W164 COMAND NTG2.0/NTG2.5 Swap

[E55BOF]

Good evening all. Does anybody know, is the NTG2.5 COMAND from a 2010 W164 a straight swap for the NTG2.0 in a 2007? Both have the control for the CD changer in the glove box. I'm specifically looking for the ability to play music direct from an SD card, which the earlier unit does not have, without having to use the 3.5 mm Aux socket in the glove box.

If the swap works, would I need the VIN from the car the unit was previously fitted in to enable it to be coded to mine, or is it not as simple as that? Would the registration plate be any good if the vendor no longer has the VIN?

 

[E55BOF]

Stop Press : Ignore the bit about the CD changer; the 2.5 has it built in.

Stop Press 2: After some exhaustive Googling, it may be that MY2010-onwards MB head units cannot be easily, if at all, mated to any other than the car they came out of the factory in. Whether this applies to NTG2.5 and the W164, I don't know.

 

[E55BOF]

Sorted - or will be. I asked a Man Who Knows. The head unit itself will be plug and play, provided I can get the six-digit code, or the VIN of the donor vehicle, but I will need an adaptor to tap into the existing microphone circuit, a Bluetooth aerial adapter, and one other thing, to use all the functions. That lot will be less than £100 as a kit from Germany, and not difficut to fit.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Sorted - or will be. I asked a Man Who Knows. The head unit itself will be plug and play, provided I can get the six-digit code, or the VIN of the donor vehicle, but I will need an adaptor to tap into the existing microphone circuit, a Bluetooth aerial adapter, and one other thing, to use all the functions. That lot will be less than £100 as a kit from Germany, and not difficut to fit.

That’s good news

 

[badgx]

Rather than SD card, I normally save any favourite tracks on my phone and stream via Bluetooth using modulator on my S211 2007. The FM modulator plugs into the 12v cigarette light socket at the rear of my wagon so it's out of sight.

To play music, all I do is tune to 88.8FM, which I have preset, and stream the music or youtube music via the phone to my head unit.

The FM modulator is very cheap too, no extra wiring etc.

 

[badgx]

This is the FM modulator gadget. I purchased it from Halfords, approx £40.

 

[badgx]

They still sell the budget

Scosche FM Transmitter | Halfords UK

Shop the latest Wireless Hands-Free Car Kit with 18w Power Delivery and 12w charging ports at Halfords UK

www.halfords.com

 

[E55BOF]

Sorted - or will be. I asked a Man Who Knows. The head unit itself will be plug and play, provided I can get the six-digit code, or the VIN of the donor vehicle, but I will need an adaptor to tap into the existing microphone circuit, a Bluetooth aerial adapter, and one other thing, to use all the functions. That lot will be less than £100 as a kit from Germany, and not difficut to fit.

Not quite that simple, as it turned out. Obtained the VIN, obtained the code, fitting kit bought (nearly twice the price; thank you, Brexit...); so far, so good. However...

Because the W164 never had the NTG2.5 as OE, the standard MB factory STAR said "Nein!", and would not allow it to be coded in at all. Using something I don't understand to sort it out, however, STAR was eventually prepared to concede it was possible, and so it was done. All working, all fine, and a big thank you to Neil at Braybrooks in Tewin Hill, near Welwyn Garden City; he's an absolute wizard at this sort of job, right up to the complete ICE refits which he specialises in.

And there's icing on the cake... I've been looking at fitting a rear view camera. In the last week, cheap 'n cheerful Shenzhen Special (Chinese) rear view cameras specifically for the W164 have popped up on (where else...) Ebay. I spotted a wireless setup WIRELESS Reverse Camera For Mercedes ML Class GL W164 X164 Number Plate Light WS | eBay

and thought: I can fit that easily, no tedious fiddling with the interior trim to run a cable through to the fascia, and the NTG2.5 will accept and display an NTSC signal, so I got Neil to code in the reversing camera feature too while he was at it. All it needs is the actual camera setup, and for £40 or so it's worth a try.

NTG2.5 does not support postcodes, which is a minor irritation, but overall

"Happy bunny I am" Yoda would say...