Interference with smartphone GPS
 

I've got an '03 S600 and I can't seem to find anything else on this problem, whether it be in the Mercedes forums or the Android forums.

I seem to have a problem with something in my S600 interfering with the GPS of my smartphones. It has been the same problem with my last several phones (Multiple Note 4s, LG G4, Nexus 6, and Nexus 6p). I thought it might be a problem with the phones themselves, so I replaced them with others but it seems to be something in the car.

When I drive my P71 which has no navigation, GPS works absolutely great. But in the S600, the phones' GPS have absolutely no idea where I am. Even with multiple GPS Fix apps, the phones can't seem to lock on to the location satellites.

The phone will pick up my location off and on if I put the phone as far forward on the dash as possible, but as soon as I try to remount it or lay it on the seat, lost.

Has anyone else had this problem? Is there a solution? I've had this '03 for almost 2 years and it seems to be a consistent problem. I don't recall ever having this problem in my '04. Would it have something to do with the old COMMAND system?

The windshield has a metallic layer/tint that prevents radio signals from getting through. The owner's manual details where to mount things to be able to "see" through the glass. I had to put my EZ Pass on the front bumper because of the opacity of the windshield to radio signals.

I suspect that your phone simply can't see the satellites through that layer.

Hmm. Alrighty, I'll have to look into that. Sounds like there's not going to be an easy way.

There's an Unshielded area behind the rear view mirror at the top center of the windshield . It's where you put garage remotes and radar detectors . You may be able to get a windshield mount in this area which allows gps reception

The other option is to get a generic windshield for $200-300 which will have no coating , or open your side window and put it near the opening. I'm guessing your last Benz had its windshield replaced with a generic at some point

The "open" area is actually just above the dash, in line with the rear view mirror.
My TomTom works just fine there., including receiving the traffic alerts.

Ughh, I hate mounting things on the windshield, but I will have to give it a try. Thanks for the tip.

We used my wife's Garmin for a major road trip last week. It didn't have any issues with the S-class and reception. It was mounted on one of the air vents in the center of the dash.

If you want yo see the two "clear" areas in your windscreen, put on a pair of polarized sunglasses. One just to the left of the rear view mirror, against the headliner. One on the lower right of the windscreen, about 1/3 of the way across from the right and at the very bottom. Your owner's manual describes them and gives dimensions.

Where is your phone sitting in the car when it struggles?

I've driven a TON of w220 cars. I've never had an issue like you describe nor have I heard of one. Perhaps the previous owner installed something that is interfering? These don't really make sense since they shouldn't interfere, but maybe an older radar jammer or some type of gps anti-theft that is having issues?

My 2003 S430 and my friend's 2002 S430 both have the problem. The glass cuts both GPS and cell phone reception noticeably. I added a cell phone booster that uses the rear bumper antenna. This helps the cell reception and transmission, but does nothing for the GPS.

I have never had a problem with GPS or cell phone reception. Maybe I'm just lucky.

You might not have the coated windshield

Not all w220 had it , and many that did have it have been replaced with non oem glass

I have a magnetic mount that fits into both fat and skinny vents, but I had it "clipped" onto the corner of the ash tray to be out of the way and have easy access to the power outlet. But that's where I was having issues with the GPS not being able to locate me.

I now have it clipped to the large top center vent and seem to be having much better luck. Every so often it will glitch and lose GPS reception, but that could be Waze or just passing through a dead spot.

If you read the S600 manual, it will show you the "clear" portions of the front windshield.

I agree that most likely the "non-S600" have a different, non-impregnated front glass.

i have this same problem with my '16 s63 coupe i thought i was thinking it might be the magic sky roof.

didn't have the same issue when i had a '15 s550 coupe w/o the magic sky.

My stand alone Garmin takes a long time to sync up if I power it up in the car. If I sync it outside of the car, then use it on a center dash mount, everything stays in sync.

When GPS signal is poor, or you are not moving. The on board compass on the phone tells the gps app where you are. However, if you are using a magnetic mount. It screws up the compass and the phone doesn't know which direction you are going. Try this with a regular mount, or move the phone towards another window.

Interference with smartphone or other GPS signals
 

I have the same exact problem and have had a very difficult time finding an answer. Very little on the forums, the MB dealer has no idea, and Mercedes customer service is clueless. Here's what I know so far. It's not the windshield or the film in the windshield. What I've determined is there is some electronic component in my vehicle that's emitting RF interference and causing my phone GPS to lose signal. You can test this yourself by doing the following: while driving with your phone or Garmin saying GPS signal lost, pull over somewhere, turn off the engine and (this is important) remove the key from the ignition. This shuts off all active electronics. Within a minute or so your GPS will start working. Obviously this doesn't fix the problem but it's a start. Next I'll try to disable various electronics in my van by removing fuses, starting with the installed Becker navigation system which is in the glove box and can be unplugged. When I find the guilty culprit I'll post on this forum.

Thank you for letting me know

Problem Solved...sort of
 

I solved the problem for me. It was relatively simple. Just unplug the Becker GPS module in your glove compartment and everything else (all other GPS units including phones and Garmins) now work great. Of course you lose the integration with the Becker unit but I must say that compared to Garmin or most any Android or Apple unit the Becker is totally inferior.