Skylaw

Mercedes is making it possible to send maps and turn instructions from Yahoo!® Local Maps and Google™ Maps from one's computer via Tele-Aid to one's nav system in the MY07 S-Class, CL-Class, and MY08 C-Class with the Multimedia Package and Navigation System. See http://www.searchandsend.com/SS_overview.html

slowrey

I always thought it would be cool to be able to have a CF card slot in the dash that you could put maps on that translated to your Nav Screen.

kenstudios

Dang, just got my letter of thanks from Tele aid thanking me for all the money I've given them. "Sorry we cant renew your subscription" was the signature. So much for that.

Skylaw

kenstudios,

Yup. The map forwarding feature is only available on the '07's and later with the multimedia option. Leaves you and me both out. I read some time ago that the '07 COMANDs have 80GB hard drives - the feature likely takes advantage of that. Some folks writing in the trade journals are saying the maps can also be forwarded from a web-enabled phone in addition to a computer, but the MBUSA website doesn't address that (at least, at this time).

However, MB does offer a digital Tele-Aid retrofit that would let you continue that service - around $600 or so. Available for '01 and later; I understand some '00 S-Class can't be fitted with it, and some can.

It still wouldn't get us the map forwarding.

kenstudios

Skylaw, I have just been quoted $1700 for this retrofit on MY06 S500. Do I really need it? Maybe, then again maybe not. We'll see.

Skylaw

Kenstudios, you can't mean for the digital Tele-Aid update. Your '06 W220 already has a digital Tele-Aid system. According to MBUSA, the cars equipped with analog Tele-Aid systems that will need upgrade are "Mercedes-Benz Model Year 2000 to 2004 vehicles, Model Year 2005 M-Class vehicles, G-Class and Maybach vehicles up to Model Year 2006, and all SLR vehicles." See http://www.mbusa.com/care/client-care/teleaid.do

Now, I am wondering why you got a non-renewal letter. Could they still have record of an older, or different, model you owned?

The principal benefit I see for Tele-Aid is automatic reporting of an airbag deployment, together with your GPS location; and secondarily, the tracking feature in case of theft. For the cars that need retrofit of the digital Tele-Aid, I have seen prices range from about $600 for the equipment, to $900 for the equipment plus a multi-year Tele-Aid subscription.

As far as the ability to send maps from your computer or cell phone to your car, it's a nice-to-have. I am not aware of whether a multimedia package exists that can be retrofitted to the '06 (or the '05, since the COMANDs are similar). The '07 W221 COMAND has an 80GB hard disc drive (don't know if it's only included in the multimedia option, or is standard). Most other nav systems I have seen with HDD capability use it in partitions, for system programming, music storage, navigation database, address book, and so forth. It would be logical that MB might use this HDD capability to store maps and nav info from other sources.

Personally, I would not pay $1700 for the retrofit, if there is one for our particular COMANDs. What I would like to see is that ability to add a great deal more "yellow pages" information - a far more robust capability than we now have. There are nav systems that let you choose from far more points of interest (including individual stores, not just shopping centers, for example); and when choosing them, let you access the phone numbers and more. That might be worth having (but I'm not sure it's worth $1700 just for that capability).

Basically, I am satisfied with my car's navigation capability for getting from one place to another. The Gateway 500 for iPod and the DVD capability are great for music. The phone system works fine for phone and address capability. The MB POI capability needs improvement, and that's the biggest benefit I see of the new Yahoo and Google map transfer capability, with their information on specific business locations.

kenstudios

I just activated my tele aid with no problem. The letter they sent was for MY2000 model. Thanks for the info.