Mercedes Map Update Guide

Update your Mercedes navigation maps yourself, without a dealer visit. You prepare a USB stick with the official Mercedes Download Manager, start the update in the car, then enter a map license key that matches your VIN. A dealer charges €250 to €500 for that key. Our price per code is in Pricing below.

Enter your VIN into any form on this site, or the one below, and we match your car to its NTG generation. NTG is the name of your car's built-in infotainment system, the head unit behind the dashboard screen, sold as COMAND on older cars and MBUX on newer ones. Every NTG version has its own guide.

Watch the update from start to finish

The video below covers the whole process, from making the USB to entering the code in the car.

Four steps to update your Mercedes map

1. Download DLM. The official Mercedes-Benz Download Manager.
2. Make the USB. Pick the right NTG, region, version, and filesystem.
3. Insert it in the car. Start the update and wait for the Map License Key prompt.
4. Generate the code below. Enter your VIN and the map details, pay, paste into the car.

The full walkthrough, with a screenshot of each screen you'll see, is further down this page.

Check what your car needs

Pick your NTG generation and region below. The checker lists the map versions available for your car and the USB format it needs.

How to update your Mercedes map

• Create the USB with the DLM, following the guide for your NTG generation. Download Mercedes Download Manager (DLM)

• Insert the USB into your car. It should prompt you that a new software update is available.

  

• Buy the map code. Create a free account at mbretrofit.it, then enter your 17-character VIN, your region (read it off the data card, not your country), and your NTG version. NTG3.5 through NTG5.5 and Aston Martin NTG5*2 codes are generated automatically. NTG6, NTG7, Gen20x, and Aston Martin NTG5.5 are written by hand, so they take 20 minutes to 3 hours on weekdays between 10:00 and 17:00 CEST, and arrive the next working day if you order outside those hours. Start right here:

  VIN

  Generate Map Code
  

  The car shows a prompt like this one for the code.

• Follow the steps on your car and enter the code when it asks for the Map License Key.

• The map installs on its own once the car accepts the code. Allow 30 minutes on NTG4.5, 45 to 75 minutes on NTG6, and 60 to 90 minutes on NTG7.

  

Common errors when updating Mercedes maps

Most failed updates come down to one of four things.

• "Not enough space". DLM usually means the Windows system drive (normally C:), where it stages the download. Keep at least 64 GB free there as well as using a separate 64 GB+ USB.
• USB not recognized. Wrong filesystem. Let DLM reformat the stick for your NTG.
• "License key invalid". The code doesn't match the VIN, map version, or region. Recheck those on the car screen before you generate.
• "Update cancelled". The engine was off, or the car went to sleep during the install. Keep the car running. The install runs 45 to 75 minutes on NTG6 and 60 to 90 minutes on NTG7.

Each generation has its own quirks too. The guide for your NTG covers model-specific fixes, and the DLM guide covers USB and download errors.

For any other error, email contact@mbretrofit.it with a photo of the error and the car screen, and we'll work through it with you.

Which countries your map update covers

The Map Coverage page lists the countries included in each map package, per NTG generation and region.

What is a Mercedes navigation code?

A Mercedes navigation code, also called a map license key, map activation code, or Navi PIN, unlocks new map data for your COMAND or MBUX. It's tied to one VIN, one map version, and one region, so you can't reuse it on another car.

When you run a manual map update from USB, the car reads the data, then asks for the code. No code, no install.

You can buy the code from your Mercedes dealer for €250 to €500, or generate it yourself here at the price in Pricing below. The car doesn't care where the code came from, only that it matches the VIN, region, and map version.

Why Mercedes charges so much for a map update

Mercedes pays a licensing fee for the map data, then resells the activation through dealers. Most of the €250 to €500 dealer price is margin and labor, not the license.

Older COMAND and MBUX cars (NTG3.5 through NTG6) don't get free over-the-air updates, so a manual USB update is the only way to get the latest map. NTG7 and Gen20x update over the air on newer cars, but only while the map-data subscription is paid up, usually the first 3 years from new.

If your car prompts you for an activation code, you're on the manual path, and this page covers it.

What a map update costs

What you pay depends on who runs the activation.

• Dealer (€250 to €500). Staff time, no work for you. The car accepts the same code whoever generated it.
• eBay or Amazon SD-card sellers (€60 to €150). A preloaded SD card with a single-use code bound to one VIN.
• MBRetrofit Tools. The price per code is in Pricing below. You bring the USB stick and run DLM.

The map license itself costs money. The activation work is what you do yourself.

Pick your NTG generation

Each generation has its own guide.

Map code pricing

The Map Coverage page lists the countries in each region package. For the versions your car can take, use the checker above. Your firmware caps the highest version you can install.

Supported Mercedes models

MBRetrofit Tools covers the full COMAND and MBUX fleet from 2009 on. Common chassis:

If your chassis isn't listed, the VIN check detects supported generations.

Frequently asked questions