Passat GTE advance - how do you get Google Earth working?

[keithdulwich]

Hi all, I've just moved here after swopping a Prius for a new Passat GTE advance.

Can I ask if anyone can tell me how to get Google Earth working?
The option is there, but it's greyed out and nothing happens when you click it.
I've got car net working (took some doing!) but there was no option to enable google earth there.
I've tried the various WLAN hotspot and bluetooth net connections from my phone, but it's still greyed out.

It does have the 8" discover Pro sat nav, and it shows on the VW car net site that it should work.

Is there some thing I need to enable - or maybe ask the supplying dealer to do - that has worked for others?

Thanks


Keith

Getting car-net working was a problem, so here 's what i did in case it helps others:
The VW page for registering has pictures to click on your model, but clicking on a Passat GTE estate just goes to a 404 error. But you can click on Golf GTE, it ignores the model you chose and then decides it based on the VIN you enter. After I got the code it took several restarts to fully register everything.

[YawnGumbo]

You need to connect your Discover Pro to a smartphone or other mobile device to give it access to the internet. This is done through the WLAN option in Setup. Mine works with my iPhone using the Personal Hotspot option. I do find I have to hold the phone near to the radio when I first enable the hotspot (sounds daft but it works more consistently!). Once that's enabled and connected you should get options for Google Earth and Traffic Flow enabled on the main map view screen.

[keithdulwich]

Thanks, that confirms I'm doing the right thing and not anything daft.

I can see the car connecting to the phone hotspot, and I can even set the car to rebroadcast the internet over the VW... hotspot and log in to it from a tablet.
So the car is seeing the internet well enough. Ive also repeated it with a different android phone.
Google earth is still greyed out, as is the traffic flow option.
So it looks like that's going to need an appointment at the VW dealer.

[YawnGumbo]

Ok, I think the only other thing it relies on is a connection through to Car-Net. If this isn't working then I don't think you can use the Google Earth, etc. features. My car sometimes sits on "Verifying connection credentials" or something similar, but then usually works. VW UK helpline might be able to help in the first instance, rather than having to go back to the dealer.

[MattB247]

I'm assuming you've registered your VIN number with the VW portal, logged in and enabled your subscription?

[keithdulwich]

Thanks, Yes, I'm registered with car-net, it lets me report stats & control charging, and there's a menu for which "contracts" (=services) I have via car net. But Google earth isn't listed as an option there. Unless there's some other portal?

[keithdulwich]

Replying to my post because it works now and this might be useful to others:

While I was at the VW dealer I logged on to car net from a tablet I had never used before. Instead of the usual screen, it said I had not yet completed the activation for this car and and offered me a button to complete it . I clicked this & got an error message . The car net app on my phone now reported that I had no vehicles at all, and the car net menu in the car had nothing.
I logged on to car net again and it gave me a code to complete registration for the car, just like the first time I registered. I put the code into the register menu in the car, and it restored the services in car net, but this time including an entry for google earth - which had never been listed at all before.
It now works Ok on the sat nav screen.

So it seems that its possible to register on car net , get the code, put it in the car and have everything except google earth working, including web access to car information, start charging etc. & data, and with "contracts" shown as active, yet not actually have completed registration enough to get Google earth.