Mazda5 Sport Nav no TMC reception
 

Bought a Mazda5 Sport Nav 08 model 3 months ago. The TMC symbol had a red diagonal line on it from day 1 indicating no reception. Thought needs setting up. Today the dealer confirmed, after checking with Mazda, that the TMC has NOT been activated due to some sort of Licensing implications! Is everyone with the built in Navigation system having the same issue?

Yes.

Dave.

Hi Dave,
shouldn't all owners write togather to Mazda to put it right? anyone else interested in doing so?

thank you

TMC on radio
 

Hi Guys

I have recently brought a second hand Mazda 5 sport with the factory fitted satnav. I have yet to try the TMC aspect of the sat nav, due to the adverse weather and wife and kids being ill not really gone anywhere to see if it is working.

I agree though with the other threads that if it is a licence agreement problem, then we should write up and complain after all the user handbook and the sat nav handbook all indicate that if it is fitted then it works. No mention of the failed licence agreement.

I posted similar question and was told its due to Mazda not paying for licence.
I would happily join any group letter going to Mazda. I think its disgraceful.

Sorry about my delayed reply.

That's a very good idea, it's been a while since I wrote to Mazda UK, I think I'll do just that. Maybe a bombardment of letters will make them reconsider?

Dave.

I don't mind writing a letter either but I'm wondering if Trading Standards might take it up as it's a case of "not doing what it says on the tin".

Probably why you have no TMC in the UK
 

Sorry for butting in but I beleive it is the navigation software suppliers that have not paid for the licence for the UK. I will have to guess that if you were to travel abroad to, say Germany, your TMC indicator will light up and you will get the TMC information. The suppliers, both Mazda or the navigation people will say that it is capable of receiving free TMC (no free TMC in the UK).
When I was ordering/choosing mine I declined the NAV model because I was confident that the Navigation wouldn't have TMC and the rear parking camera wasn't worth the extra cost.
Do you have a name or other information about the navigation equipment and software supplied? I ask this because newer maps of the UK (quarter3 or Q4) may have the TMC paid when you upgrade your map. It has on mine so I get TMC now on my ipaq.
I 'fitted' an independant and portable GPS solution. In my case I velcro'd an ipaq PPC to the dash. Obviously not in a position to obstruct vision, controls or to foul Airbag deployment. I can add picture if you want. Also with the car supplied version I believe they have you over a barrel for map updates and they really know nothing about navigation, except as a sales feature.
Now I have added a picture of my navigation solution, the wire you can see on the dash is the FM aerial to receive the TMC information to the GPS receiver sitting on top of the steering cowelling.

Tmc on sat nav
 

I will have a look for the software information for you, when i get chance ie quater 3 or Q4. how much does a upgraded map cost if what your saying the new maps have the tmc licence agreement in the purchase price. Went out in the motor with the wife and kids and on the way back had a play with the sat nav and quess what ran straight into a queue of traffic...As we suspected it appears not be working as it should have highlighted the traffic queue as it was on a major road near leading onto the motorway.

Hi All,
Please advise which address would you be writing to? It will be better to have it all directed to the same appropriate contact. As I mentioned before the Toyata Avensis I had before this car had TMC working fine in the UK, it shouldn't cost much at all for Mazda considering the fact that a portable navigator (Garmin for example) can provide TMC via a £10 optional antenna which covers the TMC fee for life !

Best regards,
Mhero40

TMC For Sport Nav
 

Spoke to MMUK the other day regarding this feature and was informed that they were not aware of it however i was then informed that it was activated on earlier models and to activate it would require a software update. I was then informed that my car could not recieve the software update. (I had the feeling the young lady did not have a clue to what i was asking) I was asked to contact my local dealer.

I have spoken to them and again they are not aware of the problem and will look into the issue for me. I did explain that i have seen threads where there is some suggestion that it was a licence agreement problem and that if you buy and up to date disc then then the licence would be paid for and you could get the TMC function working.

