Newbie with a W211 E280 CDI

[hawk20]

BTW, what's the purpose of the extra rear view mirror on the drivers side - keeping an eye on your back seat passengers or something else?

Ex cop car?

 

[PXW]

Welcome to the wonderful world of E280CDi estates

Re Ipod - Glojo will be along in a bit to tell you you don't need one, you can just stick all your music on a 4.7gig DVD and play it through COMAND...

 

[gIzzE]

Have you see the Intravee for iPod. It was used in last gen X5's. Is it available for the newer ones?

Back to the OP - its a beaut

I had the intravee in my CSL, and just bought another M3 today so will probably get it again.
The new Dension does seem to work better though, but to be fair the Intravee has had several updates since I got mine back in 2006.

The one thing wrong with the Dension is the install instructions, far too complicated way of doing things.
They suggest taking the most bus connector apart and plugging one end into their box, then the other end back into the car and putting the spare optical lead they supply into both to form a loop.
I'm not sure Dension get the point of most bus, it is network and you can simply plug the most connector going into the radio into their box and then tehir cable from the box back into the radio.

Install took around 15 minutes doing it this way.

 

[st4]

I had the intravee in my CSL, and just bought another M3 today so will probably get it again.
The new Dension does seem to work better though, but to be fair the Intravee has had several updates since I got mine back in 2006.

The one thing wrong with the Dension is the install instructions, far too complicated way of doing things.
They suggest taking the most bus connector apart and plugging one end into their box, then the other end back into the car and putting the spare optical lead they supply into both to form a loop.
I'm not sure Dension get the point of most bus, it is network and you can simply plug the most connector going into the radio into their box and then tehir cable from the box back into the radio.

Install took around 15 minutes doing it this way.

Another M3, E46 or the new V8 job? Did you go for the E46 M3 CS (CSL tricklets but still with all the day to day M3 luxuries). For the E46 gen I heard intravee was better as that had a similar system to the E53 X5, dunno about the newer BM's though.

Re Alfie & Comand I have a question for him. I don't seem to have an Aux connected for my Audio 20, can it be fitted cheaply? or do I have to go for COMAND (which I am not against, its just a bit of a case of budget). 4.7GB is good, but I got a 60gb MP3 player thats lying redundant @ home (its not an iPod) so I'd like to give it a new lease of life.

 

[hawk20]

I'm interested in the answer to that too Alfie. No i-pod and no 6cd changer in mine at the moment. I don't have COMAND either and am happy with my Garmin.

 

[gIzzE]

The Dension 500 works in the same way the other most ipod adapters do, replicate a cd changer that handles mp3 and cd text.

You will probably find that with a car that has not been coded for a cd changer that you will have to get your dealer or someone else to code it for you.


Using it is pretty impressive though, you choose cd changer and then you can choose to browse the ipod, usb, bluetooth etc.

If you choose ipod you can then choose to searc by artist, album etc. etc. as you would if looking through your ipod.
It is all done through the head unit or steering wheel controls and comes up on screen meaning your ipod can be left in the glove box or armrest out of sight.

The phone part of it was pretty poor, but the rest of it was very good and worth the money.

I really wish I had tried it in a car that did not have a change to see if it worked or not, they say it needs to be coded with one and they are probably correct as it emulates them. Would have been nice to try though.


***, it is another E46 SMG mate.
Means I can get a W211 E320cdi estate as well if I want to upgrade the W210. I love the E92 M3 but they are still loosing silly money, and I really want the Dual Clutch Transmission version and they are still £50k+, so will have this for now and when the dip below £40k I will decide if I want to go for one, however a merc estate and an E46 SMG is appealing more at the moment.

 

[Wookiepelt]

BTW, what's the purpose of the extra rear view mirror on the drivers side - keeping an eye on your back seat passengers or something else?

Its to keep watch over the two rascals sitting here...

 

[TomTanderson]

Welcome Wookipelt, as you can see, I have a similar model of similar age (and interior by the looks of things) in Aventgarde finish. Now I know where to come for spare parts

 

[TomTanderson]

I've got the Denison 500 and it works perfectly - steering controls etc etc. The main difference between this and the MB version is that you get the track name displayed on the Comand screen and jusy 'Track 1' etc on the instrument cluster. I understand that the MB version does it the other way around. They are roughyl the same price I think.

