comand installs in the UK

[mylop]

I need some advice on COMAND also

I have bought a system for my ML

I have tested the unit and it works and I have gained some advice from a variety of people re fitting etc. but wondered if anyone had fitted one to an ML ?

Also, the dealer has obviously told me that they don't recommend it blah blah. They won't give me part numbers but they are happy to supply part numbers that I have given them. Does anyone know where to buy the parts cheaper. Specifically they want £98 plus vat for a roof aerial

Any help graciously accepted.

 

[mapleleaf]

Hi & welcome to the forum.

What you want to do is perfectly doable and should not cost an arm and a leg. Ignore what the dealers say. We'll give you all the part numbers and advice you need ... wont we guys

You dont need a roof aerial if you dont want one. personally I did on My ML but thats because I wanted the phone as well. I retrofitted Comand which was fairly straightforward in the ML as you already have a double din opening .

I have a spare Hideaway generaric GPS antenna available at reasonable cost. If you want it please PM me. This would fit under your dash & see thru the dash itself (but not thru any metal parts) thru the windscreen & up to the sky where the satellites live.

What year is your ML ? is it a facelift model with the indicators in the door mirrors? What is the part number of the comand you have bought? If it starts with 163 & you have a facelift ML the install is easy . If not you may need a CANBUS adapter which cost about £150 maybe less depending on where you buy from in Germany. You may also need mounting Clips. & for non facelift ML you may need to find a speedpulse wire from inside the car as it is not necessarily at the head unit ISO connector.

Hope this helps and doesnt put you off

 

[sym]

Hi & welcome to the forum.

What you want to do is perfectly doable and should not cost an arm and a leg. Ignore what the dealers say. We'll give you all the part numbers and advice you need ... wont we guys

Absolutely ! You have a relatively easy job there, and you already have the most expensive bit ! Plus you won't need to carve up your dash and do creative things with files and hacksaws either , like some of us have

This link has been posted a few times before, but is a good comprehensive guide and lists all the possible parts that you'll need. Just shout if you need more help.

http://users.pandora.be/miata/english/Comand/comand_mercedes.htm

S.

 

[hash]

I need some advice on COMAND also

I have bought a system for my ML

I have tested the unit and it works and I have gained some advice from a variety of people re fitting etc. but wondered if anyone had fitted one to an ML ?

Also, the dealer has obviously told me that they don't recommend it blah blah. They won't give me part numbers but they are happy to supply part numbers that I have given them. Does anyone know where to buy the parts cheaper. Specifically they want £98 plus vat for a roof aerial

Any help graciously accepted.

hi that seems a lot for the roof aerial, i seem to remeber it was around £64 plus vat

ML 2002 Combined Antenna A163 820 15 75
Pre MY2002 Combined Antenna A163 820 18 75
Pre MY2002 GPS Splitter A163 820 30 89
Pre MY2002 Cable from splitter to COMAND A163 540 09 13

hope this helps


these are the partnumbers hope they help, but it does depend on the year of your ML

 

[Sp!ke]

Remember, you can check the RRP price of parts HERE

eg
A1638201875
ANTENNA
EUR 117.62
The part is available

 

[mylop]

Comand

Ok, I had had a little advice from other sources so I am already a fair way down the road

I have purchased a wiring loom from Mercedes (these things are £63 but I couldn't be bothered to mess about re wiring)

I have hooked everything up and the radiuo, cd and nav all are functional. I still need an antennae which I am going to buy this week and an aerial lead convertor, the lead is behind the radio but needs to be converted to the square grey plug (if anyone has the part number for this that would be great)

I also bought a mounting bracket (it was only £7 from merc) but have no idea what to do with it. I presume it goes under the COMAND and bolts under the dash. It is sort of triangular with two bolt holes.

I have a couple of queries. The first one is that when I removed the AUDIO 10 unit and tray there are two lugs about a cm wide on either side of the gaping hole wher the radio rests at the back, which protrude on each side, these stop the COMAND sliding in all the way. What do I do I would rather not hack them out. The second question is how do I check if the speed sensor is wired in. My car is a MY 2000 ML430 on a V plate. It has the aerial lead plummed in and currently has an Audio 10 with no BOSE system.

I can taste success but need that little push to the finish line !

