Mfd And Tmc

[Jimbo1963]

Does the MFD that is factory fitted (UK) have TMC functionality?

 

Jim

[Smilge]

Yes it does Jimbo but only the RDS function.

 

Have a look at what it can do

 

http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.ph...amp;#entry97838

Edited May 16, 2007 by Bleeno

[Jimbo1963]

Thanks for that, but that post doesn't mention the TMC.

The TMC is for dynamic route information, so if you are going from say one city to another and there has been an accident on the motorway the sat nav will automatically recalculate the route avoiding the hold up.

 

Jim

[Smilge]

No it dont do that Jimbo :rolleyes:

[Gadgetoid]

B*****cks - spent 10 mins typing this out then forgot I'd navigated to the RDS-TP thread link given above. I'll just have to duplicate this answer in the correct place

 

I think the replies so far are incorrect !

 

You CAN get TMC on the Ford SatNav unit - but only with expensive add ons

See this thread and others like it on the VWNavi site ( a must read for any galaxy owner with factory satnav)

http://vwnavi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=...p;highlight=tmc

 

The Ford unit is essentially a VW (Blaupunkt) MFD version D. These can be enabled for TMC by the addition of a VW TMC box + an extra FM aerial which routes only through this extra box.

Cost = lots probably. VW TMC boxes are 70 ish without the aerial on Ebay, god knows how much from VW

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Volkswagen-Audi-TMC-...1QQcmdZViewItem

plus you then need the aerial as well

 

PLUS you need a subscription to TMC - and I suspect you only get this with a TMC enabled navigation CD ROM, and my guess is probably only for the year that CDROM is valid. ? another

[Smilge]

Well I never! ...Gadgetoid ... I never knew that matey and guess what .. I now know what the GPS antenna /aerial on the roof is for. I dont have the TMC unit but I don't think I do enough mileage to justify it anyway. Agree with you on the MFD Version D fitted to Fords to.

[Gadgetoid]

Bleeno - that reply is so admiring I could almost suspect you of sarcasm. If only I wasn't such a great guy that it couldn't be...LOL

 

I don't think the external aerial is 100% necessary - those of us who have retro-fitted a factory Satnav seem to find that a standard SMB GPS aerial hidden in the dash somewhere works OK ( theres a lot of assumptions about 'us' in that sentence, LOL)

 

I also seem to recall seeing that the extra FM aerial for the TMC box can also be routed out to the side of the car from the central fascia - although I suspect it may have not quite such a good signal there as the external version. I think if you look at the back of SOME Ford satnav units you will see a small GPS type socket near to the main FM aerial socket, and I believe that's what it is for. I say some because I've had 2 units - and one came with the extra socket and one without. I couldn't tell any other difference between the two ( unlike VW versions where you can tell the version from looking at the part number suffix A...G) or even which was the older / newer unit. If anyone can enlighten me I'd be curious to find out why the difference.

 

Quite why VW chose to design it with it's own dedicated FM aerial I don't know - surely the main FM antenna is already picking up a variety of signals for the RDS_EON function. I do know that in the UK the TMC (Trafficmaster) info is broadcast within the Classic FM signal .

[Gadgetoid]

The other thing I've wanted to do (but been too afraid of bollixing) is reprogramming the satnav unit itself.

 

You can tell the software and hardware version of your satnav by pressing 3 and 6 together - but a lot of the version numbers are fairly obscure.

 

Before anyone asks I have not attempted to upgrade the Ford unit to an MFD ver G - it can certainly be done with VW MFD-D units, but at the risk of turning the unit into an expensive brick. This adds a 'spelling' function for selecting your destination and a few other bells and whistles, but nothing much more adventurous.

 

There are also people around who have reprogrammed the voice of the VW Satnav by hacking the disc - I'm sure the instructions are around on the bnet somewhere if you are interested. Again, tempted, but the potential downside in time and hassle to retrieve a bricked unit is not worth the gain. If anyone knows how to do it (or even better has a CD-ROM image that can be downloaded ) then let me know.