How to Use your Ski-Doo's Built-In GPS: Step-by-Step Guide

Ski-Doo Team
By Ski-Doo Team
October 2024

What Is the Built-In GPS with Group Ride?

The built-in GPS is a snowmobile gps system integrated in your Ski-Doo. It is your must-have feature for seamless navigation. Use the built-in GPS to view your riding buddies' live location without having to connect your phone to your vehicle display or be connected to a cellular network. View your position on embedded topographic snowmobile maps, see official trails in supported regions, see a track of your rides, and more. And if you want a richer navigation experience with more features, just plug in your phone and use the free BRP GO! app.

The built-in GPS is exclusive to models equipped with the 10.25” touchscreen display.

What’s the Difference Between the Built-In GPS and the BRP GO! App?

Two navigation tools are offered to suit your preferences. The Built-in GPS lets you view your position on topographic maps and track your rides without a phone connection, making it the perfect choice for deep snow riders who want to keep track of their position and easily return to the basecamp after a big day of riding. Meanwhile, the BRP GO! app gives you more navigation features by connecting your phone via USB such as turn-by-turn directions and points of interest, making it ideal for trail riders looking to plan excursions and follow precise directions.

Available features also vary between the two systems – the built-in GPS offers basic functionality while BRP GO! offers a richer navigation experience.

Available features of the Built-in GPS with Group Ride (no phone connection required):
- See topographic maps and official snowmobile trails (in supported regions*)
- View your position on the map
- See a track of where you have been
- Show/hide tracks from previous rides
- Locate your friends and other BRP vehicles around offline**

Available features of the BRP GO! app (phone connection via USB required):
- See topographic maps and official snowmobile trails (in supported regions)
- View your position on the map
- Record a ride
- Create and share itineraries
- Ride with turn-by-turn directions
- Locate your friends (with cellular network only)
- Search and find points of interest
- Save custom locations
- Get riding statistics
- Redo past rides
- And more

*Please note that Ontario (OFSC) trails are available in the BRP GO! app, but not on the 10.25" touchscreen display's built-in GPS
**With vehicles equipped with the GPS module with Group Ride

 

What to Do Before Your Ride to Access the Built-In GPS Features?

Before diving into your adventure, follow these quick steps to fully enjoy your ride with an elevated navigation experience.

Make Sure That You Have a GPS Module Installed on Your Snowmobile

The built-in GPS is only available for Ski-Doo snowmobile models equipped with the 10.25” touchscreen display.


- If you have a 2026 or newer model, your vehicle already comes with the GPS module with Group Ride.

- If you have a 2025 model, your vehicle already comes with the GPS module without Group Ride. To benefit from the Group Ride feature, you will have to purchase the GPS module with Group Ride and have it installed by your local dealer. You will also need to do a software update either via Wi-Fi or directly at your local dealer.
- If you have 2023 or 2024 model, you will have to purchase a GPS module and have it installed by your local dealer. You will also need to do a software update either via Wi-Fi or directly at your local dealer.

Download a Map Region Via Wi-Fi

Stay prepared for any adventure by downloading snowmobile maps of your favorite regions via Wi-Fi, ensuring you have up-to-date navigation and topographic maps at your fingertips. You need to follow two steps: (1) Connect your display to a Wi-Fi network and (2) download maps of the regions of your choice.

On your snowmobile display :

1- Go to the Applet menu

2- Select "Preferences"

3- Select "Wi-Fi" from the list on the left

4- Then, select "Add New Network", find the network you would like to connect to from the list that appears on the screen and enter the password

Please note : If no Wi-Fi network is available near the vehicle, you can share your smartphone cellular network by hotspot (here's how to do it for Apple and Android devices). Just note cellular data fees may apply.

On your snowmobile display:

1- Go to the Applet menu

2- Select "Preferences"

3- Select "Maps" from the list on the left (you may need to scroll down). The Map Regional Manager page will show two columns. On the left is the "Included Regions" which are the maps/regions already downloaded in the display. The right-hand column is titled “Other Regions”, these are the regions available for download. You will notice there are already several maps in the included regions list. These are the base layers and should not be removed.

4- Select the "Add New Region" button to open a list of available countries.

5- Select the country you wish to explore from the list provided and then select the regions you wish to download from the list. Once you have selected your regions you will see them appear in the "Other regions" column.

