TomTom issues GPS fix for leap year bug

By Stephen Fenech On Apr 4, 2012

TomTom has issued a software update to fix an embarrassing glitch which caused the company’s GPS units worldwide to fail to pinpoint their location.

A software coding glitch triggered because of the extra day in February due to 2012 being a leap year is believed to be the cause of the problem.

Affected users reported a blank screen and an error message saying “looking for valid GPS signal”.

TomTom has issued a software update to fix an embarrassing glitch which caused the company’s GPS units worldwide to fail to pinpoint their location.

A software coding glitch triggered because of the extra day in February due to 2012 being a leap year is believed to be the cause of the problem.

Affected users reported a blank screen and an error message saying “looking for valid GPS signal”.

TomTom has issued a software upgrade which can fix the problem. Full instructions are available here.

Customers with the following models should install the GPS fix:

Via 220, Via 160/180, Via 260/280

GO LIVE 820/825

GO 1000, GO 1050/1050 World

GO LIVE 1000/1050/2050/2050 World

The process involves connecting the TomTom device to your computer to upgrade the internal software before resetting the device.

The issue first came to light on March 31 when users began reporting the device’s inability to connect to GPS satellites.

It soon became a hot topic of discussion on the TomTom website’s forum before the company admitted there was a problem.