Has anyone managed to cure DAB problems?

[neil beard]

Sorry to return to an old Merc chestnut, but it's back to the rubbish DAB they fit.
My c350e has been into the dealership five times now to try to get the DAB to work properly. Each time they seem to fix it but a while later it all goes horribly wrong again.
There are two issues. The biggest is the usual "no signal". In my case, driving on the M4 between heathrow and London (hardly the back of beyond!!). 3 days a week, all is fine, two days a week, complete loss of all DAB after ten minutes listening, and it doesn't come back til some hours later. second issue, you get in the car in the morning and the settings have changed themselves. for example, traffic announcements that were switched off are now turned on. Ive tried asking for the whole thing to be ripped out and replaced, but they won't do that. So my question is, has anyone else found a proper fix to this very annoying problem?
thanks

 

[nickpb]

I had a similar experience with my DAB radio losing signal at random times. Also the sat nav was losing track. Turned out to be an intermittant aerial in the rear screen. Changed under warranty and haven't lost DAB since.

 

[CJD]

The DAB on our 14 plate e-class is rubbish, always loosing the signal etc.
However on the 68 plate c-class it is fantastic, never drops out and has a better range of stations too.
I just think that the equipment and aerials are better on the newer models.

 

[Tramper]

My DAB on my W212 is pony as well keeps dropping out. Is the DAB aerial in the back window or the one on the roof.

 

[Vanderpotcho]

Try unplugging the KOM module. Located between rear seats and boot black plastic strip. Worked a treat for me.

Obviously if your using the live tomtom traffic it will prevent it working, it will not effect the TMC working.

 

[Headhurts]

Seems odd that some get these issues and others do not.

My prior car a 2014 E300 Hybrid us3d to drop out from time to time but in contrast my present car a 2016 E350 is faultless other than the odd occasion in North Norfolk where the signal can be week.

Robin


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[Daveuk]

Try unplugging the KOM module. Located between rear seats and boot black plastic strip. Worked a treat for me.

Obviously if your using the live tomtom traffic it will prevent it working, it will not effect the TMC working.

Hi, is this on a 212 and saloon or estate? My dab is terrible although a firmware update has improved it it’s still pretty rubbish unless on a local station.

My live traffic runs out in a few days.


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[Alfie]

My DAB on my W212 is pony as well keeps dropping out. Is the DAB aerial in the back window or the one on the roof.

DAB Band 3 antenna is in the rear screen. Roof antenna is for Band L (not used in the UK)

 

[twooo]

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!

Crapped myself this afternoon - DAB radio completely stopped working all the way home. Could still get FM/LW/MW/SW, but DAB said "Device Unavailable". No amount of turning off and on again helped. God, how much is this going to fix?

Got home, took the industrial sewing machine, massive great motor and metal frame out of the boot and lo and behold - DAB started working again. The reception is obviously very sensitive to having 60kg of steel in two big lumps right next to the aerial and wiring!

 

[jaymanek]

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!

Crapped myself this afternoon - DAB radio completely stopped working all the way home. Could still get FM/LW/MW/SW, but DAB said "Device Unavailable". No amount of turning off and on again helped. God, how much is this going to fix?

Got home, took the industrial sewing machine, massive great motor and metal frame out of the boot and lo and behold - DAB started working again. The reception is obviously very sensitive to having 60kg of steel in two big lumps right next to the aerial and wiring!

Software updates normally solve this issue...

Although in my car i gave up and simply stream radio station from my phone.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!

Crapped myself this afternoon - DAB radio completely stopped working all the way home. Could still get FM/LW/MW/SW, but DAB said "Device Unavailable". No amount of turning off and on again helped. God, how much is this going to fix?

Got home, took the industrial sewing machine, massive great motor and metal frame out of the boot and lo and behold - DAB started working again. The reception is obviously very sensitive to having 60kg of steel in two big lumps right next to the aerial and wiring!

a Faraday Cage in your boot.

 

[Fastcar155]

Strange but true : I live in rural Worcestershire and the system on my car was terrible.On my travels I ventured into Hampshire and the system bust into life and generally from that date the reception was near perfect.The DAB system in my Skoda is very good but does have a dead spot locally where the Mercedes system worked impeccably !

 

[baxlin]

Had this on my Lexus a few years ago, very patchy and unreliable DAB signal, and the main dealer couldn’t solve it. However, in preparation for changing the car, I removed the aftermarket dashcam…

Strangely though, the same dashcam now in my Skoda Octavia does not affect the DAB reception in the slightest.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

There’s a very simple fix: FM!

 

[twooo]

There’s a very simple fix: FM!

No BBC Radio 6 or Absolute 90's on FM...

 

[SpikyMikey]

There’s a very simple fix: FM!

"No static at all....."

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[ALFAitalia]

Around here DAB is patchy even when its good!!. So much so that we had the factory stock DAB radio in our D-Max pickup replaced with FM at the first service. Its such a common request that there is no charge and they had them in stock!!! Personally I think the signal is just too week to do the job reliably....at least around here. At home we get who days where it just keeps cutting in and out. DAB is all a bit rubbish TBH.

 

[Trickythemerc]

I have DAB in my CLK via the Pioneer Avic-920 head unit. Never had a problem with DAB drop out, but then I do have 120 quid's worth of shark fin on the roof. It is amplified and handles DAB/FM/AM/GPS. Our 2020 Fiat Ducato has factory set up and DAB is rubbish, our 4 month old Sprinter with premium pack is also rubbish for DAB reception. Obviously built down to a price ?