I have the Denison 500 (fitted it myself) and it displays the track title on Comand and the head unit. I am the only person I have read of that has this and I guess it is due to a recent change in the head unit (mine is a 2008 model).

The one advantage of the Dension is its support for any USB memory device. You don't have to tie up an Ipod, you can just buy a cheap memory stick and it works just as well.

 

[Wookiepelt]

Try Alfie. www.comand.co.uk who fit all sorts at very reasonable prices. The very latest E's have i-pod connectivity. And since about August build have Bluetooth as well. But earlier ones will play the i-pod but not give you control at the steering wheel or show the track in the instrument panel -so I've recently been told.

Thanks... I'll look them up.

Welcome and nice car, I take it the design of the front fogs is part of the Sports spec?

Yep! It's all part of the Sport pack option. Bummer on this option is that the rear seats are also "Sport" seats so there are no ISOFIX options on them.

Re Ipod - Glojo will be along in a bit to tell you you don't need one, you can just stick all your music on a 4.7gig DVD and play it through COMAND...

Geeee... never thought about that option, especially since I have the 6-disc changer as well!

Welcome Wookipelt, as you can see, I have a similar model of similar age (and interior by the looks of things) in Aventgarde finish. Now I know where to come for spare parts

Hmm... same on this side too!!!

 

[A210AMG]

Welcome


Nice looking estate I do think they look nice than saloons


Dads E320Cdi estate does 40mpg almost all the time, he loves it, longest car he has ever kept (new in 2003) so its losened up now

 

[Wookiepelt]

Welcome


Nice looking estate I do think they look nice than saloons


Dads E320Cdi estate does 40mpg almost all the time, he loves it, longest car he has ever kept (new in 2003) so its losened up now

Estates are a must have for me especially with two kids, pram in tow, kids bikes, etc... how will I fit all that into a saloon?!?

 

[A210AMG]

Hello


Yep, hence why I have the bus below with only one its still amazing how much stuff you have, we recently went to france in it and it was full to the brim !!


Went to a show the other week and we used dads estate, Interestingly It has a slightly longer boot than the ML but nothing like as high. I use a bungy strap to keep the pram upright and leaves us loads of boot.


If only I got his mpg


Great car

 

[Wookiepelt]

Yep, hence why I have the bus below with only one its still amazing how much stuff you have, we recently went to france in it and it was full to the brim !!

Tell me about it!!!

Went to a show the other week and we used dads estate, Interestingly It has a slightly longer boot than the ML but nothing like as high. I use a bungy strap to keep the pram upright and leaves us loads of boot.

Would you believe that this is actually a downgrade for me in the boot-size department... the previous family car was a 94' Volvo 940 Wentworth Estate (2.0 Turbo Petrol)- The original hearse!!! Now that HAD plenty of room in the back.

 

[Wookiepelt]

Dads E320Cdi estate does 40mpg almost all the time, he loves it, longest car he has ever kept (new in 2003) so its losened up now

Hmm... interesting to see how Dad's car choices tend to affect son's choices!

Mine has a S280 long wheel-base and a SL350!

 

[ckember]

Has anyone tried the Dension 500 in an Merc?


I fitted one to a BMW last week and it was pretty impressive, takes USB sticks too, allows you to search just as you would on your ipod.

I have one. its OK but a bit clunky. The menus are not easy to use. The mp3 tagging only shows the current album playing and the first song selcted. it would be nice if dension released another update to fix this.

I use it with both my ipod and iphone 3G.


ps wookiepelt Nice car and welcome to the forum

 

[Dieselman]

he loves it, longest car he has ever kept

All the others have been a bit short have they.?

 

[timskemp]

Nice car - E's are good.

 

[gIzzE]

Nice car - E's are good.

Obviously in your thirties and spent most of your weekends as a youth looking for barns and warehouses on a Saturday night! :bannana:

Great wasn't it?!

 

[E's Are Good]

Nice car - E's are good.

Did someone call???

Gorgeous motor btw, Wookiepelt