Here I am

8.4AN Map Update

Attention: TDR Forum Junkies
To the point: Click this link and check out the Front Page News story(ies) where we are tracking the introduction of the 2025 Ram HD trucks.

Thanks, TDR Staff
B

3500 Ram fly wheel

  • Bobshar23
  • Replies: 9
R

New 2017

  • RalphReuter
  • Replies: 21
Status
Not open for further replies.
Ordered the 2015 update March 6th. Never heard from the third party vendor, here.com.
Emailed them only to find out my order had been canceled due to the update being "Out of stock".
How the hell does something you burn to flash drive be out of stock??? WTF???

Anyway, LOTS of back and forth with someone at here.com (Chrysler Navigation Division), trying to get a refund, put on a wait list, SOMETHING and then I get a "Your order has been shipped via FedEx and a tracking number. OK, one more, WTF?!?!?. Was supposed to be delivered last Thursday (March 23). It was a no show. Checked the tracking number and it was delivered to Philly! I'm in Okla. More email, no answer, then a phone call. Nice enough customer service rep until he told ME to do the leg work via bank or PayPal to get my refund. Oh no,, told him this is THEIR problem, THEY WILL do the work and refund me. Back to waiting again. This is crap. Fiat gets the maps for FREE from Garmin. Not a clue what is done to them between Fiat and here.com but the price jumps to $150, tax and shipping $166 and change. Been told new maps (no idea what the release year will be) will be out end of May or early June. There's more to the story but that's another time. Still waiting on a return call or email. <sigh>
 
Well, after lots of back and forth, finally got the credit to my PayPal account from here.com. What a freakingmess.

Now to wait for new maps to come out.

Sure wondering what the actual date will be on them. <LOL>
 
Navigation has become not only a huge business, but a huge crutch for businesses who have chosen to rely on them. I'm probably still 2 years away from a new truck because I have other expenses to handle and my 05 is still running well, but in researching offerings, nav is either required or included in packages to get items I do want. But there are way too many stories like this thread where the vehicle manufacturers don't update on any timely basis, and the suppliers won't update themselves without their own direct proof. Last year, I moved within my town to a new development... the development has been in existence now for a year and a half, but the only navigation company to show the new streets is TomTom (and MapQuest, because they contractually use current TomTom data). Garmin, Here, and Google still don't show my street - I don't know about Apple since I don't have Apple products to check. I can't even have pizza delivered because of this - if the address doesn't come up for them on whatever nav service the pizzeria uses, they claim it doesn't "exist" and delivery is thus not available. So to have to pay for a vehicle's factory nav system that is simply inaccurate and won't receive the updates the nav companies promise for their own branded products is a waste of money to me.
 
Yeah, isn't it something?
I'm hoping that whenever the new maps come out that they will be no more than a year off. HOPEFULLY.
Hell, my '14 3500 8.4AN CAME with 2012 maps factory installed and the freaking dealership didn't update anything, not even the radio firmware which, btw, had a recall that they were supposed to have updated it and even reported it was done but I still had to do that one myself.
Fun, fun, joy, joy.
 
Hippy43 said:
What does BMW charge for updates?

This is a loaded question as one of my co-workers drives a BMW. :)
Click to expand...

Unknown from a dealer perspective. I'm sure they'll charge an arm and a leg.

Despite being a loaded question, here's the real answer: what I and many others do is pay a BMW specialty shop for what's called an FSC code that the car requires you to enter before it will allow you to update the maps. There are one-time and lifetime codes and are VIN-based. I paid $50 for a one-time code, then downloaded the European maps at 30GB to a thumb drive. Head to the car, insert the thumb drive, enter the code when the car recognizes the maps and prompts for it. Bam. 10 minutes later I have the latest and greatest, which we have tested here in Germany, plus Luxembourg, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Poland. The maps have been spot-on.

So, I really have no mercy for FCA who refuses to put any type of priority towards supporting an option for which they charge $800. The 8.4AN is in tons of FCA vehicles, so it's really mind boggling and inexcusable that they refuse to support it.
 
Kry226 said:
Unknown from a dealer perspective. I'm sure they'll charge an arm and a leg.

