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replace center dash speaker CLK W209 03

ollya

Active Member
Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
103
Hi all,
The central dash speaker in my CLK W209 2003 is poorly. It sounds iffy on quiet rock guitar stuff like Radiohead. I think it's torn or something.
Anyway, need to get in there and either
A: disconnect it
or
B: replace it
Please does anyone have any tips or links to how on earth I start?
thanks very much
 
Use a flat head screw driver, carefully pry and lift the grill in front of the PDC indicator. Once the grill is removed, you can pull out the centre speaker and disconnect it.

I don't have a centre speaker in my CLK but I would think looking at the space available, you're looking at a 4" speaker. Factory speakers are of 2 Ohm impendence, most aftermarket speakers are rated at 4 Ohm.

You'll be better off sourcing a direct replacement item from MB.
 
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hi, thanks but won't doing that mark ther grill no matter how careful you are? Is there another way?
 
No it won't. As long as you use a small flat head with a sharp leading edge and don't force it. It's the only way.
 
Get a plastic trim remover from Halfords (couple of quid) - has a thin blade one end (e.g. for your speaker cover) and a fork the other(e.g. for door card studs).

(hard plastic so it works but doesn't scratch)

I used Pioneer "custom fit" speakers as replacements (only in pairs unfortunately) which are about £20-60 dep. on model and sound vastly better than the standard ones.
 
Get a plastic trim remover from Halfords (couple of quid) - has a thin blade one end (e.g. for your speaker cover) and a fork the other(e.g. for door card studs).

(hard plastic so it works but doesn't scratch)

I used Pioneer "custom fit" speakers as replacements (only in pairs unfortunately) which are about £20-60 dep. on model and sound vastly better than the standard ones.


Everyone should have such a tool if you are serious about doing anythiing on the car.

I also have some of the old bone handled knives with the round thin flat end
 
thanks will give it whirl

My car's got the BOSE speakers in it so I guess a replacement from Mercedes will cost the earth. Won't know until I give them a bell and get a price. Aftermarket is fine too I suppose as I'm not sure that speaker does an awful lot.

thanks - hope I don't bend or mark the grill
 
My car's got the BOSE speakers in it so I guess a replacement from Mercedes will cost the earth. Won't know until I give them a bell and get a price. Aftermarket is fine too I suppose as I'm not sure that speaker does an awful lot.

thanks - hope I don't bend or mark the grill

That/ those speakers only work in the suround sound mode.

You can turn that mode off in the menu
 
Had a look in the manual - my Audio 10 CD system doesn't have surround sound mode.
I saw on another forum where I asked this question that you said the parking distance display must be removed first. Is that right (yes I do have a display)?
Can't find a suitable lever/blade at the moment, will keep looking in the garage.
Sorry if being neuoritic by having buggered these things up many times before on cheap cars I'm not going to risk a mistake on this one especially somewhere sooooooo visible.
 
That wasn't too hard. I got a bit thrown off the track by Television's comment about removing the parking sensor display first. and ended up pulling the plastic binnacle off a bit first although only broken one tiny tab that didn't do much.

Way to do it is grab the parking binacle. Pull it up, not too hard then use rounded end of a steel ruler to lever the panel it sits on up
Do the same again on both sides just before it becomes the grill.
By now there should be 5mm sticking out proud so it's time for a bit of strong finger action and out she comes.

Note to anyone else doing this it's not the metal grill you're removing it's a hole moulded piece of plastic that supports the speaker and parking sensor binnacle. It sits in some well made clips that won't break and the panel kind of hinges by the windscreen (so don't start levering too avidly too close to windscreen!)

P.S. Speaker is 8 ohms, trying to find something similar around the house now to test it's not the amplifier.
 
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You can test it on anything, the impedance does not matter to test it.

We always test speakers by moving the cone in and out and scraping. This will not show up faults on the suspension


You test a speaker on a voice, not music
 
We always test speakers by moving the cone in and out and scraping. This will not show up faults on the suspension

I've got absolotuely no idea what that means :)

You test a speaker on a voice, not music
it only seems to be a certain type of sound and frequency that makes the speaker go wrong, not really a voice type sound. I'll tune it to radio 4 though and see if that really highlights it.

Anyway, tried another speaker in its place - only 2.7 ohms but it sounded fine, a lot louder than the original 8 ohm one. I'll get a replacement tomorrow I hope.
 
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I've got absolotuely no idea what that means :)


it only seems to be a certain type of sound and frequency that makes the speaker go wrong, not really a voice type sound. I'll tune it to radio 4 though and see if that really highlights it.

Anyway, tried another speaker in its place - only 2.7 ohms but it sounded fine, a lot louder than the original 8 ohm one. I'll get a replacement tomorrow I hope.

As long as I know what I mean everything will be OK :)

The reason that a 2.7Ω was louder is that it increases the amp output by 3 times, so do not do it for long.

I can assure you that harmonics in a human voice are the best thing for finding off center or buckled speech coils, I have been doing it for 50 years
 
how to know whether my CLK comes with Bose or not? But I noticed the sound system in my Audio 10 sounds much better than the one I had on my 203.

The bass is richer and purer...or maybe just my ears? I really think my Audio 10 in my CLK sounds better.
 
You see that's quite easy :)
..........it's written on them

Have a look at the ones on parcel shelf and they'll have a small Bose logo if it hasn't been pulled off.

If there's no badge but you still think it might be a Bose system then maybe have a look on the underside of the shelf...sorry haven't got my car with me so can't have a check for you.
 
You see that's quite easy :)
..........it's written on them

Have a look at the ones on parcel shelf and they'll have a small Bose logo if it hasn't been pulled off.

If there's no badge but you still think it might be a Bose system then maybe have a look on the underside of the shelf...sorry haven't got my car with me so can't have a check for you.

I don't have a rear parcel shelf speaker :eek:.
Just the centre one on front dash just above the middle air vents.

Maybe I don't have bose? :confused:
 
I don't have a rear parcel shelf speaker :eek:.
Just the centre one on front dash just above the middle air vents.

Maybe I don't have bose? :confused:

er...u have a clk with only one speaker :crazy: I think you've been done there
 
oops sorry I thought that is a speaker. It is an air vent for the middle just like the 203 :D

I have two speakers at each door plus two at the rear parcel shelf and 2 tweeters behind the wing mirrors triangle, so 6 speakers all together .
 

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