6- To start the download, select "Download update" at the bottom of the screen. A message will appear indicating the map update is in progress. Once the download has completed, the region will be shown in the Included Regions list.

 

During Your Snowmobile Ride

Let the built-in GPS guide you through your adventures, whether you’re exploring trails or venturing into the mountains. Learn how to use its features below.

Using Group Ride

The new Group Ride feature allows for vehicle-to-vehicle location sharing without a phone connection or cellular network. You'll be able to see group members and other BRP vehicles around on the map within a range of 1.6+ km (depending on the terrain). To make it super easy to identify your crew, group members appear as color icons and other BRP vehicles that have enabled position sharing (requires the GPS module with Group Ride) appear as black icons. Once you have created or joined a group, it is kept in the display's memory until you manually leave it, making it especially convenient for rides lasting more than a day.

1. On the map, select the Groups button located at the bottom-left corner of the display (just above the compass)

2. To invite others to your group: Share the 4‑digit group code shown on your screen

To join someone else’s group: Tap the pencil icon next to your current group code, enter the 4‑digit code displayed on their screen, and press JOIN.

 

 

1. On the map, select the Groups button located at the bottom-left corner of the display (just above the compass)

2. Tap the pencil icon next to My ID, enter the desired initials, and press DONE

Track Your Ride

The ride recording feature allows you to stick to the path wherever you go by recording every move. Once your vehicle is on and you’re ready to start, a track will automatically appear as a blue marker, recording your route as you move. It will therefore be super easy for you to retrace your route and revisit your trips! All tracks will be saved in your vehicle display. You can also choose to show or hide your tracks or delete all previous tracks via the map options.

1. On the map, select the Map Settings button located at the top-right corner of the display

2. Toggle the Show Track option on or off

1. On the map, select the Map Settings button located at the top-right corner of the display

2. Select the "🗑️CLEAR TRACK" button. A message will appear on the screen to confirm you want to clear your tracks

Explore map options

The built-in GPS lets you customize how the map looks and behaves:
- Zoom in/out: Adjust the map scale to see a closer or wider view of the trails
- Compass: Use the compass to orient yourself, or tap it to lock the map to North
- Auto-recenter: Automatically recenters the map when the vehicle starts moving (toggle on or off in Map Settings)
- See group members only: hide non-group members on the map (toggle on or off in the Map Settings)

 

Frequently Asked Questions about the Built-In GPS 

You can download up to 8 regions. If you reach this limit and wish to add another area, you can easily do so by removing one of the already downloaded regions. To learn how to remove a downloaded region, please refer to the next question.

To remove a region from the included regions list:
1- Go to the Applet menu
2- Select "Preferences"
3- Select "Maps"
4- Select the red circle next to the region you wish to remove and then select "Remove" when prompted.

You can consult the list of covered regions here. Please note that Ontario (OFSC) trails are only available when using the BRP GO! app.

Group Ride is available in the following countries: Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America.

To update one of your included regions:
1- Go to the Applet menu
2- Select "Preferences"
3- Select "Maps"
4- Select "Check for Updates" at the bottom of the screen
5- Select "Download Update" to start the download. A screen will appear indicating the map update is in progress. Once the download has completed, the region will be shown in the "Included Regions" list.

If your vehicle display shows “Invalid GPS position”, it means the GPS is not receiving a signal from your current location. This can happen if your GPS is not properly connected or if you are in an area where the signal may be interrupted (eg: indoors). Make sure that you start your ride in a clear area. Note that it can take up to 20 to 40 seconds for the GPS to receive a signal and resolve the issue.

If your vehicle display shows “No GPS detected”, it could be due to several reasons: no GPS unit is installed or an update issue or an invalid position. Ensure that the GPS module is properly installed and connected, check for any necessary updates, and verify that your current location is clear and valid.

The storage capacity for tracks is designed to hold a large amount of data, allowing you to record and save all your trips throughout the season. However, if you reach the limit, track recording will pause. To restart recording, you will need to delete previous tracks.

The system may take longer to load a region that you open for the first time. Make sure to browse through the map before starting your ride to ensure a better experience. Once the map has fully loaded, the system should operate faster.

Should you have any remaining questions regarding the 10.25" display, please refer to our FAQ page.

Frequently asked questions

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