I thought it may be useful for all Forum members with or contemplating Premium Nav to outline my experiences with it over the past month - as I seem to have encountered most of the problems but also some of the solutions.
Fundamentally, Premium Nav adds an Internet capacity to your satnav. This enables it to pick up traffic conditions (and offer alternative routes), note parking options in cities, allow online searches (which will provide phone numbers as well as navigations options) and send journeys from your phone/tablet/computer to your car in advance.
(It adds a few more things too, like an advanced reverse camera and DVD player, but they're not relevant here. For the record, it also adds the capacity to save a journey to a USB and transfer this to the car that way.)
The first thing is you need to register with MyLexus. Previously there was a Lexus Portal, but this has been replaced. However, the fact is there has been significant confusion over this.
NOTE 1:
Your sign-in name (an email address with MyLexus) is *not* your User ID. Your User ID by default will be the first part of your email address, but you are wise to change this as it may clash with others (or just cause confusion with past portal registrations). You change it my going to "My Details" and "Edit" and it is at the bottom.
Once you have registered you need to register your Multimedia device. This is a 16-digit number (to be typed in without hyphens, even though they appear on the screen). I found it easier to do this online than in the car, though both are options.
You also need to verify the vehicle. For this you need a six-figure number from your logbook (like ABC12D) - this is a chore when you lease because you need to get a scan from Lexus Financial Services or the lease company; and even more of a chore when they lose the logbook...
NOTE 2:
If you cannot get this number, ask your dealer for the one they use for demonstrators. That seems to work.
Now the key is to connect to the Internet. This can be tough, at least with an iPhone.
NOTE 3:
You need to have tethering on on the phone (apple calls this "Personal Hotspot"; other companies use slightly different names).
In theory you can connect for tethering via Bluetooth or WiFi.
For some reason I cannot do the former with my NX (worked fine on my IS).
The latter is a bizarre hit and miss and seems to require not only that the Personal Hotspot be on, but that the specific page be open. Weird.
NOTE 4:
This is where I get a little lost...
Via Setup > Navigation there is a Connected Services menu which allows "Delete Username and Password" or "Change Username and Password". If you try the latter, you need your *User ID* (not the email address) and password. It may be worth keeping these short!
You then click "Save" and that should simply save it - but if you are unlucky, it will go to connecting and a lovely error message. This means your tethering has broken down, your password is wrong, you've forgotten your User ID, MyLexus does not feel like working, or you've the wrong colour socks on today...
If you get through this, try your luck with an Online Search on "Navigation > Destination". Here, you will go to "Connecting" but hopefully not for long. If you do, the above paragraph applies. If you don't, you're in business.
NOTE 5:
My success rate in currently about one in four...
ALL TIPS WELCOME! :)
