New E-Class - radio redeption is awful

[EnEm]

I have a new E, 220D standard car with comand. Radio reception is terrible listening only to BBC Radio 4.

Autotune does not seem to pick up the published wavelength. Specific problem when returning to the car, on starting up the radio reception is diabilocal - compleletly unusable. Even when parked in a place where I had sat and listened to the end of a programme before leaving the car. Which suggests it is not just local reception conditions.


Poor reception can be fixed by switching wave bands - from FM to DAB (or something like that, it is not compeltely clear what is happening in that switch). Then several times on a short journey (50 miles) it will deteriorate to thr point of being unusable.


Anyone else experienced similar? Is it inherently bad, or could there be a fault?


Thanks as always for any insights.
EnEm

 

[Tiim533]

Well I have the old E, and DAB is outstanding so I never use FM. Obviously it depends what part of the country you're in, but just pour over the guidebook to ensure you're tuning it correctly, and failing that, take it to your dealer.
There may indeed be a fault, and as well as the car, you also paid for a radio so they'll have to fix under warranty.

 

[sunnydude959]

That sounds like a fault. In-car radio is now well established technology.
It could be a loose connection or an improperly connected plug or something like that

Take it back to the dealer and see what they say

 

[grober]

very dependant on your location and your local topography [ lots of hills- deep valleys ] where there may be reception gaps. DAB should be interference free but its there or its not depending on reception and coverage can be patchy. -- unlike FM which will degrade rather than cut out. As suggested get your car system checked out for faults. The other check is to take a portable DAB/FM radio with you in the car. Anywhere you experience poor reception -- pullover ----stick the portable out of the car and see if reception improves. That way you can perhaps eliminate one cause poor reception or the car's system?
Why DAB radio in the UK is broken, and how to fix it | TechRadar

 

[EnEm]

Dealer advises this is a known issue and there is a "booster" available under warranty to solve this problem. Not booked it in or taken it further yet.
Thanks for the help (and sorry for initial mispost to General)


EnEm

 

[Spin_bowler]

We did chapter and verse on this in this http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/electronics/206031-dab-device-unavailable-message.html. I'm not sure it'll help but you'll realise you're not alone.

 

[RichardGrice]

I have a similar problem with my 65 reg. C200 purchased in August. It has been back to the dealership twice - once to "fix a software glitch" and when that didn't improve the situation it was fitted with a new aerial (wherever it is) and two signal amplifiers. It is still no better. When the DAB signal reception is poor, which is often, it is supposed to switch to FM which it often doesn't. Even when it does switch to FM the reception is sometimes equally bad or even absent! Periods of white noise only are frequent - even when I lock the signal to FM only.
The dealership is at a loss as to how to resolve the problem other than to live in hope that MB will find a software fix sometime in the future.
I will not be sitting back and waiting. I have now written to MB UK and to Daimler in Stuttgart. I do not expect any positive reply so I am preparing for a visit to Trading Standards and then will take whatever action is required.

 

[jfhuk]

DAB implementation by Mercedes on a number of models wasn't great but there where a number of mods in the form of software and aerial amplifier upgrades that fixed most of the issues. Has the dealer applied all the software updates and tested the aerial amplifier and cables? As it sounds like one of those will be what's causing your problems.