2012 Navigation voice commands

[drb227]

I was reading through the 2012 Dodge Journey manual today, to see what, if any, differences there were in features/functions.

The Uconnect Voice Command Navigation Universal Commands page now has way more voice commands than the 2011 manual. For the 2011 Journey, the only valid voice command for Nav is "Repeat Guidance".

The 2012 manual lists the following voice commands for the 8.4N radio:

- View Map

- Where Am I

- Detour

- Cancel Route

- Repeat Guidance

- Find Address

- Find Nearest Restaurant

On the next page, it says:

NOTE:

1. You can also say “Find City”, “Find Favorite”, “Find

Play by Category”, “Find Play by Name”, “Find Recently

Found”, “Where to?” or “Go Home”.

2. You can say “Find Nearest” then “Restaurant”, “Fuel”,

“Transit”, “Lodging”, “Shopping”, “Bank”, “Entertain-

ment”, “Recreation”, “Attractions”, “Community”,

“Auto Services”, “Hospitals”, “Parking”, “Airport”, “Po-

lice Stations”, “Fire Stations”, or “Auto Dealers”.

DodgeCares, will an update be forthcoming to give this functionality to us 2011 owners? I sure hope so!

Edited September 18, 2011 by drb227

[Armendegga]

Wow, that would definitely be a pretty awesome update! Will make it tons easier to start navigation when already in the vehicle (especially when in motion).

[Powdered Toast Man]

I really wish the system had the ability for us to change the nav voice. I know some of the other commercially available nav systems have downloadable content to that end. Just a "would be nice".

[managerman]

I second the request for an update for the 2011 8.4N....

Also...I have been trying to determine if this radio will ever have sirius traffic capability as well as the travel link weather radar maps....can't seem to find a straight answer anywhere..

-M

[Windancer]

I really wish the system had the ability for us to change the nav voice. I know some of the other commercially available nav systems have downloadable content to that end. Just a "would be nice".

My garmin unit allows you to record your own voice and use them if you are so inclined.

Terry

[Powdered Toast Man]

One cool thing that I wish the Canadian maps had - speed limits. My 8.4n has a little sign pop up in the lower right hand corner showing the speed limit the moment I cross the border into the USA. Very cool.

[generaltso]

I'm in the market for a Journey Crew or R/T, but I wasn't sure if I should get a 2012 or 2011. Increased voice command capability might be worth going for a 2012. The problem is that NONE of the 2012 Journey's (at least in my area) have the 8.4 inch screen at all. Even the upper trims all have the 4.3 inch screen. The window sticker has a $1000 deduction saying that the 4.3 is substituted for the 8.4 due to a parts shortage. I'm guessing that's because of the Tsunami. So I guess I'll have to go with a 2011 to get the 8.4N unit. Does the 8.4N in the 2011 allow you to select individual songs from a USB stick or iPod by just saying the name with voice command?

[drb227]

As of right now, the voice command in the 2011 Journey does not work for controlling music playback. According to a Chrysler rep I have talked to a few times, an update is in the works to fix this but no idea when it will be released.

If you can get the 8.4, go for it. It is really sweet!

[generaltso]

As of right now, the voice command in the 2011 Journey does not work for controlling music playback. According to a Chrysler rep I have talked to a few times, an update is in the works to fix this but no idea when it will be released.

If you can get the 8.4, go for it. It is really sweet!

Really? Even the highest end 8.4 with Nav doesn't control music at all with voice command? The owner's manual says it does. If voice command can't be used to control music or the Nav, what good is it?

[DodgeCares]

Hi All,

I have talked to the radio expert here at Chrysler and I will cut and paste the questions I asked him and the response he gave so there is no confusion. It looks to me that there may not be any update to the 2011's because there was additional hardware that was needed for these updates to work, they are still working on the feasability of a fix. The 2012 models have the new hardware and the upgrades are available on them. Here are the questions I asked and the responses I got below. Sorry for the bad news...

Question #1

I [the customer]was reading through the 2012 Dodge Journey manual today, to see what, if any, differences there were in features/functions.

The Uconnect Voice Command Navigation Universal Commands page now has way more voice commands than the 2011 manual. For the 2011 Journey, the only valid voice command for Nav is "Repeat Guidance".

