Voice controlled Nav system question

[kimberly57]

Hey all,
My other beef with the dealer not knowing the CX-9 well enough is they can't answer questions about the voice activation. If I say one of the listed phrases, it either repeats something totally off, or it says, "You are not under route guidance". Well how the %&* do I GET under route guidance?? LOL

If I press the buttons on the menu, it still won't let me do the voice. My house is programmed in, but if I say "Go Home" it still won't work w/ the voice activation. Any ideas?
Kimberly

[Dalton]

Hey all,
My other beef with the dealer not knowing the CX-9 well enough is they can't answer questions about the voice activation. If I say one of the listed phrases, it either repeats something totally off, or it says, "You are not under route guidance". Well how the %&* do I GET under route guidance?? LOL

If I press the buttons on the menu, it still won't let me do the voice. My house is programmed in, but if I say "Go Home" it still won't work w/ the voice activation. Any ideas?
Kimberly

English courses maybe :D

[kimberly57]

Pretty funny! I guess you haven't tried to use one yet... :P
kimberly



English courses maybe :D

[Quattro8880]

:(

[pdxgibby]

I am also having similar problems. I posted in another forum about the voice training commands for bluetooth. Seems there are 45 voice training commands for bluetooth, but I am trying to figure out if that will have any effect on the voice recognition for navigation.

My salesperson told me that it learns over time what your voice sounds like....but if it still thinks that "Go Home" means "Gas Stations", it doesn't help me if it is making that association over time.

Really annoying.

If anyone has any insights on how to get your voice recognition to work better for nav, I think there would be many people happy to hear from you.

Thanks,
Patrick

[CX9 SportOwner]

My Nav system works perfectly...

I ask my wife "where do I turn" and she says "right here"

[Dalton]

Pretty funny! I guess you haven't tried to use one yet... :P
kimberly


i got a bigger problem (sad1)
my Navsystem is missing a continent, not to mention a roads and POI-s (bang)

[OMF]

Just wondering if my CX-9 is the only one with low navigation microphone input level. I am suspecting, that there is an unbalanced input level difference between the Bluetooth and the Navigation modes.
Bluetooth voice recognition works @90% success rate, navigation @10%.

Here is the test:

1. Ignition Switch: ACC or ON
2. Menu/Navigation Setup/Calibration/Map Version/ UP / UP / DOWN / DOWN.
(UP => Tap the top left hand side of the LCD screen; DOWN => Tap the bottom left hand side of the LCD screen). You are now in "Diagnosis Check" mode.
3. Select "Navigation Check" followed by "Microphone Check"
4. "Microphone input level judge circle" should be blue at normal test voice level, with your head turned towards the microphone. My circle remains grey, until I start shouting at the top of my voice...

How about yours?

[Lexx]

Just wondering if my CX-9 is the only one with low navigation microphone input level. I am suspecting, that there is an unbalanced input level difference between the Bluetooth and the Navigation modes.
Bluetooth voice recognition works @90% success rate, navigation @10%.

Here is the test:

1. Ignition Switch: ACC or ON
2. Menu/Navigation Setup/Calibration/Map Version/ UP / UP / DOWN / DOWN.
(UP => Tap the top left hand side of the LCD screen; DOWN => Tap the bottom left hand side of the LCD screen). You are now in "Diagnosis Check" mode.
3. Select "Navigation Check" followed by "Microphone Check"
4. "Microphone input level judge circle" should be blue at normal test voice level, with your head turned towards the microphone. My circle remains grey, until I start shouting at the top of my voice...

How about yours?
OMF, you rock! Mine behaves the same way! I bet you just found the root cause of why the CX-9 nav voice recognition is so completely unusable -- it can't hear us! Duh!

Do you have any info on where the adjustments are? Even if not, I will be contacting the dealer early next week and have them investigate this immediately.

Thank you!!!

Lexx

[OMF]

Do you have any info on where the adjustments are? Even if not, I will be contacting the dealer early next week and have them investigate this immediately.


No idea about the adjustment. I have an interesting reading though...

http://www.nyccs.net/filelib/KNA-DV3200%20Manual.pdf

Go to page 8 of the PDF file. From the number of similarities between our navi system screens and Kenwood KNA-DV3200's, I can imagine that the sampling and comparator works the same way.

Waiting for your dealer's investigation results... Thanks in advance for posting.

