Uconnect update

[RKins]

I'm hoping Dave sees this post since he was an engineer in the Uconnect system. What I posted on the other site:
"I have a '08 Grand Cherokee with Uconnect, which I bought in 2017 - which is great but the maps are out of date. I went to the uconnect site and found that the last update was 2017 and was $149.
I ordered it but then my mind kicked in and I wondered what the update did - what level of maps and what level of "system" it came up to. I called the number on the site and got the following info:
The Uconnect Screen image is what my Jeep has. The problem is that the numbers don't jive. My screen shot, which has 15 year old (not sure if it was ever updated) O/S and Maps has totally different numbers than they are offering with the update. They say the update will update the maps but were unsure about the "system".
I need to reach out to DavL and see what he can decipher for me. First pic is of my system. Other pics were sent from Uconnect of the current stuff.
I am an engineering type and worked heavily in the labs and tested different version of "system" firmware and I know that bringing the '08 system up to 2017 version is very likely going to have an upgrade issue. In my day we never tried to directly bring a 15 year old system of ours up to the latest. In the lab we would find if it was possible an usually it wasn't. Usually it needed incremental updates.
I discussed this with the woman on the phone, not having a clue if she was a person that answers the phone or and actual engineer in a small company. Anyway I left the conversation thinking that I was going be the test guy on the upgrade...
Dave what do you think?

 

[Neal]

Have you considered just replacing the unit?

 

[redbaron]

@DavidL

Sending up Bat signal

 

[DavidL]

FCA GROUP – 2018 NORTH AMERICAN MAP FOR UCONNECT® 730N (RER) | HERE

Order your Jeep Grand Cherokee navigation system update and get accurate directions to wherever you travel including new roads, new sub-divisions, and current addresses.

chryslergroup.navigation.com

Is that the map you purchased? RER is your radio. The maps don't mix and match across radio product lines. The maps / navigation system are produced by Uconnect's navigation partner, Navteq.

Not sure who you called, but it is not likely it was a Uconnect Engineer. More likely a Uconnect support specialist who have some training on the products but not as in depth as one of the head unit engineers.

 

[RKins]

Yup, that is the one I purchased. In the pic I posted of the radio display you can see RER in the bottom right. I was kind of put off that their web site didn't give more info like what I mentioned above. I called the number in the contact us section of their web page. I got a lot of vagueness from the gal I talked to, even asked her if there was any engineers I could talk to, she side stepped that. I saw the "Navteq" which I think also do the maps for a lot of mapping devices, like Garmin?
My concern is that the update will "brick" the unit. She couldn't guarantee that and also couldn't tell me if the O/S would be upgraded at all.

 

[RKins]

@Neal - I like the operation of the Uconnect head - being it is a '08 the GUI is maybe old and rez is lower but it was a great concept IMO. I haven't thought about replacing the head to be honest. We'll see if I have a brick this week.

 

["EZ"]

Uconnect is a great product. I have them in all my vehicles. But it's not perfect. Hope you get a good result with your upgrade!

 

[DavidL]

@Neal - I like the operation of the Uconnect head - being it is a '08 the GUI is maybe old and rez is lower but it was a great concept IMO. I haven't thought about replacing the head to be honest. We'll see if I have a brick this week.

Uconnect is a great product. I have them in all my vehicles. But it's not perfect. Hope you get a good result with your upgrade!

Hi, As a past rep of the Uconnect Brand, that's awesome to hear. I personally can't take any credit for 2008 MY as my influence was mostly on the 2013+MY Uconnect Access program (connecting vehicles to Internet services).

But that was a lot of the same good people.

RKins, good luck with your upgrade. If it's the correct upgrade for that head unit, then it should be fine.
BTW, I am the "father" of the "MOTA" (Maps over the Air) capability. Not sure if that launched yet or not...it was a functional prototype in one of my last internal sales pitch meetings the day I retired So all you would need to do is ensure you had payment and the system would keep it fresh for you I am having lunch with SiriusXM this week and will ask if that launched.

 

[RKins]

@DavidL
Dave, It seems my head unit won't read any CD or DVD (I never tried a CD or DVD in it before) - shows "Can't read disk". My thinking is that the Lasers are dirty so I inserted a cleaner disk with 2 brushes and it won't recognize that disk either.

Do you think a reset of the unit might wake it up?

 

[DavidL]

Hard to say...a "reset" won't fix the mechanical dirty laser certainly.
The repair facility used for years is called "United Radio" in Syracuse NY

Remanufacturing & Repair Solutions for Electronics - United Radio

We provide consistent, high-quality professional service such as remanufacturing and repair solutions to the electronics market place worldwide.

www.unitedradio.com

I assume they still service them.