GUIDES: W209/W203 | Facelift Centre Console Upgrade | Aux in | Luxury Climate Control

[mwstewart]

Facelift Centre Console: MWSTEWART.CO.UK | Facelift Centre console upgrade and Audio 20

Luxury Climate: MWSTEWART.CO.UK | Luxury Climate Control Retrofit

AUX IN: MWSTEWART.CO.UK | iPod/AUX in for COMAND 2.0/APS and Audio 20/50

COMAND 2: MWSTEWART.CO.UK | COMAND 2.0 Retrofit

 

[Dazzler]

Very handy write ups, hope they are not copyrighted

 

[mwstewart]

Very handy write ups, hope they are not copyrighted

Thanks. I hadn't copyrighted them, I have added a copyright symbol just now.

 

[R2D2]

Wow. I have only seen the D2B to MOSt type upgrades done by Steve NL and Sunman. Respect for doing it and doing such good write ups. I've got the itch again now-I've not had my dashboard apart for weeks!

 

[Smatt]

Really useful post, many thanks.
I am tempted....

PS, re: your bixenon retrofit article- it is possible to buy replacement headlight mount brackets from MB- the lights are designed to accept them as MB recognise that they often break- I think they are approx £20 each

 

[Smatt]

I have asked the question a few times on here about upgrade to post facelift & was always told that the whole dash system would need changing including the cluster & all switchgear/control modules, iirc, so this is really useful!

 

[mwstewart]

Thanks gents.

I have updated the Bi-Xenon article

 

[Smatt]

Mark,
Can you tell me whether the comand/facelift APS will show directions in( ie communicate with) the pre-facelift cluster?
Also, I take it there is no change needed for steering wheel controls?
Many thanks,
Matt

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Thanks Mark

Wow, well done (great website by the way, very interesting HCI paper).

As you stated in your excellent write up I also had read (& therefore assumed) that there was far more involved in this mod due to the difference in D2B & Most.

I'm seriously tempted to do this mod as I haven't done anything to the car for a while.

I've got a pre-facelift (from the inside anyway ) W203 with COMAND, Mercedes Nokia Telephone kit (now with Viseeo), CD changer and luxury climate retrofit.

Shame that the CD Changer & phone system would need to be swapped out too. I was trying to work out what the shopping list might look like, hopefully it was "just":

New UCP
COMAND APS
New Luxury Climate module
Wood trim panel
Some MOST / fibre cables

As I need to replace the phone modules / CD changer then I'm less tempted but hey watch this space...

 

[Wully]

What a project to undertake, hats off to you!

Takes balls to pull this off.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Oh dear, looks like this may be infectious...

I've been looking into various units and just came across this:

New 2009 Mercedes W203 HDD Changer Navigation - CLC on eBay (end time 18-Oct-09 16:15:38 BST)

It's apparently a COMAND unit from a CLC with the built in CD Changer (solves one of my problems and would free up some glovebox space!).

Does anyone know much more about whether there is any integrated phone capability within this unit, or doesn't the seller know what they're talking about?

Price sounds / looks steep but it could be interesting if all of the functions, CD changer & Bluetooth are there. Would make a really nice mod (if the price was right too! )

 

[Smatt]

Yes, all the latest HDD comands have integrated bluetooth, but phone prep is also possible on new cars with it, so I am not sure whether the bluetooth is an inferior standard...?
I think that if one waits maybe six months the W204/CLC comands will come down in price a lot. (For instance the facelift B class HDD comands started at approx £1500 & are now available for as little as £600 in the space of 1yr)

 

[login_user]

Excellent job. when can you do mine? LOL

 

[login_user]

Mark,
Can you tell me whether the comand/facelift APS will show directions in( ie communicate with) the pre-facelift cluster?
Also, I take it there is no change needed for steering wheel controls?
Many thanks,
Matt

What's the answer to the above question?

 

[clarky5150]

i would also like to know if steering wheel must be changed. thanks.

 

[larriebee]

Upgrade

I've just done an upgrade on mine but have problems with the radio not picking any stations. The stereo installed in the Audio 20 from the CLC and my car is C180k CL203 2005 (facelift). Anyhelp with fixing this will be greatly appreciated.

 

[larriebee]

My Upgrade

I've just done an upgrade on mine but have problems with the radio not picking any stations. The stereo installed in the Audio 20 from the CLC and my car is C180k CL203 2005 (facelift). Anyhelp with fixing this will be greatly appreciated.

 

[larriebee]

Ooops! Sorry I posted that twice

 

[richard]

Assuming you put NTG2.5 (i.e stereo with built in bluetooth) in your car, the way the antennas are powered differs. You need to feed whichever wire powers up the antennas on your car (I think it is blue/white) from one of the pins on the white 12 way connector on the quadlock of the NTG2.5 (I think it is pin 7, its the corner one near the microphone wires)

I assume you have used a splitter (from black fakra in car to double white fakra), and a bluetooth antenna (mustard fakra)

Cheers

Richard

 

[Nightryder]

I will be attempting this on my just bought Mercedes 2003 cl203 320 sport coupe

Am I correct in assuming that the part number for the center console cage is:
MA209 689 01 16

Can't find the part on eBay