What Type of Traffic Does My Automotive Device Use?

Garmin automotive devices with lifetime traffic will often include the letter T (for Traffic) listed within the model number on your product packaging.

The device will have one of the three following types of traffic service:

• An embedded traffic receiver built into the device.
• A non-embedded external traffic receiver built into its vehicle power cable.
• Live Traffic using the Smartphone Link App installed to a smartphone paired with the device via Bluetooth.

The information below can be used to determine if your device uses an embedded receiver, an external traffic receiver cable, or Live Traffic.

Embedded Traffic Receiver

Devices with an embedded traffic receiver have the traffic information received by internal components built into the GPS device itself. The vehicle power cable included with these models will be a vehicle cable with the model number TA10 or TA20. The label for the cable can be found on the bottom of the portion of the cable that connects to the 12-volt outlet in your vehicle. 

The vehicle power cable does not include the receiver, but it is still necessary to connect the device to the vehicle power cable to receive traffic. Using the GPS device without the vehicle cable, or with a third-party vehicle cable, will result in no traffic information.

There are Two Simple Methods to Determine if a Device Uses an Embedded Receiver:

• The device is a model with lifetime traffic, but the vehicle cable included is a TA10 or TA20 cable.

  • The light on this cable (when connected to power) is either blue or yellow.

• The model will list the letter T without the letter S after it on the label where the serial number is printed.

Click here for a list of devices compatible with the TA20. The devices in this list are compatible with the TA20, but the TA20 may not have been included in the device packaging.

See Activate the Free Navteq Lifetime Traffic Subscription that came with my GPS Device to activate the traffic subscription on the receiver.

External Traffic Receiver

Devices with an external traffic receiver have the traffic receiver built into the included vehicle power cable.

The type of cable varies by the automotive device model. The label for the cable can generally be found on the bottom of the portion of the cable that connects to the 12-volt outlet in your vehicle. 

Your device will not receive traffic information unless the cable is connected to your device and vehicle. Using the GPS device without the vehicle cable, or with a third-party vehicle cable, will result in no traffic information.

There are Two Simple Methods to Determine if a Device Uses an External Traffic Receiver:

• The device is a model with lifetime traffic, but the vehicle cable included is a GTM™ traffic receiver.

  • The light on this cable is red or green when connected to power.

• The model will not list the letter T (even though the box indicates the T) on the label where the serial number is printed.

Compatibility lists for the GTM™ 36 and GTM™ 60 traffic receivers can be found in the links below. NOTE: These compatibility lists state which cables are compatible with these devices, not which cables were packaged with them.

• GTM 36
• GTM 60

NOTE: External traffic receivers are no longer available for purchase through Garmin. See GTM 60 and GTM 36 Cables are Discontinued for more information.

These receivers come with a lifetime traffic subscription. No additional purchases are necessary. See Activate the Free Navteq Lifetime Traffic Subscription that came with my GPS Device.

Live Traffic

Note: Smartphone Link is only compatible with Android phones and is not available on iOS for your device.

Your device can also receive Live Traffic information from the Smartphone Link App, which is downloaded to a compatible Android smartphone and paired with the device via Bluetooth. The app is free to download from the Google Play Store.

Your phone must be in a coverage area for your carrier for the Smartphone Link App to provide traffic. This coverage varies by the cellular provider. 

Using an External Traffic Receiver

You can view compatible external traffic receiver cables if your device did not originally come with a traffic receiver, or if you prefer to use a traffic receiver cable rather than a mobile app.

NOTE: External traffic receivers are no longer available for purchase through Garmin. See GTM 60 and GTM 36 Cables are Discontinued for more information.

To View Compatible Traffic Receivers for Your Device:

1. Go to Garmin.com
2. Locate your device model
3. On the device's product page, click Accessories
4. Click Traffic Receivers

This will expand a list of traffic receiver accessories compatible with your device model. These receivers come with a lifetime traffic subscription. No additional purchases are necessary. See Activate the Free Navteq Lifetime Traffic Subscription that came with my GPS Device.