U.K. Satellite navigation (mapping)

[Aureax]

As you may be aware, when you buy a MB that is either new or less than three years old, it comes with a lot of technological wizardry, e.g. the Me App for your phone that, amongst other things, tells you where you parked the car rolleyes and what your tyre pressures are (my experience is that it is NOT to be trusted).

At the end of the three-year 'grace' period, I was provided with the annual cost of renewing all these gizmos. I chose to renew only one, the Traffic Alert system for which I pay a current annual fee of £49.00.

Recently, whilst driving on a newly opened section of dual carriageway outside my city, my wife pointed out that the satnav showed us driving through fields! I contacted the local dealer about this and their reply was rather surprising. It seems that the Traffic Alert system that we pay for does not included automatic mapping updates! For that, I would have to take the car into the dealership; they charge the princely sum of £100 for this service. Bear in mind that I can see the new section of dual carriageway on the Google Driving app on my mobile phone, so it rather begs the question as to why MB would expect owners to shell out a hundred quid for something that is freely available elsewhere?

 

[John Laidlaw]

Welcome
It's not just Mercedes, Audi and BMW do it as well. BMW have 'packages' giving map update and RTTI (like traffic alert) which is £159/year....
Some people just don't bother and use Waze, Google etc....especially if you have Apple Car Play when it will show on your screen anyway and be more up to date (and free)

 

[Aureax]

Welcome
It's not just Mercedes, Audi and BMW do it as well. BMW have 'packages' giving map update and RTTI (like traffic alert) which is £159/year....
Some people just don't bother and use Waze, Google etc....especially if you have Apple Car Play when it will show on your screen anyway and be more up to date (and free)

Thanks for the insight. I'm not surprised that the likes of Audi and BMW do this well and, as you say, why bother with it when there are free alternatives?

 

[flowrider]

Also bear in mind that a newly opened or changed road will likely not appear on MB mapping for about 2 years

 

[Aureax]

Also bear in mind that a newly opened or changed road will likely not appear on MB mapping for about 2 years

I didn't know that. It's strange how the Google Driving app doesn't seem to have the same problem.

 

[flowrider]

I didn't know that. It's strange how the Google Driving app doesn't seem to have the same problem.

Its why I only use Waze for my satnav, always up to date, better features and free.

 

[jimbg]

Also bear in mind that a newly opened or changed road will likely not appear on MB mapping for about 2 years

Not sure where you get 2 years from? The source maps are constantly being updated and there is an annual map release?

Anyone can update the source map, I have added a mini roundabout and a new road for a small housing development.

The source maps can be seen here:- https://mapcreator.here.com/?l=50.4490,-3.5904,15,normal#join

 

[flowrider]

Not sure where you get 2 years from? The source maps are constantly being updated and there is an annual map release?

Anyone can update the source map, I have added a mini roundabout and a new road for a small housing development.

The source maps can be seen here:- https://mapcreator.here.com/?l=50.4490,-3.5904,15,normal#join

I got that info from MB themselves.

 

[jimbg]

Must be true then!

On my Land Rover that I sold last year you could download the map every month, ans also the same on Volvo I beleive.

After I had added a mini roundabout to the HERE map I waited only 3 months and it was there on the official Land Rover download.

The road that I added back earlier last year was there on the Mercedes map update that I downloaded in November,.

So that proves that it updated annually.

 

[jimbg]

As you may be aware, when you buy a MB that is either new or less than three years old, it comes with a lot of technological wizardry, e.g. the Me App for your phone that, amongst other things, tells you where you parked the car rolleyes and what your tyre pressures are (my experience is that it is NOT to be trusted).

At the end of the three-year 'grace' period, I was provided with the annual cost of renewing all these gizmos. I chose to renew only one, the Traffic Alert system for which I pay a current annual fee of £49.00.

Recently, whilst driving on a newly opened section of dual carriageway outside my city, my wife pointed out that the satnav showed us driving through fields! I contacted the local dealer about this and their reply was rather surprising. It seems that the Traffic Alert system that we pay for does not included automatic mapping updates! For that, I would have to take the car into the dealership; they charge the princely sum of £100 for this service. Bear in mind that I can see the new section of dual carriageway on the Google Driving app on my mobile phone, so it rather begs the question as to why MB would expect owners to shell out a hundred quid for something that is freely available elsewhere?

Check out the master HERE map for your dual carriageway https://mapcreator.here.com/?l=50.4490,-3.5904,15,normal#join

 

[Botus]

Mercedes maps are a minimum of 18 months old when first released as latest mapping. This delay is quite normal in the strange world of car manufacturing. Then of course unless you nag the mapping companies lots of stuff remains missing for many years...

the best way we can help is to scream when we see something new being built.

Bare in mind even google maps hasn't got a road in Beaconsfield that been there for 12 months (I agree is currently barriered off, as the house builders responsible of linking to pyebush roundabout are holding us to ransom arguing about the scale of housing estate they want to build )

https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services...improvement-schemes/a355-improvement-project/

funny how its on Microsoft and tomtom mapping though - maybe cos I told them

 

[jimbg]

Mercedes maps are a minimum of 18 months old when first released as latest mapping. This delay is quite normal in the strange world of car manufacturing. Then of course unless you nag the mapping companies lots of stuff remains missing for many years...

Read my posts above, a road I added to the HERE map back in early 2020 is on the current map.

 

[Botus]

I did, I found it interesting... look s like u got lucky or more likely the change was already in play, the map files date on the DVDs are clearly available to validate

they are usually October the year before the release, which tends to be readily available from August... so Mercedes would clearly have committed to manufacture some time before the file date exists. I guess I added some artistic licence to my 18 months... my reasoning was, like most they probably took May files and got them rearranged to suite Mercedes systems and ready for a disc by October.

When I have communicated with Mercedes re missing features (over three separate years dvd's) its always taken more than 2 years to see the changes I told them about and some they still haven't done 4 years on...

 

[jimbg]

Ah, I am not using DVD's but the download from the Mercedes Me portal.

I had forgotten about that some folk still have to use the old tech!

I have been a contributor to the HERE site for many years and is used/owned by Audi, BMW, Daimler, etc

As I posted above it is possible for manufacturers to make updates available via downloads as frequently as they wish and indeed Land Rover,BMW, Volvo and probably others already do.

The bottom line is if a feature is not on the HERE map then it is never going to be on your cars maps!