Live traffic in command online - Is it worth it?

[PenelopePitstop]

Since I "renewed" or actually activated my Live Traffic on Mercedes Me, I think it's not as good as it was before. I see queuing cars on certain roads but usually not on M25 in the direction I'm driving. So I'm totally stuck on M25 and my navigation shows no congestion at all. Which means it shows wrong expected arrival time.

Also when I go into Traffic Details to see messages on the route, there are no messages on the route, it's greyed out. But when I go to all messages and choose M25, I can see traffic info about delays.

I wonder if anyone who renewed original 3 year subscription on NTG4.5 has the same issue. Maybe I should start to use phone navigation for traffic updates... but that's not the point of having built-in navigation.

 

[pembssurf]

Since I "renewed" or actually activated my Live Traffic on Mercedes Me, I think it's not as good as it was before. I see queuing cars on certain roads but usually not on M25 in the direction I'm driving. So I'm totally stuck on M25 and my navigation shows no congestion at all. Which means it shows wrong expected arrival time. Also when I go into Traffic Details to see messages on the route, there are no messages on the route, it's greyed out. But when I go to all messages and choose M25, I can see traffic info about delays. I wonder if anyone who renewed original 3 year subscription on NTG4.5 has the same issue. Maybe I should start to use phone navigation for traffic updates... but that's not the point of having built-in navigation.

Is there anyway to revert back to the TMC system when the subscription ends? I'm in the same boat but can't find a TMC option like on my previous c class!

 

[markjay]

I wasn't aware of this so it did make me wonder enough to go out (in the rain!) and check the COMAND Online in my 2012 C350. I haven't renewed any subscriptions since the car was new (just had free map updates for the first 3 years) but either live traffic is working, or there just happen to be lots of red cars parked on Edgeware Way in London. .

I am new to NTG4.7, just had it retrofitted by www.comandonline.co.uk

My 2013 car does not have a comm box with dedicated simcard; instead COMAND Online gets its Internet connection by tethering to my Mobile phone over Bluetooth, which works fine.

However, my understanding is that the comm box with the dedicated data simcard came in around 2014; and that without this the SatNav will only receive the standard (free) TMC traffic data but not the TomTom Live Traffic subscription service.

So it would seem that the TomTom Live Traffic subscription is only available for cars equipped with COMAND Online AND the comm box; but as my car has COMAND Online but no comm box I can't have it

Knighterrant, I think we are in the same boat - I believe you have the free TMC service but not the subscription-based TomTom service?

 

[PenelopePitstop]

My car has NT4.5 and there's no sim card and I was never able to use Comand online features in C-class or SLK. Never worked with any of my phones.

I received proper Live Traffic without any internet connection. I installed Tom Tom on Android phone and will see if car shows the same information or different. I think I will revert to standard navigation and forget built-in one.

 

[markjay]

My car has NT4.5 and there's no sim card and I was never able to use Comand online features in C-class or SLK. Never worked with any of my phones.

I received proper Live Traffic without any internet connection. I installed Tom Tom on Android phone and will see if car shows the same information or different. I think I will revert to standard navigation and forget built-in one.

I *think* that the Live Traffic you are getting now is just the free TMC service.

My understanding is that the optional TomTom Live Traffic is much better than TMC and more akin to Waze (ie collecting real-time data from other cars around you), but I have no way of knowing how good it actually is because I don't have it.....

 

[pembssurf]

I *think* that the Live Traffic you are getting now is just the free TMC service. My understanding is that the optional TomTom Live Traffic is much better than TMC and more akin to Waze (ie collecting real-time data from other cars around you), but I have no way of knowing how good it actually is because I don't have it.....

i always found TMC pretty good at avoiding accidents and long tailbacks and road closures TMCPRO on the continent is even better. Live traffic seems better at avoiding daily congestion but that in that it is refreshed more often that's about it.

 

[PenelopePitstop]

When I check subscription, it says Live Traffic from TomTom and expiry date end of 2018. I switched it on online on Mercedes Me. TMC wouldn't show yellow and red cars on a map. I just don't think this LiveTraffic switched on on website is exactly the same as the one that came with the car. Will compare with original TomTom navigation next week.

 

[milesr3]

Hello all, currently going through the Rigmarole of getting live traffic to work on my 2014 S350.