 

[Shude]

I have hooked everything up and the radiuo, cd and nav all are functional. I still need an antennae which I am going to buy this week and an aerial lead convertor, the lead is behind the radio but needs to be converted to the square grey plug (if anyone has the part number for this that would be great)

You mean you need to convert the little round metal connector to the grey square connector? It's probably this item:

Antenna extension cable : A203 540 70 06 : £20

I have one in my car too, converts the w203 hidden GPS antenna connector into something I can plug into the back of comand. Please be aware that the cable is about 3 metres long, there may be a shorter one!

...when I removed the AUDIO 10 unit and tray there are two lugs about a cm wide on either side of the gaping hole wher the radio rests at the back, which protrude on each side, these stop the COMAND sliding in all the way. What do I do I would rather not hack them out.

There were some similar lugs on my w202's inner-dashboard, which I hacked out . The w202 only has a single-din opening so extensive work was needed anyway, last time I did this it was possible to keep those lugs in place, but this time for some reason they just wouldn't fit.

The second question is how do I check if the speed sensor is wired in. My car is a MY 2000 ML430 on a V plate. It has the aerial lead plummed in and currently has an Audio 10 with no BOSE system.

When navigating using comand the unit uses both speed pulse and GPS data to work out the current location. GPS updates are only every few seconds but speed pulse is updated all the time, if the speed pulse isn't working then the navigation "position map" when driving will jerk around rather than smoothly show the progression along the roads. That's the obvious way to tell, there is also a menu option in the system settings of comand that tell you the current speed of the vehicle, although I've not tested this myself (and I only have one speed pulse going to the unit, the second one on the C2 connector was never wired up! )

Good luck!

 

[mapleleaf]

I also bought a mounting bracket (it was only £7 from merc) but have no idea what to do with it. I presume it goes under the COMAND and bolts under the dash. It is sort of triangular with two bolt holes.

I bought one too - depite spending ages with the parts guys at MB whitefield, we couldnt figure out where it went - so left it out! not dsuffered any probs a year on.

when I removed the AUDIO 10 unit and tray there are two lugs about a cm wide on either side of the gaping hole wher the radio rests at the back, which protrude on each side, these stop the COMAND sliding in all the way. What do I do I would rather not hack them out.

Its the same with all ML's , just gently hacksaw off the protruding bits - its the only way short of buying a whole new centre console

Sounds like you are doing fine .. well done.

 

[mylop]

I bought one too - depite spending ages with the parts guys at MB whitefield, we couldnt figure out where it went - so left it out! not dsuffered any probs a year on.




Its the same with all ML's , just gently hacksaw off the protruding bits - its the only way short of buying a whole new centre console

Sounds like you are doing fine .. well done.

Couple of questions -

How easy is the aeriual to fit, does it just screw in or do you have to take the trim below off ?

Secondly, if there is no speed sensor wire, where do I take a feed from. There are a couple of other two pin plug cables behind the dash do you know what these are for ?

 

[hash]

Couple of questions -

How easy is the aeriual to fit, does it just screw in or do you have to take the trim below off ?

Secondly, if there is no speed sensor wire, where do I take a feed from. There are a couple of other two pin plug cables behind the dash do you know what these are for ?

hi open the boot and locate the trim piece on the roof, pull this down starting from the left hand side, it will pop off. Once this is off you will see a black plug holding the headlining to the roof, carefully remove this and you have aceess to the aerial. for better access i would undo the phlips screws holding on the side panels and ease these away.

If you have no aerial currently then there will be a plug on the roof remove this (unscrews) push out the gromit and fit the new aerial.

cheers

kenny

 

[mapleleaf]

What model year is your ML?

IF theres no speed signal on the ISO Plug A pin 1 , I assume its a pre facelift model. From what I understand, there is a speed pulse somewhere, probably near the ESP or ABS unit but I couldnt be sure which wire.

 

[mylop]

What model year is your ML?

IF theres no speed signal on the ISO Plug A pin 1 , I assume its a pre facelift model. From what I understand, there is a speed pulse somewhere, probably near the ESP or ABS unit but I couldnt be sure which wire.

It is a MY2000, which one is pin 1. I supose the best thing to do is hook it all up and see if it works, I spent all the money now anyway.

Then I worry about taking feeds off ESPs or ABS units (which all sounds a bit daunting)

 

[mapleleaf]

It is a MY2000, which one is pin 1. I supose the best thing to do is hook it all up and see if it works, I spent all the money now anyway.

Then I worry about taking feeds off ESPs or ABS units (which all sounds a bit daunting)

On the main ISo plug A which has the power leads etc (Plug B has all the speaker wires and may be attached to plug A but in any event, Plug A is the bottom plug.

