Command Traffic without Sirius? (Canada)
 

It's stupid that MB Canada doesn't allow Google Maps app to show traffic layer.

And that you can't use smartphone data to push traffic updates to the Nav. I actually thought you could, but seems this is only available in Europe using Tom-tom data through a built in SIM in the Nav system?

Is there anyway to enter the Engineering menu and enable Dynamic Routing?

I don't have premius plus (Sirius). I might have paid $600 for Sirius alone, but not 3K for the package. I can park just fine myself.

How are you getting Google Maps on Comand?

Tether to smartphone data over bluetooth. Open "MB Apps". Then choose Google Maps.

I spent a lot of time trying to figure this out and haven't found the answer yet. My Mercedes vendor is saying that traffic should work without Sirius as Sirius doesn't even provide traffic data in Canada. Anybody knows if that's true?

Once again, Canada seems to be behind on everything: No traffic, no embrace, no POI download (from Mercedes App: My VIN number is not in their database), etc. I tried to find a technical support number but no luck.

Also, I am using a Samsung Galaxy S5 and the only way I found to get the internet working is over the USB cable (USB tethering). Doesn't work over bluetooth for me. But USB tethering is annoying as you have to click a checkbox in your phone configuration panel every time. What phone are you using spill6?

Looking forward to see Google and Apple taking over these car systems in the next few years. Car manufacturers are terrible at this.

Canadians with Sirius have Traffic working, although I've read it's flakey maybe due to hardware so far.

I'm using a Blackberry Passport. Pretty sure it auto connects the data portion when it autoconnects the bluetooth. I'll check later today.

The problem with Blackberry 10 and this COMAND system is the only way to stream audio seems to be through the default Music app. If you close the Music app then bluetooth audio is 'paused'. I can't stream my music from Deezer.

Do you have any issue streaming music from whatever app you are playing music through, and still getting phone calls which will pause music and then resume resume after the call? I might try to hook up my old Galaxy S3 as a bluetooth music source, and my Passport as the phone/data and see if they will work at the same time.

Yes please do report back. I have not been able to tether data from my Z30 but then again your Passport is running 3.1.

Music work without any issues on my Galaxy S5. I use native music app, spotify, pocket casts and many other apps. They all automatically pause when getting a phone call and play again when the call is over. Bluetooth data tethering is the only problem but USB is workaround.

Lack of traffic without Sirius is a bummer. I guess I got wrong information from the vendor when purchasing the car.

@Spill6 - Did you get a chance to verify that your BBRY Passport can tether phone data via Bluetooth?

Slightly different topic- has anyone in Canada used the POI download in MB Apps? Seems like it's trying to download from a server and that the connection works.

I've done it when my phone is tethered to the car and I can send a POI or location in Google maps on my phone using an app called "Send to Car".

It works! Thank you!!!

Now just to figure out how to add more MBApps in Canada (where we don't have Mbrace)...

It's great isn't it! I sometimes send a few POI to my car from the comfort of my home while planning a day outing and as the weather gets warmer this will be even more useful. Now if only Mbrace came to Canada to eliminate the bother of tethering (to allow the download to the car).

Do you mean wired tethering? I do it wirelessly.
The iPhone is wirelessly connected to the MBApps.
I will try to send a POI now when I'm not wirelessly connected to the car.

Don't confuse sending your location to your car with having to be connected to the car at the same time. Your phone can send a POI via the Send To Car app. It's now gone to the cloud via the app to some server that MB Apps listens to.


But without Mbrace your car still needs to connect to the internet so you have to tether your phone to the car with a USB cable (at least my phone does). Bluetooth doesn't work in this case.



Its confusing when your phone is the sender and also the internet connection because people think its a direct connection and it's not.


In fact a different phone can send the POI and another one provide the data connection.

Thanks, makes sense.

Now is there a way to send new MBApps to the car without MBrace?
There are apps that don't come with the car in Canada, like gas prices, movie listings, and more.
Would be great to get these into Comand.
And bright ideas!? Thanks!

I have no idea if the apps are installed through Mbrace or a software update at the dealer.

There is an App Store on the corporate MB site. Apparently you download them from there- either to the car directly or to your device. Problem is that it seems to rely on Mbrace.