Traffic button on VW T6 Discover Media Plus Navigation system doesn't work

[Frank Mc]

Good evening all

I got the Dynaudio and Discover Media Navigation system upgrade on my T6 but cannot get the Traffic button to do anything. I have activated the traffic news in the settings and followed the manual but to no avail.
To be honest for the amount of money it cost I would have assumed, like google maps on my phone, it would automatically show congestion on the map.
My Renault Kadjar shows all congestion locations on the map with red triangles in ordinary map mode without even planning a route, and that came as standard.

Any help on getting this working would be greatly appreciated as we are away to Europe for 2 weeks in September and would be invaluable willing using the motorway networks.

Thanks and regards
Frank

 

[Sad]

Does it need to be connected to your mobile phone to use the data to get the traffic information?

 

[Frank Mc]

Hi Sad,
I didn't think I would need to do that after spending €1211on this system!!!
And when in Europe, the data roaming charges on my phone would be through the roof if using phone data constantly.
I can't get it to work at home even when connected to data on my phone.

 

[Sad]

To be fair, my only experience of this sort of system is my Father in laws new Golf, when I helped him set it up he needed a Wi-Fi hot spot connection with a smart phone for any of the traffic data to work.

I don't think there are any European roaming charges any more. Certainly not with EE, and Vodaphone are constantly banging on about no roaming charges on the telly...

 

[Frank Mc]

Good morning

Thanks for that, I believe it is the same system across most of the model range.

Roaming charges are sort of gone gone but the amount of data on your phone package is not the same amount you can use abroad.

For example if you have 5gig on your normal usage, you may only have an allowance of 2gig abroad and after that they charge you through the roof for going outside your allowance.

Big media coverage on this over here.

Regards
Frank

 

[MattBW]

On my GFs seat has the same setup and the traffic info is transmitted with DAB radio signal not via data, this is the same on my 2015 Beach (with older system).

 

[Frank Mc]

Hi Matt

That make sense, I'll try that tonight. You would think if they went out of their way to put a specific button that it would just 'work'.
Thanks for your help.
Cheers
Frank

 

[MattBW]

The only reason I know is that she has no data facility in her car and the traffic info still works, she never had to set anything up though but we do use dab radio quite a lot.

Even on my old RNS 315 the data comes via the radio via TMC.

Just did a google and it seems its FM radio not DAB, the receiver should be part of your satnav.

http://www.dublincity.ie/tmc

 

[WelshGas]

On my RNS510 the Traffic Messages can be set to ALL or Local.

 

[briwy]

Quite hit and miss on our RNS. Sometimes there, sometimes not and not that reliable when it does. Google maps much better.

 

[inthemidnighthour]

hi we have same media system in our t6 and haven't really fiddled with it yet , however we drove last weekend form Norfolk to the south of France and it took us on a couple of diversions to miss motorway traffic in France and a couple of times we were obviously on the original road before the motorway was built so could actually see all the queues
Dave and lisa

 

[Frank Mc]

Good evening all

Thank you all for your help. I've spent the last 2 hours and cant get anywhere with it at all. When we are back from our trip it will be due its first service so I'll have see can the dealership do anything.

Absolutely loving the camper so far and can't wait to hit Europe next month. We had a small leak on the popup roof just above the driver side corner a couple of weeks ago. Rained all night and driving onto that side of the roof so may just have gotten so soaked that it started a capillary effect, any thoughts on this would be appreciated also as we are new to the California.

Have a great evening

 

[deccauk]

If it's similar to the media navigation in the latest golf, then as mentioned above, you probably need to connect the WLAN (via the settings options) to your phone. It all works for me using an iPhone. Set up the phone as a hotspot, wait a bit, then go to the settings screen and select WLAN. Your phone should appear in the network lost. Select it and enter your network password that you set up when you enabled it as a hotspot. Then select CarNet from the settings and see if it is live. This is where traffic data comes from.

The only issue I have found is that I have to connect to my iPhone hotspot on each trip, which is quite irritating.

 

[deccauk]

...in the network list... (not the network lost!)

 

[WelshGas]

Quite hit and miss on our RNS. Sometimes there, sometimes not and not that reliable when it does. Google maps much better.

Well all I can say is when Sally SatNav changes the route or warns of traffic congestion there are Traffic Alerts on the Traffic button, but I certainly don't use them to plot a route. I just input destination and go.
Sounds like the new system is a bit of a faff, setting up hotspots, linking phones and putting in passwords hoping you have a mobile signal, using your data allowance etc:.
Why do the geeks that design these systems always over complicate things. It should be easier than a map and pencil to use.
Get in car. Switch On. Input destination, Choose quick-slow or scenic route,Drive. Avoid congestion and delays. Arrive.
SIMPLES

 

[Joker 1299]

Well all I can say is when Sally SatNav changes the route or warns of traffic congestion there are Traffic Alerts on the Traffic button, but I certainly don't use them to plot a route. I just input destination and go.
Sounds like the new system is a bit of a faff, setting up hotspots, linking phones and putting in passwords hoping you have a mobile signal, using your data allowance etc:.
Why do the geeks that design these systems always over complicate things. It should be easier than a map and pencil to use.
Get in car. Switch On. Input destination, Choose quick-slow or scenic route,Drive. Avoid congestion and delays. Arrive.
SIMPLES

The sat nav in my 2017 T6 does exactly the same. No need for hotspots/phone connections/data use. It's all in the handbook/setup menus. There is the option to use the VW Car net service but it works just fine without.

