Porsche Connect Services

[GWL]

I never set up Porsche Connect and/or Vodafone Tracker in my previous Macan. However, when I picked up my approved used MY20 GTS last week, the OPC (Porsche East London) did a great job activating it during handover, with one guy doing something in the car with a laptop whilst another technician walked me through installing the app, setting it up (along with the Vodafone services) and also added the car to my "My Porsche" account. So, it all worked from the moment I drove away.

Whether I'll pay to use it in future is another matter....

If you haven't signed your soul over to Steve Jobs and become an Apple Fanboy you probably will, it's good and worth the cost IMHO.

The thing is, if you do have an iPhone anyway, why would you want to pay twice for similar facilities? Same goes for cars that have Android Auto. Do you not have a smartphone, Neil911?

It appears GM will be dropping Car Play and Android Auto from their future EVs. Why? Because they want you to pay them a subscription for Navigation etc. and also they can make money selling your locational information (e.g. where you shop) just as Tesla do.

Also, when you have no alternative, you can bet that subscription won't be cheap.

Be careful Neil - you may get what you wish for

[Neil1911]

Whether I'll pay to use it in future is another matter....

If you haven't signed your soul over to Steve Jobs and become an Apple Fanboy you probably will, it's good and worth the cost IMHO.

The thing is, if you do have an iPhone anyway, why would you want to pay twice for similar facilities? Same goes for cars that have Android Auto. Do you not have a smartphone, Neil911?

It appears GM will be dropping Car Play and Android Auto from their future EVs. Why? Because they want you to pay them a subscription for Navigation etc. and also they can make money selling your locational information (e.g. where you shop) just as Tesla do.

Be careful Neil - you may get what you wish for

I do have a smartphone, I also have a car with a smart Sat nav, why do I have to choose one over the other and which is right? Comparing vanilla Google maps and the Porsche Sat nav WOULD be interesting but I'm insufficiently motivated to do it! There's lots of opportunities for charges, including phone delivered services that are free so far... I'll take each day as it comes but at the moment I've got what I wished for, a Macan with an excellent Sat nav whichwhich wasn't one of my "must haves" to be fair!
Ah, I also have a map book!

[pmg]

I never set up Porsche Connect and/or Vodafone Tracker in my previous Macan. However, when I picked up my approved used MY20 GTS last week, the OPC (Porsche East London) did a great job activating it during handover, with one guy doing something in the car with a laptop whilst another technician walked me through installing the app, setting it up (along with the Vodafone services) and also added the car to my "My Porsche" account. So, it all worked from the moment I drove away.

Whether I'll pay to use it in future is another matter....

If you haven't signed your soul over to Steve Jobs and become an Apple Fanboy you probably will, it's good and worth the cost IMHO.

It appears GM will be dropping Car Play and Android Auto from their future EVs. Why? Because they want you to pay them a subscription for Navigation etc. and also they can make money selling your locational information (e.g. where you shop) just as Tesla do.

Also, when you have no alternative, you can bet that subscription won't be cheap.

I think GM will find that backfires. BMW tried to stick to that route but eventually offered Carplay and Android Auto. Some commentators are suggesting that car makers will eventually withdraw from the software market and leave it to the likes of Google as indeed Volvo and Polestar have done and the VW Group may wish given their software issues

[Nuclear Nick]

^^^ I think so too. Apparently later this year there is going to be a huge update in CarPlay in which enabled vehicles will have large parts of their control systems operated through CarPlay. Many manufacturers have signed up to CarPlay and already have included this new capability in their cars. Land Rover is one so I will see how this works in my Defender in due course.

Let’s not forget that to use external navigation systems phones need signal, battery, third party apps, etc so may not be as reliable as built-in software. Some may see this as a non issue, but what works for you now may not always!

