Enabling TomTom HD Traffic

[markjay]

Basically, COMAND Online NTG4.5 from 2011 to 2013 gets its Internet connection via tethering to a mobile phone.

From 2014 onwards, Mercedes started fitting dedicated comm modules in their cars, which have a built-in simcard slot that can accommodate a Vodafone data-only simcard. My understanding is that the comm modules were fitted to cars made after 1st September 2013. On these cars, COMAND Online NT4.5 and NTG5.x get their Internet via the comm module.

For reasons which the Mercedes Connect help line was unable to explain, the TomTom Traffic Live subscription is only available for cars with the built-in comm module, but not for older cars where COMAND Online gets its Internet connection by tethering to a mobile phone.

So my 2013 C-Class equipped with COMAND Online NTG4.5 can't get it... but a 2014 C-Class equipped with the same COMAND Online NTG4.5 can.

Doesn't seem to be a way around it.

 

[bazzabear]

This is all quite interesting. Sounds like I wouldn't be able to get the TomTom Traffic (which is a shame, because it's excellent in my experience) on my 2013 C63. But this has raised the question of whether it's worth getting the Mercedes Me thing set up for other reasons.

I'm at the stage of activating it for my car, and the website instructions say:
Please call the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center using the directory entry "Mercedes-Benz Contact" in your multimedia system.

But I have no such contact that I can find. Anyone know what number I should ring?

 

[markjay]

"Need more help? You can call us Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm 00 800 9 777 7777 "

 

[bazzabear]

Totally didn't spot that.

Thanks!

 

[cass]

Has anyone tried to get in touch with Tom Tom i would think they would know.

 

[markjay]

Has anyone tried to get in touch with Tom Tom i would think they would know.

I did... and they don't. They said the service is provided by MB and that I should contact MB with any questions....

 

[bazzabear]

Oh I never updated this. I did contact them and got it all set up. But in reality I didn't make any difference to me, as I only have two options:

Buy a Me adaptor, to give me various pieces of info about my car on my phone (and I will look into this, but need to make time to visit a dealer).

Activate a Live traffic subscription (which I've decided not to do, as I have a Tomtom device anyway).

My car continues to seem a bit of an oddball - the phone call, and the results on the Me app, confirm it doesn't have the built in comm module, but it does have Tomtom Live.

 

[markjay]

Oh I never updated this. I did contact them and got it all set up. But in reality I didn't make any difference to me, as I only have two options:

Buy a Me adaptor, to give me various pieces of info about my car on my phone (and I will look into this, but need to make time to visit a dealer).

Activate a Live traffic subscription (which I've decided not to do, as I have a Tomtom device anyway).

My car continues to seem a bit of an oddball - the phone call, and the results on the Me app, confirm it doesn't have the built in comm module, but it does have Tomtom Live.

Do you know the manufacture date of your car?

The empirical data I gathered suggests that the comms modules (KOM) were fitted from june 2013 onwards.

Also, the MB helpline told me it was not possible to have TomTom Live Traffic without the comms module.

I think that what may be happening with your car is that the comms module with the built-in Vodafone simcard is being used for TomTom Live Traffic only, while your mobile phone is being used to provide general internet connection for the Mercedes Internet Apps on COMAND.

 

[bazzabear]

July 2013 delivery date. It would be a shame if it had the comms module but for some reason wasn't using it for all the other stuff it can do.

Of course there's the potential that it doesn't really have the live traffic - but it says that it does and the subscription is lapsed. And the Me website says they're available for my car too. And it certainly doesn't have any other traffic checking method in it's absence.

 

[bazzabear]

It's quite possible that at some point I will be tempted to pay for a year just to see. I'll report back if I do.

 

[markjay]

July 2013 delivery date. It would be a shame if it had the comms module but for some reason wasn't using it for all the other stuff it can do...

From what I gather, early cars fitted with the comms module had no other services apart from the TomTom Live Traffic service, so you did not lose-out....

And on these cars you will still need the Mercedes Me Adapter that connects to the OBDII port if you want live car info on your mobile phone.

 

[markjay]

...Of course there's the potential that it doesn't really have the live traffic - but it says that it does and the subscription is lapsed. And the Me website says they're available for my car too. And it certainly doesn't have any other traffic checking method in it's absence.

That is one issue with the TomTom Live Traffic subscription - activating it disables TMC, but apparently there's no way to get TMC back once disabled.... so when the TomTom service is unavailable, or the subscription expires, COMAND is left with no traffic info. Not great, as you would have expected COMAND to fall back to TMC when the TomTom service is unavailable, but apparently this isn't so...

 

[markjay]

It's quite possible that at some point I will be tempted to pay for a year just to see. I'll report back if I do.

Do you have the car's DataCard? If so check for:

B54 MBCONNECT - REAL-TIME TRAFFIC DATA

I *think* this is thr DataCard option for the TomTom service.

 

[bazzabear]

That is one issue with the TomTom Live Traffic subscription - activating it disables TMC, but apparently there's no way to get TMC back once disabled.... so when the TomTom service is unavailable, or the subscription expires, COMAND is left with no traffic info. Not great, as you would have expected COMAND to fall back to TMC when the TomTom service is unavailable, but apparently this isn't so...

To be honest, I used to have an older Tomtom with TMC based traffic warnings, and it was completely hopeless. If it told you about a jam at all, it would be a few minutes after you joined the back of it.

Live HD on the other hand is all but miraculous. Its data on the placement of the jam and how long it'll take to get through it is 99% of the time spot on.

So I'm happy enough with nothing if I haven't got that.

 

[bazzabear]

Do you have the car's DataCard? If so check for:

B54 MBCONNECT - REAL-TIME TRAFFIC DATA

I *think* this is thr DataCard option for the TomTom service.

Yep, that's what I have listed.

 

[Headhurts]

I have live traffic on mine which is excellent but of course you do need to set a route for it to work.

It's a shame it does not notify of hold ups near you when travelling, you can see hold ups on the map and you can interrogate the system but not practicable when driving.

I can also turn on TA but their regularity is annoying.

All in all I will renew when it is due in 2019

Robin

 

[prop135]

I would be interested to know the thoughts of owners who use it. I have just bought a 2014 W204 and my subscription has lapsed. Is it worth the investment over say Waze on my phone?