COMAND Questions

[DaveML270]

I am so glad that I discovered this forum and am able to benefit from the combined experience of all the members!

I thought that I should go public with this as I feel guilty about keep asking Alfie for advice by PM! I am so grateful to him for all his help!

Anyway ... this is the situation. I have a pre-facelift ML270 CDI (W163) and decided to go for a self-retrofit COMAND 2.0 (PN A 163 820 36 89) which I purchased privately from a guy who sells loads of satnav stuff on eBay.

With Alfie's guidance I installed it yesterday and apart from a few problems with the previously installed HCB-30 Bluetooth hands-free kit and the Kit4Cars radio mute module it was a breeze! I had to chop a bit of plastic out of the double DIN hole but that was all.

The unit appears to have the MY2001 update fitted in that I see the MB star on start-up and it offers predictive entry of place names etc. The UK map disc is OLD (from 2001).

So what are my problems?

I can see my current location on the map. But if I enter a destination and try to get a route, then when it is calculated I do not get a route at all but instead I get a message "OFF ROAD" and the voice prompt says "the vehicle is located on a road which is not digitized" (or words to that effect) this is even though I can see my location on the map! It also displays the distance and direction of the destination.

I have also noticed that the map doesn't seem to follow me very quickly as I drive but catches up every minute or two. I am normally able to see between five and eight satellites (the GPS antenna is mounted on top of the dash).

I am anxious to put a quid or two into Alfie's pocket and will order the latest UK and Ireland CD from him but is this likely to fix my problem? What can I do about the moving map display? I understand from reading the plethora of documents about COMAND and retro-fitting it that my model doesn't need a speed wire to be connected but perhaps I have misread the documents.

Any help would be MOST gratefully received and will be faithfully applied!

Thanks in advance

Dave

 

[Alfie]

I am so glad that I discovered this forum and am able to benefit from the combined experience of all the members!

I thought that I should go public with this as I feel guilty about keep asking Alfie for advice by PM! I am so grateful to him for all his help!

Anyway ... this is the situation. I have a pre-facelift ML270 CDI (W163) and decided to go for a self-retrofit COMAND 2.0 (PN A 163 820 36 89) which I purchased privately from a guy who sells loads of satnav stuff on eBay.

With Alfie's guidance I installed it yesterday and apart from a few problems with the previously installed HCB-30 Bluetooth hands-free kit and the Kit4Cars radio mute module it was a breeze! I had to chop a bit of plastic out of the double DIN hole but that was all.

The unit appears to have the MY2001 update fitted in that I see the MB star on start-up and it offers predictive entry of place names etc. The UK map disc is OLD (from 2001).

So what are my problems?

I can see my current location on the map. But if I enter a destination and try to get a route, then when it is calculated I do not get a route at all but instead I get a message "OFF ROAD" and the voice prompt says "the vehicle is located on a road which is not digitized" (or words to that effect) this is even though I can see my location on the map! It also displays the distance and direction of the destination.

I have also noticed that the map doesn't seem to follow me very quickly as I drive but catches up every minute or two. I am normally able to see between five and eight satellites (the GPS antenna is mounted on top of the dash).

I am anxious to put a quid or two into Alfie's pocket and will order the latest UK and Ireland CD from him but is this likely to fix my problem? What can I do about the moving map display? I understand from reading the plethora of documents about COMAND and retro-fitting it that my model doesn't need a speed wire to be connected but perhaps I have misread the documents.

Any help would be MOST gratefully received and will be faithfully applied!

Thanks in advance

Dave

All your problems come down to the speed pulse not being connected or present. this accounts for the slow updating of your positions and the off-road display.

If you have a speed pulse on pin1 of the a connector, then bridge it to pin6 of the C2 connector. If you dont have a C2 connector then you can get the part numbers from Richards web page http://www.mercupgrades.com . If you dont have a speed pulse on pin 1 A, then richards website also gives a link to wolfgangs ML page which shows you how to install one.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[DaveML270]

All your problems come down to the speed pulse not being connected or present. this accounts for the slow updating of your positions and the off-road display.

If you have a speed pulse on pin1 of the a connector, then bridge it to pin6 of the C2 connector. If you dont have a C2 connector then you can get the part numbers from Richards web page http://www.mercupgrades.com . If you dont have a speed pulse on pin 1 A, then richards website also gives a link to wolfgangs ML page which shows you how to install one.

Let us know how you get on.

Thanks ... I'll investigate! Are the pins numbered? I only have five wires on the A connector!

Dave

 

[DaveML270]

Thanks ... I'll investigate! Are the pins numbered? I only have five wires on the A connector!

