Rotary Controller not working so no Sat-Nav

[MilesWFB]

I'm also in Kent (near Ashford) and had the same problem a couple of years ago on my S204, bought the aluminium shaft but decided DIY was too much for my sausage fingers, took the car to an ICE mob on the A28 just on the outskirts of Ashford, they did the job and charged me £120. Just had a look on Google Maps, looks like they're no longer there, but if you decide against DIY ask a locla ICE mob for a price!

Well if you found it hard then I might reconsider...

 

[MilesWFB]

Here's a video showing how to get a the cable so you don't need to cut it like I did

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Great!! Thank you

 

[Chrishazle]

Well if you found it hard then I might reconsider...

I bought my replcament shaft from Mercedes Comand Knob Repair Set, they have the 2 "How To" videos on their website, I watched both right the way through and decided it was not a job I was prepared to undertake - age, sausage fingers, slight hand shake etc. Others on both the MB forums I frequent have DIY'd it though.

 

[artyman]

It really isn't a difficult job, unless you are really cack-handed and DIY challenged

 

[Chrishazle]

Years ago I would not have hesitated, but rather close to 3 year driving licence renewal plus health problems, £120 was a better option for me unfortunately. When I think of the contortions of fitting a replacement wiring loom into my son's Midget or stripping and sorting the entire rear suspension, these days I shudder and know I could not do that now!

 

[Shailesh]

Hi, just done this to my W204 2011 with my Son's help
Broken shaft as expected, replaced with aluminium one bought of eBay

Did a quite a bit of reading, including this forum and YouTube before decided to have a go

Two biggest challenges were
- Removing that command unit cable, bit difficult due to not able to see the actual clips behind the carpets. Took a few attempts
- knurled knob cover, by far the biggest issue. Most of the YouTube show the older type cover
This is the cover I have, little different to the other Youtube Videos

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Took sometime but eventually managed to somehow get the cap off and then the cover (in reverse to all the guides)

The rest was easy, as was putting it back.

The guys at Comand Online Ltd will do this for £199 (for the metal replacement, all in), seems reasonable due to the time it takes in case you decide not to attempt.

Mercedes should be ashamed to use plastic in the first place

 

[artyman]

It's not the fact that it's plastic that's the problem but the design of the shaft, the cross design means the stress is on four tiny points and that is why it breaks. A pre-emptive strike would be to araldite around those points on the shaft before it breaks.

 

[Chrishazle]

If you're going to take the damned thing apart to araldite those points, you might as well, for the £25 an aluminium shaft costs, replace the plastic one and know you've negated the possibility of the problem occurring!

 

[artyman]

Yes but it isn't a particulalrly high stressed item and araldite will be more than sufficient to do the job, I think £25 for a little aluminium shaft is a rip-off personally, but each to their own.

 

[clk320x]

Yes but it isn't a particulalrly high stressed item and araldite will be more than sufficient to do the job, I think £25 for a little aluminium shaft is a rip-off personally, but each to their own.

They are cheaper than that now. I think I paid £16ish. Pretty sure they are £8 now.

 

[Will]

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£5.04 delivered - how much is a tube of araldite!

 

[Shailesh]

Why take a chance
If you are going to the effort of opening up, get the aluminium for under £10 and have peace of mind for ever

 

[Chrishazle]

£5.04 delivered - how much is a tube of araldite!

Just checked my car history file, it was April 2017 when I have the replacement shaft fitted, I bought the shaft from Germany for about £27 - and it came with a free set of 4 plastic trim removal tools that have come in handy a few times since. The price Will found makes the araldite suggestion even more daft, and makes it logical for anyone confident enough to DIY the job to, if nothing else, buy a shaft for when the plastic breaks, or even change the currently working plastic for peace of mind.