[daghef_cx9]

Hey all,
My other beef with the dealer not knowing the CX-9 well enough is they can't answer questions about the voice activation. If I say one of the listed phrases, it either repeats something totally off, or it says, "You are not under route guidance". Well how the %&* do I GET under route guidance?? LOL

If I press the buttons on the menu, it still won't let me do the voice. My house is programmed in, but if I say "Go Home" it still won't work w/ the voice activation. Any ideas?
Kimberly

Try "destination home" instead of "go home"

[wil_]

soooo, is there any update to this thread? anyone else have a similar problem?

[Five]

Hi,

Does anyone know if you can enter a street address destination with voice entry on a 2007 Mazda 5 nav system? When I say "destination" it responds with "not under route guidance." I have no idea what that means and the manual doesn't help.

Thanks.

[bbrf033]

My problem with trying to train the voice recognition is that I get the system in the training mode, but the instructions then refer me to say a specific list of words, that I cannot find anywhere in either the regular owners manual or the navi manual. Does anyone know where or what the "training words" are? Thanks.

[Burcrim]

Five,
According to the separate Navi system manual just saying "Destination" is actually implying you want to cancel or delete the currently set destination, hence the message you get back. If you want to set a destination I believe you need to say "Enter Destination" or "Preset Destination 1" etc. I cannot confirm this is the car refuses to understand anything I say.

Bbrf033,
I don't have my 2008 owners manual in front of me but the online version has the list on page 6-117 under Voice Recognition Learning function. There's a list of 45 commands. Personally I found it had absolutely no effect and a waste of 15 minutes. The phonebook voice commands are unusable for me.

[wyocx9er]

I have the same problem, I repeat the same command and it won't understand and reply something different multiple times, it seems to happen when I'm driving - I'm not happy to spend $2,000 on a nav system that doesn't work and Mazda doesn't seem to be doing anything about it. For those of us that have used the microphone diagnostic level check mine will move up one bar or if I blow accross the mic it hears -but drive the vehicle and talk and it doesn't pick up. I have also noticed that the Bose Audio Pilot that is suppose to pick up the volume of the music to compensate for surrounding sound doesn't seem to work. I do believe this problem is a adjustment for mic gain or something having to do how Mazda combined the bluetooth module with the navigation to share the same microphone. Can anyone tell me what your dealers have done to resolve this it isn't common in other car manufacturers and I believe they can resolve, anyone escalate issue. Thanks.

[kosh2258]

I've run into this with mine several times, but it isn't consistent. I've had it fail to disconnect a phone calls where I'm leaving a voice message and after I'm finished I say cancel and nothing happens.
The display says listening, but the system doesn't accept the command. I end up having to grab the phone and end the call manually.

I've also had it act brain dead trying to use the phonebook commands. It just can't seem to understand what I've said and goes off in some strange direction, even with the vehicle sitting still and the engine off.

I did the voice training exercise in the manual but, surprisingly enough, that seemed to make things worse for a few days afterward.

This isn't all that unusual for these systems. I have voice command in my other vehicle and it will also fail to hear commands correctly. Speaking louder seems to make it worse. Speaking more evenly seems to help.

[wyocx9er]

Has anyone actually had this navigation voice recognition problem escalated to Mazda? Does Mazda care about this situation in your opinion? Has anyone experimented with the microphone placement or cover to help with this issue? mic gain adjustment in the system? I'm curious how many people have reported it to Mazda and left the dealership without a answer? I'd like to fight Mazda but can't do it alone.. I'm rather disappointed that we pay $2000 for a option that isn't fully functional as it's stated... and yes of course I realize Mazda is not the only one that may have problems like this but I feel it's a fixable problem but I don't think Mazda thinks it's big enough to dedicate people to resolve the problem. (notcool)

[kosh2258]

I've been playing with this since the last post and the thing is annoying brain dead when using the phonebook command. It might correctly identifiy the command 1 time in 10, which is totally unacceptable.
My other vehicle, an Acura TL, isn't anywhere close to being that stupid and that voice recogntion software is 4 years older.

I'll probably take this up with the dealer in the near future. The odd thing is that other commands seem to mostly work OK, but some of the phone commands are not working well at all.

Ted

[OMF]

Navigation "SP1" Proposal - if anyone from inside MAZDA is reading this forum:

It would be acceptable for me if there was an option made available to select between a voice menu and voice recognition... I would certainly go for the voice menu option.