1. Registered for Mercedes me and went through what I thought was the online activation process by calling from the car and asking to be linked.
2. Kept getting the "500 internal server error" and was unable to add any services to the basket. Mercedes me help said that they were aware of this issue, from which I concluded there was something wrong on their side.
3. Took it to the dealer and it turned out that the above was due to the car not being successfully linked. They went out the back and I got an email almost immediately confirming that the vehicle is linked to me.
4. Bought another live traffic subscription. Waited 24hrs, drove around for a bit...still nothing.
5. Took it back to the dealer who thought that it needed a Mercedes me adapter. Fitted one but still no live traffic data.
6. Found this site and authenticated my mobile number with the Mercedes me app. Still no live traffic data.
7. Advised by Mercedes me customer support that the vehicle does not need a Mercedes me adapter, but that the Kom module needed a software update.
8. Took it back to the dealer for the software update and they couldn't get the KOM module to update and think it is faulty and needs to be replaced...

 

[markjay]

From reading online, there were quite a few complaints regarding faulty communication modules that needed to be replaced back in late 2013 / early 2014 when Mercedes started fitting them, so yours might be one of those faulty early comms modules.

 

[PenelopePitstop]

Since the subject came up again, time for the update. I used TomTom on the phone since June and it was almost always spot on but not in harmony with my SLK. I'm sure my "new" Live Traffic activated via website is much worse than it was in first 3 years and I'm glad I didn't pay extra for subscription.

I don't know how many times navigation showed queues in the other direction but not on my route.

In the meantime, I worked out why my phones never worked with Comand Apps, I never switched on Tethering via Bluetooth, didn't now it's required. The only useful thing I found, is internet radio but I guess I could just stream it from the phone without Comand Apps.

 

[milesr3]

Thanks for the reply.

The dealer has ordered the replacement module and is going to pursue Mercedes for authorisation to perform the work. If it is a known issue, then I might be lucky.

I've owned the car for 18 months and have never received live traffic, despite it coming with a valid 3 year subscription. I thought that a new subscription might magically re-enable it but it hasn't. Maybe there has been a fault with the KOM module all along. It's far from easy to understand how the data reaches the car and even the dealer thought that it needed a Mercedes me adapter. I was told it is a 'late 2014 crossover' model.

All the other online stuff like Internet radio and sharing navigation destinations with the car is working fine via my mobile, but I believe that this is quite different to the factory-fitted Command online (KOM) module.

 

[markjay]

...The only useful thing I found, is internet radio...

Same here....

...but I guess I could just stream it from the phone without Comand Apps.

The difference is that the law prohibits you from changing radio channels in your smartphone etc while driving, while it is legal to do so on COMAND (as long as it's done safely of course).

 

[ManiacGT]

I have it but won't renew I'll just use my iPhone and google maps or waze

 

[markjay]

This is my understanding....:

2011 to mid-2013 COMAND Online systems connect to the Internet by Bluetooth tethering to the driver's mobile phone.

From mid-2013, Mercedes Benz started fitting their cars with communication modules that use a Vodafone data-only simcard to connect to the Internet.

The advantage of the comms module is that it is possible to connect to the car via the Internet at all times, i.e. including when the car is parked-up and the driver (and mobile phone) is not present.

This allows the use of a mobile app to connect to the car at any time and use the various Mercedes Me Connect services including gps tracking, geo-fencing etc (note: cars do not come by default with the entire range of Mercedes Me Connect services enabled, it depends on the model, year, and factory options fitted - the Mercedes Me Connect website will show what services are available based on the car's VIN).

The TomTom Live Traffic service is only available for cars fitted with COMAND Online and the comms module. This means that earlier COMAND Online models fitted to pre-June 2013 cars and receiving their Internet connection via Bluetooth tethering to the driver's mobile phone, can not receive the TomTom Live Traffic service.

The reason for this seems to be that this is a chargeable service, and the car needs to be authenticated against the TomTom server. This authentication process is apparently not possible with the Bluetooth tethering setup.

In theory it is possible to retrofit a comms module (and I believe that comandonline actually managed to do this), but MB told me that there was no guarantee that their computer system will actually allow the TomTom Live Traffic service to be activated for the car's VIN, even if the MB DataCard is updated with the comms module option.

Another interesting point is that I read online that once the TomTom Live Traffic service is activated, TMC is switched off. If this is correct then it implies that when the TomTom Live Traffic service is unavailable, COMAND does not fall-back to TMC, and also that if the TomTom Live Traffic service is activated and then allowed to expire, TMC does not get re-enabled.

As for the Mercedes Me Adaptor, this is intended for pre-June 2013 cars that do not have the comms module fitted, and provides only very limited functionality - and as said, it is not possible to have the TomTom Live Traffic service over the Mercedes Me Adaptor.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

This is my understanding....:

2011 to mid-2013 COMAND Online systems connect to the Internet by Bluetooth tethering to the driver's mobile phone.

