Live traffic updates

[rf065]

3 years free maps update

and

3 years free Live Traffic

are two different things.

I understand that, the car came with 3 years live traffic, but George R said to claim back the cost of the map update, which would never happen.

 

[markjay]

Thank you for the further information.
My situation is similar to this but not quite the same.
1.) It is an E class 2014 model, delivered on 21 11 2013 and does not have the built in KOM module. However it can use the phone's data connection via BlueTooth so the data can reach the device.

2.) I used to have the Tom Tom Live Traffic service (code B54 - MBConnect ...) and it has been expired 16 months ago. (I have the option to renew it on the portal but I do not think it is a good value for the money.)

Are you saying this setup may have cancelled the access to TMC? Does this mean all cars with Code B54 - MB Connect have the same disabled TMC ?

It is a little bit confusing as the same car with the same setup can access TMC in some countries - such as in Germany - today.
So do you think I can revert the TMC for other countries by having some change on the car configuration ?
Regards

PS
I have had the discussion with the MB UK helpline (Command online and standard helpline as well) and transferred to some other European hotlines quite a few times.

Your 2014 car with factory-fitted COMAND will have the KOM Module with the built-in 3g data-only simcard installed as standard. The TomTom Live data service does not work without it.

TomTom Live Traffic can only be provided via the Vodafone 3g connection, i.e. not via your own mobile phone. In fact if you switch off your mobile phone TomTom Live Traffic will still work.

Your mobile phone Internet connection will be used by COMAND Online for a range of services, but not for TomTom Live Traffic.

If your car was made in late 2013, then TomTom Live data will be the only Mercedes Me service available for it.

Later cars will have additional Mercedes Me services available (e.g. remote locking/unlocking, geofencing, etc).

All Mercedes Me services use the KOM Module.

Said that, you could install the generic Mercedes Me Adapter that will allow you access to the car via your mobile phone's Bluetooth connection (not the KOM Module).

UK cars came from the factory with TMC enabled and TomTom disabled. Once TomTom was activated by the owner (online via Mercedes Me website), TMC was deactivated for good. Not sure how TMC works in other countries.

Also, many of the KOM Modules on 2013/2014 cars were replaced under warranty at the time. But it is not 100% clear if this was actually due to a faulty batch, or perhpas dealers were not familiar with the technology and did the only thing they knew how... replace parts.

 

[markjay]

I understand that, the car came with 3 years live traffic, but George R said to claim back the cost of the map update, which would never happen.

I don't know much about the Garmin Map Pilot system, but some members here said that the live traffic option only worked with original MB SD-Cards purchased directly from the dealer (and costing £££), but not with cheaper SD-Cards bought off eBay. I can't verify this however.

 

[rf065]

I don't know much about the Garmin Map Pilot system, but some members here said that the live traffic option only worked with original MB SD-Cards purchased directly from the dealer (and costing £££), but not with cheaper SD-Cards bought off eBay. I can't verify this however.

Sadly, I can verify it!

 

[WJE]

I have a 2015 B220 4matic that has Map Pilot (NOT Command). The live traffic worked perfectly for 3 years but then expired. No one at Mercedes dealer seemed to know how to renew subscription. It was suggested I purchase a new SD card which updated the Navigation system and gave me 1 year live traffic subscription but parts department said that cost £495!!! They seemed unaware that it might simply be a Tom Tom subscription that needed update but no info on TomTom site either. Obviously did not accept their kind offer of almost £500 for a 1 year live traffic subscription and I am not even confident that it would work anyway.
Have registered a formal complaint with MB and await feedback

 

[WJE]

OK. Now friends again with Mercedes. Problem was lack of knowledge of dealership contact. Just bought the Garmin Map pilot 2018/2019 sd card update (new SD card) for £99 from Mercedes dealer and this gives 3 more years of live traffic plus latest maps. Works perfectly and live traffic does not expire until 2022! Happy days!

 

[Tomham]

OK. Now friends again with Mercedes. Problem was lack of knowledge of dealership contact. Just bought the Garmin Map pilot 2018/2019 sd card update (new SD card) for £99 from Mercedes dealer and this gives 3 more years of live traffic plus latest maps. Works perfectly and live traffic does not expire until 2022! Happy days!

£99????? that's cheap, what happened to the £499?

 

[AllPow]

OK. Now friends again with Mercedes. Problem was lack of knowledge of dealership contact. Just bought the Garmin Map pilot 2018/2019 sd card update (new SD card) for £99 from Mercedes dealer and this gives 3 more years of live traffic plus latest maps. Works perfectly and live traffic does not expire until 2022! Happy days!