Dave

Working on th eassumption that I do NOT have the required speed connection on my unit (I haven't had the chance to pull the COMAND out and look yet, I have had a look at Wolfgang's page but I am really not sure what applied to my vehicle!

Can someone advise which set of Wolfgang's instructions I should follow? The page is here: http://www.whnet.com/4x4/vss.html.

Thanks again!

Dave

 

[Alfie]

Thanks ... I'll investigate! Are the pins numbered? I only have five wires on the A connector!

Dave

As you look at the back of the comand unit, pin1 is the left hand top one of the A connector. pin 2 is below it, pin 3 next to pin 1 etc.....

 

[Stratman]

You can tell if comand is seeing the speed pulse correctly by using the 'hidden' diagnostic menu.

To access it, take your comand out of Nav or Map mode (ie, put in in tuner or aux mode).
Press and hold the Mute, 1 and 3 keys together until you get a scary screen. It may take 7 or 8 seconds.
Use the right-hand knob to scroll to 'Versions', then from there to 'Infos'.
At the bottom of the screen the car's speed should be displayed. Drive off and it should agree with the speedo. If it does then comand is receiving speed information.

 

[DaveML270]

Thanks for the advice on the diagnostics menu!

Right ... I am getting there. Took the COMAND out again today to have a look for the missing speed connection and lo and behold I DO have one. It just hadn't been propogated by the hands-free mute kit installation. I have now fixed that so it is "just" a matter of making up a cable or two.

Back to Richard's excellent faq document and now I have the pinouts (by the way there is an anomoly in his COMAND Retrofit document where he says that C1 has 18 pins and C2 has 8 whereas it is the other way around). The last piece of this puzzle for me is to know where you number the pins from - looking at bottom right-hand corner of the back of the COMAND unit I have C1 top left, C2 top right. B below the two Cs and A at the bottom with the fuse on the right. I am using modified PC CD-ROM audio plugs to connect to the C2 connector block!

Can someone please clarify this or point me towards a definitive set of pinout numberings?

Thanks again for everyone's advice and guidance!

Dave

 

[Alfie]

Thanks for the advice on the diagnostics menu!

Right ... I am getting there. Took the COMAND out again today to have a look for the missing speed connection and lo and behold I DO have one. It just hadn't been propogated by the hands-free mute kit installation. I have now fixed that so it is "just" a matter of making up a cable or two.

Back to Richard's excellent faq document and now I have the pinouts (by the way there is an anomoly in his COMAND Retrofit document where he says that C1 has 18 pins and C2 has 8 whereas it is the other way around). The last piece of this puzzle for me is to know where you number the pins from - looking at bottom right-hand corner of the back of the COMAND unit I have C1 top left, C2 top right. B below the two Cs and A at the bottom with the fuse on the right. I am using modified PC CD-ROM audio plugs to connect to the C2 connector block!

Can someone please clarify this or point me towards a definitive set of pinout numberings?

Thanks again for everyone's advice and guidance!

Dave

You really should use the proper C2 connection plugs and pins. These are clearly numbered as to which pin is which.

 

[DaveML270]

You really should use the proper C2 connection plugs and pins. These are clearly numbered as to which pin is which.

Point taken. I just wanted to be sure that it worked - and it does!!!!! Perhaps you could PM me with the price of the appropriate adapter cable.

Is the reversing cable important? What is its function? I do not have this connected at the present time.

Thanks again all ... what a learning curve ... I just hppe that I can be as helpful to those who follow me!

Dave

 

[Alfie]

Point taken. I just wanted to be sure that it worked - and it does!!!!! Perhaps you could PM me with the price of the appropriate adapter cable.

Is the reversing cable important? What is its function? I do not have this connected at the present time.

Thanks again all ... what a learning curve ... I just hppe that I can be as helpful to those who follow me!

Dave

I wouldnt worry about the reversing cable It simply tells the comand when you are reversing thats all.

The parts to make up a C2 are less than £10 for your local dealer. A made up converter is somewhat more

 

[DaveML270]

I shall order the required bits today from my local dealer. Goodness knows how long they will take to get hold of!

I am also going to wire the AUX in connectrors whilst I am at it so that I can play my iPod through the COMAND. Are there any pitfalls that I should avoid?

Whilst I am writing (typing), does anyone know whether it is possible to mute the COMAND with an external (i.e. non MB) in-car phone kit? Would it be Connector A, Pin 2 which is the ISO standard? Does this work with COMAND?

Thanks again!

Dave

 

[HughJarse]

yes, my parrot works a treat, merc shouldnt take that long to get parts, my local take no longer than 3 days for just about everything.