From mid-2013, Mercedes Benz started fitting their cars with communication modules that use a Vodafone data-only simcard to connect to the Internet.

The advantage of the comms module is that it is possible to connect to the car via the Internet at all times, i.e. including when the car is parked-up and the driver (and mobile phone) is not present.

This allows the use of a mobile app to connect to the car at any time and use the various Mercedes Me Connect services including gps tracking, geo-fencing etc (note: cars do not come by default with the entire range of Mercedes Me Connect services enabled, it depends on the model, year, and factory options fitted - the Mercedes Me Connect website will show what services are available based on the car's VIN).

The TomTom Live Traffic service is only available for cars fitted with COMAND Online and the comms module. This means that earlier COMAND Online models fitted to pre-June 2013 cars and receiving their Internet connection via Bluetooth tethering to the driver's mobile phone, can not receive the TomTom Live Traffic service.

The reason for this seems to be that this is a chargeable service, and the car needs to be authenticated against the TomTom server. This authentication process is apparently not possible with the Bluetooth tethering setup.

In theory it is possible to retrofit a comms module (and I believe that comandonline actually managed to do this), but MB told me that there was no guarantee that their computer system will actually allow the TomTom Live Traffic service to be activated for the car's VIN, even if the MB DataCard is updated with the comms module option.

Another interesting point is that I read online that once the TomTom Live Traffic service is activated, TMC is switched off. If this is correct then it implies that when the TomTom Live Traffic service is unavailable, COMAND does not fall-back to TMC, and also that if the TomTom Live Traffic service is activated and then allowed to expire, TMC does not get re-enabled.

As for the Mercedes Me Adaptor, this is intended for pre-June 2013 cars that do not have the comms module fitted, and provides only very limited functionality - and as said, it is not possible to have the TomTom Live Traffic service over the Mercedes Me Adaptor.

Very interesting.

We have a 2014 W166 ML which has the TomTom Live Traffic service enabled, but that is the only service available through the Mercedes me portal (apart from the Mercedes me adapter). Based upon markjay's excellent post above, this suggests there's a comma module but no other Mercedes me services available apart from TomTom.

The 'send to car' feature has stopped working in recent months, and I'm starting wonder whether that coincided with the 3 year anniversary. We reinstated the TomTom subscription through the Mercedes me portal, and that's working now, but I wonder whether the comms module stopped doing something at the same time?

 

[PenelopePitstop]

Hm.. how would I know if I have comm module in 2014 NT4.5 Comand version? I never tried to connect to the car using any online services and Live Traffic worked ok. When I go online to Mercedes Me website I don't have any other services available and I only registered there because it was the only way to get Live Traffic working after 3 years free-period.

 

[markjay]

Hm.. how would I know if I have comm module in 2014 NT4.5 Comand version? I never tried to connect to the car using any online services and Live Traffic worked ok. When I go online to Mercedes Me website I don't have any other services available and I only registered there because it was the only way to get Live Traffic working after 3 years free-period.

If you have the TomTom Live Traffic service.... then you have the comms module (or at least this is what MB told me over the phone). These were fitted to cars from around June 2013.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

If you have the TomTom Live Traffic service.... then you have the comms module (or at least this is what MB told me over the phone). These were fitted to cars from around June 2013.

So I'm in the same position, I have TomTom Live, but when viewed in the Merc des me portal or app there are no other services available to me except Mercedes me adaptor.

 

[milesr3]

This is my understanding....:
Another interesting point is that I read online that once the TomTom Live Traffic service is activated, TMC is switched off. If this is correct then it implies that when the TomTom Live Traffic service is unavailable, COMAND does not fall-back to TMC, and also that if the TomTom Live Traffic service is activated and then allowed to expire, TMC does not get re-enabled.

My experience supports this. I didn't receive any live traffic data for the 18 months I owned the car when it still had the factory-fitted 3 year subscription. The command manual covers so many different options that it wasn't clear to me if it worked over TMC, Bluetooth via my mobile or if it had its own SIM. The dealer has insisted all along that it doesn't have a SIM card...

The most likely explanation is that the KOM module failed or was somehow disabled. I read somewhere (perhaps erroneously) that they can become deactivated if the car isn't linked to the user via Mercedes me in the first 3 months of ownership. It seems plausible that the SIM could get blacklisted and disabled by Vodafone.

 

[milesr3]

Just collected my car from the dealer after they gained authorisation to replace the KOM module. I am now getting live traffic data provided by TomTom.