Great tip

 

[Tomham]

Great tip

If my dealer only charged £99 maybe I would but he wants £500!

 

[Reefraider]

OK. Now friends again with Mercedes. Problem was lack of knowledge of dealership contact. Just bought the Garmin Map pilot 2018/2019 sd card update (new SD card) for £99 from Mercedes dealer and this gives 3 more years of live traffic plus latest maps. Works perfectly and live traffic does not expire until 2022! Happy days!

What is the Mercedes part number on the sd card seems to be a lot of confusion out there on this subject!!!

 

[andyshez]

New owner of a 2015 C220 with the basic Garmin sat nav.
Looking to enable live traffic updates.
My build spec includes "B54 MBCONNECT - REAL-TIME TRAFFIC DATA"

Please can anyone help with what to purchase?

Within MercedesMe Shop ( Mercedes me connect United Kingdom )
I get the message:
Live Traffic Information is unfortunately not available for your C 220 d Estate AMG Line vehicle due to the hardware installed ex factory.

 

[Stevenwb]

I have a 2014 E Class Sport with Comand 4.5 Just recently the Live Traffic has become erratic. Sometimes starts, other times 100 mile and it doesnt log on at all. Sometimes, switching the engine off removing key and restarting will encourage it. Other times it loads in seconds.
I've contacted CS and they have requested photos of settings and accept there is a problem with Live Traffic and Comand 4.5
Very helpful, we will see whether things can be fixed.

 

[nictry]

I have a 2014 E Class Sport with Comand 4.5 Just recently the Live Traffic has become erratic. Sometimes starts, other times 100 mile and it doesnt log on at all. Sometimes, switching the engine off removing key and restarting will encourage it. Other times it loads in seconds.
I've contacted CS and they have requested photos of settings and accept there is a problem with Live Traffic and Comand 4.5
Very helpful, we will see whether things can be fixed.

I have had issues with my 2015 ML with comand 4.7 which had an expired live traffic subscription. I agreed with dealer they would cover cost of 3 year reactivate which I duly purchased through MercedesMe however the initial activation failed to work for over 48 hours so called Cust service and then hey presto it worked in minutes BUT for the next 3 weeks it would only actually work probably once in every 4 drives, and the actual traffic page on the menu would be all greyed out so not even able to see if there was an active subscription

So I called them, it would then work the next time and then following that it would stop again, basically this went on for about 2 weeks with a resulting call to CS and various reasons (excuses) as to problems with the car not activating properly, the software, the acccount at head office etc etc. I did eventually lose my rag a bit and told them if they didn’t sort it out within 48 hours the car would go back as this was part of the salesman’s ‘sell’ when I said I would really miss apple play which I previously had for maps/traffic (I probably wasn’t serious but I was so fed up with it I felt I needed to vent a little)

Anyway lo and behold it has been stable as a rock since (hopefully I am not tempting fate) but whatever they have now done seems to have fixed it as it has worked 100% of the journeys taken since!

Hope you get yours fixed as it does work really well when it works and saves on shelling out for a tomtom with traffic or having wires/phone holders to use Waze etc instead.

 

[Bonerp]

I've had problems with my TOMTOM Live traffic working consistently. Sometimes it starts immediately and other times doesn't at all. Is it dependent upon Vodafone 3g being available then and if it wasn't initially doesn't it keep trying?
Merc Me support told me to go to Mercedes dealer for an update/fix but the fix they did last week doesn't work any better. In fact this week its in again to try to resolve it and mercedes dealer suggested upgrading the maps at a cost of £250!!! I don't think so.
So I'll give it another week after today before I ask Mercedes Me Support for a refund if I still have issues and I'll revert to using google maps in future. Technology eh!

 

[Stevenwb]

I have had issues with my 2015 ML with comand 4.7 which had an expired live traffic subscription. I agreed with dealer they would cover cost of 3 year reactivate which I duly purchased through MercedesMe however the initial activation failed to work for over 48 hours so called Cust service and then hey presto it worked in minutes BUT for the next 3 weeks it would only actually work probably once in every 4 drives, and the actual traffic page on the menu would be all greyed out so not even able to see if there was an active subscription

So I called them, it would then work the next time and then following that it would stop again, basically this went on for about 2 weeks with a resulting call to CS and various reasons (excuses) as to problems with the car not activating properly, the software, the acccount at head office etc etc. I did eventually lose my rag a bit and told them if they didn’t sort it out within 48 hours the car would go back as this was part of the salesman’s ‘sell’ when I said I would really miss apple play which I previously had for maps/traffic (I probably wasn’t serious but I was so fed up with it I felt I needed to vent a little)

Anyway lo and behold it has been stable as a rock since (hopefully I am not tempting fate) but whatever they have now done seems to have fixed it as it has worked 100% of the journeys taken since!