[wyocx9er]

I agree with you OMF, I've mentioned several issue I thought could be causing these issues. maybe these systems separate work fine, but combined they cause some loss? bluetooth integrate with nav. I think they need a sw update to resolve these issues and I believe it will make us all happy. Feeling a bit ignored by dealers and Mazda corporate. It's not like we can all take the navigation back to get our money back.. I want a fix, atleast acknowledgement they are working on the issue.

[OMF]

Not to be a jerk, but I'm curious where all of you are driving that's so unfamiliar that you need a computer to tell you how to get there.


(deadhorse

Oh, no! You are not a jerk!...

FYI: Sometimes we drive to places where we (and most likely you) have never been before and don't know how to get there. We all had maps in the last century and found the GPS turn-by-turn voice directions safer. Personal preference.

[wakblak]

Nav is easier to use then a map and safer too...
We got along fine before with out iPods and the like before, but I like using them now...

[CX9 SportOwner]

Maps are VERY easy for me to use. My WIFE reads them. LOL

[OMF]

Maps are VERY easy for me to use. My WIFE reads them. LOL

+1. (drinks)

My problem starts when SHE is not with me...

[CX9 SportOwner]

+1. (drinks)

My problem starts when SHE is not with me...
But when is my wife ever WITH you?

[kosh2258]

Sorry It just seems that nowadays we invent new technologies and THEN come up with reasons why we need it, rather than filling an existing need, as before.

I drive all over the country to new places, and after a little pre trip planning, dont really have trouble finding places. In fact, before Nav systems, people seemed to get around just fine. Humans also managed to survive without iPODs, cel phones, and presctiption drugs for thousands of years, too.

And we did without mechanically powered vehicles for how many thousands of years too? So, by your logic, we didn't need those either, but you are driving one, aren't you? :D

I'd politely point out that humans used to "survive" to the ripe old age of around 40, with exceptions, of course, hundreds of years ago. So while humans may have survived without these things, they didn't survive nearly as long or as well.

Nav is just a map implemented electronically rather than on a piece of paper and serves the same purpose. And yes, it can give you directions too. Is it 100% reliable? Nope, but then again neither is an out of date paper map.

OK, so you don't see the need for the technology and choose not to avail yourself of it. That's your choice. Others choose to make use of the technology - that's their choice.
How I elect to spend my money is up to me and I don't have any requirement to justify that to anyone but myself. 'Nuff said.

Ted

[wyocx9er]

I have been trying to get answers from mazda about the navigation and showed my dealer techs how to find the "microphone diagnostic" screen and what I don't get is why this diagnostic exists but both dealers I have talked to choose to act like it doesn't matter?? if the diagnostic level meter barely register's any sound coming into the microphone doesn't this or shouldn't this indicate it's not properly adjusted? I honestly feel like were being pacified because they don't have a solution or don't want to make one. Any ideas about the microphone diagnostic on the nav?

[kosh2258]

I have been trying to get answers from mazda about the navigation and showed my dealer techs how to find the "microphone diagnostic" screen and what I don't get is why this diagnostic exists but both dealers I have talked to choose to act like it doesn't matter?? if the diagnostic level meter barely register's any sound coming into the microphone doesn't this or shouldn't this indicate it's not properly adjusted? I honestly feel like were being pacified because they don't have a solution or don't want to make one. Any ideas about the microphone diagnostic on the nav?

All I can say is that the voice recognition is sporatic as to whether it works or not. Two weeks ago the thing couldn't process a "call so and so" command to save itself, just kept doing weird stuff. Then, last Thursday, it processed a call command flawlessly, not once but 4 times in a row for me. The only difference was that on Thursday it was a lot warmer out than two weeks before. I'm not sure how temperature would play into this, but that's about the only thing that was noticably different.

Ted

[kosh2258]

I dont have a CX9 because I NEED it. I have one because it's a blast to drive.

And I don't have Navigation because I NEED it either. I have have it because I find it useful to have and so does my wife. So the difference here is what?

Ted

[caspeed]

Not to be a jerk, but I'm curious where all of you are driving that's so unfamiliar that you need a computer to tell you how to get there.

Or are you more concerned with showing off the Nav to your friend who dont have it?

I said the very same thing about cellphones and ATM/credit cards however, once I started using them I honestly don't know how I got along without them.

Nav is fast joining those conveniences. Just as cellphones and ATM/credit cards don't do away with wired telephones or cash nav also won't do away with maps. It just makes the process much more convenient.

If you don't have nav in your CX buy a portable Tomtom or Garmin and you will soon notice that you're moving the portable to your other vehicles because it is so helpful.

