Comand Update: Enabling ETA, Distance & Telephone on Map Screen

[Goldfish11]

Developing on the very long thread on the new Comand update.

(see http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=384561#post384561 )

This update is as significant as the MP3 upgrade and even the Version 5.0 Map update with TMC. It has really exceeded my expectations.

I have a W211 registed July 2003 with the 6310i incorporated (no UHI). I am running the Comand Europe V6.0 2007 TMC enabled navigation disk.

Yes this upgrade enables the ETA time and distance to location to be displayed at the bottom of the map screen but it also enables the telephone signal strength meter to be displayed on the map screen. Previously if I was traveling and wanted to make I telephone call I would often select the telephone menu so I could see the signal strength meter now it is permenantly displayed on the screen.

Also the update has not over ruled my preferences made in the "Engineer Hidden Menu" previously. I had set the DVD player to region zero i.e. region free, so I could play both USA and European DVD's in the system rather than just region 2 (European) we have quite a few music and film DVD's from overseas. The update has not over ruled this. However the update does seem you can no longer access Engineer Mode through the old method which is probably good as there will be less people with Video in motion enabled on the front comand screen.

Lesson 1 - Set your preferences before you do the update as you will not be able to edit them afterwards.


Purchasing the Update

Sadly after contacting my local MB Service department they said this was not a standard service upgrade but an optional upgrade and therefore I would need to buy the upgrade disk but it is only £10.

After reading the above thread and getting some excellent advice from Glojo I purchased the new update disk for the head unit. Cost £11.59 including VAT. (Why I had to pay more than Glojo I have no idea!)

I contacted my local MB dealer and quoted the disk number of:
A211 589 13 22 00

The parts chap said this was a workshop only item and could not be supplied unless the service team installed it! I complained about this and he went to investigate and got back to me saying that the real code is:
W211 589 13 22 00 and this can be ordered by anyone. (So dont get the A and W mixed up )

Lesson 2 - use the W 211 589 13 22 00 code so you dont confuse MB parts.

The Disk has the following writen on it.

Comand W/S 211, C219
SW-Rel. 21.090
SW 30/06
"Software Service Update ECE"
211 589 13 22 00

The update procedure is also given on the case. i.e. Turn on ignition press 1,3 and 8 at the same time and insert disk etc etc.

Installation took about 5 minutes which is quite long in comparison to previous updates.

In conclusion, an excellent update well worth installing. It is also worth looking at
http://www.mercupgrades.com/COMAND-APS+FAQ-faq-10.html
as this gives the codes for similiar upgrades for the SLK and other vehicles. The disk code is slightly different. The upgrade was dated 18th January 2007 so I guess the other updates for other vehicles dated this will enable similiar functionality.

 

[steve.link]

Goldfish11,

Can you check if the red/yellow TMC icons display on the correct side of the road.

Thanks

 

[Goldfish11]

The madness of mercedes

Just spotted a minor minor problem with the update.

As Glojo spotted - You can not put in a location when moving. i.e. use the "Qwerty" to input locations or use the map cursor to select a point and input a location.

BUT

You can send a text in the "Serv" menu. Whats more dangerous putting putting in a post code while moving or putting in "Hello Darling I am on my way home and should be back at 6.45pm" text function.

This seems like madness to me.

Edit
It seems a trip to the dealership and connecting it to the STAR system will fix this minor issue.

 

[Goldfish11]

Goldfish11,

Can you check if the red/yellow TMC icons display on the correct side of the road.

Thanks

I have just checked and yes it does seem to have corrected this issue on my system. You now get the Triangle to indicate the the start of the problem and the little yellow and red cars are on the left hand side. i.e. the side they are meant to be on. I will check again on my way to work but this problem does seem to be corrected.

 

[pilotc182]

Had my firmware upgraded today (see separate thread) at local MB dealer. No charge although had to wait nearly 3 weeks while they got the disk in !. Full ETA etc on map screen

 

[Diesel Benz]

Just spotted a minor minor problem with the update.

As Glojo spotted - You can not put in a location when moving. i.e. use the "Qwerty" to input locations or use the map cursor to select a point and input a location.