Hope you get yours fixed as it does work really well when it works and saves on shelling out for a tomtom with traffic or having wires/phone holders to use Waze etc instead.

Update, having spoken to CS, within a few days after weeks of erratic, all of a sudden has worked for the last 12 days, every time without fail. Even logging in very quickly, where as before when it was working well, it took 3 mins to log on. I had a surprise call from Mercedes, just a courtesy to say the fault had been escalated to Stuttgart. I'm sure something has been updated because the difference is phenomenal.
Having learnt that the Live Traffic works on Vodaphone, unfortunately Vodaphone in my immediate vicinity is useless. 500 yds away, its good. Thought that may be an issue, but obviously not. Or maybe it tries to log on more than once. Anyway, because I commute into outer London suburbs and I can see the traffic, I'm more than happy again.

 

[Stevenwb]

I've had problems with my TOMTOM Live traffic working consistently. Sometimes it starts immediately and other times doesn't at all. Is it dependent upon Vodafone 3g being available then and if it wasn't initially doesn't it keep trying?
Merc Me support told me to go to Mercedes dealer for an update/fix but the fix they did last week doesn't work any better. In fact this week its in again to try to resolve it and mercedes dealer suggested upgrading the maps at a cost of £250!!! I don't think so.
So I'll give it another week after today before I ask Mercedes Me Support for a refund if I still have issues and I'll revert to using google maps in future. Technology eh!

See my update, you seem to have had exactly the same problems, which Mercedes are aware of. I've had 100% success since speaking to CS, I'm sure some update has been sent.

 

[Bonerp]

They fixed something in the system (software update) and it now works.

 

[osav]

Hello
I live in Sweden and own V-Class 2014 W447 with Comand NTG 5.0
When I purchased the car it has 3 years Live Traffic Information subscription.
After it expired, all the traffic information has gone.
I purchased Live Traffic Information subscription on Mercedes me portal and it came back (after few days, I had to complain to customer service, that it was not activated).
I had Traffic logo on my screen.
Then I have realized, that there are two traffic messaging systems: TMC that is transmitted over FM radio via RDS, and it is free public service,
and LTI which is paid service of TomTom that works over the Internet.
I asked Mercedes customer service why TMC was disabled after 3 years and came back with paid subscription, and why connection to Internet changes nothing, but got no reply in 5 months, despite numerous emails and phone calls.
Then I demanded money back but they offered to wait while "technicians are looking into issue" and continued to ignore me.
I understood that Mercedes customer support is a joke, and requested charge back via my bank.
Yesterday they cancelled my LTI subscription, and immediately after I started the car next time, I saw Traffic logo has gone, and I got TMC instead.
However, all the traffic information is gone again completely. I do not receive it over RDS-TMC, though there is a free service for it in Sweden.

It looks to me like Mercedes is selling this free service, and this is a scam. They are ignoring customers who ask about it.
Anyone has similar experience?

I am also wondering, how they are disabling service in my Command, if it was not connected to Internet ?

 

[roviw1]

I bought my 2015 S class a few months ago, it had no active "tom tom" live traffic so I paid the UK subscription for three years.
after a few initial glitches due to software apparently it is now working well.
While it was not working properly I did a lot of searching on the various forums and google and found that once your car has started using the paid for subscription it will never work again with the free to air TMC system.
It seems that once TMC has been over-ridden with the TomTom version it will never be possible to go back.
I do not know why but I feel it is really unfair that this happens.

 

[reverend]

I have the active service in Mercedes Me which I paid for almost 4 weeks ago but it hasn't worked once yet.

Mine is a 2015 early MY2016 car with the original firmware from then.

I noticed in Xentry it shows a login failed error for the headunit so wondering if maybe it needs an update. I'm booked in Wednesday for the NTG update - I tried to do it myself but my diags have an issue with DoIP.

I did log a support ticket with the Mercedes Me bit but haven't heard a thing which isn't great as I'm down a month and it's never worked once.