Ex Motability Car - Is it Worth Buying?

[Skd884]

Coming back to this topic after a break. If I continue with my Motability contract after 3 years, I lose my updates to navigation, which MB would generously let me extend for the not insignificant sum of around £120 per annum. In the past the answer was simply to buy a knocked off SD card from Ebay, but now that this option is no longer available for newer cars, is there any way of avoiding this money grabbing from MB other than not taking the updates?

Google maps, take your phone it's easy enough - thank me later

 

[NJSS]

Google maps or Waze (also owned by Google) - I use both but find Waze better - I particularly like the real time updates.

NJSS

 

[Smiley]

OK, so now I'm looking at using Google maps on my phone, and view it on the MBUX system as it seems to be the only solution. I've read all the instructions and watched all the videos on how to set up using Android Auto, but I get absolutely nothing on my car screen, whereas the videos tell me I should get an Android Auto menu in the car when I connect.
If I connect the phone by USB and select 'media', the car system runs through every media file on my phone, including ringtones etc, but with no control and no menu, at least proving that I have a connection via the USB cable.
I have contacted MB both locally and the customer services, but as usual, there is nobody who can help me. Any suggestions?
I don't have an Android Auto app as such on the phone, as with modern Samsung's, it just runs as a background task.

There is another more simple option. Just forget anything to do with the car system altogether. We have several cars, all but one has a relatively expensive manufacturer sat nav system (in the case of the BMW a £2-3k option when new); - and none of them are used. Just use the phone - with the sound on you don't even need to look at the phone screen anyway.
In reality how many journeys do you make pa where you even need the sat nav? If you do 2k miles pa my guess is that most of those are the same journeys?
Make sure that a rational judgement about what to do for the next x years for your car is not clouded by a complete non issue - ie how up to date the sat nav system is.

 

[PeterLanky]

If you do 2k miles pa my guess is that most of those are the same journeys?

The only reason for my low mileage has been covid. Prior to that I would be going on at least 3 long trips per year, and various shorter trips that Satnav is helpful for, particularly warnings of up and coming queues.

The option of using the phone through the car system is a good one, if only I could get the damn thing to work.

 

[Smiley]

The only reason for my low mileage has been covid. Prior to that I would be going on at least 3 long trips per year, and various shorter trips that Satnav is helpful for, particularly warnings of up and coming queues.

The option of using the phone through the car system is a good one, if only I could get the damn thing to work.

I'll say it one more time and then I'll keep quiet.
You do not need the car system AT ALL. Just the phone - and potentially a mount to put the phone in.
Keep it simple.

 

[BTB 500]

I'll say it one more time and then I'll keep quiet.
You do not need the car system AT ALL. Just the phone - and potentially a mount to put the phone in.
Keep it simple.

I think quite a few people find a phone screen a bit small for navigation (I know I do) - if you already have a big screen on the dash it's better to have the app running on that if you can (IMHO). Having said that on our S205 (NTG 5.5) I prefer using the MB navigation as you can have the summary stuff (next turn, and small overhead map) on the instrument cluster. The MB live traffic isn't great though, and I miss having speed camera alerts.

In the SL and Vito I use a TomTom (with lifetime free map updates/live traffic/speed cameras) for planned trips, with phone navigation only for unexpected use. I do have a phone holder on the dash of both.

 

[PeterLanky]

The bottom line is that I don't want to have a phone holder in the car, and want the phone to be locked away while I drive charging itself up.

According to the blurb, I can easily do what I desire which is to connect the phone to the MBUX system via 'Andriod Auto', but at the moment it will not do this, and nobody from MB either at local or national level seems to have the knowledge to help me through this. I have watched all the videos, which suggest I should see something on my car screen when I connect the phone by USB cable, but this doesn't happen. Maybe there is something in my MBUX system that is switched off, but try as I might, I can't get the menu on by car screen.

 

[BTB 500]

It took a couple of dealer visits to get the Android Auto / Apple CarPlay working on our C Class (this was an option, which our car did have). The car was under warranty so they were quite happy to do it - they first replaced a media control module and later it went back for a software upgrade which finally did the trick. Until then neither type of phone showed up as a connected device when plugged in to the data socket.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Also there are various setting on the phone itself that tell the phone how to act when connected via USB..like just charging, storage, data transfer etc etc.

 

[Dippo]

Have you read this?

Product Help & Support | Samsung Levant

Contact Samsung support team in Jordan to discover more about Samsung warranty check, and find tips for your product, manuals & software download and more.

www.samsung.com

 

[PeterLanky]

.

