x.
During the tests, while simulating a creation of a route to the nearest airport using "automotive navigation" I get the following message:
"Detailed maps do not support automotive or motorcycle driving".
Details:
Etrex 32x Gen2
Fw2.90
TopoActive Europe 2024.20 West

The same action with the same TopoActive Maps on the Etrex 30x and Etrex 30 work as intended.
Is this a feature, a bug or just my unit?
Also the same sdcard from the 30x on the 32x with the Topoactive maps gives the same message on the 32x "Detailed maps do not support automotive or motorcycle driving".

Thank you for your help

To add to the testing, with OSM Map the etrex 32x can route in automotive way.
Which leads me to think it is a bug, since the same map (exactly same file) routes just fine on etrex 30 and 30x.
Is there any way to repport to garmin?

I think this is by design, my GPSMAP 67 shows the same message when trying to use an automotive or motorcycle activity. OSM based maps will work, or you need to get Garmin's City Navigator maps, which allow routing for automotive/motorcycle activities.

You will find the answer to your question on the GPSrChive > eTrex x2x > Firmware page.

JungleJim wrote: Wed Jan 08, 2025 8:40 am I think this is by design, my GPSMAP 67 shows the same message when trying to use an automotive or motorcycle activity. OSM based maps will work, or you need to get Garmin's City Navigator maps, which allow routing for automotive/motorcycle activities.

Thanks for your answer.
On my side I find it strange since previous units work fine, also that having another map on a etrex, even if not activated makes POI search slow, given that it will search on all maps on the device. The etrex is not a fast device already

GPSrChive wrote: Wed Jan 08, 2025 12:44 pm You will find the answer to your question on the GPSrChive > eTrex x2x > Firmware page.

Thank you for your hint.
Although it is not clear for me
2.60 I see Disabled automotive routing on OSM maps. - well it works on OSM Maps, not on TopoActive Maps

If it is the Fix issue with address search - it doesn't work for me neither on 2.90

Do you think there is any way that garmin will change that in the future or that we can report?
Have a great day and thanks again for all help and this great site

I doubt Garmin will change it, especially since they explicitly introduced this feature and that it works this way on other devices as well.

My guess (speculation) is that Garmin does this to prevent users from ending up on roads & trails they shouldn’t be with a motorized vehicle. Or maybe just to sell more City Navigator maps

I agree with Jungle Jim.

The reason some OSM Maps still work is complicated. If we dig too deep, a Garmin engineer may read the thread and fix those also.

A big thank you to both for taking your time to answer me. Kinda find bizarre that that option is still on the routing options if it is intended to not work. Kinda agree with the speculation of JungleJim.
On my side won't dig deep on the topic, the device will be returned (not only due to this "feature", which I won't use a lot) but due to others (like being horribly slow compared to etrex 30 and 30x. Maybe it is deffective).

Have a great day

GPSrChive wrote: Wed Jan 08, 2025 5:41 pm I agree with Jungle Jim.

The reason some OSM Maps still work is complicated. If we dig too deep, a Garmin engineer may read the thread and fix those also.

Hello,
Just contacted garmin the other day regarding this.
What they told me is that:
"TopoActive maps are not supposed to provide turn-by-turn routing when an automotive routing setting is selected. If the TopoActive Europe map is providing turn-by-turn directions on your eTrex 30 and eTrex 30x, that is a problem with those devices, not with the eTrex 32x. "
When I asked, why then having the option of calculating routes for motorcycle/car they answered me:

" The eTrex 30 and eTrex 30x did not come preloaded with anything other than a basemap, so they would not have supported turn-by-turn routing under any circumstances unless additional mapping was added. All of the "Calculate routes for" options are available by default, because customers may add maps (such as City Navigator) that support automotive routing, maps (such as TopoActive) that support non-automotive routing, or maps (such as TOPO US 24K) that support both. "

I answered that that was not true for europe,since the 30X came with Topo Active Europe Map (not sure this was the name of innitial map, but it later updated to Topo Active current versions).
The conversation ended up says that their documentation on TopoActive maps is pretty consistent in stating that it only provides routing in non-automotive profiles.

So on older devices maybe there was a "bug" that allowed car/motorcycle navigation with topoactive, but on the 32x it will not likely change.