The cost of a new 2009 map disc is £246:97 + vat. A heck of a lot of money to see if it works or not. As of yet the dealer has not got back to me from last week. Once they do i will update you guys..

We have the 58 Sport nav bought in Feb so I would assume it has the 2009 map. We have no TMC available though. Will check and let you know.

I will doubt that you have a maps newer than mid 2008, say Quarter 2 and at absolute best Q3. Can you interrogate the system and get any names of hardware software information? go into settings and look around, maybe 'about' or 'help'.
By the way Q4 maps have only just been release for 2008 only in the last month or so. About £40 for 1 country or £80 for Europe (for my Pocket PC version).

TNC on sat nav
 

Rang the delaer the other day to see what he could find out, and the reply nothing...He says something about the CX 7 having something installed around the windscreen for the sat nav. I exaplined that i have had a lok at the rear of the sat nav and all wires for it are in place especially the RDS TMS wire which then goes up the A pillar (front pillar on passenger side) thus leading to the roof mounted ariel.

I have switched it on the other day and the sat nav searched for a TMC station and came back with none found...I even swicthed the Traffic announcement function on ao the radio to see if they are linked.. Nothing. I do not have any red lines through the TMC icon suggesting that it is not available. Just there is no TMC icon on the sat nav screen.

Surely there must be some way of switching the system on to recieve the TMC information as with other sat nav's they get this information already..

Any ideas anybody? My local Mazda dealer are not very helpful and as i come form a mechanical background i have the strong suspicion that i am actually telling them more than there telling me.

It may be that it will only display if you have a route planned, or else you would be bombarded with every event going on in the UK. Last night on my stand alone Pocket PC running NavNgo 8 I had 22 pages of events to display if I tapped the TMC icon. But If a route is planned the and there is an 'issue' on route the TMC icon turns to a warning triangle where, when you tap it it will show the section distance away how long the que or the time to pass and the option to avoid. Again I suspect it will work if you were to go abroad to europe. Yesterday on the A43 within about 10minutes of a crash between Kettering and Northampton the device showed the incident a sa crash icon with the road section affected shown as a differnt colour. Mazda are in no position (I very much suspect) to support you and you will have more luck and information contacting map provider and software producer to find the type of map (for example UK.fbl or UK.map etc etc) and buy the version that has TMC licence paid for and encoded into the map.
By the way the BBC don't broadcast the TMC as it is against their policy/mandate. It would give whole UK coverage if they made an exception for TMC information. I get mine around here from Heart 966 (96.6MHz) and Leicester Sound (105.4MHz) others are Classic FM, if you can't get these local/independant type stations you will not get the TMC information.

RDS TMC on Sat Nav
 

Thanks for the reply i have spoken to the dealer and still no answer.

So searched the web and found the company that operates the system and the licence agreement etc it is ITIS holdings plc, and if you click onto the attached link you can read about it in more detail.http://www.itisholdings.com/article.asp?id=276

I rang them up and spoke to an engineer and was informed that Mazda original equippment would not recieve the RDS TMC service as Mazda UK has not signed upto the agreement so the Sport models with the factory fitted system will not get the RDS TMC function in the UK...

If you have the portable systems vdo siemens by Mazda and have the maps or software from (Navteq) you get the RDS TMC facility.The company has signed into the agreement.. and the software has the licence agreement in the price.

So this left me thinking if the dealers are sealing the Mazda Sport with the OE factory fitted Sat Nav and charging loads of money for it then i believe that there is possibly a criminal offence here. (Obtaining money by deception). The reason i say this if you buy a Mazda 5 Ts 2 i understand that it is similar to the Mazda sport in terms of trim etc. Then you could have the 17" Alloys fitted and buy a VDO siemens Sat Nav and save yourself a whole heck of money and the VDO system would give the RDS TMC information. Or better still you could buy an after market Sat Nav and that will tell you the speed cameras etc..You can even buy a reverse camera from Maplin and you have more or less the same spec allbeit not the auto lights/wipers etc.

