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3,308 Posts
So I've been driving almost since day 1 with no SIM card in the center console slot.
As you probably all know, clicking "Software update" from the "All settings" menu brings up two menu items:
InControl Touch Pro software
and
Vehicle software
Vehicle software:
With or without SIM card, clicking "Check for update" on the Vehicle software item brings up my Telematics software version (14.2) and the helpful "no update available" popup.
InControl Touch Pro software:
My version shows as S18D
Without SIM, clicking "Check for update" brings up the popup "No internet connection"
With SIM, clicking "Check for update" brings up the "no update available" popup.
Therefore:
1. InControl Touch Pro runs over the "user supplied SIM", which the manual clearly states is for "Mobile data connectivity" and appears to be alternative to connecting to a WiFi network ... much like your cell phone.
2. "Telematics" (whatever that really means) runs via the car's embedded SIM.
Parenthetically, clicking "Connectivity" in the "All settings" menu and going to the last item of the scrollable list ("About") brings up the "Vehicle MAC address" regardless of having a SIM in the slot or WiFi connected.
The fact that all the car's functions (except live traffic, web browser, "live", and InControl Apps) work just fine without a "personal" SIM is reassuring.
Finally, I can't help but speculate that some of the issues other users are experiencing with infotainment, blank screens, etc, are due to spotty connectivity through the personal SIM card. If you don't care about the aforementioned functionalities (live traffic, web browser, "live", and InControl Apps) I recommend yanking the SIM card to see if things get better.
HTH
Edit: .. yanking the SIM *and* connecting to WiFi "off" in "Connectivity" menu
As you probably all know, clicking "Software update" from the "All settings" menu brings up two menu items:
InControl Touch Pro software
and
Vehicle software
Vehicle software:
With or without SIM card, clicking "Check for update" on the Vehicle software item brings up my Telematics software version (14.2) and the helpful "no update available" popup.
InControl Touch Pro software:
My version shows as S18D
Without SIM, clicking "Check for update" brings up the popup "No internet connection"
With SIM, clicking "Check for update" brings up the "no update available" popup.
Therefore:
1. InControl Touch Pro runs over the "user supplied SIM", which the manual clearly states is for "Mobile data connectivity" and appears to be alternative to connecting to a WiFi network ... much like your cell phone.
2. "Telematics" (whatever that really means) runs via the car's embedded SIM.
Parenthetically, clicking "Connectivity" in the "All settings" menu and going to the last item of the scrollable list ("About") brings up the "Vehicle MAC address" regardless of having a SIM in the slot or WiFi connected.
The fact that all the car's functions (except live traffic, web browser, "live", and InControl Apps) work just fine without a "personal" SIM is reassuring.
Finally, I can't help but speculate that some of the issues other users are experiencing with infotainment, blank screens, etc, are due to spotty connectivity through the personal SIM card. If you don't care about the aforementioned functionalities (live traffic, web browser, "live", and InControl Apps) I recommend yanking the SIM card to see if things get better.
HTH
Edit: .. yanking the SIM *and* connecting to WiFi "off" in "Connectivity" menu