Comand NTG4

[Landie1]

Hope someone can help. I want to update my maps as they are 2011 at the moment. i have worked out that i have Comand APS NTG4 (PCMCIA slot in the front) fitted to my W204 C220 2009 model. In the build spec (via vin number) it only mentions audio20 and not the comand system.
i have been onto the commandonline website and it says

"WARNING. This is not for cars built before October 2008, as those COMAND units have too small hard disks. Please ensure that this is the correct map for your car as opened map software can not be returned. If you are unsure please contact us with your vehicle VIN number."

I'm not sure if giving my vin number will help. i am assuming I have a later system with the bigger drive but not 100% sure as it doesn't appear in the build spec so is there anyway i can find out? i know i can call them and even pop over as they are not too far away but I'd rather find out myself first of all.

Thanks

 

[Chrishazle]

The change in hard drive size (or nav partition size in the Comand HDD) is cars built after 11/2008. Give comand.co.uk a call with your VIN and they'll confirm that you can update to later than 2014-15, which is all I could do as my car is July 2008! I and Alfie/Richard at Comand did a pretty thorough investigation of this some time ago, so they know chapter and verse on the problem - and have a £500 fix for those like me!!

The saving grace for you is that for NTG4 you can use "second user" DVD's (but only buy/use genuine MB DVD's as pirate copies can and do cause anything from problems to destroying your Comand system - expensive error as replacing the Comand will cost you about £2k!!!) I've updated my nav twice in the 7 years I've owned my car, both times with second user DVD's that I've subsequently sold on hence costing me not a lot, but I can only go to 2014-15 (which I have) whereas I suspect your 2009 car can go a lot younger on the update.

 

[Landie1]

Thanks for the info Chrishazle I'm not interested in fake as i want it to work properly. No point in spending thousands on a car to **** it up trying to save a few £££'s in my opinion. I'll have a look for original discs on ebay but I can't be 100% sure they will be genuine discs, unless anyone has been down this route and can recommend someone. Don't want to find out the hard way

 

[Chrishazle]

The latest update (probably 2018-19), genuine and from comandonline.co.uk, will cost you about £150 and will already be 1 year out of date. On Ebay you'll find genuine MB DVD's, 2017-18 probably about £80 and 2016-17 cheaper again. Ignore the £25-30 versions from Lithuania etc as they're almost certainly pirate copies.
Genuine Mercedes-Benz COMAND APS NTG4 W204 2018-2019 V16 Map Update A2048270800 | eBay looks kosher.
I nearly forgot - there are 2 versions of NTG4 - 204 and 212, the -212 version will not work in your car, you need the -204 version which the above listing is.

 

[Landie1]

Thanks for the link. That's the one i found last night and it looks genuine to me with the Mercedes barcode on. £20 ones are obviously fake. Might put a cheeky bid in and see what happens. If not I'll go to command online. Just out of interest do you know if i can use a German version as i might have access to get one while I'm there, or will it give orders in German and not directions in English

 

[Landie1]

According to my VIN number, release and delivery date was 2009-09-14 and option 523 = audio 20 installed so i guess my comand was a second hand unit or a retrofit as I have just gone into the engineering mode and I have a 40gb hard drive (Toshiba MK4050GAC) so it looks like i can only go up to version 12

 

[markjay]

A proper retrofit would include SCN coding the new NTG4 so that it will show on the Datacard instead of the original Audio 20, but then again on an NTG4 system that does not require PIN code for maps update the SCN coding might not be that important.

 

[thesaucerer]

I'm going to try and replace my 30gb HDD with a cloned 40GB HDD. Does anyone know how easy it is to get the old HDD out first?

 

[Alfie]

I'm going to try and replace my 30gb HDD with a cloned 40GB HDD. Does anyone know how easy it is to get the old HDD out first?

Good luck!

 

[Landie1]

A proper retrofit would include SCN coding the new NTG4 so that it will show on the Datacard instead of the original Audio 20, but then again on an NTG4 system that does not require PIN code for maps update the SCN coding might not be that important.