Mike

[Born2Drive]

Hi,

This might sound absolutely ridiculous and silly but…. Almost all the time I try to talk to my Nav it says “not on the route guidance” crap or “Navigation Bank” “Gas station”, “Shopping mall” or anything else please see the menu…., but not doing what I am trying to say. Anyway, when it starts showing all those icons on the map it becomes hard to see street names and in general I like to keep my map clean. So, if I would try to say “POI off” with my normal voice it never works, not even a single time. But I found a solution, pinch your nose and say it again “PeOii uff” and it works fine. Can someone try the same with your Nav?, I am just curious.. and if possible no aggressive comments, I already feels like an idiot talking to my car like that….and if I am driving some of my friends…please I do not even want to think about it…people already laughing at me….P.S may be we need some weird Japanese accent to talk to Nav…(dunno)

[wyocx9er]

Born2drive... I have almost the exact same situation, I've also had the same experience with it saying bank, repeating something totally different. I have a deeper voice and I think that might also cause a problem. I have taken this up with my dealer and mazda and now waiting for a solution, I'm not confident that they will have a quick decision - Mazda is having growing pains. I'm pushing mazda to do something I really feel they can fix this problem. Have you tried the microphone diagnostics?

[Born2Drive]

Nop. Not really. Is that a procedure to run the diagnostics?

[kosh2258]

I thought I'd dredge this one back up since the problems with the phone voice recognition have gone away with the coming of warm weather. I was using the phone commands today and was 10 for 10 tries sitting stationary, windows open, and using a normal tone of voice - no yelling or raised voice required.

It would appear that this system, for what ever reason, is temperature sensitive and gets dodgy in cold weather.

What are other owners experiencing now that warm weather has returned to the northern hemisphere?

Ted

[Burcrim]

Nope, it's still bad.

Me -> "Call Home"
Car -> "Dialing zero, is this correct?" at least 50% of the time
Me -> "#@*!"

[ceric]

Hi, Burcrim:
I rarely have problem with the voice recognition.
Because I used to study voice recognition in college, I knew what is involved.
You need to speak slowly, by which I mean speak with a short pause between words.
i.e. do it like "Call ... Home".
Short pauses between words help recognition program.
English (so are other European languages) is a language that is easy to type, but difficult to recognized vocally.
Asian languages are the exact opposite.

[wyocx9er]

you are talking about bluetooth - I was told these are different modules, they go through the navigation head unit but are independent. The training commands only apply to the bluetooth. If you review the training commands you'll see they are all bluetooth. When you push the button to put the system into bluetooth mode you can not give it navigation commands because they are separate systems. I seem to have more problems with the navigation commands, that doesn't mean that the bluetooth is perfect it also has problems. I will say call home and it will say dial 0 or 020. there is alot of problems with this system - if we bought this item at the store we'd take it back or ask them to fix, with a car we can't do this and yet Mazda is doing NOTHING!! I have asked to escalate this issue and they have ignored me and my dealer. I'm in the process of getting all my complaints and class action suit, Mazda has had many complaints for this problem and they are going to have to answer for there lack of response. I think there is a different system in the 2008 models most people having problems have 2007 models. Anyone have simular experiences?

[OMF]

you are talking about bluetooth - I was told these are different modules, they go through the navigation head unit but are independent. The training commands only apply to the bluetooth. If you review the training commands you'll see they are all bluetooth. When you push the button to put the system into bluetooth mode you can not give it navigation commands because they are separate systems. I seem to have more problems with the navigation commands, that doesn't mean that the bluetooth is perfect it also has problems. I will say call home and it will say dial 0 or 020. there is alot of problems with this system - if we bought this item at the store we'd take it back or ask them to fix, with a car we can't do this and yet Mazda is doing NOTHING!! I have asked to escalate this issue and they have ignored me and my dealer. I'm in the process of getting all my complaints and class action suit, Mazda has had many complaints for this problem and they are going to have to answer for there lack of response. I think there is a different system in the 2008 models most people having problems have 2007 models. Anyone have simular experiences?

+1 here. 2007 system

[kosh2258]

Mine is a 2007 as well. But the problems were intermittent and I can't say I've noticed any issues since I replaced my Nokia cell with a Motorola. But also can't say the phone switch has any bearing on the issue either.

Ted

[Burcrim]

My probs are with the 2008

[neelsd]

Same problems with my 2007 model.