So is Mazda being clever and not telling the customers this problem to avoid not selling the Mazda Sport models...I spoke to my local dealer about this and he stated he was unaware of the licence issue, even though i told him that i read the forum and this was mentioned to him from the start. I have also spoken to Mazda UK who have asigned me a case manager to look into the matter. In the letter it suggeted that allow him 7 to 10 days to liaise with the local dealer to sort the investiagtion out.. I have already done that MUPPET...HENCE the call to Mazda UK.

My main concern is that looking at the threads i see quite a lot of people have bought the Sport Model and if you are in the UK the sat Nav will only do the basic function and that is to follow the map on your disc. Not the dynamic route guidance when the route your taking has a delayed or road closure in place. I bought my vehicle second hand and call me a sado but i do tend to read the handbook from cover to cover and no where has it said RDS TMC function is not available to UK customers. As stated it is free in some countries but not here...

So if you bought the vehicle in spain then i suspect that the user handbook is in spanish (yes) and you would expect the section on the RDS TMC function to be in the book. When Mazda sell the vehicle to UK customers if we cannot get the facility why put it in the handbook... Are they misleading us...I did mention this to the dealer and he said does it say anything in the brouche about the RDS TMC not working in the UK. I said no but if it did then any self respecting customer would not buy the vehicle and the "top of the range" spec would not sell...... I honestly think that Mazda do know about the problem and have adopted the head in the sand stance about hoping that nobody would notice. Much like the tyre issue on the Mazda Sport and the 17" alloys and tyre wear that GSX600MAN refers to. (Sorry if i have the wrong name but whilst writing this i did click onto the ITIS links and lost what i had writen hence this is the second copy so do not want to come out of this page...)

I decided the Sport Nav was never worth the price difference (and even the diesel version considering price of diesel/servicing/power/MPG and amount of miles that will have needed to be covered, fault free, to balance the cost, in my case). Navigation systems built into cars will always be out of date before you get them and very expensive to update/upgrade. I Just bought this week the latest updated Q4 2008 maps for my Pocket PC (PPC) €89 (Euro) for all of East and West Europe (including Malta, Turkey, Greece and Vatican City). Obviously all the 'Free' TMC (where available and if you have the TMC receiver) functions will be included for my software. In the future the TMC for the UK may become 'free', but this requires pressure from lobby groups and MP's etc to make it happen but at present I don't think there is nearly enough people aware of what is available or what TMC is for this to happen.

Did no one else have stickers in the Navigation System Manual saying "The Traffic Message Channel (RDS-TMC) is not available in UK specification satellite navigation systems. HOwever RDS-TMC is functional when travelling within Europe" - my manual has this sticker inside front cover and on first page? I was very surprised the other day when I noticed the red line across the TMC dissapeared - I was near Dover at the time maybe it picked something up from France!!!

That is exactly what has happened in your case. If you were to look at the TMC signal or channel on your nav system it would have been receiving a French or Belgian radio channel. More likely Belgium because the last I remember from a few years ago France had both pay (like UK) and free TMC. Where the other countries are free. Possibly of great use every time the French farmers, truckers or fisherman block the ports when they are unhappy, Ha Ha!.

Mazda 5 Sport Nav no RDS TMC
 

Hi Guys

No mine does not have a sticker in the book or anything to suggest that the RDS TMC function does not work hence the previous threads. I did note on the 2008 brouche that the picture of the sport Nav did have a red line through it. However when you look at the the map displayed it appears to be in Europe, or Spain intresting thought it may have worked over there?....My Sport Nav is a 2005 spec so i think Mazda made it then realised afterwards it does not work?....Still no update from Mazda UK about the problem!

Also you would not have seen the book until your buy and receive the car and the sales rep would not have been able to show, demonstrate or explain about the functions or non function of the GPS/TMC navigation system. The 'warning' of it not working in the UK should be on a big sticker located across the radio/navigation console. But that will never happen because it is a negative, even though they sell advertise it as a positive. Even if the government (with BBC help)decided to make it freely available, like other countries, it would take ages for it to happen and you'd all have to arrange the update of your software, new maps and licenses.
We get a bum deal in the UK. Once you bought that car they are not going to use up resources chasing up navigation suppliers they don't have access to for information or updates that you will not get (for free).

