Help from W/S 213 owners - traffic notifications

[Jocky]

Hi

I am trying to get to the bottom of a number of issues with the latest COMAND release in the new E class, specifically around the LiveTraffic and traffic announcements.

Could other 213 owners (doesn't matter if saloon or estate, though mine is an estate) let me know if

a) when TA is activated you actually get interruptions for traffic info broadcast by radio station?

b) whether you get any traffic warning notifications when using navigation (as in "queuing traffic for x miles") ?


Despite a software reload I am getting neither and the navigation system seems to take great delight in barrelling me straight in to congestion at every opportunity!

For info, I have all 25 available connected services showing as active.

thanks

Steve

 

[Proeliator2001]

I've never had ta active as it drives me mad however I regularly get an indication of what traffic delays are along my route via the sat nav display top right where ETA is displayed. It comes up with a two overlapping cars/delay icon and how many minutes delay it's adding. I've also had the sat nav announce, despite having audio directions muted, that I was about to reach the end of a tailback (great safety feature I thought). So I'm pretty certain mine is getting live traffic updates.

I've also set mine to dynamic route but it's not yet altered my route based on traffic conditions. Not had bad enough traffic for it to do that yet, luckily.

If yours doesn't do any of that it sounds like an issue.

Can your interrogate the car via Mercedes me app to see fuel tank/tyre pressures etc? Can you remote lock? That would indicate the SIM is fine and the car is receiving data. Rules one possible issue out.

 

[Jocky]

Thanks for the reply. I can use all the connect me services fine, so I know there is comms to the car. I've deactivated and reactivated the livetraffic subscription and had the dealer reload all the latest COMAND software as that's all they know to do.

I'm not impressed really!

 

[Proeliator2001]

Right, did some messing around today. I've a 106 mile round trip so with semi autonomous kit working I've a lot of spare time!

In navi / route / route settings I have selected
. Announce traffic warnings. This has only ever given me'end of tailback' verbal announcements.
.dynamic route. This will look to reroute me around traffic jams.
. Ask before changing. This makes a selection box appear rather than just going ahead and altering the route.

Today on the way home there was a snarl up on the m1 south. 28 minute delay was signalled on the top right of navi display. About 4 minutes later, maybe less, a box appeared saying an alternative route was available and asking me to accept, reject or show it in map. The box is great, it shows how much time the detour will save and what the delta in mileage will be. Asking to see on map shows original route as 1 and detour as 2. Good stuff.

Nothing was verbally announced for that.

On the way in to work I also went to media /sound / other sounds settings and ticked traffic announcements. Why on earth it's there I don't know. It feels like it's more natural to have that in navi menu. Anyway, yesterday I had dab set to BBC world service as I was following the end of civilisation as we know it, sorry,i meant the USA elections. A while after i set it, I was listening to media and it was interrupted for a ta message from world service.

Not sure what the takeaway is from that. I don't know if within both media and radio you need to select ta on and whether dab needs to be sat on a station that gives ta. But in the above config mine worked.

Hope that helps you troubleshoot yours and argue against dealer if they think you're imagining things.

 

[Jocky]

Thanks for your help in investigating this.

I can confirm that I get the terrble thin green, yellow and red lines showing traffic flow. Compared to previous COMAND navigation systems these are truly awful to make out on the maps (I have two other 2016 C class vehicles and much prefer the older yellow/red box style).

I also get the notification of delay with the small overlapping vehicle. Trouble is, you have no idea where this delay is occuring. In the previous system, when a delay was identified, it notified you audibly and you could also view all traffic issues on your route in text form. You can't with this system. It used to say stuff like " ...on the M1 between junction 10 and 11, queueing traffic for three miles"

As far as the TA goes, if I tune in to a local radio station and that station broadcasts a traffic update, I get a message. That's no good. What it's supposed to do (and does on every previous model I've had) is switch to a TA broadcast regardless of whatever you're listening to at the time, be it CD, another radio station, or media.

