Barry45RPM

No one at MBrace or at the dealership can answer my question...

In my 07 E 550 which was converted to MBrace from TeleAid Jan 5th: Is this vehicle's Hardware/Software supposed to be able to accept "Search and Send" NAV destination downloads from Google Maps and from the MBrace people also?

Google Maps says the destination has been sent by them to MBrace, and MBrace "I" telephone connection says I have a destination on file, please wait for the download to the car to complete, then nothing... no destination appears in the NAV, no pop up asking me to accept the destination or even "Press OK to accept the destination". Nothing.

MBrace people on the MBrace phone in the car can not choose a destination on their own and send it to my car either even tho their computer screen says "Download Successfull" to them.

Is my car supposed to be able to do this destination Search & Send function? Or is it too early a NAV/Telematics system?

lsbrodsky

Don't know, but did it work with Tele Aid? If so, then it should work with Mbrace. I can tell you that with my GM car, the Telematics on a 2007 don't support the ONSTAR download, but in 2009 the Telematics do.
Larry

lkchris

This is for 2009-on models.

There's no looking back as regards this technology.

Barry45RPM

I never knew TeleAid had this feature (Search & Send) available, so I never checked it out. Frankly, I wasn't thrilled with TeleAid's speed of answering, so I never bothered with it for anything. I renewed year after year simply because I couldn't stand knowing something was installed in the car & it wouldn't be working. (Stupid, Huh?)

MB seems to do a really poor job of marketing TeleAid AND MBrace. I was never notified of the change, or ability to convert from one to the other. If it weren't for a post here, I would never have known that if I subscribed to MBrace before Dec 31, 2009, I could pay once & be covered for life of the vehicle. (I think they call it the Legacy/Launch Pricing Deal).

...anyway, In looking at the MBrace sub site within MBUSA.com , it says that in order for the Search & Send to work, one must have NAV "embeded in the Head unit"... (The web site previously listed years & models needed for the feature to work, but the site was re-worded to this vague english... When it still had model & year info, I didn't have MBrace or know what it was so I just skimmed it over... I didn't jump on it 'till someone posted the one time fee plan.) as we all know, 211's thru the '08s have the NAV in the trunk... so I still have no official answer, but I'm inclined to believe it needs a '09 and later E Class.

Programming Note to MB... after the software "update" to convert to MBrace, all works well (except the Search & Send, if its supposed to). When on a MBrace call the head unit screen still says Tele-Aid on the blue band at screen bottom when on a MBrace call.

Calls to MBrace can be terminated by them or by pressing the "Hang Up" button on the steering wheel.

220S

fwiw, I used it a few times with my TeleAid subscription and found that it's something I'll rarely use. The Nav, as it is, works fine for me.

But the MBrace thing is something I've been trying to answers on, since I bought my car after Nov 2009 and can't yet switch to it. So, I have to wait until my sub is over and then switch to MBrace.

But to answer your question about Send and Search, I was told it'll work with MBrace provided one has a 2009 and later model. I have a 2009 with the new COMAND and Nav, so I'll be okay I guess. Although MBUSA killed the search in Teleaid now, so that's gone anyway.

I don't understand why those of you with earlier than 2009 models get the axe on Send and Search. It doesn't make sense. The system is a hard drive system now, but so what? It should still be able to work off of a DVD based system(?) It worked with TeleAid and the DVD systems(?)

Barry45RPM

It doesn't matter anyway. It would have been a neat trick the 1st few times... but as you may know, sometimes when you enter an address into Google Maps it shows your destination nearby, but not really where the house/business is located, while the NAV unit will get you really really close when it says "you have reached your destination".

The reason you can't suscribe to MBrace is due to contract exclusivity arrangements between Teleaid's "concession" operating company who is operating the service for MB. MB isn't allowed to "poach" customers away from them while their current contract is in effect.

Again, I was not really impressed with TeleAid's capabilities or their speed.