The 2012 manual lists the following voice commands for the 8.4N radio:

- View Map

- Where Am I

- Detour

- Cancel Route

- Repeat Guidance

- Find Address

- Find Nearest Restaurant

On the next page, it says:

NOTE:

1. You can also say "Find City", "Find Favorite", "Find

Play by Category", "Find Play by Name", "Find Recently

Found", "Where to?" or "Go Home".

2. You can say "Find Nearest" then "Restaurant", "Fuel",

"Transit", "Lodging", "Shopping", "Bank", "Entertain-

ment", "Recreation", "Attractions", "Community",

"Auto Services", "Hospitals", "Parking", "Airport", "Po-

lice Stations", "Fire Stations", or "Auto Dealers".

Will an update be forthcoming to give this functionality to us 2011 owners? I sure hope so!

The answer to question one is that the Voice Command for navigation isn't available on the 11 MY radios as there were hardware upgrades done between 11 and 12 MY in order to bring that feature in. There has been no determination on when/if a fix will be available.

Question #2

I have been trying to determine if this radio (on the 2011) will ever have sirius traffic capability as well as the travel link weather radar maps....can't seem to find a straight answer anywhere..

Answer

The'12 MY radios will have real time traffic capability. However, the same issue as above for 11 MY. As hardware upgrades would be required for traffic support so no update has been finalized at this time.

Edited September 22, 2011 by DodgeCares

[DodgeCares]

DRB,

Some of the 2011 Journeys that have the 8.4 and 8.4N can upload additional features. To find out if this applies to you, please go to the following link and input your VIN to see if your radio can upload this free software.

https://qna.extra.chrysler.com/rhb/uConnectTouchPlaylistRadioUpdate.do

[drb227]

DRB,

Some of the 2011 Journeys that have the 8.4 and 8.4N can upload additional features. To find out if this applies to you, please go to the following link and input your VIN to see if your radio can upload this free software.

https://qna.extra.ch...tRadioUpdate.do

I applied this update when it first came out. All it did was add the ability to see your playlists on your iDevice.

[drb227]

Hi All,

I have talked to the radio expert here at Chrysler and I will cut and paste the questions I asked him and the response he gave so there is no confusion. It looks to me that there may not be any update to the 2011's because there was additional hardware that was needed for these updates to work, they are still working on the feasability of a fix. The 2012 models have the new hardware and the upgrades are available on them. Here are the questions I asked and the responses I got below. Sorry for the bad news...

Question #1

I [the customer]was reading through the 2012 Dodge Journey manual today, to see what, if any, differences there were in features/functions.

The Uconnect Voice Command Navigation Universal Commands page now has way more voice commands than the 2011 manual. For the 2011 Journey, the only valid voice command for Nav is "Repeat Guidance".

The 2012 manual lists the following voice commands for the 8.4N radio:

- View Map

- Where Am I

- Detour

- Cancel Route

- Repeat Guidance

- Find Address

- Find Nearest Restaurant

On the next page, it says:

NOTE:

1. You can also say "Find City", "Find Favorite", "Find

Play by Category", "Find Play by Name", "Find Recently

Found", "Where to?" or "Go Home".

2. You can say "Find Nearest" then "Restaurant", "Fuel",

"Transit", "Lodging", "Shopping", "Bank", "Entertain-

ment", "Recreation", "Attractions", "Community",

"Auto Services", "Hospitals", "Parking", "Airport", "Po-

lice Stations", "Fire Stations", or "Auto Dealers".

Will an update be forthcoming to give this functionality to us 2011 owners? I sure hope so!

The answer to question one is that the Voice Command for navigation isn't available on the 11 MY radios as there were hardware upgrades done between 11 and 12 MY in order to bring that feature in. There has been no determination on when/if a fix will be available.

Question #2

I have been trying to determine if this radio (on the 2011) will ever have sirius traffic capability as well as the travel link weather radar maps....can't seem to find a straight answer anywhere..

Answer

The'12 MY radios will have real time traffic capability. However, the same issue as above for 11 MY. As hardware upgrades would be required for traffic support so no update has been finalized at this time.

Well, this is truly disappointing. The navigation system is not fully usable when the vehicle is in motion and those voice commands would have been a huge bonus and frankly, should have been there all along.

