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CarPlay Sorted in my old CLK

JoolsB

Active Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2022
Messages
82
Location
Up North
Car
2006 CLK 350 Convertible
I bought my CLK as a run around, to save mileage on the Rangy and it’s brilliant for the money apart from the ancient stereo. After much searching and trying to find a Chinese unit that fits, I gave up and got a Pioneer double DIN (actually, my other half gave it to me for Christmas)
I finally got round to fitting it today and I’m really impressed. Physically getting it in was fairly straightforward, you just need to be both brave and careful with the various trim panels; connection was also straightforward with the various patch leads supplied. I have to be honest and say I gave up with trying to get the steering wheel controls to work - it would only be volume and skip anyway with the wheel I have and I can reach the touchscreen with no real effort so it didn’t seem worth the hours of puzzling.
Overall, I’m pretty pleased with it and would recommend it to anyone with Audio 20 that wants an upgrade.
 

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Nice. I’m in the process of sourcing a new head unit to go in my CLK 500. I already have a 1500w 10” sub and amp to compliment it. I may change the standard speakers too but want to see how the cope with the extra bass first. I was going to get the wiring kit to keep the steering wheel controls but don’t think it’s worth the extra expense. I may change my mind at a later date.
 
Nifty.

Why would you want the steering wheel buttons to work when you can run everything by voice (Siri) ?
(I don't use CarPlay, just blue toothed iPhone, but I do everything by voice: "Siri ! Play Smith and Sniff on Podcast." or "Call TheSteeringCommittee")

How's the sound quality?
 
Agree on the steering wheel controls and using the touch screen is no hardship, its a bit of a stretch on the Range Rover so I’d miss the controls on that one, but not in the CLK.
I have to say I’m a bit disappointed with the sound from the installed speakers but I don’t think there’s an amp or sub on these older setups.
 
My view is that as long as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work via the car's infotainment system, it does not matter what system you have... sure, there are car-specific menu options that will require you to (temporarily) exit CarPlay if you want to access them, but while driving, for satnav, calls, messages, voice commands etc, all you really need is CarPlay (or Android Auto). That's my experience, anyway. I have 'top-of-the-range' infotainment systems on both my Hyundai and Suzuki, and 90% of the time I just use the smartphone integration.
 
I bought my CLK as a run around, to save mileage on the Rangy and it’s brilliant for the money apart from the ancient stereo. After much searching and trying to find a Chinese unit that fits, I gave up and got a Pioneer double DIN (actually, my other half gave it to me for Christmas)
I finally got round to fitting it today and I’m really impressed. Physically getting it in was fairly straightforward, you just need to be both brave and careful with the various trim panels; connection was also straightforward with the various patch leads supplied. I have to be honest and say I gave up with trying to get the steering wheel controls to work - it would only be volume and skip anyway with the wheel I have and I can reach the touchscreen with no real effort so it didn’t seem worth the hours of puzzling.
Overall, I’m pretty pleased with it and would recommend it to anyone with Audio 20 that wants an upgrade.
Which Pioneer unit did you get?
 
I have a Pioneer Avic-920 in my CLK, the install was a fairly involved job as the headliner had to be dropped, rear seats and trim panels out to route the cables for DAB GPS AM/FM and rear camera. That said it was well worth the effort to get good DAB and GPS signals. I do work in central London quite often and rarely lose the GPS signal, the door speakers have been changed and matched to the head unit.
 
I appreciate that info, looks like there's a few different variations on that particular model can you be more precise on the one you got?not sure how far I would want to go with it, you're tempting me with the reversing camera!
 
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I have just bought a CLK 280 A209, and the media unit is original. Who do I go to to get a replacement, and are any instructions available for removal of old and installation of new?
 
I have just bought a CLK 280 A209, and the media unit is original. Who do I go to to get a replacement, and are any instructions available for removal of old and installation of new?
Depends on what you mean by “media unit”…

is it COMAND with sat nav - or a standard audio 10 or audio 20?

also depends on what year - there are 2 sizes of headunit, one is 260mm across the top of the headunit.
one is 254mm across the top beware as there are no OEM looking android types for the 254mm version.

if you currently have Comand with its optical ring you will need appropriate interfaces.

if you are lucky, you have a simple audio, and a 260mm dash, in which case the Xtrons and Erisin headunits look good and have lots of functionality. Search on the ‘Bay.
 
Depends on what you mean by “media unit”…

is it COMAND with sat nav - or a standard audio 10 or audio 20?

also depends on what year - there are 2 sizes of headunit, one is 260mm across the top of the headunit.
one is 254mm across the top beware as there are no OEM looking android types for the 254mm version.

if you currently have Comand with its optical ring you will need appropriate interfaces.

if you are lucky, you have a simple audio, and a 260mm dash, in which case the Xtrons and Erisin headunits look good and have lots of functionality. Search on the ‘Bay.
Thank you. It’s a 55reg, and I think it has sat nav, so I guess it’s COMMAND. I will find out more when the car is delivered on the 11th January, and when I can walk again.
 
I appreciate that info, looks like there's a few different variations on that particular model can you be more precise on the one you got?not sure how far I would want to go with it, you're tempting me with the reversing camera!
+1

My cousin has a CLC and wants Apple CarPlay too and that unit seems to fit the bill
 
The CLC is the only W203/C203 variant that had NTG2.5, the earlier W203/C203 variants had NTG2.

NTG2.5 can be retrofitted to the facelift W203, but not to the pre-facelift ones.

Either way, there's no CarPlay option for any of the original infotainment systems fitted to the W203/C203 variants (and that includes the C208/A208).

The only way to get Apple CarPlay on these cars is by replacing the original head unit with one of the very many aftermarket Android units.
 

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