Is Traffic Information available anywhere with the Nav system? Mine shows it as enabled, but I've never heard anything from it. (I'm in Houston.) Does anyone know if this is available in the U.S., and if the FEH/MMH Nav system does indeed support it?

Russ

You have to go into the audio menu and scroll down to find traffic volume. Turn it on. Supposedly, it will automatically tune to a station broadcasting traffic. I can only assume some kind of traffic signifier is broadcast allong with the RDS info like station name, genre, artist, title, etc. I can't speak if it works because I don't use it and I don't listen to terrestrial radio.

-Tim

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD
Black with Pebble interior
Premium Package with Nav & Moonroof



Current ODO: 22,909
Typical Drive: 20 min crosstown in heavy traffic (3.5mi there and back twice a day)


457 Gallons of gas saved
That's 9,150 lbs less CO2

Good Question - I have also thought about this and it seems the answer for us is that it is not enabled - even though it is an option, as Tim says, to set the volume in the audio menu, and also have a little 'Traf' Icon in the Radio view.

To make things even more confusing is that a couple of times I have been using the NAV to get somewhere and asked for a 'Detour' and it would not let me select the one I was requesting - after listening to the radio I heard that there was a traffic problem on the route I was trying to select - so was it working in the background or just a coincidence?

It seems to be a separate cost option on systems that can utilize it - but from the NAVTEQ site it seems ours is not one of them.
Quote form NAVTEQ:
"NAVTEQ Traffic is designed for flexible industry-wide adoption by automakers and aftermarket system manufacturers. XM NavTraffic, powered by NAVTEQ Traffic, is currently available on the Acura RL, the Cadillac CTS, and the Pioneer AVIC-N2 and AVIC-D1.

Future implementations are anticipated later this year."

I did find in the Ford manual that it's enabled (assuming you have the volume up), but they said the service wasn't that widespread in the US (yet). I'd probably freak out if a strange voice suddenly told me about a wreck up ahead. I may have a wreck myself.

The Navteq site is refering to the XM sat radio traffic service, this is differnt from the RDS traffic system that is in the FEH NAV system. The XM system will provide data that the navigation system can use to re-route you, The RDS system only tells the radio where to tune to play traffic info and is not used very much in the US.

Mike Kinnell
Sonic Blue FEH AWD
Go BLUE!

I understand it totally depends on the radio stations in your area, and has nothing to do with Ford, your car, or NavTeq.