TMC

[Nickm]

Has anybody in the UK got this working on the Audi factory installed Sat Nav? [img]images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Nickm]

Does nobody know? My up-date:

1. Blaupunkt say the TMC service not available in the UK
2. BMW forum users (with the same Sat-Nav only with a BMW menu interface) report that the TMC system is working fine, although the coverage is limited.
3. Audi Central refer you to your local Audi Service Centre
4. Audi Service Centres report that the service is not available, but that Audi are working on it... have I tried Audi Central for more information?!!

Help!!!!

[Mo_S3]

Ive got the pioneer sat nav system and i think that too states that TMC isnt available in the uk becasue the goverment want to charge for using the service whereas in europe the service is available free.
Correct me if im wrong

[Nickm]

TMC is available in the UK!!! My friend has a BMW and it definately works on that!!!! I want it on my Audi.........

[Mo_S3]

oh OK ! calm down calm down !! [img]images/graemlins/9mm.gif[/img]

[Nickm]

I am calm.......and frustrated!!!!!!!!
[img]images/graemlins/cry.gif[/img]

[Nickm]

Hi,

BMW were using two systems: Traffic Master and RDS from the radio - I have been told that they have now dropped Traffic Master. So their system is radio driven (i.e. the radio has to be on to pick up the RDS signal)....

It just seems strange to me that BMW can get it to work!!!

I have also been told that if I take my car to germany, it will also work from the radio - nothing to pay etc....

[ChrisB]

I've already looked into this and it's a mess. [img]images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

As far as I can tell, the UK supplied Nav+ units come with TMC hardware (it is actually an optional module) installed and operational. The S8 had it, the RS 6 has it. There's a hidden menu item (look on the tvwiz.net site) that details how to get some internal diagnostics, that's where you can see if it's status shows up as OK or not coded.

Both the RAC and AA are "working" on TMC services in partnership with various radio stations. When I asked The AA's member services about it, I was told they are looking to set up broadcasting with Classic FM as they have quite wide coverage over the country on various frequencies.

Tele Atlas admit that their discs for Audi are not yet TMC encoded, although they hope to have it "in a future revision".

The new A8's hardware recognises TMC and displays a TMC signal indicator in the radio display on MMI, but I couldn't get it working when I test drove one. This may be down to a lack of a TMC encoded disc again.

Audi UK seem to know nothing about TMC, and couldn't even tell me if Nav+ supports it (which I now know it does). Useless. [img]images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[Nickm]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the reply... and the explanations, but....if it doesn't work in the UK, how come BMW have it working in their cars?

[ChrisB]

Oh, it should work fine in the UK & I don't doubt for one moment that it works fine in BMWs and all manner of other cars.

My RS 6 (only Audi's most expensive car at the time I bought it) came with a 2002 Tele Atlas DX data CD and it doesn't have a road on it that was built 5 years ago. This is the A16 Peakes Parkway redevelopment in Grimsby, not some tiny backroad, either.

So, either Tele Atlas are a bunch of conning shysters with their claims of highly accurate data CDs, or Audi pay Tele Atlas some money to make Audi-specific discs with Audi dealerships on, but don't pay enough to have them updated more than once every half a dozen years or so, excluding changing the label from 2001 to 2002, that is.

Perhaps Tele Atlas' own CDs, like the 2003 Michelin Guide GB for TravelPilot DX might now include TMC coding, but it's a bit of a gamble to throw money at a new disc that may not even have 5 year old roads on...

[scillyisles]

TMC works fine in the UK - I use it every day in my M3 on the drive into and out of London.
In the UK the Traffic Management Channel (TMC) is broadcast on Classic FM using spare bandwidth to carry the traffic events.
To get TMC to work you must have :
- a TMC equipped Sat Nav system - the TMC tuner is normally a separate tuner that listens for TMC data on the Classic FM channel. BMW Sat Nav systems have this capability, I think the new Pioneer Touch screen Sat Nav system has too.
- a map disc that contains the TMC codes.
BMW only provide a map disc that contains the TMC codes for the 7 series. They do not provide it for any other model at the moment. However the 7 series map disc works perfectly in the Sat Nav in the 3 series, 5 series and the X5. I managed to persuade my BMW dealer to let me have a 7 series map disc when I bought the M3.
Once you have the above two items then on the BMW system you set TMC on by setting the TMC channel to Classic FM whereupon the TMC indicator on the Sat Nav screen goes green. The system then receives TMC events, decodes them and displays them on the map with an appropriate icon. You can also look at the TMC event list and see details of events in distance order from you. If you are been guided by the Sat Nav, then it will spot TMC problems ahead on your route and will bring up a warning screen with details of the problem and ask if you wish to reroute around the problem. I've seen it do this up to 35 miles away from the problem.

If you can't do this then the only other manufacturer who provides TMC enabled map disc is VDO Dayton (VDO Dayton make the Sat Nav Units for BMW) VDO dayton will sell you a TMC map disc which will work in their units.
Who makes the OEM Sat Nav units in the Audi - if its VDO Dayton then the VDO Dayton TMC equipped map discs should work in the Sat Nav.

[JohnW]

I believe the units in Audi are made by Becker, the same as for Porsche (well thats what AFN Guildford told me anyway, but it wouldn' be the first time they've been wrong...).

I was also told the TMC enabled disks for Porsche will be released later this year (for the Cayenne). Interestingly the Porsche satnav allows you to play audio disks in the single slot, which I believe the Audi one won't do (or the VW one for that matter).

So assuming the VDO disks would work, what sort of money are they ?

Cheers,
John.

[scillyisles]

Here's a link to the on-line Vdo-dayton store where I purchased a copy last year from.
http://www.vdodayton-shop.com/vdoshop/s ... Shopper=GB
Please note that these map discs are only guaranteed to work in VDO-Dayton units. If the Audi Sat-Nav system is made by Becker then it probably won't work.

[ChrisB]

Audi's Nav+ unit is a branded Blaupunkt TravelPilot DX. It does support TMC as a module and that module should be installed in all UK Audi Nav+ units. However, I've never seen TMC working in an Audi.

Tele Atlas admitted to me last Nov that the DX CDs do not have TMC data coding at present and they "hopefully will be able to address it in the coming versions of the DX GB CD".

So there you have it, hardware supports it and has done for years, the AA, RAC and Trafficmaster guys have all got their act together and have arrange national TMC data broadcasting via Classic FM, Tele Atlas are years behond everyone else with data CDs for the TravelPilot system and Audi don't even know what TMC is.

What's that advertising slogan Audi use in the US? "Never follow". [img]images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]