 

[PeterLanky]

It took a couple of dealer visits to get the Android Auto / Apple CarPlay working on our C Class (this was an option, which our car did have). The car was under warranty so they were quite happy to do it - they first replaced a media control module and later it went back for a software upgrade which finally did the trick. Until then neither type of phone showed up as a connected device when plugged in to the data socket.

I'm starting to think there is an element missing and I'll have to visit the dealer.

Also there are various setting on the phone itself that tell the phone how to act when connected via USB..like just charging, storage, data transfer etc etc.

Already looked at that, all is OK there.

Have you read this?

Product Help & Support | Samsung Levant

Contact Samsung support team in Jordan to discover more about Samsung warranty check, and find tips for your product, manuals & software download and more.

www.samsung.com

It goes wrong as soon as I reach "Connect your phone to the car display. The Android app will be displayed immediately."

 

[PeterLanky]

I have failed over and over again to connect my phone to my car using Android Auto. I can play music stored on my phone, but no more.

After much faffing about, and realising that there is a great deal of lack of knowledge among MB staff, I have been told that my car only supports Android Auto and that it is not actually installed, and I can have this a the cost of some eyewatering sum. I have lost patience with them and don't really trust anything I hear now.

So is it true that I may not have Android Auto installed, or are they trying to bullshit me into parting with money, which I am not going to do, for something that is already there but just needs somebody to know how to access it?

 

[Benz17]

If your car has android auto then code 17U should be on the data card, and 16U for Apple Car Play.

Try and contact Comandonline in light water, they will confirm what you have, and what your options are, if your car doesn’t have it. They are the specialist in this are, and much cheaper then main dealers.

Catalog

We have the parts you need to upgrade & update your Mercedes In-Car Entertainment Systems. We provide Genuine Mercedes map updates (and map updates for more than just Mercedes), Reversing Camera, Phone & Bluetooth solutions, iPod integration, Sat-Nav retrofit parts and much more for you to...

www.commandonline.co.uk

 

[PeterLanky]

If your car has android auto then code 17U should be on the data card, and 16U for Apple Car Play.

Try and contact Comandonline in light water, they will confirm what you have, and what your options are, if your car doesn’t have it. They are the specialist in this are, and much cheaper then main dealers.

Catalog

We have the parts you need to upgrade & update your Mercedes In-Car Entertainment Systems. We provide Genuine Mercedes map updates (and map updates for more than just Mercedes), Reversing Camera, Phone & Bluetooth solutions, iPod integration, Sat-Nav retrofit parts and much more for you to...

www.commandonline.co.uk

After many phone calls, it seems that I don't have Android Auto, which MB tells me is not installed on any of the newer models with MBUX.

Comand UK can only supply me with the same software updates or Android Auto that MB can, so it seems MB has me by the short and curlies whichever way I go. Looks like I'll have to make do without the live traffic from now on, because I'm not paying their prices.

 

[Benz17]

That is a poor showing from a premium car maker, especially mbux being a newer version of the infotainment system. One would have thought it would come as standard.

I would still give a call to comand online, just to get prices, you have nothing to lose.

 

[PeterLanky]

That is a poor showing from a premium car maker, especially mbux being a newer version of the infotainment system. One would have thought it would come as standard.

I would still give a call to comand online, just to get prices, you have nothing to lose.

I did call Comand Online. The cost would be the same as MB charges.

As you say, it's a poor showing, and stinks of profiteering. Also I'm guessing that like me, Android Auto was something most people had never heard of when they bought their car, so would never have questioned it's lack of inclusion.

 

[Skd884]

Speak to my mate Ash at Execspec Nottingham

Gallery - Exec Spec Car Audio Security

Take a look at past vehicles enhanced with great results! We offer professional installation service Nottingham, Derby, and Leicester.

www.execspec.co.uk

 

[geoffus]

I did call Comand Online. The cost would be the same as MB charges.

As you say, it's a poor showing, and stinks of profiteering. Also I'm guessing that like me, Android Auto was something most people had never heard of when they bought their car, so would never have questioned it's lack of inclusion.

I don’t think Comand Online are necessarily profiteering overly, just othering a service to enhance a non standard feature.
Non of my Mercedes’ have this feature, I manage well enough, if it’s a very tricky destination I will use Waze, maybe 4 times a year.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I did call Comand Online. The cost would be the same as MB charges.

As you say, it's a poor showing, and stinks of profiteering. Also I'm guessing that like me, Android Auto was something most people had never heard of when they bought their car, so would never have questioned it's lack of inclusion.

What makes it profiteering?