C220 Telephone wiring

[parkyerbike]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me? I am about to order a new C220 CDI and I was wanting to get the telephone wiring installed. This is quite pricey through MB, but I was wondering if I could get this retro fitted later, at a reduced cost, I think 420quid + 131quid for the cradle is a bit pricey.

Any help appreciated

Regards

Dave

 

[miro]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me? I am about to order a new C220 CDI and I was wanting to get the telephone wiring installed. This is quite pricey through MB, but I was wondering if I could get this retro fitted later, at a reduced cost, I think 420quid + 131quid for the cradle is a bit pricey.

Any help appreciated

Regards

Dave

Its worth every penny. Only thing is that it is unreasonably overpriced in the UK.

 

[glojo]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me? I am about to order a new C220 CDI and I was wanting to get the telephone wiring installed. This is quite pricey through MB, but I was wondering if I could get this retro fitted later, at a reduced cost, I think 420quid + 131quid for the cradle is a bit pricey.

Any help appreciated

Regards

Dave

I cannot comment on your specific model, but I would be amazed if you can get a 'like for like' wiring installed for less than the factory price when ordering a new car?

I suppose though I am talking about having ALL the features work including COMAND items.

John

 

[parkyerbike]

Thanks for your replies. The problem is, this is a company car and will be going back after it is three years old. If I pay the money, I don't get anything back for it in the 3 years. I am just trying to decide if a standard nokia kit may suffice that mutes the radio or go the whole hogg and get the wiring installed.

 

[fuzzer]

Thanks for your replies. The problem is, this is a company car and will be going back after it is three years old. If I pay the money, I don't get anything back for it in the 3 years. I am just trying to decide if a standard nokia kit may suffice that mutes the radio or go the whole hogg and get the wiring installed.

the new cars use most bus , im not sure if they still have the option of radio mute.

Anyone know if the audio 20 has the radio mute on the iso ? The D2b bus audio 10 did.

integrated car kit is really good. its only 49p a day

 

[Rory]

It doesn't really matter that it's a company car - nobody gets the money back that they spend on options. The only thing is that some of them make the car a bit more 'saleable'.

I'd recommend that you go for the MB kit - having the after-market Nokia kit will really annoy you every time you look at it. The MB kit works well and integrates to an outside aerial - the newer Nokia kits don't do this very well. I also think that the positioning of the Nokia cradle in many installations is positively dangerous (from a crash point of view).
Won't your company pay for this - they're required to provide hands-free kits if you're expected to use the phone? I'd tend to just order it and then tell the firm it's done, and hope they'll pay up.

 

[SEM]

I got my cradle off ebay £40 Genuine part for Nokia... MB quoted £97!

 

[parkyerbike]

Won't your company pay for this - they're required to provide hands-free kits if you're expected to use the phone? I'd tend to just order it and then tell the firm it's done, and hope they'll pay up.

Nope, they said they will fit a Nokia bluetooth kit, but thats it, they say that 500 quid is out of order.

I can't get it now anyway as the car has gone into build and they say it is too late. I emailed MBenzNL the other day and asked if his kits require pre-wiring in the car, I think the US models must have this as standard. Anyone know the answer to this?

 

[Euan]

similar problem with my A150 Avantgarde SE

I emailed MB about a similar question regarding having the hand-free (through audio 20) installed on my A150 Avantgarde SE post delivery and got the following reply

"I AM AFRAID IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO RETRO FIT THE TELEPHONE PRE WIRING TO YOUR VEHICLE. THIS FUNCTION CAN ONLY BE FITTED AT THE FACTORY. YOUR ONLY ALTERNATIVE IS TO HAVE A NOKIA, SONY ETC HANDS FREE KIT INSTALLED."

Surely this can't be the case? Why would they produce a car with the functionality already on the steering wheel which can't be used if you don't pay the £500 up-front before the car is made? Some geek/techie must have mastered a way of retro-fitting this if you could obtain the parts from MB.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

 

[fuzzer]

I emailed MB about a similar question regarding having the hand-free (through audio 20) installed on my A150 Avantgarde SE post delivery and got the following reply

"I AM AFRAID IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO RETRO FIT THE TELEPHONE PRE WIRING TO YOUR VEHICLE. THIS FUNCTION CAN ONLY BE FITTED AT THE FACTORY. YOUR ONLY ALTERNATIVE IS TO HAVE A NOKIA, SONY ETC HANDS FREE KIT INSTALLED."

