Sat nav question....

[Huxsta]

When using my sat nav and have a route selected it will show if there are traffic jams or road closures etc ( major accidents etc) How does it know all this as I don’t pay for anything to enable such ‘live’ data? I’ve owned it for nearly 3 years (11) plate and its always been like this. Also it’s the later usb version and could do with a map upgrade as more and more fields are being driven across due to the age. What’s my best options please guys?

[X5Sport]

You will only be getting TMC (via Classic FM).  TMC updates at 30min intervals and gets information from the Police & Highways Agency Traffic flow system. It’s free but can be very slow to update so can either miss a problem or keep a non-existent one too long.

The latest systems have the (paid for) RTTI (Real Time Traffic Information) via the on board SIM and that updates in near real time.  It became an option in late 2011 or 2012.

Map wise we can only talk OEM on here.  You need new DVDs or USB keys, plus a licence (FSC Code) specific to your VIN.  Maps were about £25 a set and the FSC £200. 

There are alternatives!

[Huxsta]

Cheers for that. Yes i noticed on a trip in dorset earlier this year that it seemed delayed as i was expecting a queue of traffic in a few miles but never encountered what it led me to believe. However it has also been accurate at times and i couldnt understand why. I know about the other ways as i have an e39 with an updated nav. Will do some googling.

[PierreNel1982]

I have discovered my DVD in my 09 E70 is way out of date: Many locations are not on it and it gets hopeless lost at times often. I use my iphone (Waze) to get to a destination and the cars catnav to get home at least.

[Graeme]

In January 2017 I bought a new Jan 17 DVD on offer from the local BMW dealers to replace the 2008 one I had when they sold me the car (reg April 2008).  It was still out of date in some places!  I believe it's a French company that produce them but I'll stand corrected if I'm wrong!

Graeme

[X5Sport]

Navteq (now known as HERE) are the supplier.

Our mapping data in the UK is typically changed every 3years apart from major changes - which the Ordnance Survey decide are ‘important’.  If the changes miss the update interval then they remain out of date for a while longer - which is really frustrating when you know the road is there and has been for a while.

I used to use the M6 Toll a lot and it was a good couple of years after it opened that the bag data caught up and the car stopped nagging that I was now ‘off-road’ in a field!