Comand map update

[fatboydel]

I have a 2019 E class 220d with the widescreen Comand fitted. I downloaded the map updates, one is around 25gb and the other is smaller from the Mercedes me portal onto an SD card.

I started the map update by plugging in the SD card and Comand found it fine, started the update process and it is working fine, except it seems to be taking forever, 3.5 hours for the smaller file so far and still not completed

However the big issue is that Comand keeps turning itself off after a short period of time and I have to restart it. So basically I spent a lot of the day sitting in the car restarting it.

Is there a way to stop Comand shutting down? I was wondering if it just continues even after it shuts down, will take a look in the morning.

The car has a trickle charger attached, so no issues with battery, I just need it to complete on its own...

 

[Botus]

it senses voltage.... a trickle charger is around 20 amps short of coping..... drive the car whilst doing the update

 

[Chrishazle]

If you have a safe place for the car, disconnect trickle charger, start car, connect proper battery charger, switch engine off leaving key in position 1 or 2 (just before the position where the starter motor engages) and let it go, that's what I've done on my S204 with Comand NTG4 updating from DVD's, it works and Comand does not shut down. My updates take about 1 3/4 hours for DVD1 then 1/2-3/4 hour for DVD2.

 

[fatboydel]

Thanks for the reply, I don’t have a traditional key, it is press button start. I put the key in the suggested location in the centre console, ran the car and then turned it off using start/stop button. This leaves Comand running, but it still times out after a while, and doing it that way, when I open the car door it shuts it off anyway.

 

[Chrishazle]

****** technology, another reason I would not have a car with keyless go and/or start/stop! Unless it will let you out of the car engine running (and leave the engine running) and you're happy to leave the car like that, as sadi before, you'll have to let it update while driving and do without other Comand functions while it does, good luck!

Maybe @Alfie will know a better way!

 

[Blobcat]

Thanks for the reply, I don’t have a traditional key, it is press button start. I put the key in the suggested location in the centre console, ran the car and then turned it off using start/stop button. This leaves Comand running, but it still times out after a while, and doing it that way, when I open the car door it shuts it off anyway.

Don’t turn the car off... when I had keyless it would stay running, just the dash would be unhappy with me for getting out and leaving it running.

 

[fatboydel]

I can’t leave the engine running, judging by the current update speed I think it will be 15hrs for the 28gb update to load. As we can’t drive anywhere I won’t be going anywhere soon to let it load.

There must be a way to stop Comand switching off, then I can just leave it to do its thing.

 

[LostKiwi]

Without pressing the brake push the start button. It will wake up Comand in the same way as turning a key to position 1.
You may need to push a second time.

Our SL cycles through 4 stages. Off, then limited power, full accessory, ignition, back to off. Important you don't press the brake pedal.

 

[fatboydel]

Thanks, I will give it a try in the morning.

 

[BillyBoy]

Thanks, I will give it a try in the morning.

What LostKiwi said. No foot on brake, press the start button twice and COMAND will stay on. You can connect a charger if you want to keep topped up. Most will put out 6-8 amps which is more than COMAND will draw doing the update.

It does sound slow, however. Last time I did a big update on mine (can't remember exactly how big, but a couple of GB at least, it completed in about 20 mins on the drive in to work.

 

[Srdl]

It took the dealers about 40 minutes to do my Comand map update at the last service.

After you’ve turned on the ignition by pressing the start button twice, I’ve got a feeling it goes off again if you open the door so you may have to do it with the door already open.

Edit ... see screen shot from my manual. Ignition will switch of after 15 minutes so you will probably have to run engine to do the update.

 

[fatboydel]

I am giving up on this and will get the dealer to do it, the first small update just completed, it took 7 1/2hrs! No matter how I try to get Comand to stay on it still goes off after a certain amount of time. I have had the second update with a file size of 28gb running for the last 3 hours and it is still on 0%, so that’s enough for me, ****** hopeless Mercedes software yet again.

I put the media in my pc and copied it to my NAS Drive and it only took 30 mins to copy, so nothing wrong with the media, which is a high speed Sandisk SD card.

 

[Srdl]

The map update instructions actually say:

“The update process may take several hours, depending on the map data volume. Updates are completed quicker when the vehicle is at standstill (with the ignition switched on) than when it is moving. The multimedia system may switch off automatically if you start updates at a standstill and the starter battery is not sufficiently charged. This protects the battery. Connect a suitable power source to the vehicle to prevent this.

 

[fatboydel]

Thx, so when I started the update the starter battery was fully charged, I attached a battery charger before I started but after around 3 hours Mercedes me sent an alert saying the starter battery was critical, so clearly my battery charger wasn’t keeping up.

TBH, with all the short journeys I have been doing I have been having issues with the starter battery, I think that it might have an issue as well.

 

[Botus]

the comand runs off the main battery.... and it will go flat just like any other battery will if you attempt to get more out that it can cope with

every tried to read the manual and how it thinks you should update it....? no way a trickle charger could ever maintain the amps it drags out on a modern car. As my first post stated you need 20 amps more that your making available.... if you want more than 30 mins to an hour before it shuts down

 

[fatboydel]

Ok, so an end to the saga, I bought a new Sandisk Pro SD full size card, with a transfer rate of 170 mb/sec. Downloaded the file again and installed it into the car to try again, it completed the whole update in less than 10 mins! So there must be an issue with either the micro sd card I used or the adaptor to take it to full sd card size.

Anyway, all good now and many thanks to all for your inputs, really helpful Guys.

 

[Srdl]

Ok, so an end to the saga, I bought a new Sandisk Pro SD full size card, with a transfer rate of 170 mb/sec. Downloaded the file again and installed it into the car to try again, it completed the whole update in less than 10 mins! So there must be an issue with either the micro sd card I used or the adaptor to take it to full sd card size.

Anyway, all good now and many thanks to all for your inputs, really helpful Guys.

Good news!