Surely this can't be the case? Why would they produce a car with the functionality already on the steering wheel which can't be used if you don't pay the £500 up-front before the car is made? Some geek/techie must have mastered a way of retro-fitting this if you could obtain the parts from MB.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

this is the case . yes you need to pay up front before the car is made. It may be able to be retrofitted by a third party , but your talking about £1000 for this.

 

[glojo]

this is the case . yes you need to pay up front before the car is made. It may be able to be retrofitted by a third party , but your talking about £1000 for this.

Totally agree,
I enquired about Linguatronic and was given a similar answer, yet third party installers have offered to do it for approximately £900!!!

Miro has listed the parts and it does not appear to be to big a job?

Regards,
John

 

[Fady]

Hijacking the thread a bit, how can you ascertain whether or not a car has telephone pre-wiring or not? Are there any tell tail signs?

I've had my car 5 days and bought it privately off a chap who was the second owner. He covered a mere 4k miles in ten months (car is now on 14k), threw money at it in the styling department and then needed to raise cash so sold it. So because he did not spec the car and has no interest in this feature he did not know.

I will get to a dealer at some stage and and try and get a list of it's options. It does have COMAND but I know it does not follow that pre-wiring was installed.

 

[parkyerbike]

I think from what info I have gleaned, you could see if there is a microphone installed in the RVM.

 

[glojo]

Hijacking the thread a bit, how can you ascertain whether or not a car has telephone pre-wiring or not? Are there any tell tail signs?

There is a site where you enter your VIN number and it should tell you all your car's options.

Try a search, or hopefully someone will post it.

Regards,
John

Edit:
Yer tis

 

[miro]

I emailed MB about a similar question regarding having the hand-free (through audio 20) installed on my A150 Avantgarde SE post delivery and got the following reply

"I AM AFRAID IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO RETRO FIT THE TELEPHONE PRE WIRING TO YOUR VEHICLE. THIS FUNCTION CAN ONLY BE FITTED AT THE FACTORY. YOUR ONLY ALTERNATIVE IS TO HAVE A NOKIA, SONY ETC HANDS FREE KIT INSTALLED."

Surely this can't be the case? Why would they produce a car with the functionality already on the steering wheel which can't be used if you don't pay the £500 up-front before the car is made? Some geek/techie must have mastered a way of retro-fitting this if you could obtain the parts from MB.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

If this is the W169 new A-class then they are totally wrong. If this is the W168 old A-class then they are still totally wrong. ANY Mercedes can be fitted with ANY factory option so long as it was a current technology at the time of production. e.g. You can fit a 2004 UHI phone to a W100 but there are limitations ....... Certainly for any W169 or W168 the technology and the parts are listed as spares. Therefore it can be done.

 

[Fady]

There is a site where you enter your VIN number and it should tell you all your car's options.

Try a search, or hopefully someone will post it.

Regards,
John

Edit:
Yer tis

Thanks for that (I had actually seen it before, but thought it only contained basic details - I now realise that it is just the descriptions that are sometimes a bit lacking).

The bad news (for me) is - no telephone pre-wiring Yes - I have the very useful "driving dynamic multi contour seats" at £860 a throw, but no telephone pre-wiring. Ho hum

 

[glojo]

Yes - I have the very useful "driving dynamic multi contour seats" at £860 a throw, but no telephone pre-wiring. Ho hum

Still just look on the bright side.... You can sit in comfort whilst you are being booked for using a mobile phone!!

Regards,
John

 

[Euan]

If this is the W169 new A-class then they are totally wrong. If this is the W168 old A-class then they are still totally wrong. ANY Mercedes can be fitted with ANY factory option so long as it was a current technology at the time of production. e.g. You can fit a 2004 UHI phone to a W100 but there are limitations ....... Certainly for any W169 or W168 the technology and the parts are listed as spares. Therefore it can be done.

My car is a brand new A-Class (A150 Avantgarde)...how do i go about finding the parts that i would require and is it an easy job to DIY? Anyone know where i could maybe find instructions?

 

[SportsCoupeRich]

as above

 

[fuzzer]

My car is a brand new A-Class (A150 Avantgarde)...how do i go about finding the parts that i would require and is it an easy job to DIY? Anyone know where i could maybe find instructions?

I wouldnt bother , if youve not factory fitted it , go aftermarket...