Rds-tmc Working For You?

[shcm]

Hello Ladies and Gents,

My first post. I've been lurking here for quite a while, which might be quite rude of me, but you appear such a great bunch of people, I'm sure you'll all make me welcome. OK, enough oiling from me!

Had a 4.2 model D4D from 2002, which was the most reliable car I've ever owned. Got the new XT5 D4D about 6 weeks ago. So far, so good!

Anyway, I'd appreciate it if somebody with a XT5 or T180 could confirm if their RDS-TMC (I don't mean RDS TP flag based voice traffic announcements) is working on their sat nav at the moment.

If I switch to the RDS-TMC screen, with the unit on "auto", it reports no reception for the RDS-TMC feed. If I switch to a manual RDS-TMC UK search, I just get a permanent "searching" message.

RDS-TMC has been working on the unit before. I have had the Battery disconnected (that's probably the source of the problem), but everything else on the unit seems OK. I can't find any other clue in the manual.

If you are around the West Mids and can confirm RDS-TMC is working for you that would be even better. In this case, the chances are that your unit will be using the RDS-TMC feed from the Sutton Coldfield Classic FM transmitter (100.1MHz) and that will allow me to eliminate the possibility of the RDS-TMC feed just being off air at the moment.

One other thing might be software. With a Battery disconnect, the unit reboots at next switch on. I am fairly certain some of the unit's software (and not just the map data) is contained on the DVD. Maybe the unit was originally booted with a different disk (and therefore possibly a different software version) to the one supplied with the vehicle. My DVD reports 2006-2007 ver2.

Looks unfortunately like a call to the dealer, unless I'm doing (or not doing) something daft? Any ideas?

Thanks

[anchorman]

Hello Ladies and Gents,

My first post. I've been lurking here for quite a while, which might be quite rude of me, but you appear such a great bunch of people, I'm sure you'll all make me welcome. OK, enough oiling from me!

Had a 4.2 model D4D from 2002, which was the most reliable car I've ever owned. Got the new XT5 D4D about 6 weeks ago. So far, so good!

Anyway, I'd appreciate it if somebody with a XT5 or T180 could confirm if their RDS-TMC (I don't mean RDS TP flag based voice traffic announcements) is working on their sat nav at the moment.

If I switch to the RDS-TMC screen, with the unit on "auto", it reports no reception for the RDS-TMC feed. If I switch to a manual RDS-TMC UK search, I just get a permanent "searching" message.

RDS-TMC has been working on the unit before. I have had the battery disconnected (that's probably the source of the problem), but everything else on the unit seems OK. I can't find any other clue in the manual.

If you are around the West Mids and can confirm RDS-TMC is working for you that would be even better. In this case, the chances are that your unit will be using the RDS-TMC feed from the Sutton Coldfield Classic FM transmitter (100.1MHz) and that will allow me to eliminate the possibility of the RDS-TMC feed just being off air at the moment.

One other thing might be software. With a battery disconnect, the unit reboots at next switch on. I am fairly certain some of the unit's software (and not just the map data) is contained on the DVD. Maybe the unit was originally booted with a different disk (and therefore possibly a different software version) to the one supplied with the vehicle. My DVD reports 2006-2007 ver2.

Looks unfortunately like a call to the dealer, unless I'm doing (or not doing) something daft? Any ideas?

Thanks

I can't help you because I don't have that system but just wanted to welcome you to the forum.

I rarely listen to the radio because I can't do with all the c**p they talk and adverts for finance, sofas and second hand cars drive me nuts :ffs:

Strangely enough I wouldn't be bothered if mine didn't have a radio (I just listen to the Eagles on CD) but mine doesn't seem to suffer from interferance on the radio when the rear wiper is on as some have reported.

Cheers

[dave.m]

Shcm,

I was a year long lurker as well, waiting for cable in street to get broadband.

Would give same answer as anchorman, except would definitelybe listening to Pink Floyd or Supertramp

or something of that ilk. (sense another thread starting here).

Cheers,

Dave.

[shcm]

Many thanks for the welcome chaps.

yep, not actually listening to the radio, this is just where it gets its traffic avoidance data from (when working).

There's a CD full of mp3s in mine at the moment. There's certainly some Floyd, Eagles and Supertramp on it along with dubious AC/DC tracks, which start playing on disc insertion.

I hope there's not a trend of RAV4 owner's music taste (or is it just owner's age?) starting here.

If you remember "The Fast Show", then title for new thread - "Jessie's Music" - This week I ar mainly listening to..............

(No, please don't!).

Cheers.

[dave.m]

You're absolutely bang on, its the age.

I think you'll find that there is a lot of members on here myself included doing the mid forties

thing where you must listen to the music you listened to at high school. (a version of mid life

crisis ? ).

Cheers,

Dave.

[Sussex_Paul]

Easy now.............!

I'm not 40 for another 18 months!!!!!!

That creates a new dilemma for me now......Am I too young to be driving a Rav4!!!!!!!!!!!