Recently we arrived at Rouen in rush hour and there was a fair amount of gridlock on the main streets. We were in the 911 and the satnav did a brilliant job of getting us to our central hotel via a set of side roads that were free of traffic. OK, phone based systems might have done that too but it was reassuring to get that from the car’s navigation system.

[Deleted User 5286]

I spend a few months each year in Andorra, and due to their monopoly on mobile data roaming charges have my data turned off all the time, so the in car excellent Porsche SatNav works brilliantly!

[On-Track]

I signed up for Porsche Connect Services when the "free" period expired at the end of two years. In the past 10 months I've had three upgrades which download automatically. Worth the annual fee IMHO.

[JurassicGTS]

I signed up for Porsche Connect Services when the "free" period expired at the end of two years. In the past 10 months I've had three upgrades which download automatically. Worth the annual fee IMHO.

The map updates are worth it for me.

So far their technician spent 45 minutes looking at the PCM whilst I was enjoying Bournemouth's 75th anniversary day.
I now have no Apps on the screen after he tried a hard reset
After photographing his process and what was showing on the PCM, he was going to chat with Porsche Connect and see if they can offer a solution and I was going over for a couple of hours on Thursday.
Just had a call, they will need the car for 3-4 days and it may need a new PCM
Is the embedded SIM a fixed part of the PCM I wonder?
Fortunately it is still under warranty and they have a nice new Cayenne to put mileage on as a courtesy car.

[JurassicGTS]

Well the saga continues.
After 3 days of talks between OPC, Porsche Connect and Vodafone still no success.
I then get a text..not a call, from my OPC "we may have to do a hard reset of the PCM. However you may lose you preset radio stations, seat settings and phone pairing! Shock horror, I would have thought it would have been the first option to try
Day 4 the My Porsche App finally recognises the car and shows, location, pressures, mileage etc.
However Porsche can't get the Porsche Connect pairing code accepted it just keeps coming up with "Porsche Connect not available" even though they are using the new pairing code. Which is where I started, before they started playing around with it.

I just gave up and collected my car and will demand a refund.

I thought JLR info systems were bad but the Porsche system and anyone's knowledge of how it works it far worse!

Will now just use Tom Tom Amigo as the Macan's maps are so out of date, particularly in Europe.

[SAC1]

JurassicGTS - very frustrating and time consuming for you I'm sure.

MyPorsche App worked seemlesly with my GTS from new and for 22 months. Then the "send destination to car" from smartphone to PCM stopped linking. Everything else continues to work and shows on the App screens - fuel remainin, tyre pressures, next service due, mileage in total, last trip details and combined annual mileage to date, car locked / unlocked etc.

Porsche Connect Services have sent me numerous emails over the last 14 months with suggestions, reset instructions etc, etc. Even including changing the car clock and smartphone clock to both be 24 hour. NO FIX of the destination / route being sent to the car has been acheived. Infuriating.

Over-the-Air map updates to the PCM continue to be actioned and installed automatically too.

At no time has PCS suggested that my OPC investigate the problem either. The car is still under warranty.

[JurassicGTS]

JurassicGTS - very frustrating and time consuming for you I'm sure.

MyPorsche App worked seemlesly with my GTS from new and for 22 months. Then the "send destination to car" from smartphone to PCM stopped linking. Everything else continues to work and shows on the App screens - fuel remainin, tyre pressures, next service due, mileage in total, last trip details and combined annual mileage to date, car locked / unlocked etc.

Porsche Connect Services have sent me numerous emails over the last 14 months with suggestions, reset instructions etc, etc. Even including changing the car clock and smartphone clock to both be 24 hour. NO FIX of the destination / route being sent to the car has been acheived. Infuriating.

Over-the-Air map updates to the PCM continue to be actioned and installed automatically too.

At no time has PCS suggested that my OPC investigate the problem either. The car is still under warranty.

Steve, if ever PCS recommend you to ask your OPC to investigate, I hope they are better than my experience with mine, which is they are hopeless when it comes to info system knowledge!