LovinMercedes

Somebody please tell me my 2005 COMAND navigation system is broken because I can't believe Mercedes Benz could have messed this up this badly.

What I am referring to is on page 142 of the COMAND Operator's Manual in the center of the page where it talks about "Changing the map display"

It says the following:

"While route guidance is active, you can switch between split view and full view.

- Split view:
The map is shown on the left side and the information on the next maneuver on the right.

or

- Full view:
Full view of the map.

- Press MAP
The display changes with every push of the button"

I love this new feature but this is the problem. If you push the MAP button and get to the Split View it is great until you reach a maneuver. Once the maneuver is completed, the map automatically goes back to the Full View. In order to get back to the Split View to see the next maneuver, you have to push the MAP button again.

To me, this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.

What should happen is that you should only have to push the MAP button once to get to the Split View and it should stay there. Once in the Split View mode, it should stay in the Split View and not go back to the Full View after each maneuver. This makes it necessary to once again push the MAP button to get back to the Split View. In other words, after each maneuver you have to push the MAP button to get back to the Split View. If you have 10 maneuvers in your route, you will have to push the MAP button 10 times if you want to stay in the Split View mode.

I need you to tell me if my unit is broken in or does everyone's 2005 COMAND navigation work this way.

In other words, once you push MAP to switch to Split View does it stay a Split View or does it go back to Full View after each maneuver causing you to have to push MAP button again to get back to the Split View.

Remember, this only works when the route quidance is active.

Someone please tell me Mercedes is not this stupid and that my unit is broken. I would think that once you put the screen into Split View it would stay there after each maneuver instead of going back to Full View.

Please let me know how yours works. This is a new great feature in the 2005 COMAND but I can't believe they messed it up this badly.

Thanks.

tiggerfink

As I said before, Mercedes suck when it comes to radios, NAV, and phones.

StephenK

I will check mine for you on my way to the office tomorrow and let you know how another 05 SL600 acts.

mick1

Your Comand unit is broken

Mine would stay in the split view

LovinMercedes

I know in Full View when you get to a maneuver point it goes to Split View for that maneuver and then back to Full View after the maneuver. It then repeats that process again when you get to the next maneuver.

What I am talking about is staying in Split View 100% of the time and never going to Full View.

Are you saying your unit stays in Split View 100% of the time when you set that mode?

mick1

i took these pics some months back. notice how the screen is always in split view.

LovinMercedes

Thanks for the pictures but let me ask you a few questions if you don't mind. Sorry to be a pain but I can't believe my 1 month old unit is broken.

If I look at these pictures these are pictures that would be in Split View even when the mode is in Full View.

For instance, the top picture shows a turn coming up in less than 500 feet. Under full view it would turn to split view to show that. The next picture shows a turn in less than 200 feet and that would be the same case as above.

The last two pictures show going to destination and reaching destination and again, under full view, at those points it would go to split view.

The issue is, at all points during this trip when you are not seeing a manuever and the arrow may just point straight with no manuever immediatley in site, does the screen stay in split view and does it always stay there.

Sorry to be such a pain but before I go to the Dealer, I need to make absolutely sure because the Dealer will have no idea.

Thank you so much for all your help.

carlosfernandez

I steel prefere the 2003 model. hope that lovingsl600 will fix it in hurry.

LovinMercedes

I spoke with Montvale this morning and some COMAND designer in Mercedes is that stupid. The unit is not broken and they said it was designed that way.

How stupid can this person be when they designed it that way? The way they have done it, there is no difference between the two views. The full view goes to split view at the maneuver point and the split view goes to full view after the maneuver point. How stupid is that?

While I might love my car, I dislike the COMAND unit. I think as far as competition goes, the navigation is one of the worst designs out in the market.

My little $1000 portable Garmin Street Pilot 2620 puts the navigation in the Mercedes to shame. So does every car I have ever looked at including those cars that are as little as 30% of the price I paid for my car.

Mercedes does so many things so well but they really need to fix this problem. They really do. Shame on Mercedes.

TestnDoc

Your nav works just like mine. I have an SL600 and a CL500, and both will revert to single view after you come to an intersetcion/turning point. I dont think it can be adjusted, but if so, let us know. Thanks.

LovinMercedes

No, Montvale said it is a default and can't be adjusted. You don't think those "professional designers" would think of that? Afterall, that would take some "common sense."

Mercedes does so many things so well. Why can't they get this COMAND right?

MBenzNL

...erm...mercedes didn't design that comand - siemens did...

You cannot compare an Alpine MCS II unit with a siemens comand...

greetingz,

StephenK

Here is how it works for me.

When I select split view I see the map on the left and the directional information on the right. Starting from home where the turns are frequent (short distances between) the screen stays in split view after each turn. However once I get on a street that I will be traveling a long distance the screen switches automatically to full screen map view, but as I get close to the turn it automatically switches back to split view.

Hope this helps!

LovinMercedes

That is exactly how mine works. I feel it should just stay in split view. The way you are describing it, it would work the same way in full view except for that initial split screen you see until you get to the first maneuver.

That makes the two views basically operate in the exact same way. That seems rather ridiculous to me.

The reason you want to screen to stay in split view is because the right side of the split view tells you how far until the next maneuver. When the screen is in full view, the change to the split screeen notice to the maneuver is rather short. If it were to remain in split screen you would know exactly how far the next maneuver is and be able to plan for it. That is a real benefit if you really do not know where you are going. For now, the only way to get that benefit is to push the MAP button again and again after each maneuver so it goes back to split view.

If you are so inclined, check out in full view how short the notice is to the next maneuver when the screen changes to the split view. I think the time frame is very short and quite frankly, shorter than it was in the 2004 navigation which basically did the exact same thing.

Thank you very much for taking the time to check it out.

Much appreciated.

LovinMercedes

MBenzNL,

I certainly understand that the original design was not done by Mercedes but these units were custom designed for Mercedes and some designer in Mercedes approved this system.

I was not aware that the Navigation units in the various models were from different manufactures. Do you know which models have which units?

Quite frankly I am looking at trading in my 2003 Navigator and are not considering the new 2006 ML because of the Mercedes COMAND unit.

tiggerfink

LovinSL600,

I would like to beat Mercedes too.

Those Hyundai owners get to have a better radio, phone and nav than us Mercedes owners. I think those cars are only 10,000.

mick1

i checked mine this morning and it does change back to full screen after each maneuver. it would change to split screen when it's time for the next maneuver.

however, it doesn't bother me much because there's a smaller display of that split screen right in the middle of my C320's instrument panel (between the speedometer and tachometer) and it stays fixed all the time . There has got to be one like that on your SL.

StephenK

On the plus side for this navigation system, the level of detail is far superior to previous navigation from Mercedes. My 2001 S500 navigation system is far more basic and lacking in the details, not to mention having to use multiple discs depending on your location. The DVD navigation is a big plus over the old.

LovinMercedes

What the split screen gives you on the detail on the right side is the amount of distance to the next maneuver. This is obviously very helpful. It also gives you the distance to the end of the trip.

On the 2005 SL navigation system, the center console does have the read outs as you speak but it does not show the distance to the next maneuver. It only shows the distance to the final destination which is much less important.

Thanks for your feedback and checking on this.

LovinMercedes

Stephen,

I do agree with your view point on the new navigation system verses the old one. I think what bothers me so much is that they could have made it even that much better with just a few changes.

I feel if all the other car companies have done it, why hasn't Mercedes?