inactiveuser1019

I've just noticed this new function on my Navigation screeen, probably an update made by the dealer. When I select it, it seems to search for info, then reports that there is no info. What should it do?

NickCats

Do you have the Universal Media Interface ( UMI ) or the COMMAND navigation ?

( UMI is the 5 inch screen - COMMAND is the 7 inch screen )

I have UMI, and one of the options is TMC ( traffic message channel ). It will show me all traffic issues nearby to where I am traveling. Here in the Chicago suburbs, it only works when I am on the expressways ( otherwise no messages are displayed ). I was not aware this feature was available with the 7 inch COMMAND navigation.

Any questions, let me know...

Nick

Arcoril

COMAND has always supported TMC in Europe. In the US, however, support was finally added in MY 2010. Some people have noted that MY 08 and 09 COMAND hardware is identical to the 2010 COMAND hardware, so it's possible that a software update could enable TMC for pre-2010 vehicles.

I have a 2009 C300 with COMAND, so I'd be really interested in more details.

inactiveuser1019

Comand.

inactiveuser1019

Mine's a 2008, and it now has this function.

justthinking

Didn't MY2010 w/ command get traffic info w/ paid Sirius Radio subscription?

joshg1001

I want traffic sooo bad!

2009 Comand

blue00r6

yeah I has no traffic ( that i can find ) would have been useful on the drive home today!

MM

Arcoril

Awesome, thanks for the clarification. I'll call my service advisor and see if he can set me up with the same thing.

Were you eventually able to fix your issue with not receiving TMC data? I've been under the impression that TMC needs a current Sirius subscription to work.

Whtn_MB

I have the COMAND navigation as well, and traffic via Sirius... It took me a while to figure out that you need to go into the Traffic menu and make sure that it is set to overlay traffic info on the map, and that the traffic info only shows up for major interstates and routes.

It is sorta useful, but it doesn't update in realtime. I was stuck in traffic for quite a while after an accident happened up ahead, and it didn't update for the 20 minutes it took to get to my destination...

inactiveuser1019

Would you tell us how to do that?

jaeguyoon

so is it confirmed the 08-09 command can get traffic through a update at the dealer? if so Im gonna call asap and get it done!

Whtn_MB

Sure,
(Caveats -I have the MM package with Sirius Traffic information, a 3.99/month addon to the subscription, and the latest software)

Go to the Navi screen, click on Navi to bring up the dropdown menu, select Traffic Information on Map, and make sure all three boxes are selected. Then zoom out of the map all the way, you should see at least a couple of yellow and red cars. Traffic flow shows up as green lines on the side of each road with the occasional arrow pointing in the direction of travel, yellow cars on either side for some slowdowns, and red cars for the areas where you are going to be spending some quality time listening to music .

On the bottom, the Traffic option will bring up any traffic messages for nearby highways/routes, useful to check right before you get on the road.

joshg1001

yeah we dont even have the traffic button on the Navi dropdown menu...

Whtn_MB

If it makes you feel better, it really isn't worth it

RLE

Not for four bucks per month, it isn't.

Whtn_MB

It isn't the price, it is the quality of the service. I'm still on the free 6 months that came with the car.

The obsessive-compulsive completionist in me wants to have that feature so there won't be features in the menu that don't work, but the practical side is unimpressed. I have yet to see an alert that actually saved me time, and I live in traffic hell, no exaggeration.

joshg1001

4 dollars only a month...I think its worth it. The sat radio on the other hand, is not.

NickCats

So, in order to get traffic with COMMAND you need to pay for this service through Sirius after you go to the dealer to turn on the feature ?

With the UMI, I receive the traffic updates free ( no subscription to Sirius required ).

Just trying to clarify...

Thanks,

Nick

xxnonamexx

I have an 08 C Class and newest Nav version where is the traffic located?

user 9924

Kind of sucks that Mercedes Benz has to bundle the Traffic Info with the Sirius Satellite radio. BMW provides Traffic Info for free for the life of the car.

rs1985

ouch
i never listen to sat radio
yet would love to have that traffic thing tho

Peabody

I'll let you know when my car comes off the boat, but I had TMC enabled in Europe on my MY2009. There's a setting in the engineering menu to enable/disable it so I don't even think you need a software update.

justthinking

for MY08 and MY09 command/mm/audio 50, TMC will only work in europe..even if you enable TMC in the engineering menu, it still won't work in the State..

for MY10 command/mm/audio 50 ,TMC will only work in europe, however, you can pay and have live traffic update via Sirius satellite radio..

the only way to get TMC for free is to install UMI or Nav+4..

chokaay

FYI, if you're in the U.S., it IS POSSIBLE to subscribe to Sirius Traffic Link ($3.99/mo subscription) WITHOUT subscribing to any satellite radio portion (regardless of what the website says)! Just call Sirius at 1-888-GET-SIRIUS and tell them you want to subscribe to TRAFFIC LINK ONLY.

Approximately 50% of the CSR's will tell you that you need to subscribe to a satellite radio package as well, and approximately 50% of the CSR's will know what they are doing and will do it for you. If you get a CSR that denies you, then hang up and call again.

I got one on my first call which added the package, but transferred me to tech support to activate the unit (since my Sirius radio still only received channel 184 "Sirius Preview" and nothing else). After getting a few more clueless reps, on my 5th try I got someone who knew what they were doing and said that with the $3.99/mo package I would NOT get audio traffic reports, but would only get the DATA sent to my GPS unit in my MB, hence I would not notice any change on the Sirius screen... only the GPS Navi screen. Sure enough, when I switched over to my Navi screen, there were the yellow and red cars on the map (2009 E-Classes don't display green ones for some reason) and visual Traffic Status News/Reports under the "TRAFFIC" sub-menu.

IMHO, living in CA, I think that such a feature COULD be useful (and worth $3.99/mo). The main reason I want this feature is to know where the traffic starts and ends on the freeways so I can take side streets to bypass the red portion (if it's worth the effort). So far the map has been pretty accurate and updates fairly often (but I have not needed to bypass traffic on side streets yet since every time there's traffic I'm either in the HOV lane, or I'm already pretty close to my exit that it's not worth bypassing). I personally haven't made up my mind or not whether to keep this feature or not (I would like it if TRAVEL LINK worked with MB, but it doesn't which is a shame )

Unfortunately I don't know if this feature can be added a la carte outside of the U.S. (like in Canada), but it never hurts to ask!