Help Required: Problems with Audio 20 in W211

[Dave02]

I bought a 2004 E Class Estate 2 months ago with an Audio 20 unit and 6 CD changer, plus Nokia phone cradle, to which I added a Viseeo MBU-3000 Bluetooth kit. Since owning the car I have experienced the following intermittent problems:

1. CD changer not working - when you press the CDC button the screen implies that it has switched to CD changer, but nothing plays. The console button to reveal the changer works, but it is not possible to insert or remove CDs
2. Screen is blank - everything works as normal (e.g. You can change radio stations), except Audio 20 screen is blank
3. Phone not working - When you press any of the phone functions on the console it displays "No Phone"

As stated, all problems have been intermittent. CD changer issue happened frequently in the 1st month and has been OK for a few weeks. Screen was OK for perhaps 1st month, but now occurs frequently, but starts working just as quickly (e.g today was blank when I started my journey, but started working after 5 minutes). Phone not working is a problem most of the time, but will sometimes all of a sudden appear in the display and phone functions will work. Phone pairs with the MBU-3000 all the time without problems. I 'm unsure if I've had the CD changer and blank screen issues at the same time, but think not.

The car is still under warranty from the dealer where I purchased it (3rd party independent). The warranty gives me some cover, but not complete. They 're prepared to send the unit away for testing and for a possible fix, but suspect that because problems are intermittent, that they may not be found. I've also noticed that Audio 20 units are not very expensive on eBay (about £150).

My questions are:
a. Do you think all 3 of my problems are with the Audio 20 unit, rather than CD changer and docking station for issues 1 and 3?
b. If all issues are caused by a faulty Audio 20 unit, is replacing unit for £150 likely to be my best option to resolve?
c. If yes to a and b, would any Audio 20 unit for a W211 work (and simply need plugging in, without any modifications)? I can see my existing unit is a model MF2311, A2118209889, but on eBay the units I've seen are model MF2770 A2118702889 and appear to be from 2007).

 

[Druk]

Almost identical prob with my2003 diagnosed as failure of continuous loop fibre optic inside 6 cd player. Optic 'bridge' inserted at rear of unit removing it from circuit has effected perfect temp repair. Bridge is little plastic clip that FO is inserted into from each end. Cheap and worth a try.
As a crude diagnostic try thumping the console side at the CDC player and see if that lights the phone reception barcode thingy in the 20 display. I have the identical setup as you with the viseeo phone. The whole thing is linked to the rear sam on a continuous FO loop.




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[Druk]

Meant to say also: welcome to the forum .

Try retrieving the CD's from the CDC before disabling it entirely. Once disconnected they're there for good.

Ask how I know of this?

 

[Dave02]

Thank you Druk for the information. To be clear, did you experience only the CD changer issue and you're saying it's a problem with the changer unit, rather than Audio 20? I'm a little unsure about your thumping reference to the CD changer re phone problem. How would Phone issue be connected to CD changer?

FYI, my dealer warranty covers 50% of costs for repair, but they're not prepared to spend a fortune on resolving, particularly as issues are intermittent and could be hard to identify. I actually had changer and Audio 20 removed yesterday with intention of having them sent away to test and hopefully fix, but when speaking to dealer I checked on eBay for Audio 20 units and see cost for buying one may be not much more than testing costs (or even lower), which may not even fix the issue. Dealer is happy to pay towards changing unit or sending away existing unit, but not both.

 

[Druk]

The whole kit and caboodle is interconnected via fibre-optic from the ignition key to the A20 to the CDC to the Nokia module to the rear sam and back to the ign key. OR SO I WAS TOLD! Any break in this circuit will render all the rest faulty. Your symptoms are the same as mine when my CDC player went faulty. Thumping the side of the console @ the CDC somehow made the FO connection temporarily work. All I'm saying is give it a try. It can be diagnosed on Star if the operator knows what he's doing

Some of them dont!

Cant help you much further cos out of wifi range for the next week or so.

 

[Dave02]

I'm not sure if I've missed Druk for the week already, but if I've understood correctly issue is likely to be with cabling and not the Audio 20 or CDC units? Assuming this is the case, taking out the units and sending away, or replacing Audio 20 unit, would be pointless and tests need to be on units in car?

Has anyone else had similar problems?

 

[richard]

The whole kit and caboodle is interconnected via fibre-optic from the ignition key to the A20 to the CDC to the Nokia module to the rear sam and back to the ign key. OR SO I WAS TOLD!

Its not quite as bad as that

Only the audio components are on a fibre optic loop. Failure of any component causes issues (and things won't work at all), and diagnosis for most people seems to be difficult.

The Audio components consist of (where the option is in the car, and not all of these available on all systems)

Head unit (i.e display and buttons), Audio-Gateway, Microphone controller / Linguatronic controller, Phone Controller, CD changer, TV, Harmon Kardon / BOSE amp, Satellite Radio, DAB, Media Interface.

In some cars/configurations some of these components are in the same box (such as the Audio Gateway and Head unit are all in the Audio-20).

The "no display" on the Audio-20 suggests this is probably the Audio-20 - but the only way to find out is to (a) use star diagnosis (b) by-pass what it says is wrong (or bypass everything one by one) (c) use experience

Hassle the warranty company.

Richard

ps. very unlikely to be the fibre-optic cable itself. It is *much* easier to diagnose all of this with a car, rather than standalone.

 

[Dave02]

Do you think the issue with the phone is likely to be with the Audio 20 as well? I was actually thinking of calling your company tomorrow for advice/ possible help if I didn't have a certain plan of action this weekend, as you're located only 15 miles from the dealer where I bought the car.