Can you ask your radio expert when an update will be out that allows voice commands to control music playback? Things like "Play the song", "Play the Artist", etc, do not work, despite these commands being in the manual for the 2011 models. I have spoken to a Lisa from Chrysler in the past a few times, she initially called me to take a survey about my issues/concerns with the Uconnect Touch system. I told her of all the issues that I had and she did get back to me advising that an update had been developed that should resolve most of the issues I had. She initially thought that that update was going to be released to dealers in August, but we are now almost through September and no sign of this update.

I refer you to this thread I started:

If you can shed any light on this update, that would be most appreciated.

[generaltso]

This presents quite a quandary for me. I really don't want to buy a 2011 Journey if it may never be able to select music with voice command as described in the owner's manual. I guess that means I should skip the 2011 and purchase a 2012. But the 2012 models aren't coming with the 8.4 inch screen at all at the moment because of a parts shortage. Do you suppose that parts for the new 8.4N unit would be allocated to special orders first? I'd be willing to special order if it means I would get the new 8.4N unit.

[DodgeCares]

Well, this is truly disappointing. The navigation system is not fully usable when the vehicle is in motion and those voice commands would have been a huge bonus and frankly, should have been there all along.

Can you ask your radio expert when an update will be out that allows voice commands to control music playback? Things like "Play the song", "Play the Artist", etc, do not work, despite these commands being in the manual for the 2011 models. I have spoken to a Lisa from Chrysler in the past a few times, she initially called me to take a survey about my issues/concerns with the Uconnect Touch system. I told her of all the issues that I had and she did get back to me advising that an update had been developed that should resolve most of the issues I had. She initially thought that that update was going to be released to dealers in August, but we are now almost through September and no sign of this update.

I refer you to this thread I started: http://www.dodgejour...t-touch-issues/

If you can shed any light on this update, that would be most appreciated.

DRB,

Voice commands would fall into the same issue as discussed above. In order for your unit to recognize voice commands it would need hardware which could only be achieved by swapping out the unit, in my opinion. I do not see how they could possible come up with an update to allow a system that was not set up for voice commands to flash it so it does have it. While I am certainly no engineer, I do not see how it could be done but if they come up with a solution the people on this thread will be the first to know because I will post it immediately.

[drb227]

Then why the heck did Chrysler put all those voice commands in the 2011 manual? This is extremely frustrating to have a half baked system that is not able to be controlled all that much by voice. Somebody at Chrysler should be severely whipped for letting this get to the owner's manual when the functionality is not there!

Aside from the Bluetooth phone functionality, the voice controls do very little else. The key features that should have voice control - navigation and music playback - do not.

I'm not angry with you Chris, I'm just venting my frustration at functionality that should have been there from the start. It is all the more frustrating to know that 2012+ owners will likely have all this functionality. I'm more than a little peeved about this.

[generaltso]

Then why the heck did Chrysler put all those voice commands in the 2011 manual?

It's not just in the manual, it's also on the Dodge website. When I do the "build your own" option on dodge.com, it lets me choose the "Navigation and Sound" package. In the details of that package, it clearly states "Voice command of radio and music". What's that referring to if you can't use voice command with music at all? At this point, does voice command work with anything at all besides controlling a phone call?

I'm having a really hard time with this. I can live without voice control for the navigation, but no voice control for music is a deal-breaker for me. My local dealer tells me that the 2011 8.4N does have voice control of music, but he's probably just reading that from the spec sheet. How can this function be in the spec sheet, clearly listed on the Dodge website, and in the owner's manual but not actually exist?

[drb227]

DodgeCares, can you please relay this situation to whomever you can at Chrysler, who may be able to do something about this situation? Chrysler needs to make this right for those of us who have the voice command system in our 2011 Journeys.

If there is an email address that we can contact directly, I would be happy to send a detailed email myself.

Edited September 25, 2011 by drb227

[managerman]

DodgeCares, can you please relay this situation to whomever you can at Chrysler, who may be able to do something about this situation? Chrysler needs to make this right for those of us who have the voice command system in our 2011 Journeys.

If there is an email address that we can contact directly, I would be happy to send a detailed email myself.

