3G is ending

[Gedtin]

Hi Guys just in case you were unaware, as I was. 3G communication is ending in UK this year. This means that if you have a Marco (or any Mercedes) manufactured on or before 2017 then your phone will be unable to communicate with your vehicle. Even though 4G was introduced in 2009 in UK Mercedes only changed the communication modules in 2017.
This means that you will no longer have vehicle tracking or geofencing available if you have a 3G module.
Mercedes are not willing to do anything about this and will only offer a navigation package at a higher price than the full package, including navigation, that it replaces.
A similar system of vehicle tracker (original supplier of memory modules to Mercedes) will cost £549 to have install and £165 annually after the first year)

If anybody has any information about the effects of 3G ending will have on Mercedes vehicles please post here. Or if a solution is available that I am unaware of.

 

[Steve B]

Didn't know about this, mines MY 2018 but I do find it all a bit clunky though. I was trying yesterday to send an address from the app to the car, but wouldn't receive it, tried many times. Also, have to switch the heating about four times before it will start. No issues with signal here, so something to do with the MB system. The DAB or lack of is also becoming an issue (plus the map is out of date and a pain sometimes, and a big cost to update), so may just opt for a carplay/DAB module to be installed in the future.

 

[Gedtin]

Didn't know about this, mines MY 2018 but I do find it all a bit clunky though. I was trying yesterday to send an address from the app to the car, but wouldn't receive it, tried many times. Also, have to switch the heating about four times before it will start. No issues with signal here, so something to do with the MB system. The DAB or lack of is also becoming an issue (plus the map is out of date and a pain sometimes, and a big cost to update), so may just opt for a carplay/DAB module to be installed in the future.

Hi Steve B. yes mine is first registered in 2018 vehicle but its manufacture date is 2017. As I understand it this was the year that some vehicles began to be fitted with 4G, unfortunately mine is not one of them according to MB. When 3G stops this year or when your contract runs out, whichever is the sooner, you will loose access entirely to the heater and vehicle tracking and be offered traffic updates only as a more expensive alternative. You will not be able to send addresses to the vehicle either.
All the symptoms you are experiencing I am too, maybe this is part of the rundown by MB

 

[Steve B]

Hi Steve B. yes mine is first registered in 2018 vehicle but its manufacture date is 2017. As I understand it this was the year that some vehicles began to be fitted with 4G, unfortunately mine is not one of them according to MB. When 3G stops this year or when your contract runs out, whichever is the sooner, you will loose access entirely to the heater and vehicle tracking and be offered traffic updates only as a more expensive alternative. You will not be able to send addresses to the vehicle either.
All the symptoms you are experiencing I am too, maybe this is part of the rundown by MB

Did MB notify you or did you discover this yourself?

 

[Gedtin]

Did MB notify you or did you discover this yourself?

My Mercedes Me contract came up for renewal and I found that I could not renew my existing package. I new that 3G was ending but the only test that I could conceive of to check if I was 4G suggested that I was. It Didn’t make a difference the Me helpline said that I was.
Note the Mercedes dealership, O2, Vodaphone and some independent mobile phone suppliers could not tell me.
My agreement has now ended and access from my phone to the aux heater has gone and the map no longer recognises the car (so useless).
No communication was ever received by me from Mercedes. Note the Vodaphone tracker costs £549 to have fitted and £165 per annum for the contract.

 

[Steve B]

I've got 1 year left on my subscription so I'll see what happens? I've got a tru trak tracker on my old land rover defender, its quite good, easy to fit and only costs about £35 plus an annual cost for connection of about £60. Carplay and DAB for the MP I think.

 

[Gedtin]

I have a tracker bought for a classic vehicle that was never fitted. I the short term I will try and use that. The prices I quoted above are from Vodaphone and are the equivalent of the one supplied by Vodaphone to Mercedes. There are some legal firms collecting clients to sue Mercedes (bit like the emissions joke) I've still not made my mind up whether to through my hat in or not. Just had enough of this cr*p