Author Topic: Free and easy map updates (usually).  (Read 11830 times)

Offline Ceefeesh

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Free and easy map updates (usually).
« on: 23 May 2020, 01:14 »
In this period of little movement due to Covid 19 I was looking for something to occupy some time. Maybe I am daft and I have succeeded in doing something elementary but my previous efforts to update my maps have failed. My 7.5 GTI has Discover media. It is nearly 2 years old. When I checked the sat nav version it was version  3GO919866BJ 2018, Version 8. A couple of years ago when I had a Mk 7 GT TDI I had tried to update my SD card from the website I couldn’t get it to work. I bought a new genuine VW card from eBay! Guess what? It didn’t work. Tonight, I looked on eBay for a new SD card - £37, Version 12.  I thought really? Might not work again. I  looked on line and found VW support free updates but they don’t really trumpet this as you can buy a new SD card from an official VW dealer! Very generous of them! I then searched on YouTube found one guide from a year ago and I tried to use this. I searched for the VW site as per YouTube directions, the VW site has changed but I followed the site suggestions. I took my SD card out of the car put it into a USB card reader connected to my computer and followed the VW app. It had me back up my maps to my PC then I started to download  Europe Zone 1 dated 11/7/19 as it suggested. After about 15 minutes the download crashed.  I started again and it downloaded the new version on to my SD card which I put back into SD card 2 as directed and it installed. It took me about 90 minutes to complete the process, using fibre broadband.  I now have 5NA919866AH 1410 ECE1 2020/21. I think this is Version 12. While I have had the new version confirmation in settings  I haven’t seen the difference as I haven’t driven it yet. However, the new version number in settings gives a satisfied glow, for now. Time will tell if it was worth it.  If you have a couple of hours to spare you too could have new maps, for free.

Here is the starting link from VW. 
https://showroom-assets.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/how-to-guides/videos/in-car-entertainment

Let me know if you have got this software to work. 🤗

PS Also downloaded some radio station logos for my DAB radio the same way.
« Last Edit: 06 June 2020, 16:52 by Ceefeesh »
Previous owner of many Golfs and GTIs. Now Audi S3.

Offline mcmaddy

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Re: Free Sat Nav maps update
« Reply #1 on: 23 May 2020, 08:32 »
VW have done free map updates since the mk7 was introduced in 2012/13 so not sure why people are feeling the need to purchase new cards 🤷‍♂️. Two updates are released per year, May and November and it used to be free for three years at the outset. This changed to five not long after and now it's lifetime.
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Offline Talk-torque

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Re: Free Sat Nav maps update
« Reply #2 on: 23 May 2020, 10:10 »
As mcmaddy says, the free updates have always been available, but the process has never been as easy and straightforward as it should be. Possible, yes, but you have to be fairly tech savvy, and patient, to succeed. VW have had a couple of goes at a user friendly method, but never quite got there.

It’s obviously worth having the latest map information, but unless you know a road has changed, or just opened, you’re unlikely to notice changes. I did find with one version that it tried to take me to my daughter’s house the wrong way round York! I reverted to the old version until the next release, which got it right again. None of the roads had changed, so they must tweak the algorithms as well as the map data.
Roger.

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Offline Ceefeesh

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Re: Free Sat Nav maps update
« Reply #3 on: 23 May 2020, 10:13 »
I found the earlier VW steps of updating the maps via the internet were more complicated and I could not get them to work, buying a SD card was a work around. I am not sure how much VW dealers charge but they are currently for sale on eBay for £25 - £35. The number of sellers and feedback suggests there is strong demand  I thought my recent experience might encourage others to try updating for themselves as it is relatively straight forward. Still unsure how good the changes are though. Here is the You Tube link I started with but the VW process seems to have evolved since it was made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XyFwNZwXO8
« Last Edit: 23 May 2020, 10:16 by Ceefeesh »
Previous owner of many Golfs and GTIs. Now Audi S3.

Offline mcmaddy

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Re: Free Sat Nav maps update
« Reply #4 on: 23 May 2020, 10:47 »
I've never had any issues updating any VW sat nav. I don't use the crappy VW program thing just download, extract and away you go. Gap in the market if so many people are struggling to update but are willing to pay 25 to 35 quid for a new card. I should start a business and do them for half that  :grin:
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Offline Aparat

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Re: Free Sat Nav maps update
« Reply #5 on: 23 May 2020, 11:34 »
I've never had any issues updating any VW sat nav. I don't use the crappy VW program thing just download, extract and away you go.
As mcmaddy said. Just don't use vw software.
Download from here https://webspecial.volkswagen.de/vwinfotainment/int/en/index/downloads/maps-download#/
then extract, copy to original sd card  :smiley:
« Last Edit: 23 May 2020, 11:40 by Aparat »

Offline gordz

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Re: Free Sat Nav maps update
« Reply #6 on: 24 May 2020, 18:01 »
I've never had any issues updating any VW sat nav. I don't use the crappy VW program thing just download, extract and away you go.
As mcmaddy said. Just don't use vw software.
Download from here https://webspecial.volkswagen.de/vwinfotainment/int/en/index/downloads/maps-download#/
then extract, copy to original sd card  :smiley:

Cheers for this! Had no idea that A. VW did this for free and B. It was so simple! Thanks  :smiley:

Offline p3asa

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Re: Free Sat Nav maps update
« Reply #7 on: 26 May 2020, 10:39 »
Download from here https://webspecial.volkswagen.de/vwinfotainment/int/en/index/downloads/maps-download#/


I thought I'd give this a go but I see the last update from that site was July 2019. I'm sure a newer version was posted recently but can't find it.
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Offline Ceefeesh

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Re: Free and Easy. Sat Nav map updates.
« Reply #8 on: 26 May 2020, 11:32 »
Hi

The 11/7/19 is the file I used and the most recent I could find.  After installation the system information on the car shows it as EC 2020/21.
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Offline Talk-torque

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Re: Free and Easy. Sat Nav map updates.
« Reply #9 on: 26 May 2020, 11:41 »
The date is shown as month/day/year, so 11/7/19 is 7th of November 2019.

US convention, I think, hence 911, which was 11th of September.
Roger.

Pure White MY19 GTI PP 5 Door DSG with 19” Brescias.