GPS-antenne losgeraakt of beschadigd

The satellite positioning aerial is unplugged, its cable is damaged, or its connection has corroded — and the vehicle cannot establish where it is.

The aerial is almost always on the roof, under the fin or pod, or bonded behind the headlining. On most modern vehicles that housing is shared: the same unit carries the radio and digital radio aerials, the mobile data antenna for connected services and emergency calling, and frequently the receivers for keyless entry and the tyre pressure sensors. Which is why one loose connector there produces a set of complaints that look entirely unrelated — no satellite navigation, poor reception, connected services unavailable, and unreliable keyless entry, all at once.

The causes are physical and mostly follow work rather than age. Reaching the module means dropping the headlining, which happens for sunroof repairs, curtain airbags, roof consoles and aerial upgrades, and the connectors are very often left unseated afterwards. A roof box or roof bars can crush the cable run; an automatic car wash can catch the fin; and the fin's own gasket is a known water path — water entering there runs down inside the headlining rather than staying put, so a damp pillar trim can share a cause with a navigation fault.

One case clears itself and should be eliminated first. A vehicle that has stood a long time, or had a flat battery, holds no recent position and reports implausible movement until it re-acquires the satellites. Ten minutes driving in the open costs nothing and settles it.