[dave.m]

Hi Paul,

Listen mate you've got THE coolest Rav available, your listening to some seriously cool music on a first class

stereo ! Hitting 40 will be an absolute skoosh for you. B)

Cheers,

Dave.

[sywy]

Ok. Back on topic ...

I had a look earlier, and my TMC screen displays 2 options. The country Auto/UK and the radio staion Auto/Classic FM. Does that help? I'm in the East Midlands, btw. What exactly am I looking for?

[Sussex_Paul]

Sorry for deviating from the thread earlier!!

Just been out and checked mine - albeit I'm way darn sarf in Sussex - and it's showing:

Auto/United Kingdom

Manual/Classic

I've also been able to go to the screen which shows current problems on the motorways/roads and thats giving data too.

Hope this helps?

[shcm]

Thanks sywy and Paul,

That's exactly the info I wanted! At least It shows the RDS-TMC data is being transmitted. So the problem is probably either something odd I've done to the set up or a fault in the unit.

Where you get manual/classic or auto/classic, I just get auto/no reception. If I switch to manual I get a continuous manual/searching....

Mine used to behave exactly like yours and I could scroll through the road reports :(

Ok, warning, boring techy explanation follows:-

I *think* the way this thing works is the unit has two FM radio receivers in it. One you can listen to and the other is for receiving the RDS-TMC. I believe in the UK, RDS-TMC is transmitted only via Classic FM's RDS network (although there might be something on some of London's local stations). Without two receivers, you would either have the choice of listening to Classic FM all the time or not getting traffic data (for re-routing etc) to the nav unit all of the time.

The RDS-TMC screen I think effectively shows which station the second receiver is tuned to, i.e. Classic FM. So in my case, it would appear the second receiver is not finding Classic FM for some reason.

I could bang on about things called 57kHz RDS sub-carriers and the like, but I sense your eyes have already glazed over and anyway that really would be off-topic.

Thanks again!

[Sussex_Paul]

Wow! I got half way through that explanation and my brain went

But on a serious note, I believe you are correct on the 2 tuners matter!

[Sp33dy1969]

shcm

You're bang on with that explanation there is two tuners....

I'm in Birmingham and RDS-TMC is working fine on my full screen sat nav. Note classic fm is the only fm station that carrys tmc data in the UK.

Are you an RF man by any chance?

Regards

Steve.

[shcm]

Are you an RF man by any chance?

Steve,

The predictable answer to that one is that I have been known to do it at high frequency from time to time.

Anyway, thanks, you've confirmed I've either screwed the config or something is wrong with the unit.

think I'll try to give to it another "hard reset" before contacting the dealer.

I know, I know, I've paid out lots of hard earned cash for an expensive new vehicle - I should go straight to the dealer and get them to sort it - warranty and all that. However, I trust most of them as far as I could throw a RAV (not that I would want to throw a RAV anywhere!). I feel it's less hassle I if can have a little go at sorting it first.

Anybody know if it is possible to "reboot" these things without disconnecting the permanent Battery feed?

Apologies if the following is common knowledge - but if anybody is interested, you can get the unit into a diagnostic mode by:

1. Press the display button

2. Press the touchscreen at the top on the left hand side just below the top "margin"

3. Press the touchscreen at the bottom on the left hand side just above the bottom "margin"

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 another twice

You get a load of menus which allows you to see such things as GPS satellite status, vehicle speed, sensor input status etc.

To get out of this mode, press and hold the display button (or turn off the unit).

There also another method of getting into this mode by holding one of the buttons in (display button again I think) and turning the side lights on and off 3 times.

Cheers

[bitman]

just a bit off topic but is there any full screen sat nav for the 4.2 model?

[Sussex_Paul]

just a bit off topic but is there any full screen sat nav for the 4.2 model?

There was an XT5 model of the 4.2 that came with full screen sat nav in place of the integrated radio/cd player.

[dave.m]

just a bit off topic but is there any full screen sat nav for the 4.2 model?

Hi Biton,

If you dont want to go down the Toyota route, do a google search for in car stuff and look for a double din

size radio/cd player/sat nav.(VERY expensive)

Cheers,

Dave.

[bitman]

ok thanks.

now that i know there was one i will look around.

[shcm]

Back on topic, on the way home, finally, after about week, the tmc bit of the sat nav found classic fm again

So, really no problem then, just me being impatient!!!?

I was wondering if it was a received signal strength problem. However, home is not in a great spot for classic FM reception and if I go out to the vehicle now, it gets hold of the tmc info quite quickly.

It would seem it just takes the sat nav a long time to search through the FM band to find tmc transmissions, after a complete power disconnection. Personally, I blame software - never trust the stuff ;). Seriously, I can't believe it really is that slow, there must be a faster way.

I shall keep an eye on it, just in case there's an intermittent fault there somewhere.

Cheers

[dave.m]

shcm,

good to hear you are up and running again, sorry about diversions but you know what its like when

you get started.

Cheers,

Dave.

[shcm]

Dave - not a problem, diversions are fine by me!