Phone GPS poor reception in car

[rogerco]

I've noticed that my phone GPS barely works inside the car. Very poor signal, just about tracks if you hold it up against windscreen (as a passenger, obviously), but sitting in the passenger seat it barely works.

In previous ICE car (also made of metal plastic and glass) it worked fine.

Has anyone else found this? Is it something in the electrical system generating interference (in the 1.2 to 1.6GHz range?!!!!), or has the cabin been built as a slightly leaky faraday cage?

 

[Petriix]

I've not had any issues. I do have my phone held to the dashboard with a magnetic holder most of the time.

 

[Jonhklee]

No issues here with my iphone

 

[EWD]

Never had an issue either with my Oneplus 6.

 

[Kithmo]

My sat nav GPS is fine, but then it is against the top of the windscreen.

 

[Fluffykins]

Xiaomi Poco X3 seems OK

 

[rogerco]

OK, thanks all. Just me then (its a Moto g6). Was fine in previous cars and van, but piss poor in the MG5 - no idea why. Could be coincidence and the gps chip/circuitry in the phone is dying.

 

[n8sail]

I have a Moto X4 that works fine. Car also has aftermarket 45% film applied as well, still gets perfect GPS.

Has your phone done any updates recently? Wouldn't be the first time an Android phone lost hardware functionality during an update.

 

[Jocko]

I have an app on my phone called GPS Test. You can run that and it tells you if the issue is the hardware or your SatNav software.

 

[Kithmo]

OK, thanks all. Just me then (its a Moto g6). Was fine in previous cars and van, but piss poor in the MG5 - no idea why. Could be coincidence and the gps chip/circuitry in the phone is dying.

My phone is a Moto G6 Play and using the GPS test app @Jocko mentioned, the strength of the GPS signals are the same in the car, phone in hand or on the centre console, as outside it.

 

[marvelous]

No issues with my Pixel 5 reception. Did have an issue with radio etc. all not responding on a recent journey, no sound although a radio station was showing, no response to touch screen. When I stopped the car, turned of ignition and the restarted it all worked as normal.

 

[Adee]

What's an iphone? I'm still looking for the CD slot.

 

[Kithmo]

CD slot ?

 

[Adee]

CD slot ?

My wife's '03-plate MX5 has actually got an OEM one of those old-fangled cassette things. And a CD slot as well to help bridge the generations! I still remember with great fondness my old Motorola 8-track (actually 4 stereo tracks, so slightly oversold IMHO). Innovation for no good reason I would suggest

 

[Fluffykins]

Not really relevant to the cars in question here but, if I recall correctly, some cars (can't remember which makes/models/levels) had some kind of solar control front windshield which was basically a thin metal film on/in the glass, which screwed up GPS signals.

 

[Alb]

I know that Ford did a solar reflect windscreen option that ruled out the use of any dashtop satnav.

 

[Kithmo]

Can't remember, did the Ford heated front screen affect GPS ?
They were great on frosty days, screen clear in 30 seconds.

 

[Alb]

Couldn't answer for every model but it was fine on the Mk2 Focus.