Sorry I forgot about this
Its all fitted correctly as far as i can see as the unit does fold under the cover and its all hooked up to linguatronic and the dash board. i believe a new dashboard is required for a retro fit so that's what makes it confusing. Its still on version 7 so well out of date.
I have just sent a message to Comand online to see if they have a solution. I'm off to Germany tomorrow so I'll let you know how i get on when i return.

 

[Landie1]

Just received an email from Comand online and they say its a retro fit. New hard drive and software or update to version 12 only. Good job i kept my old Garmin

 

[Chrishazle]

V12 is OK most of the time - i've operated with that for quite a while now, and have not had many problems, and it's a lot cheaper than the £500 for Command.co.uk to sort it so it will accept later updates. However, once I have available funds it's part of the upgrade to my 2008 C220 I'm planning! My major bitch about it is that it only accepts 5 digit postcode entry, but I use Google maps ahead of time to get a full postal address and then use that to input my destination by address - or occasionally use input via map.

 

[Landie1]

I'm trying to hunt down a v12 disc on ebay but cant find any genuine at the moment. Comand can do it for me but hopefully i can get one and do it myself.

 

[Chrishazle]

DIY is easy, have done it twice myself, however it takes 2 1/4 hours, and to keep Comand open for that long needs either engine running or battery charger connected and ignition key in position 2 - the latter is what I do as I can get power to the car quite easily, and I do not fancy leaving the engine running, car on the driveway, for 2 1/4 hours!

Remove all DVD's from the changer, start the engine, connect the charger then switch off engine leaving key in position 2. Put DVD1 into Comand and follow on screen instructions, DVD1 will take about 1 1/2-1 3/4 hours to load, once it's ready it'll ask for DVD2 which only takes 1/2 hour.

 

[markjay]

You can carry-out the maps update while driving the car normally. The update will pause when you switch-off the engine and will resume on your next journey. There's no need to keep the engine idling or connect the battery to a trickle charger (unless you really want to).

 

[Landie1]

Going to Hamburg tonight. Eurotunnel at 3am and the M20 is shut overnight so diversions in place and back next Sunday when the M20 is shut all weekend. Would have had plenty of time to do it

 

[markjay]

Going to Hamburg tonight. Eurotunnel at 3am and the M20 is shut overnight so diversions in place and back next Sunday when the M20 is shut all weekend. Would have had plenty of time to do it

Just keep in mind that you can't use the Navigation while COMAND is being updated.... which is fine if you have Waze or Google Maps etc on your phone.

 

[Landie1]

Just keep in mind that you can't use the Navigation while COMAND is being updated.... which is fine if you have Waze or Google Maps etc on your phone.

i drive to Hamburg and Kassel regularly so can almost do it with my eyes shut. I'll use google maps for the missing bits

 

[Landie1]

So I'm back from my 1600 mile Hamburg/Kassel run and 99% of the roads are on the map anyway. Used google maps on my phone as a reference but comand got me there no problem so may just update to v12 and leave it at that. i must say despite road closures and horrendous rain in Germany the car performed faultlessly, returned avg 56mpg and was so relaxing to drive. Why didn't i get one before

 

[Uky]

I updated the NTG4.0 in my C207 last year. Turned on the Comand. Connected a high current automatic battery charger
and let the update run. I got one read error, but ejecting and re-inserting the disc resolved that problem.
(yes it was genuine DVD's). Never had to let the engine run or have the car in any ignition state.
Seemingly, the system senses battery voltage and if there is none, it lets the update run.

When trying to figure out why I got an EML some time ago, Xentry informed that there was a software update
for the Comand but at the same time cautioned that the update should not be applied as long as the comand works.
Otherwise it could be "bricked". From other forums, I have learned that some competitors have a problem with GPS
week rollover (the system cannot handle 1000 weeks or whatever it was) and that it results in anything
from clock/date failure to navi becoming unusable. In some cases, the navis works until they experience
a power and then do not lock on to the sattellites after reboot...

Anyone here experienced a problem with the GPS Week roll-over?