 

[WelshGas]

The sat nav in my 2017 T6 does exactly the same. No need for hotspots/phone connections/data use. It's all in the handbook/setup menus. There is the option to use the VW Car net service but it works just fine without.

So it would appear the OP is being given contradictory advice about different systems, some requiring data links and some not.

 

[Joker 1299]

So it would appear the OP is being given contradictory advice about different systems, some requiring data links and some not.

I suspect those giving the advice about hotspots/connections etc are referring to Car net, yes.

 

[deccauk]

It makes me wonder whether the quality of the traffic data differs between the two systems - one via Car Net and the other via the DAB radio network.

 

[Joker 1299]

It makes me wonder whether the quality of the traffic data differs between the two systems - one via Car Net and the other via the DAB radio network.

In theory Car Net should be better being 'live' information but I've not used it that much to be honest (no idea why I say that, I'm always honest; honest!) But the output will only be as good as the input and I find that the DAB system is quite good.

 

[Frank Mc]

Hi Deccauk
I can hotspot from my iPhone no problem but doesn't seem to engage the traffic at all.

I must be doing something simple wrong. I'll follow your steps tomorrow and let you know how it goes.
Thanks for the advice.
Cheers
Frank

 

[Frank Mc]

The sat nav in my 2017 T6 does exactly the same. No need for hotspots/phone connections/data use. It's all in the handbook/setup menus. There is the option to use the VW Car net service but it works just fine without.

Good evening,
I have followed the handbook to the letter and still nothing. I know that the Irish registered T6 models and slightly different to UK so maybe there is a different explanation or set up in the UK is different. I have restored to factory settings now as I don't want to keep medaling in settings.
It's a very small gripe in a machine that gives so much back so I'm not going to get too upset over it haha

Thanks for all the advice everybody, It's very much appreciated.
Cheers

 

[DanD]

Hi,

I've got the same Discover Media Plus system on my 2017 T6 and was a little confused by how it works, but after some testing it all seems to be working OK and I think I now understand it. When you press the Traffic button do you simply get 0 messages displayed or does it list some? Does it show TMC in the centre at the top of the screen or a picture of the earth? Note: this icon indicates whether it's getting its traffic information via TMC or a data connection. Mine sometimes shows 0 messages until I enter a destination via the Nav the function and then it starts to load the traffic messages. I spent a while messing with mine before our first trip with the van sat in the drive connected to our home wifi and then switched to a mobile hotspot once I was confident with how it works. When you've got an active data connection, you should be able to select the traffic settings options under the Nav map options and this controls what traffic info is displayed on the Nav map. You also need to select dynamic routing in the Nav options so that it re-routes when traffic problems are detected.

I've just returned from our first big trip with the van, 2000 miles through France and into Spain and the Satnav was great using a phone's hotspot as a data connection and re-routed us many times to reduce queuing. I found that the internet traffic updated more rapidly than TMC and covered minor roads too. The online POI and destination search option was also really helpful to track down locations which weren't available on the navigation SD card. It all helped to make our trip less stressful.

Happy to post some screenshots of the menu options etc, if it would help.

Dan

 

[Frank Mc]

Good morning Dan

I too have sat in the driveway and the neighbours thinking that my wife has fecked me out!!!!

When I press the traffic button, 0 messages is displayed wether a route is active or not. TMC appears at the top of the screen with a line through it so I assume it's not receiving any traffic information.

However I have tuned in Dublin's dedicated traffic radio station and still it doesn't change anything.

I have dynamic routing switched on also.

Not the end of the world but hitting Europe for 2 weeks in September and I have experienced so serious motorway delays so would like it working if at all possible. It all seems very complicated to be honest.

Thanks so much for your reply.

Cheers
Frank

 

[DanD]

Hi Frank,

Yes, it definitely sounds like there's no TMC compatible radio station reception at your home which makes testing the set-up a pain. The internet based traffic should be OK though for testing, if you can connect the van to either your home wifi or a mobile hotspot.

PS I've even messed with the Car-Net feature of sending a destination from your phone to the vehicle via the VW app, but it feels a bit of a gimmick. Once I'd worked out how to use the online POI/destination search within the Nav itself, it feels like a very useful system.

Good Luck!

Dan