Recommendations for COMAND repair

[Bobby Dazzler]

COMAND in our W164 ML is playing-up: music plays but buttons are not responding (although controls on the steering wheel work fine).

Recommendations for a reputable repair shop would be much appreciated

 

[kjl]

I have recommended this person to others on here who have had problems with their CD players who have also been pleased with him. Give him a call first to see if he can help with your comand.

Colin Brooks
Car Audio Services
10 Midland Road
Rushden
Northamptonshire
NN10 9UJ

09133 315602

 

[whitenemesis]

Take a trip down to Lightwater and see the guys at Comand

How to find Us

 

[Alfie]

COMAND in our W164 ML is playing-up: music plays but buttons are not responding (although controls on the steering wheel work fine).

Recommendations for a reputable repair shop would be much appreciated

This is a common issue. Often fixed as follows;

Remove earth lead from the battery. wait two minutes and reconnect. It may happen again though. If it does, the comand needs replacing. Its not serviceable sadly.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

This is a common issue. Often fixed as follows;

Remove earth lead from the battery. wait two minutes and reconnect. It may happen again though. If it does, the comand needs replacing. Its not serviceable sadly.

Thanks Alfie. It's currently out of the car boxed up and ready to post. Given that it's been out of the car, would reinstalling it have the same effect as disconnecting the earth? Or does disconnecting the earth reset something else outside of the COMAND head unit?

Is there anything I should do to guard against damaging SAMs and control modules when reconnecting the earth?

 

[Alfie]

Thanks Alfie. It's currently out of the car boxed up and ready to post. Given that it's been out of the car, would reinstalling it have the same effect as disconnecting the earth? Or does disconnecting the earth reset something else outside of the COMAND head unit?

Is there anything I should do to guard against damaging SAMs and control modules when reconnecting the earth?

Yep, thats the same effect. Just plug it back in and see if it comes back to life.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I posted my COMAND unit off to be repaired, and reinstalled it on Sunday evening. A test drive on Sunday evening and a trip to the office and back today suggests that it's now working as it should be

 

[phazed]

I posted my COMAND unit off to be repaired, and reinstalled it on Sunday evening. A test drive on Sunday evening and a trip to the office and back today suggests that it's now working as it should be

Hi Mr Dazzler. How is your Comand unit? Still working?

Mine has been diagnosed as having a fault can you tell me who repaired yours?

Mine's a 2007 ML320, W164.

 

[C43AMG]

As you are in Surrey as is Comand, Lightwater to be precise give them a call or take there advise re take the earth lead from the battery.

 

[phazed]

As you are in Surrey as is Comand, Lightwater to be precise give them a call or take there advise re take the earth lead from the battery.

Thanks for responding.

I have done the usual battery disconnect and removing various fuses as indicated on the web to no avail.

I took the car to Comand in Lightwater on Wednesday and they diagnosed a faulty head unit. They stated that these head units were not repairable and that they would do me a used unit for £900, (including the diagnostic fee) with a years warranty. Hence my question regarding repairs.

 

[AMGeed]

^ If Comand advise the unit can't be repaired, take their word for it and either
a..get a replacement Comand from Comandonline
b... Enquire about an suitable Android unit which should be a relatively cheaper option.

 

[C43AMG]

I suppose it depends on how long you are going to keep the car ?

 

[clk320x]

Thanks for responding.

I have done the usual battery disconnect and removing various fuses as indicated on the web to no avail.

I took the car to Comand in Lightwater on Wednesday and they diagnosed a faulty head unit. They stated that these head units were not repairable and that they would do me a used unit for £900, (including the diagnostic fee) with a years warranty. Hence my question regarding repairs.

a second hand unit is £300 on ebay, £900 is steep

 

[phazed]

R I have seen the units on eBay, not that much choice at the moment.

Apart from the obvious, "take a shot in the dark "scenario, I need to be assured that it is compatible with the reversing camera and with the upgraded Harmon Karmen Soundsystem which many aren't!

I have had the car for four years, I've done 50,000 miles on it, (in total it has 145,000 miles) and would be happy to keep it for another three or four years as everything else works, hasn't got a spot of rust and has full service history .

Decisions. Paying the full £900 in total may be the answer but it is disappointing.

 

[wongl]

R I have seen the units on eBay, not that much choice at the moment.

Apart from the obvious, "take a shot in the dark "scenario, I need to be assured that it is compatible with the reversing camera and with the upgraded Harmon Karmen Soundsystem which many aren't!

The reversing camera shouldn't be a problem if the Command unit has the connections (just ask the ebay seller to send you a photo of the back of the unit to make the connections are identical to your existing unit).

The Harmon Karmen Soundsystem should be code-able function - at least on the Command Unit I purchased off ebay was coded for Harmon Karen which I don't have in my car, so no audio was coming thru the speakers. A quick re-code using Star in Developer's Mode quickly resolved this issue. Therefore if I can re-code Command to disable Harmon Karmen, then logically it can be re-coded to support Harmon Karmen.

I see you are based in Surrey - so am I when I am not in HK, and if you are having problems coding the Command head unit I might be able to help - I think my Star system will cope up to 2010 (and slightly beyond, but cannot remember off hand). I did spent some time getting the Developer's Mode re-configured support the Command unit as for some reason MB seemed to have deleted the developer's mode for the Command unit in the version of Xentry I have. The process involves hacking the Xentry software with patches from previous versions but once I got it going I was able to reconfigure the Command unit and was even able to muck around with re-coding the security PIN coding (purely out of interest as the unit I purchased wasn't security locked or anything like that).

 

[phazed]

The reversing camera shouldn't be a problem if the Command unit has the connections (just ask the ebay seller to send you a photo of the back of the unit to make the connections are identical to your existing unit).

The Harmon Karmen Soundsystem should be code-able function - at least on the Command Unit I purchased off ebay was coded for Harmon Karen which I don't have in my car, so no audio was coming thru the speakers. A quick re-code using Star in Developer's Mode quickly resolved this issue. Therefore if I can re-code Command to disable Harmon Karmen, then logically it can be re-coded to support Harmon Karmen.

I see you are based in Surrey - so am I when I am not in HK, and if you are having problems coding the Command head unit I might be able to help - I think my Star system will cope up to 2010 (and slightly beyond, but cannot remember off hand). I did spent some time getting the Developer's Mode re-configured support the Command unit as for some reason MB seemed to have deleted the developer's mode for the Command unit in the version of Xentry I have. The process involves hacking the Xentry software with patches from previous versions but once I got it going I was able to reconfigure the Command unit and was even able to muck around with re-coding the security PIN coding (purely out of interest as the unit I purchased wasn't security locked or anything like that).

Thanks for that.

I'll be keeping a good look out on eBay for a suitable unit and hopefully one will turn up.

I'm a great mechanical fiddler but electronics are not my forte!

I'll keep all your advice in mind hopefully for the near future especially as at the moment the sound keeps switching on randomly at full volume but just emits screeching!!!!!!!!!

 

[Technoholic]

@phazed is that you Peter from the TVR world? Small world if it is