Despite being a loaded question, here's the real answer: what I and many others do is pay a BMW specialty shop for what's called an FSC code that the car requires you to enter before it will allow you to update the maps. There are one-time and lifetime codes and are VIN-based. I paid $50 for a one-time code, then downloaded the European maps at 30GB to a thumb drive. Head to the car, insert the thumb drive, enter the code when the car recognizes the maps and prompts for it. Bam. 10 minutes later I have the latest and greatest, which we have tested here in Germany, plus Luxembourg, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Poland. The maps have been spot-on.

So, I really have no mercy for FCA who refuses to put any type of priority towards supporting an option for which they charge $800. The 8.4AN is in tons of FCA vehicles, so it's really mind boggling and inexcusable that they refuse to support it.
Click to expand...

OK, you got my attention.
I understand about the FSC code, which I'm assuming is the same as the Garmin Activation #, but where are you getting your maps?
That's the whole kicker with FCA. Garmin gives FCA the map updates FREE of charge (got that straight from Garmin).
FCA does who knows what and the updates end up going through here.com which is where the price comes in.

My conversation with the three groups never did end up in finding out why it is done this way.
One would think that a person could go straight to Garmin and just present a VIN or the initial activation code and get updates but not that simple. <sigh>

I'll pass the FSC code info on to my co-worker that owns the BMW. I think last time he checked, they wanted close to $250 for updates here.

Thanks.
 
Hippy43 said:
OK, you got my attention.
I understand about the FSC code, which I'm assuming is the same as the Garmin Activation #, but where are you getting your maps?
That's the whole kicker with FCA. Garmin gives FCA the map updates FREE of charge (got that straight from Garmin).
FCA does who knows what and the updates end up going through here.com which is where the price comes in.

My conversation with the three groups never did end up in finding out why it is done this way.
One would think that a person could go straight to Garmin and just present a VIN or the initial activation code and get updates but not that simple. <sigh>

I'll pass the FSC code info on to my co-worker that owns the BMW. I think last time he checked, they wanted close to $250 for updates here.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I don't believe the FSC code is connected to any type of Garmin number. It's some type of code (hexidecimal?) generated by BMW that tells the car to allow an update for certain modules/features. The vendor who provided me the code also gave me a torrent and HTML link from where I could download the maps. A good search on Google will provide links to updated maps as well, but there's no updating the car without that FSC code. However, there are folks who have also posted how to generate your own code, but it's not a simple process.

Wish I could help with FCA's lack of support, but I can't.
 
Kry226 said:
I don't believe the FSC code is connected to any type of Garmin number. It's some type of code (hexidecimal?) generated by BMW that tells the car to allow an update for certain modules/features. The vendor who provided me the code also gave me a torrent and HTML link from where I could download the maps. A good search on Google will provide links to updated maps as well, but there's no updating the car without that FSC code. However, there are folks who have also posted how to generate your own code, but it's not a simple process.

Wish I could help with FCA's lack of support, but I can't.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info.
I'll pass it on.
Maybe someday FCA will figure out that many are NOT happy with the money spent and still getting bent over on something as simple as map updates.
Oh well.

Thanks again.
 
SNOKING said:
I wonder what the date is on 2017 vehicle maps. May 2015 was the last? SNOKING
Click to expand...

Would someone with a 2017 look and see what their map version is?

Here is our 2015. I update the system software, top line awhile back.

#ad
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Issue 128 – Digital Version
Digital Magazines
FREE!
TDR Test Drive - Digital Edition
Renew
Subscribe
Gift Subscriptions
Back Issues
Subscription Status
Address Change Form
Buyer's Guides
Ram Diagnostic Trouble Codes
The Perfect Collection
The Perfect Collection Vol. II
TSB Updates
Dodge/Cummins Historical Overview
Cameron Collection
What Makes Us Tick?
Product Showcase
Advertising



Turbo Diesel Register
Issue 128 – Digital Version
Digital Magazines
FREE!
TDR Test Drive - Digital Edition
Renew
Subscribe
Gift Subscriptions
Back Issues
Subscription Status
Address Change Form
Buyer's Guides
Ram Diagnostic Trouble Codes
The Perfect Collection
The Perfect Collection Vol. II
TSB Updates
Dodge/Cummins Historical Overview
Cameron Collection
What Makes Us Tick?
Product Showcase
Advertising



Back
Top