Newbie requiring help please!

[nickinoo]

Hi everybody

We've recently purchased a 2003 ML270 with a Comand head unit (no TV or Tel fitted unfortunately) with cd changer in rear. I've been looking into the cost of getting the TV and phone kit fitted and was wondering if it's possible to remove the Comand unit and fit an aftermarket double din unit with gps, dvd, cd, ipod, phone etc. instead. Will it be a case of major electrical wiring surgery or a fairly straightforward plug and play scenario ????

Many thanks in advance for any information.

 

[richard]

If your car has the BOSE system then you'll have to replace all the speakers and wiring as there is a fibre optic connection between COMAND and the amplifier.
If your car has the integrated phone, then also that wont work any more.
The CDC uses a special fibre interface to the head unit, so unless you pick a new head unit which is "D2B fibre optic" based, the CDC wont work (and I dont think there are any modern aftermarket units with D2B, but I may be wrong.

But apart from that, on a W163, yes you can just swop it over as all the power/lights/etc signal is there waiting for you on the standard DIN A/B connector. If you need a 'reverse' signal its there on the car's wiring. (on the C connector, which plugs into a little adapter loom that plugs into the COMAND, dont wreck the adapter loom, its £100 to replace, unplug it from the car's wiring loom - you'll see what I mean when you take it out)

One point to note, a used ML with COMAND is worth £800 more than one without it according to Glasses guide when I looked in September. So keep the unit to go back in afterwards.

You need the removal tools to remove the unit, i'd pop down the Mercedes dealer and ask them to unclip it for you. Or if they wont, http://www.comandonline.co.uk/product.php?productid=16226&cat=269&page=1

Richard

 

[nickinoo]

Thanks for the reply Richard.
Excuse me if this makes me sound dumb (I am a blonde girl afterall ) but by CDC do you mean the cd changer? How do I know if the system is BOSE? Will it have BOSE written on the speakers and where would an amp be? So basically, if it's not BOSE and there's no amp, a normal double din unit would slot straight in and be ok? (we're not too bothered about having the changer if we can play the ipod in there).
I've seen some head units on ebay that appear to do everything we want but they're from United States or Hong Kong. I assumed that these would not be compatible as the GPS would be loaded for that country and wondered if the wiring would be compatible for the UK market cars.

Thanks for pointing out about keeping the Comand to put back in if we sell. I will definately do that

 

[richard]

Hiya

Yes, CDC is the CD changer.

Cars with BOSE should have 'Bose' written on 1 or 2 of the speakers, look on the drivers door speaker. The BOSE AMP is above the drivers feet in a really difficult place to get at .. If you PM me (if you are allowed yet) your chassis number then I can check - but please dont post it for all to see.

If you are buying a non UK unit, you need to cover these two points
a) Are maps available for that unit for UK/Europe
b) Is the radio frequency range/interval settable to the European ranges (the range of frequencies and the fixed gap between each station are different in Japan, North America, Rest-of-the-world.

Cheers
Richard

 

[richard]

PS, if you can't pm me, use the 'contact us' function on www.mercupgrades.com

R

 

[gbjeppm]

One of these to allow you to input both audio and video signals through the TV button, and a Parrot car kit, could be another option for you.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Merceds-Benz-COMAND-2-0-AV-MULTIMEDIA-INTERFACE-0004_W0QQitemZ150302906012QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CE_GPS_Accessories_Software_ET?hash=item150302906012&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318