BUT

You can send a text in the "Serv" menu. Whats more dangerous putting putting in a post code while moving or putting in "Hello Darling I am on my way home and should be back at 6.45pm" text function.

This seems like madness to me.

Edit
It seems a trip to the dealership and connecting it to the STAR system will fix this minor issue.

Must be programmable by DAS. The W221 as from factory allows navi destination entry while moving, allows reading SMS while moving but only allows SMS entry when stationary.

 

[KosherBenz]

I am reserved about going with the new update, as i dont want to lose my video in motion and "enter destinations" while moving. I dont think hooking it up to a US star computer would do much either. I think i may just pass onthis update, although it would be nice to have the ETA on the main screen.

 

[richard]

Just spotted a minor minor problem with the update.

As Glojo spotted - You can not put in a location when moving. i.e. use the "Qwerty" to input locations or use the map cursor to select a point and input a location.

....

This setting (which can be changed by the dealer) is to cover the Netherlands, where it is illegal to input destinations whilst driving - it is one of those options in the hidden (now disabled) menu

R

 

[richard]

After reading the above thread and getting some excellent advice from Glojo I purchased the new update disk for the head unit. Cost £11.59 including VAT. (Why I had to pay more than Glojo I have no idea!)

I'm told by my local dealer that there is zero margin on parts starting with W (as officially they are workshop tools) - and thus most dealers add a margin when selling them.

Many don't charge extra if its someone they know well.

R

 

[andy_cyp]

I am reserved about going with the new update, as i dont want to lose my video in motion and "enter destinations" while moving. I dont think hooking it up to a US star computer would do much either. I think i may just pass onthis update, although it would be nice to have the ETA on the main screen.

+1 Updating to the newer firware will lose you the ability to get into the engineering mode that allows you to enable/disable tv/dvd in motion,plus an array of other features.
So lose that just for the sakes of an ETA ?? NO THANKS

 

[Goldfish11]

+1 Updating to the newer firware will lose you the ability to get into the engineering mode that allows you to enable/disable tv/dvd in motion,plus an array of other features.
So lose that just for the sakes of an ETA ?? NO THANKS

I think the only other feature worth having was multi-region DVD. The Video in motion is very distracting. The other setting were things for Europe like disabling the ability to watch DVD's even if your hand break was off rather than under 10 kmh.

I tried video in motion for 30 minutes one day with my Kylie DVD, found it incredibly distracting and dangerous and nearly went off the road so in my opionion this option is dangerous (I would have died happy though, driving a Merc and watching Kylie )

Even though I have done the update the Multiregion (Region Zero) has not been removed by the update, so I am please with this.

ETA, Telephone Meter and number of miles home on the screen are just what the system needed.

 

[saorbust]

+1 Updating to the newer firware will lose you the ability to get into the engineering mode that allows you to enable/disable tv/dvd in motion,plus an array of other features.
So lose that just for the sakes of an ETA ?? NO THANKS

Heh. Just wondering what will happen next time you get the car serviced. Who wants to bet it will be flashed into the ROM anyway.....

 

[andy_cyp]

Heh. Just wondering what will happen next time you get the car serviced. Who wants to bet it will be flashed into the ROM anyway.....

When its due for a service you can bet ill tell them to leave any software updates for the command alone.

It is also only distracting if you attempt to watch the screen, but wifey loves it and so do the kids.

They were watching shrek 3 whilst on a long haul last weekend and i never heard a moan from any of them, That alone is worth not having the update.

 

[Alfie]

When its due for a service you can bet ill tell them to leave any software updates for the command alone.

It is also only distracting if you attempt to watch the screen, but wifey loves it and so do the kids.

They were watching shrek 3 whilst on a long haul last weekend and i never heard a moan from any of them, That alone is worth not having the update.

So that'll be a pirated DVD then?

 

[KosherBenz]

exactly, My kids love their spongebob and barbie movies. If I lost it, it would be off with my head!

