Comand APS - and Fiscon

[davidjpowell]

I'm shortly going to be installing Comand APS and probably Fiscon into my car... Couple of Q's for those in the know.

1. Car has Audio 20 - I think it's a straightforward plug and play or do I need an adaptor cable? I obviously need a gps aerial.

2. Fiscon - I see that it can do music streaming if no CD changer is installed. I have a changer. Is it worth de-installing the changer or just stick/install the aux socket?

3. Coding - I'm guessing I need some coding done for 1 & 2 to work correctly?

Grateful for any help in advance...

David

 

[Diesel Benz]

Which car is that? Your avatar looks like a W210 but I don't think Audio 20 was available for a W210. If it is a W211, it very much depends on the MY (Audio 20 CC or Audio 20 CD). I guess a W203 and many other models have had the audio 20 radio and they are not all the same.

 

[davidjpowell]

Oops facelift w203

 

[Diesel Benz]

While waiting for comments from someone familiar with W203, I'd say it must be an NTG2 COMAND and would be a plug-and-play replacement for the Audio 20. You would need a GPS antenna (often placed on top of the instrument cluster, behind the panels of course). It should work straight-away (or did some MOST devices need fibre ring activation first, if not already done?).

The instrument cluster needs version coding to enable the navi menu and for fault codes it would be good to have the fibre ring target configuration coded to match the actual configuration in the car.

I would not start working with the car before you get proper guidance from a W203 expert.

 

[markjay]

Alfie and Richard installed NTG2.5 (from CLC) in my facelift W203.

It had Audio 20 previously.

NTG2.5 is far better than the NTG2 that originally came with W203s, and it is a perfect fit.

They will know what needs to be done and should be able to advise and supply any kit required:

www.comandonline.co.uk

 

[seymansey]

COMAND is pretty straight forward to fit in the W203, plenty of guides available. You'll need to do some STAR coding if you want the cluster to show directions - my Mercedes dealer wanted £60 to do it.

One thing, though - i can only advise you to buy a genuine GPS antenna (comand online has them). You can buy £10 antennas on ebay, but the genuine ones are a lot better and 'lock' pretty quickly.

 

[Diesel Benz]

Alfie and Richard installed NTG2.5 (from CLC) in my facelift W203.

It had Audio 20 previously.

NTG2.5 is far better than the NTG2 that originally came with W203s, and it is a perfect fit.

I did not check this but NTG 2.5 cannot be a plug-and-play installation. Still a very good point to consider NTG2.5 instead of NTG2.

 

[davidjpowell]

The unit I've bought (from a MBClub member) is NGT2. NGT2.5 was crazy money and I'm not spending £1k on a £4.5k car that knowing me won't stay forever.....

GPS aerial for above is useful. I'd seen the bay versions and wondered if worth saving the money. I'll order from ComandOnline....

 

[markjay]

The unit I've bought (from a MBClub member) is NGT2. NGT2.5 was crazy money and I'm not spending £1k on a £4.5k car that knowing me won't stay forever......

Yes, but it works both ways.

The NTG2.5 unit is indeed expensive second-hand due to high demand, but then it can come-off your Merc before selling the car and re-circulated on eBay (or on here), recouping some or all of the original investment.

 

[davidjpowell]

Yes, but it works both ways.

The NTG2.5 unit is indeed expensive second-hand due to high demand, but then it can come-off your Merc before selling the car and re-circulated on eBay (or on here), recouping some or all of the original investment.

Good argument - but I already have a NG2 to go in.....

 

[danch]

Is that NTG2 off a D2B system or MOST system, are they interchangeable..I have NTG2 on MOST & I had the changer installed but previous owner had the phone & changer deactivated on the MOST ring .

I just activated the CD Changer using STAR & replaced the changer with the Dension GW500S-BT that I just purchased, all working well & glad I did it myself.

 

[markjay]

Good argument - but I already have a NG2 to go in.....

Not too late to flog it on eBay...

(Do I make Captain of the MB Club Debating Team?)

 

[markjay]

Incidentally... my NTG2.5 is the cheaper version with the single DVD slot (i.e. not the version with the built-in Changer), though I don't actually use the CD/DVD drive - my music is on the internal HDD and on removable SD Cards, and I don't watch DVDs/movies in the car (I don't see the point of this feature in a car that does not have rear screens).

On another note, I am impressed with how well the built-in Bluetooth works with my S5, and how quick and effortless it is to copy the contacts from the phone to the car over BT.

 

[davidjpowell]

Still not convinced.... If I have a spare additional £500 to spend I have a tape measure spotted instead.....

 

[markjay]

Well, I might be selling my car soon, at which point you could buy it, strip the NTG2.5, keep the COMAND and then sell the car on....

 

[davidjpowell]

Well, I might be selling my car soon, at which point you could buy it, strip the NTG2.5, keep the COMAND and then sell the car on....

Mmmmm let me see...

I see one problem with your plan. Mainly that I like my nads, and the other half would chop them off

 

[richard]

Hi

If the COMAND came out of a car with stuff on the fibre optic network then it will find the CDC / Fiscon / etc. If it came out of one without then the fibre optic port is off and will need coding to turn it on.

It is plug and play apart from addition of GPS antenna which should be placed on top of the instrument cluster (but under the dashboard still)

Fiscon will act as phone system, and you can enable music streaming but lose the CDC. I'd lose the CDC for music streaming and just have the music on your phone. Worth considering an mCar ( mCar Phone & Digital iPod interface for Mercedes NTG1/NTG2 vehicles | Phone System Retrofit Kits | Mercedes Retrofits | Comand Online Ltd ) too as that has a digital iPod connection and phone system built in and sounds great (but you must lose your CDC for the iPod)

Cheers

Richard

 

[davidjpowell]

Hi

If the COMAND came out of a car with stuff on the fibre optic network then it will find the CDC / Fiscon / etc. If it came out of one without then the fibre optic port is off and will need coding to turn it on.

It is plug and play apart from addition of GPS antenna which should be placed on top of the instrument cluster (but under the dashboard still)

Fiscon will act as phone system, and you can enable music streaming but lose the CDC. I'd lose the CDC for music streaming and just have the music on your phone. Worth considering an mCar ( mCar Phone & Digital iPod interface for Mercedes NTG1/NTG2 vehicles | Phone System Retrofit Kits | Mercedes Retrofits | Comand Online Ltd ) too as that has a digital iPod connection and phone system built in and sounds great (but you must lose your CDC for the iPod)

Cheers

Richard

Thanks Richard. Interesting.... Hopefully I'll b ordering something in the next two days. mCar looks interesting although the price is causing me to think carefully.....