MB Medic Mercedes-Benz Repair Guides, Service, How To DIY
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Mercedes COMAND navigation maps can become outdated as new roads are built, exit numbers change, and point of Interest (POI) locations change. Unfortunately, your original Mercedes GPS will eventually become outdated, even giving you the wrong directions in some cases. To fix this problem, you can update the maps yourself on the DVD based COMAND systems, which is what this guide covers.
If your Mercedes-Benz was manufactured before 2012, updating the maps is very easy. You will need the latest map for your COMAND system. However, choosing the correct map for your model can be tricky. To help you identify the correct navigation disk, read this article:Â Which Mercedes COMAND Navigation DVD Map Disk do I need?
A replacement Mercedes Navigation Map DVD can be purchased from the dealer. Cheap Mercedes Navigation DVDs can be purchased on sites like Amazon. Here you will find original Mercedes Navigation disks. Some sellers may sell cloned disks, so be wary of that.
Instructions
- Start your Mercedes-Benz engine and leave it running for the whole update, which keeps the battery voltage up while COMAND writes. Put the car in Park. Do this outdoors or with the garage door fully open, since the engine will be running for several minutes.
- Turn on COMAND.
- Locate the navigation DVD slot. If you don’t see one, press the COMAND eject button. Your COMAND will open. Eject the old map DVD.
- If you have a firmware update disk, insert it and allow the update to install. Do this before you update your Mercedes maps.
- Insert Mercedes navigation DVD. The disc logo should be up.
- Close the control unit door by pressing the EJECT button on the COMAND.
- Wait for the COMAND maps to be updated. This procedure takes about five minutes.
Mercedes Navigation will update within a few minutes. Your COMAND may restart a couple of times during this procedure. Once the update is completed, power off the COMAND and turn it back on. If it doesn’t, automatically turn it off, manually press the power button, and turn it back on.
If your Mercedes-Benz is the model year 2012 or newer, you must have your Mercedes-Benz dealer update your maps.
If COMAND Itself Is the Problem
A map disc fixes out of date roads. It does not fix a head unit that will not read the disc, restarts on its own, or comes back from the update behaving oddly. At that point the question is whether COMAND has logged a fault of its own, and a plain OBD2 reader cannot answer it, because COMAND is not the engine and a basic reader only reaches emissions data.
A full system scanner such as the YOUCANIC UCAN-II Pro reaches the comfort and infotainment control units, so you can see whether the head unit is reporting something before you start buying another disc.
Before you buy parts, scan every control module, not just the engine. It shows the root fault behind the warning lights and tells you whether the problem is still active. See how to do a full health check.