 

[glojo]

I suppose the COMAND will still function without having service upgrades, but surely these items are correcting or improving the whole unit? The optional one that some of us have elected to install is allegedly NOT a servicing item.

We are talking about the front screen of the COMAND and any modification that enables DVD in motion is ileegal, and I wonder where a dealer would stand if they KNOWINGLY took measures to either activate this function or to comply with a customers request to ignore the illegal modification.

I am sure that folks who have this option will all say it is not for them, they never watch it, and if they did have an accident it wasn't because they were distracted, but I wonder how many would be able to say that if they first took a whoopsie detector test.

"Dad the DVD is flickering"

"Dad look at THAT"

Long journeys are a major problem with young children but we seem to forget they are not allowed in the front passenger seat? Rear fitted monitors must be a huge benefit to keeping our offspring occupied and all credit to those that have taken the time to fit them.

John

 

[rlowy]

Command Upgrade...Update

As promised I said I would make a post after my Command upgrade for the benefit of others. Just to refresh I was a 2004 W211 with factory supplied original disk, working perfectly in the car Version 2004/ 3.0 part # A 211 827 52 59 and I had purchased version 6.0 DVD part # A211 827 95 59.

The Version 6 DVD was unrecognised and after a trip to the Dealer, MB Tonbridge, it was necessary to order a Command software upgrade disk from Germany to make the step from version 3 to 6.

This was all installed yesterday it took about 5 minuets and all is working well. Interesting the default settings are different from others experiences.

Navigation is set to the UK, input allowed whilst moving (not Holland), ETA and Phone showing on main screen, TMC all working, traffic correctly positioned on the map.

I have not had a great deal of time to “play” but also the address book input has some small improvements to.

One disappointment is that the phone book still won't show multiple phone numbers placed against a single contact entry as set up in my Nokia 6223 phone, unless anyone knows how import them in that format, I would welcome some help?

Interestingly Audi's MMI does show this but BMW's I drive doesn't

Regards

 

[rlowy]

I suppose the COMAND will still function without having service upgrades, but surely these items are correcting or improving the whole unit? The optional one that some of us have elected to install is allegedly NOT a servicing item.

We are talking about the front screen of the COMAND and any modification that enables DVD in motion is ileegal, and I wonder where a dealer would stand if they KNOWINGLY took measures to either activate this function or to comply with a customers request to ignore the illegal modification.

I am sure that folks who have this option will all say it is not for them, they never watch it, and if they did have an accident it wasn't because they were distracted, but I wonder how many would be able to say that if they first took a whoopsie detector test.

"Dad the DVD is flickering"

"Dad look at THAT"

Long journeys are a major problem with young children but we seem to forget they are not allowed in the front passenger seat? Rear fitted monitors must be a huge benefit to keeping our offspring occupied and all credit to those that have taken the time to fit them.

John

I agree John. I cannot believe there is any sensible argument put forward to say why a DVD or TV screen should be made active in the front whilst a vehicle is in motion. It is a safety hazard.

 

[DieselE]

The Version 6 DVD was unrecognised and after a trip to the Dealer, MB Tonbridge, it was necessary to order a Command software upgrade disk from Germany to make the step from version 3 to 6.

This was all installed yesterday it took about 5 minuets and all is working well. Interesting the default settings are different from others experiences.

Navigation is set to the UK, input allowed whilst moving (not Holland), ETA and Phone showing on main screen, TMC all working, traffic correctly positioned on the map.

What we'll never know is whether the settings were OK on the disk from Germany or whether the dealer altered them after installation.

One day soon I'm going to go for this firmware upgrade (I currently run 5.1 version of the navigation software so I'm not particularly interested in going for v6).

 

[rlowy]

What we'll never know is whether the settings were OK on the disk from Germany or whether the dealer altered them after installation.

One day soon I'm going to go for this firmware upgrade (I currently run 5.1 version of the navigation software so I'm not particularly interested in going for v6).

Hi DieselE,

Sorry I should have made it clearer. The settings were straight from the disk, the car was not connected to the star diagnostic, the dealer made no adjustments, the settings discribed in my post were default from the disk.

Regards

Richard