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).

 

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.

 

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!.

 

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!