W203 Comand update for Mp3?

[joembuck]

Hi
I have a December 05 W203 Estate which I had Braybrooks fit a COMAND APS and CD changer before delivery. {I Couldn't get a factory installed one through the MB supply system at the time}
Unfortunately It seems I got an 'old stock' COMAND unit which did not support Mp3 disks in the CD changer. [which surprised me as the Audio 10 previously fitted did, for a long time we thought it was a Changer issue]
Does anyone know if there is anyway of updating the Comand firmware to support MP3 Disks? Only solution I've been offered is to buy a new COMAND unit which, having paid over £2000 for the first one is not really an option.

 

[zvrikos]

Even if you change your comand unit, I think, you won't get any more Mp3 than you already have - nothing. You see, i guess, you already have the latest unit, since your car is a 2005 model. After 04/04, they fitted a comand unit (the very same I use) which, still, doesn't support Mp3. In the US market, as far as I am concerned, there was an Mp3 update, which enabled the units to play Mp3. Nothing like that in Europe! If you really want to play Mp3, get a new cd changer (mine is not Mp3 compatible, as well, to my dismay) or by an ipod kit (and.... an ipod, of course).
I guess you are feeling stupid, after paying sooooo much money for a comand unit, not having Mp3 compatibility which is a common place for almost all cheap car sound systems.
Sorry, for the bad news.
if anyone has better news, please, PLEASE make our day!!!

zisis

 

[Alfie]

Hi
I have a December 05 W203 Estate which I had Braybrooks fit a COMAND APS and CD changer before delivery. {I Couldn't get a factory installed one through the MB supply system at the time}
Unfortunately It seems I got an 'old stock' COMAND unit which did not support Mp3 disks in the CD changer. [which surprised me as the Audio 10 previously fitted did, for a long time we thought it was a Changer issue]
Does anyone know if there is anyway of updating the Comand firmware to support MP3 Disks? Only solution I've been offered is to buy a new COMAND unit which, having paid over £2000 for the first one is not really an option.

Wow that is expensive. We charge a lot less than that for COMAND plus CDC.

Have you asked your local Mercedes dealership to flash the comand unit with the latest firmware? This may fix it for you if your CD changer is an MP3 compatible one.

 

[joembuck]

Hi alfie

It was a lot of money, (nearly £3k including the CDC\0 I don't think you were around then, (or at least I didn't find you when i searched) At the time Braybrooks seemed to be the only game in town.

It was the MB dealer who advised that there were no other options - apparently there are no Flash updates available for the W203 Command. If you think this is incorrect I will ask again until I get the answer I want.

I'm pretty sure the CD changer is OK, Like I said, with The Audio 10 (according to the manual anyway - I never saw the unit) the MP3 capability was not an issue.

Joe

 

[Alfie]

Hi alfie

It was a lot of money, (nearly £3k including the CDC\0 I don't think you were around then, (or at least I didn't find you when i searched) At the time Braybrooks seemed to be the only game in town.

It was the MB dealer who advised that there were no other options - apparently there are no Flash updates available for the W203 Command. If you think this is incorrect I will ask again until I get the answer I want.

I'm pretty sure the CD changer is OK, Like I said, with The Audio 10 (according to the manual anyway - I never saw the unit) the MP3 capability was not an issue.

Joe

I have seen comand units flashed with the latest code. In fact just last monday! It takes about seven minutes to flash it. There are in fact about seven different A203 COMAND APS units which are suitable for the European W203. No way are they all the same microcode.

Richard or miro will know the full answer to this.

BTW where is the audio 10 unit? do you still have it? Its unheard of for a facelifted W203 to have audio10. Do you mean audio20?

 

[miro]

Hi alfie

It was a lot of money, (nearly £3k including the CDC\0 I don't think you were around then, (or at least I didn't find you when i searched) At the time Braybrooks seemed to be the only game in town.

It was the MB dealer who advised that there were no other options - apparently there are no Flash updates available for the W203 Command. If you think this is incorrect I will ask again until I get the answer I want.

I'm pretty sure the CD changer is OK, Like I said, with The Audio 10 (according to the manual anyway - I never saw the unit) the MP3 capability was not an issue.

Joe

Braybrooks is only a workshop. They know very little about how the Mercedes works.

No matter how old the COMAND is (W203 facelift) it can be flashed by an original diagnostic. Every new flash makes more features and more compatibility. The other half of the equation is that the navigation media which also can flash the COMAND but for different functions.

The MP3 function of the CD changer is part of the CD changer and has nothing to do with the COMAND anyhow.

 

[joembuck]

I couple of Clarifications:
It probably was an Audio 20, I never saw it (Braybrooks kept it after the upgrade) I did have the manual, but its a year ago.
Every one I talk to gives a different story on this - which I guess is the real problem, even the dealer / workshops seem to have little information. The leasing company the car came from Tel me that Mercedes are notorious in the industry for releasing almost no authoritative information on anything.

My MB dealer tells me I have the correct CD Changer, but the COMAND wont support it. They admit their info is minimal.

 

[richard]

Joembuck - where are you ?

There is a flash update for COMAND-APS, it is done by the dealer using star diagnosis machine. I don't know what it fixes exactly though, I think it at least puts the traffic jam on the correct side of the road when using TMC


Cheers

Richard

 

[Alfie]

I couple of Clarifications:
It probably was an Audio 20, I never saw it (Braybrooks kept it after the upgrade) I did have the manual, but its a year ago.
Every one I talk to gives a different story on this - which I guess is the real problem, even the dealer / workshops seem to have little information. The leasing company the car came from Tel me that Mercedes are notorious in the industry for releasing almost no authoritative information on anything.

My MB dealer tells me I have the correct CD Changer, but the COMAND wont support it. They admit their info is minimal.

The Audio 20 units are worth a few hundred euros on ebay Germany. I always leave them with the customer in case they ever want to put it back or sell it themselves!

Personally I would trust Richards and Miro's words on the flash update over your local dealer. What these guys dont know about comand isnt worth knowing.