W204 Comand Unit Replacement - DIY?

[Oddie]

Evening all. My Comand unit appears to be dead and requires replacement, I posted here a few days ago and the info I've been given is that it may have suffered an internal memory component failure, hence it's reluctance to boot. I've ordered a replacement unit off eBay with the same part number as mine. I believe I will need an anti theft code for the unit, I'm fairly confident I can obtain that. My question is, if I were to obtain the correct anti theft code, can I install the unit and input the code myself on the unit and it will then just work? Or, are there some additional coding steps required with something like Xentry or Vediamo etc?

I came across a YouTube video of a guy inputting anti theft codes into the comand units' directly via the controller in the car but it didn't show exactly how he was doing it.

Thanks in advance

 

[markjay]

I don't know the answer, but one thing to consider is that the maps license is via a PIN code that's unique to the VIN (not the COMAND unit). So at the very least you'll need to obtain a new PIN code for the maps installed on tbe replacement unit, or buy the PIN code and maps for the latest version.

 

[Oddie]

Ah that’s great info mark thanks! Hmm, ok, I wasn’t aware of the PIN

 

[mioba]

@Alfie will answer

 

[Chrishazle]

Depending on the age of the Command unit, markjay may or may not be correct! The requirement for a VIN specific code only came in with the MY2011 upgrade to NTG4.5, it is not reuqired for NTG4 as the maps on NTG4 can be updated via even second user DVD's (as I've done on mine!!). You also have to watch out for the HDD Nav partition on early NTG4 Comands, as those before 11/2008 have a nav partition too small for updates later than 2014-15, and the hdd needs replacing (mine was done by comand.co.uk) to install anything later - although ATM the latest is 2019.

 

[Alfie]

If its NTG 4.5 then you will need an anti theft pin code. The unit not only needs unlocking it needs to be coded to your car. This is done via Xentry online to Mercedes in Germany.