Dash Cam GPS Not Working? Fix Missing Speed and Location Data

If your dash cam footage has no speed stamp, no location, or a GPS icon that never goes solid, the camera is not getting a fix. Here is why.

Why GPS on a dash cam matters

GPS data adds speed, location and an accurate time to your footage. When there is a dispute after a collision, that data backs up what the video shows. Without it, the other side can argue about how fast your driver was going or exactly where it happened.

For fleets, missing GPS often means the evidence is weaker than you think.

The most common causes

The GPS module is not connected

Many dash cams do not have GPS built into the main unit. It sits in the windscreen mount or in a separate small puck on a cable. If the camera has been taken off its mount, swapped to a different mount, or the puck has come unplugged, there is no GPS at all.

Check the camera is clicked fully into the original mount and any GPS lead is plugged in.

A heated or coated windscreen

This one catches a lot of people out. Some windscreens have a metallic coating to reflect heat or have fine heating elements. These can block satellite signals almost completely.

Look for a small dotted or clear area near the rear view mirror. That is the section designed to let signals through. Mount the camera, or at least the GPS module, there. If there is no such area, an external GPS antenna may be the only fix.

It just needs time

After the camera has been off for a while, or moved a long way, the first fix can take several minutes. In a multi storey car park, an underground garage or a narrow city street, it can take longer. Drive somewhere with a clear view of the sky and give it ten minutes before deciding it is broken.

GPS switched off in settings

A factory reset or firmware update can turn GPS or the speed stamp off. Check the menu for GPS, speed display and units (mph, not km/h, for UK roads).

Firmware bugs

Old firmware sometimes has GPS issues that were fixed later. Update it from the manufacturer’s site or app.

Step-by-step fix

1. Make sure the camera is seated properly in its original mount.
2. Check any separate GPS lead is plugged in at both ends.
3. Check the windscreen for a coating and move the camera to the clear signal area if there is one.
4. Turn GPS and the speed stamp on in settings.
5. Drive in open sky for ten minutes and watch the GPS indicator.
6. Update firmware.
7. If it still never gets a fix, the GPS module has likely failed. Replace the mount or module before the whole camera.

Location shows but speed is wrong

If location works but speed jumps around or reads zero in moving footage, it is usually a weak signal giving poor fixes. Moving the module to a clearer spot on the windscreen normally sorts this.

When the camera is part of a fleet

On a single car you notice missing GPS when you watch the footage. On a fleet, nobody watches footage until there is a claim. That is the worst time to find out.

Connected dash cams send GPS position live, so a camera without a fix stands out on the map straight away. You also get vehicle location even if no one ever looks at the video. You can see how it fits together on our connected dash cameras and GPS tracking pages.

If your issue is with a standalone tracker rather than a camera, see our guide to a GPS tracker that is not accurate.

Summary

Check the mount and GPS lead first, then look for a coated windscreen, then settings and firmware. Give it proper open sky before you call it faulty.

Book a demo to see live camera and GPS data on one dashboard →