What Type of Traffic Does My Automotive Device Use?

Your Garmin automotive device is compatible with three types of traffic information:

• An embedded traffic receiver built into the device.
• Live Traffic using an app on a compatible smartphone paired with the device via Bluetooth.
• A non-embedded external traffic receiver built into its vehicle power cable.

Embedded Traffic Receiver

Your device includes a traffic receiver embedded into the body of the GPS 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.

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

Live Traffic

Your device may also receive traffic information from an app called Smartphone Link. This app may be downloaded free of charge from the App Store or Google Play Store onto a compatible smartphone paired with the device via Bluetooth.

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.

Steps to set up Smartphone Link can be found at the following links:

Setting Up Smartphone Link Traffic on an iPhone.

Setting up Smartphone Link Traffic on an Android Phone.

Using an External Traffic Receiver

See Troubleshooting an Automotive Traffic Issue if you prefer to use a traffic receiver cable and the embedded traffic service is not functioning. You can view compatible external traffic receivers if your device is still unable to acquire a traffic signal after troubleshooting.

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 External 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.

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.