Garmin Lifetime Maps And Traffic

[Sanny Olafeso]

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NOTES:In accordance with the Lifetime Maps and Maps Terms and Conditions, map updates and/or Downloadable Content (DLC) are no longer available to download or purchase and cannot be activated and/or associated with the Garmin devices listed in Map Updates and Downloadable Content No Longer Available to Download or Purchase.This is due to these devices not having sufficient memory capacity and other required technical capabilities to utilize current map data.

Many Garmin automotive GPS navigators have suffixes with the model name to indicate if the device includes map updates or traffic information with no additional cost, though some devices will not while still including these features. It is best to verify on the product page of the Garmin website in the Specs tab.

To verify your device includes traffic updates, visit garmin.com, search for your product, and once there, click on the Specs tab. Look for a checkmark next to INCLUDES TRAFFIC under Navigation Features.

Has anyone else noticed that at some point after Jan 1, 2018 traffic information is no longer being received by their older devices with FM Traffic only? I have both a Nuvi 760 with an added on lifetime traffic subscription, and a Nuvi 765T, which has lifetime traffic built in. Since I live in a metro area with good traffic signal coverage (San Diego, CA), I rely on that traffic info, which has been consistently available for years. Lately, the traffic icon is not appearing on the screen at all, indicating that not even a poor or intermittent signal (grayed out icon) is being received. Either the signal is no longer being transmitted, or something is wrong with my device, preventing reception. To start the troubleshooting process of elimination, if others are having this issue too, I'll know its a system problem. If no one else is, I will start trying to figure out why it is not working on my end. Any suggestions are welcome.

I believe that unit received RDS format traffic and it is very possible the supplying station stopped that service. RDS was a Motorola format and they have probably also stopped supporting it as it was a very slow data transfer format.

RDS Traffic for Toronto is working on my DriveAssist 50 when not using the Smartphone Link app. I don't remember the exact date, but it was "broken" from last summer until quite recently, when it mysteriously started working again. It wasn't an issue for me since I almost always use Smartphone Link for traffic.

Just checked the FM traffic reception and it seems to be working normally for me in the Northeast. The RDS/TMC network does change so broadcasting stations and frequencies could change from time to time. To ensure full access and reception of all available traffic data, make sure that the firmware is up to date as bdhsfz6 has advised. Use Garmin Express or Garmin WebUpdater to make sure your GPS unit and its traffic receiver have the latest traffic firmware and database. For your reference, my 1450LMT used for testing contains the following currently:

I had this issue once with my 2595: no traffic reception. The issue turned out to be the connector at the end of the traffic receiver cable. I believe it was probably worn or got messed up from all the connecting and removing over time. I called Garmin and they replaced the cable no charge and added my optional "Total Traffic" subscription to it. They also mentioned that another common cause of the problem is the connector in the Nuvi from the same wear and tear.

Some of the newer units (within the past few years) are compatible with the Garmin SmartLink app which is a super alternative to the FM traffic. There is much greater coverage and it pulls in traffic updates quickly from your cell phone's data. The data usage is minimal. That said, I believe the 760 is pretty old and it probably doesn't have that feature unfortunately.

It could be hardware issue. I don't think they stopped FM traffic service. When my nuvicam or 3597 loses Bluetooth connection, it automatically falls back to FM traffic. It was working yesterday in Toronto area.

Thanks for all of the suggestions! For map updates, I have been using Map Updater, and had not used Garmin Express for several years due to the trouble it was causing at the time. I decided to give it another shot, and installed and ran it without any trouble, but there were no software or other updates available for either unit, so I do not think that was a factor in my not getting the traffic signal. However, I do not see on either of my units, a 760 and a 765T, anywhere were it gives me an indication of what the traffic firmware or database date or version is. Regarding tli's post, there is nothing I can see like what you posted for your 1450LMT in my units menu system, and I see no file on either unit that looks, by the file name, like it is traffic related. If anyone knows how to find this on a Nuvi 760 or 765T, I'd be interested to know. As others have reported, I have had the intermittent power issues related to the cradle, and have replaced several of those. But I did not think of that as a possibility for this traffic problem, because the power connections are stable. Based on williston's comment, I decided the hardware was worth checking into a little more. It turns out, the FM RDS traffic signal is still alive and well in SoCal. When I tried the 760 with its own receiver cable (the longer but lighter GTM 20 version with LED lights), it began picking up the signal and displaying traffic again. When I tried that cable on the 765T, it also worked! Just to confirm, I tried the normal cable I had been using, the one that came with the 765T (shorter, heavier GTM 20 without LEDs) on the 760, and sure enough, no traffic. Diagnosis: the shorter cable is the culprit. I discovered there is a good thread on the GTM 20 cable and traffice issues here: -factory.com/node/37592 The good news is, I can have good traffic info on either unit by using the good cable. The bad news is, I now have no back up cable, so my challenge is to either fix the bad one or find a replacement without having to pay for a new lifetime subscription. New cables are readily available for $80-100, but that option IMO is not worth it. I will try to contact Garmin, maybe they'll do the same for me as for williston - thanks for the tip. With several positive comments about Garmin SmartLink, I did look into that, but found on the Garmin website that it is not compatible with the Nuvi 7xx series, unfortunately. Thanks again to all POI Factory contributors - what a great group of people and resources there are here!

... Regarding tli's post, there is nothing I can see like what you posted for your 1450LMT in my units menu system, and I see no file on either unit that looks, by the file name, like it is traffic related. If anyone knows how to find this on a Nuvi 760 or 765T, I'd be interested to know. ...It's good that you were able to isolate and identify the issue with that power adapter cord/traffic receiver. If Garmin Express did not reveal any update, then your GPS unit is already up to date. The info regarding firmware components and their version numbers can be obtained via the diagnostic screen(s). I don't have any experience with the 7XX series but the following thread could provide some insight:

It turns out, the FM RDS traffic signal is still alive and well in SoCal. When I tried the 760 with its own receiver cable (the longer but lighter GTM 20 version with LED lights), it began picking up the signal and displaying traffic again. When I tried that cable on the 765T, it also worked! Just to confirm, I tried the normal cable I had been using, the one that came with the 765T (shorter, heavier GTM 20 without LEDs) on the 760, and sure enough, no traffic. Diagnosis: the shorter cable is the culprit. I discovered there is a good thread on the GTM 20 cable and traffice issues here: -factory.com/node/37592 The good news is, I can have good traffic info on either unit by using the good cable. The bad news is, I now have no back up cable, so my challenge is to either fix the bad one or find a replacement without having to pay for a new lifetime subscription. New cables are readily available for $80-100, but that option IMO is not worth it. I will try to contact Garmin, maybe they'll do the same for me as for williston - thanks for the tip. With several positive comments about Garmin SmartLink, I did look into that, but found on the Garmin website that it is not compatible with the Nuvi 7xx series, unfortunately. Thanks again to all POI Factory contributors - what a great group of people and resources there are here!I would suggest you to call Garmin support and report the issue. Most likely they will send you free of cost. I had similar issue with GTM 60 on my 3597. It won't receive any traffic when Smart phone Link app not connected. So I called Garmin and explained the issue and they offered me new GTM60 for $50 or $60 (don't remember the exact amount. But I told them that I was a loyal customer for the last ten years and I had 6 Garmin units during this time. After this agreed they to send me new GTM 60 for free. So you may try and may get it for free.

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