Find the thickish brown wire - this is earth and is pin 8 and should be bottom left . Pin 1, where the speed signal normally lives would then be top right diagonaly opposite .

pins are numbered thus:

1 3 5 7
2 4 6 8

hope this helps

steve

 

[psa]

quote from steve-bcs-

'You dont need a roof aerial if you dont want one. personally I did on My ML but thats because I wanted the phone as well.'

im also installing a comand system and want to attach a fibre optic telephone set up to it. do i need separate aerials(hidden away under dash) or can i use a roof mounted one like steve!! can i make do with just one?
also future plans are to install a tv tuner, what happens to this aerial?

thks!!

 

[mapleleaf]

im also installing a comand system and want to attach a fibre optic telephone set up to it. do i need separate aerials(hidden away under dash) or can i use a roof mounted one like steve!! can i make do with just one?
also future plans are to install a tv tuner, what happens to this aerial?

thks!!

Hi

What car are you installing into?

If its an ML then I'd go for the roof aerial for the phone & gps

TV aerials that i know work briliantly are Hirchman Bumper mounted Phone aerials. there are two pads to each set . Put one set in the rear bumper & 1 in the front. If you havent got a roof aerial and use a hideaway GPS antenna then another set of Hirsmann arials can be added to the bumper just for the phone. Everything is so much more discrete with the bumper aerials.

I'm hoping to do this arrangement on my C 203 this weekend for my MB phone & Mb TV tuner. As it happens my phone seems to work fine without an external aerial!

 

[mylop]

I have my aerial an lead pitching up today so this weekend is D Day for the COMAND fit to the ML. If all goes well I will be the new COMAND Guru if it doesn't I will have a very pretty screen squeezed into the front of my wifes car !

Not running before I can wlak or anything but where does the TV reciver go if I decided to instal one at a later date I have seen them advertisied on ebay for circa £150

 

[fuzzer]

Hi

What car are you installing into?

If its an ML then I'd go for the roof aerial for the phone & gps

TV aerials that i know work briliantly are Hirchman Bumper mounted Phone aerials. there are two pads to each set . Put one set in the rear bumper & 1 in the front. If you havent got a roof aerial and use a hideaway GPS antenna then another set of Hirsmann arials can be added to the bumper just for the phone. Everything is so much more discrete with the bumper aerials.

I'm hoping to do this arrangement on my C 203 this weekend for my MB phone & Mb TV tuner. As it happens my phone seems to work fine without an external aerial!

If its a 6310i youre using without the external aerial , ive heard you can fry the 6310i by not connecting the outside aerial because its got to work harder to get a signal ??

Just saying before it goes pop one day

 

[mapleleaf]

If its a 6310i youre using without the external aerial , ive heard you can fry the 6310i by not connecting the outside aerial because its got to work harder to get a signal ??

Just saying before it goes pop one day

Is that something to do with it being connected to comand then or do I have to have a long aerial wire with me everywhere I go

................. Only joking ! Thanks for the advice Fuzzer

 

[mapleleaf]

I have my aerial an lead pitching up today so this weekend is D Day for the COMAND fit to the ML. If all goes well I will be the new COMAND Guru if it doesn't I will have a very pretty screen squeezed into the front of my wifes car !

Not running before I can wlak or anything but where does the TV reciver go if I decided to instal one at a later date I have seen them advertisied on ebay for circa £150

SO did you opt for the roof aerial or not


There is no MB special place for the TV tuner because MB do not specify it as an option for the ML . strange but true.

I sited mine under the front passenger seat. Its quite happy there but it gets hot so try not to block any vent holes.

 

[mylop]

SO did you opt for the roof aerial or not


There is no MB special place for the TV tuner because MB do not specify it as an option for the ML . strange but true.

I sited mine under the front passenger seat. Its quite happy there but it gets hot so try not to block any vent holes.

Yes I opted for the roof aerial, interesting about the TV tuner, I recently bought a DVD player for my daughter to watch in the back of the car, this currently sits under the seat ! If any of you guys are looking for a none permanant system I highly recommend this system.(Voyager DVD system) DVD player with high quality 5.5inch screen which straps to the headrest, cordless headphones and remote all very well put together £350 from "Uplands.co.uk" It means when I sell the car the syetm moves with me and it can be taken out very easily.

I'll keep you informed on the COMAND