DodgeCares,

Add me to the list...As drb227 has stated...I believe that Chrysler/Dodge needs to make good on the stated features of 2011 8.4n radio....at the very least some type of upgrade procedure and at most a total swap out for the hardware updated unit.

Thanks,

Matt

[generaltso]

I'm ready to purchase a new vehicle, but voice command of music is a must for me. I had already decided on the Journey, but that's when I thought it had the voice control for music as stated in the specs. Is there a phone number where I can call Chrysler and get an absolute confirmation that there is no such thing as a Journey that can control music with voice command? If that's the case, I'll move on to another vehicle. But I want to be certain before giving up on the Journey because there are other aspects that I really do like.

[DodgeCares]

DodgeCares, can you please relay this situation to whomever you can at Chrysler, who may be able to do something about this situation? Chrysler needs to make this right for those of us who have the voice command system in our 2011 Journeys.

If there is an email address that we can contact directly, I would be happy to send a detailed email myself.

I have a mail address and the Customer Care phone line listed below. This issue has also been forwarded to the correct people in Auburn Hills.

Chrysler Canada Customer Care

PHONE: 1-800-465-2001 (Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 8:00pm EST, Saturday, 9:00am to 5:00pm EST) MAIL: Chrysler Canada Inc.

Customer Care Centre

P.O. Box 1621

Windsor, ON

N9A 4H6

Edited September 26, 2011 by DodgeCares

[generaltso]

I have a mail address and the Customer Care phone line listed below. This issue has also been forwarded to the correct people in Auburn Hills.

Is there a different Customer Care number for the USA? If I call them, will they know definitively what the 2011 and 2012 8.4 units support or will they just look up the tech specs (which don't seem to be correct)? I'm basing the purchase of the vehicle on this information, so it's obviously very important that I get correct answers. Thanks!

[DodgeCares]

Is there a different Customer Care number for the USA? If I call them, will they know definitively what the 2011 and 2012 8.4 units support or will they just look up the tech specs (which don't seem to be correct)? I'm basing the purchase of the vehicle on this information, so it's obviously very important that I get correct answers. Thanks!

General,

The Customer Care number for the U.S. is 800-992-1997. The 2012 8.4 units have the hardware to support the voice command functions. The 2011 units need a hardware upgrade, which to my understanding, has not been developed yet. If you need other answers I can try and answer your questions or you can contact the number I have listed above.

[generaltso]

General,

The Customer Care number for the U.S. is 800-992-1997. The 2012 8.4 units have the hardware to support the voice command functions. The 2011 units need a hardware upgrade, which to my understanding, has not been developed yet. If you need other answers I can try and answer your questions or you can contact the number I have listed above.

Thanks. My big question is how would I go about getting a 2012 with the 8.4N unit if the 2011 doesn't support voice? As far as I can tell, all 2012 Journey's come with the 4.3 inch unit because of a parts shortage. The 8.4 isn't even selectable as an option when you configure a 2012 online. Can I special order a 2012 with the 8.4n unit? Unrelated, but still important to me, I also noticed that the option to add heated seats without adding leather seems to be gone. Does that mean that you have to get leather seats to get the heat option for 2012? My dealer doesn't seem to have the answers to these questions.

[DodgeCares]

It's not just in the manual, it's also on the Dodge website. When I do the "build your own" option on dodge.com, it lets me choose the "Navigation and Sound" package. In the details of that package, it clearly states "Voice command of radio and music". What's that referring to if you can't use voice command with music at all? At this point, does voice command work with anything at all besides controlling a phone call?

I'm having a really hard time with this. I can live without voice control for the navigation, but no voice control for music is a deal-breaker for me. My local dealer tells me that the 2011 8.4N does have voice control of music, but he's probably just reading that from the spec sheet. How can this function be in the spec sheet, clearly listed on the Dodge website, and in the owner's manual but not actually exist?

General,

I do not know what spec sheet the dealer is reading from.The one that I am looking at (dated 4/5/11) specifically indicates the 2011 RB5 radio does not have voice commands. I am not indicating what you should or should not have it but the Sales Code Guide specifically says this under this radio option. I have been told that this hardware has been added to the 2012 model year. As for ordering the 8.4 at this time it may be unavailable because of a raw material shortage. I will check on that and post when I have the answer.