I have had a case lodged with the CAC and sent them screen shots of my connect me services and my live traffic subscription in the vehicle.

Ultimately, in this form, I do not think the navigation system is fit for purpose and it's a backwards step from the previous versions.

(let's not talk about the car switching itself in to manual mode periodically or resetting all the interior lighting and accessibilty options to off on a regular basis.......)

 

[nickpb]

Ultimately, in this form, I do not think the navigation system is fit for purpose and it's a backwards step from the previous versions.

Fully agree with you on that point. I'll say no more.

As far as the TA alerts are concerned, I also find that they are very few and far between nowadays and I don't know why. 10 years ago I was running a Citroen C5 and it seemed that the radio was being interrupted every few minutes with alerts. Now I can go for weeks without getting them. I live well within the BBC Radio Solent region and I know that they transmit the TA alerts, but I don't ever get them. Why? I do sometimes get TA from other local radio stations when I get close to their area but apart from that, nothing. Never managed to work out why.

As far as the 'live' traffic is concerned, unless the congestion is really long, I tend to ignore them. I usually find by the time I get there it's clear anyway. Yes, i've been caught out a couple of times but not often.

 

[brymac]

Oh dear - I am currently trying to persuade the MB dealer who sold me a one year old low mileage E-class 350 saloon that the COMAND system is faulty as (unlike my previous 2014 E-class cabriolet) it does not read out the traffic warnings!!

Looks like I may be on a hiding to nothing - if the "new" system really doesn't offer what my old car did, I may press them to take this one back and sell me an end of range 2016 e-class with a sensible sat nav system....

I take it there has been no progress on this really annoying issue?

Bryan

 

[nickpb]

Good luck with that. Aside from the sat nav it's a really nice car but I have to say the whole experience with the sat nav has m me question how long I will stick with my E-Class.

 

[brymac]

Well it's official - Mercedes Technical have said that (and I quote) :

"The System is working correctly; there are no verbal announcements for traffic conditions on this variant”

That is, by any stretch of the imagination, disgraceful and I have now formally rejected the car and it will go back to the dealer.. Ironically, I shall now be looking for a pre-October 2016 car with the old fully functioning COMAND system fitted. And don't get me started on the absence of the SD card slot for navigation data or the mind boggling complication of loading up navigation destinations one by one. It is a dog's breakfast and and I am astonished that this mess had not attracted more adverse publicly!! Are people just not bothered any more??

Bryan

 

[StuW213]

Hi,

I don't get any verbal announcements but the sat nav does direct me with a lot of determination to avoid traffic problems. When there are delays on the route it has chosen they are indicated top right and bottom left it says 'live traffic' or some such.
I ignored it and went the route I knew at the weekend, ended up in a 20 minute queue during which stop start didn't activate which is why I don't currently have the car and can't say any more about my settings!

 

[StuW213]

Ps just noticed you've said you're rejecting it, that sends a shame for this. With the TA functionality is that dependent on using FM radio since it just picks up on a transmission signal sent by the station and switches you that channel? I use DAB and never liked the radio announcements anyway.

 

[st13phil]

Well it's official - Mercedes Technical have said that (and I quote) :

"The System is working correctly; there are no verbal announcements for traffic conditions on this variant”

That is, by any stretch of the imagination, disgraceful and I have now formally rejected the car and it will go back to the dealer.

Are you rejecting it under the 30-day used car scheme? If not, I'd expect it to be a fun ride unless you made verbal announcements for traffic conditions from the COMAND system a specific requirement of the contract.

 

[brymac]

Rejected - in fact 2 weeks after 30 days. Car returned and full purchase price refunded. Now proud owner (from another MB group) of a 15 month old E350 dark blue E-Class Cabriolet - one of the last built with the old style COMAND module with a SD card slot - bliss..........!!!

 

[StuW213]

Congrats!

 

[st13phil]

Result!