Now there's really no need for 3 buttons on MBrace.. Just "SOS" and maybe an "Info" button...

...and MB, if you're listening... when MBrace answers and says How May I direct your call"... How about in the interim also have it say... "You can say Agent...Directions...Concierge" or whatever options are available, because I certainly don't know what to say. And why has no "Welcome Kit" been sent?

220S

I meant to say that I bought my car before November 2009, not after.

The question I haven't had answered yet by anybody is whether or not I can add MBrace after my TeleAid subscription is up (in May 2010) I've asked both MBrace and TeleAid and nobody knew the answer. It sounded like the contract between MBUSA and TeleAid means that nobody with TeleAid can get MBrace until November 2010. So does that leave some of us in the void until November 2010 or do we buy more TeleAid service to last us until Nov 2010?

I'd assume that the consumer could get MBrace once their TeleAid had expired but it's not clear if the consumer has to also wait until November 2010 to get MBrace(?)

Barry45RPM

I believe by that time a transition will be finalized by both parties... besides, I believe if you have TeleAid and cancel you get a prorated refund for the unused time. Isn't that true?

Either way, you won't be allowed to be unprotected.

lsbrodsky

I did a fair amount of research on this, talked with Mbrace, TeleAid, MBUSA, and my dealer. Except for the recent purchase window they have blacked out, if you have TeleAid you can switch to Mbrace when your contract expires. It requires a visit to the dealer to convert. TeleAid will not prorate your contract unless you sell or trade the car, so you are stuck until the TeleAid contract expires. TeleAid has added POI download to replace S&S; you just hit the I button and an operator will download the POI to your NAV, if your car has the capability. I know it works for a 2009 as I did it yesterday. POI Download may be even better than S&S since you do it from the car.
Since I have a longer contract with TeleAid, I won't be switching to Mbrace anytime soon, which does not bother me as long as TeleAid stays solvent. However, if you wanted the Smart Phone interaction capability then you need Mbrace.
I am also very upset that MBUSA did this and did it without any notification to subscribers. They hide behind the lawyers but this is not the kind of support I expect from a premium auto manufacturer.
Larry

220S

Thanks for the info. I couldn't get a straight answer at the time of my inquiry.

I'm assuming that the free one year TeleAid subscription is seen as a contract (even though I didn't actually buy it) which means I'll have to wait a year until I can get MBrace (May 2010 for me.)

Good to know about POI with TeleAid. That's actually better since the only time I've wanted to find something that the Nav couldn't find was when I was in my car.

Is live traffic on MBrace still through the Sirius/XM subscription? Or is it now a MBrace feature?

p.s., speaking of hiding behind lawyers, when MB went from analog to digital (of course they had to, it wasn't their choice), they left behind a lot of owners and charged big $$ for the transition. There is a class action lawsuit about that.

lsbrodsky

Don't know about Live traffic. Where I live I would never use it so I never investigated it.

Larry

Barry45RPM

Live traffic & weather is a feature of the "premium" or upper level of MBrace service, not the "Standard" level. It is done with an MBrace operator.

It IS amazing how little is known about MBrace by any MB person you ask, including MBrace people.

I jumped on MBrace because of the one time fee deal they were running thru 12/09. I figured it would be at least as good as TeleAid & cheaper in the long run for me.

220S

Yeah, I wonder if they aren't advertising it because of the legal issue they're in with TeleAid. And they don't want consumers to see what's going on there. I was a customer who couldn't get that special lifetime deal, because I was "stuck" with TeleAid.

After November, when the flak dies down, I'm assuming they'll promote it more. In the meantime it's just another MB lame decision, and all about $$$ no doubt.

Barry45RPM

Heard back from MB by e-Mail... Search & Send to NAV begins with the 2009 cars w/ the new head unit/NAV.

No problem... now I know that the conversion to MBrace is correctly updated & working properly.