Mazda 5 Sport Nav no Tmc reception
 

Hi guys

Well finally got an answer from Mazda reference the above issue, and in a nut shell they have decided that as i have not brought the vehicle from them and when i purchased the vehicle it was outside the manufactors warranty. As i brought the vehicle from a non Mazda franchise then Mazda have not enjoyed any revenue from my purcahse. Therefore Mazda have decided that they have no responsibility or support from Mazda regarding the highlighted issues of the Sat Nav RDS TMC function and also the tyre issues as in the other threads.

EVEN THOUGH THE SAT NAV AND RDS FEATURE HAS NOT WORK SINCE THE CAR WAS INITIALLY SOLD IN THE UK......

As explained in the previous threads Mazda sat nav TMC function will never work as Mazda have never agreed to the licence arrangements. SO ALL MAZDA 5 WITH FACTORY FITTED SAT NAV WILL NOT HAVE THIS FEATURE....

Obviously i have been given the bog off answer, and to be honest as most of the servicing was done by Mazda i was going to continue with the local dealer to service it. So the arguement about Mazda not enjoying any revenue holds no water with me. Further more the mother in law was looking to have a small car to see her through her days, and currently has a n reg fiesta. I was going to suggest to her to trade the Fiesta in for a Mazda 2 under the scrappage scheme. Bugger them in this current economic climate they can try and fob Mazda owners off with a technical liability arguement then their loss.

What i would suggest that all current Mazda 5 owners who are still under warranty contact Sandra Mclllmurray at Mazda Uk and take up the arguement with her. If enough people raise the arguement who knows perhaps Mazda will sign into the licence argreement?

To illustrate the point my father in law brought a Mercedes initially he did not have the user handbook for the stereo and Sat Nav. I went to his house up north and switched the RDS TMC function on for him. He has made several journeys back to the midlands down the M6 and in four occasions in three days and the motorway was either closed or major jams on the motorway.The Sat nav alerted him to the problems and gave him an alternative route. Thus saving a long time sat in traffic. He swears by it now. So the bottom line is it is there for a reason and it works. So guys and girls get onto Mazda and bug them about the issue.

I understand that my circumstances have given Mazda a reason to fob me off, but as i have looked on the web some of the best deals for Mazda 5's have been from non Mazda dealers so if you have a problem then don't be supprised if Mazda use the same arguement.

What is the only solution is to get Mazda (or do it yourself, if you have access to it's ports) to buy new and different navigation software. As it is the navigation software provider that buys or doesn't buy the TMC license. It is Mazdas fault that they did a 'deal' and agreed to buy this cheaper version of a navigation system/maps (the license is embedded in the map data).
By the way with my Pocket PC navigation version I have downloaded my new 2009 Q1 updates for Eastern Europe (West to follow), that's 1 years free updates of maps, POI's, Buildings, Terrain.
Never be swayed into paying for a built in navigator. Spend your money on the car not the candy.

I did post a similar reply a few weeks back - but while down near Dover I noticed the red line had gone from the TMC... I assumed it was picking something up from the French coast 20 miles away and thought nothing of it.... but then on Sunday I drove all the way from Kent through Dartford Tunnel and into deepest darkest Essex and again noticed there was no Red Line through the TMC box? As I was driving I didn't get to have a play to see if it was really working... but anyone else noticing this now? Has Mazda coughed up and payed the license fee???

Even if they had paid the license (not their issue though) unless you car has received the license download remotely (unlikely, until cars have bluetooth byuilt in anids not just for hands free phoning). You willstill be receiving TMC/RDS broadcasts from Heart FM, Class FM etc. etc. that do carry the information, but your navigation system doesn't know what to do with it. so it just shows you are getting data in that area.
Can any of you 'interogate' your nav systems? ...like browse folders.