Handheld GPS doesn't work inside S500
 

I have tried a few different handheld GPS receivers (Garmin, Magellan) inside the car. None of them work inside the car when placed on the dash or held to a closed window. I even tried holding them to the closed moon roof but no signal.

However, when I open the moon roof or run a window down there is no problem.

In any American car there is no problem getting a signal through the glass.

Someone thinks there is something special Mercedes includes in the glass that suppresses the signals that GPS need.

I have tried googling around but can't find much except there is some infrared filtering on many Mercedes, BMW and Porsche models. Any ideas?

Yes, there is a metallic layer on the windshield to help heating and cooling inside the cabin. its in the manual. It does block radar, infrared, etc.

However, there are "zones" that allow these to pass through. They're located behind the rear view mirror and a small section at the lower right base of the windshield. All these zones are pointed out in the manual.

Your other option is to get the GPS antenna that either Garmin or Magellan sells and attach it to the outside of the car, probably right in front of the moonroof, kinda like those small magnetic XM satellite antennas. That way, you'll get signal no matter where you place the unit inside.

i have the same problem in my car, i use a proximity AVI device for gated garages at work and the thing only works 50% of the time!! :smash:

The infrared glass is the culprit. There is only a small area on the front windshield that would allow a device of that nature to work. Check your manual to help you identify this area or just ask you dealer. It's the only area that would allow toll devises to work properly. You could also use one with an external antenna.

I could've sworn I used my portable GPS in my 2004 C230 Kompressor Sport Sedan.. it had a sunroof and I used a Cobra NavOne GPS.

I have built-in GPS in my 2007 SLK, so I haven't tried a portable one in it.

I also tried using a TomTom GPS in my American car (2001 Pontiac Grand Am SE), and it works just fine.

It depends on the model. Not all MBs have them, mostly only on the higher end (S, SL, CL, maybe E) have this windshield with the coating on it.

Do a search on Infrared windshield and you will come up with a few ideas of what you are dealing with.

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...red+Windshield



https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...red+Windshield

Whatever is put in the windshield is also put in the door glass and the moon roof. I thought my GPS was not working until I slid the roof back. Then it worked fine.

Unfortunately, if there is an open spot in front of the rear view mirror it's not convenient for a handheld unit.

My American cars don't have this problem.

Its a feature of the car. Some American cars have this too I believe. I know FastLane or EZPass will have a list of cars that have this so they require those models to have an exterior tag so toll can be collected for those owners that use the system.

It's not a problem. It's designed to keep your cars interior cool. This is MB and not Chevy. There is a difference. But I never got to ask why you need a handheld GPS if you drive an S class. Don't they all come with nav command?

Command is an option...never was standard.

COMAND is standard in US S-class cars. It's never been an option here.

I could have sworn it was an option on my parents w220. Hmm..

It's only an option in the S320. Standard on the rest.

I see. Its been a while :p

No wonder. I have problem with garage door opener not working on my community gate.. I have to open my window for the gate opener to work.

you might want to program your gate transmitter into your car.

I think you should have 3 buttons underneath your rearview mirror...you can teach your car the codes used by the transmitter, so when you want to open the gate you simply hit a button underneath your mirror.

I use the handheld in my other cars. The interface is easier, and I already had my destination entered into it as the result of an earlier phone call. Not to mention that the handheld is more up-to-date with restaurants, gas stations, stores etc.

The auto-routing feature of the handheld is also good. It allows you to go off course and it just recalculates to get you back to your original destination. I find the auto-routing on the S500 to be a bit eccentric at times.

Sounds logical. But have you tried updating you nav CD? What release version are you using. If you keep your cd's current you should have all those points of interest matching reality. Also know that the MB nav recalculates the route based on how you drive. You can also safe destinations and all the other stuff. I'm just trying to get you to use the MB unit. It can be just as good as the rest once you get used to it.

The integrated Nav systems in cars today are good for getting to point B from point A. However, aftermarket Nav systems have MUCH better POIs (either in-dash systems or portable units such as Magellan, Garmin, etc) than Navs that come with cars today.

Also, for update CDs or DVDs, those cost $$ from either your dealer or Map provider. However with portable units, you can directly download updates provided by the manufacturer (usually free of charge).

As the previous post said, the cost of updating is an obstacle. I am aware that I can save destinations. The first thing I tried was to enter my friends address and then have the NAV take me there. That was when I started to worry about this system.

In an earlier post I said the routing was "eccentric". By that I meant the routing took me on a much longer route than I usually drive. Then going back home it wanted to go the same way which almost doubled the normal trip time.

It has done some other funky stuff too. On another trip it worked perfectly until I got within a 1/2 mile of my destination. Up to then I saw my destination on the map and was getting ready for a turn. All of a sudden it re-routed and instead of turning it had me go straight. I followed the NAV which then had me meander a strange neighborhood for a while before getting back on track.

I have played with the settings but nothing seems to improve the routing ability from the first time. If anyone has any other suggestions I would be happy to try them.

Amidst all the negative feedback, I have a positive story to tell.

This morning, I was driving on a non-highway local route that was fairly cleared of snow as I was trying to get to my destination using the Nav system.

As I neared my destination, the Nav asked me to make a left, but I was skeptical because of all the snow in that road.. didn't want to get my SLK stuck while making a turn!

So, I missed my turn intentionally and kept going straight.

Before I got to the next light, the Nav system immediately created a new route for me, and asked me to make a left at that light. The road was pretty clean, so I made the left turn, and actually got to my destination without incident.

:D

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experiences. If you can find a system with an external antenna that can be mounted outside the car, you'll be able to get it working well inside the car. If you find one we can help you with the installation.

well then where should i put my radar? up on the top of the rearview mirror?

They make relay systems that rebroadcast the sat signal inside your car. A real solution would be to tap the car's GPS antenna and hook up to one of these.

http://www.navcoms.com/MySite/AR-10Eng.htm

(The small void in the infrared filter for things like toll transponders is way too small to allow the handheld to "see" multiple satellites.)