W210 radio stuck on... ideas?

[englishdas]

How do I stop it from staying on? It's on all the time, tried every button, it is in some type of 'frozen' position. Should I disconnect the battery? I read this can lead to other issues.
BTW, it's on, but not making any sound either. When I bring up the audio screen on the LCD Bezel screen, it says:

-------------------
AUDIO
_ _ _
___________so it's like the system doesnt recognise it. the steering wheel buttons dont work either...

i guess at the very least it's draining battery power while the car's off.it's got me baffled but that doesn't take much now I've got a 3-pointed star on me bonnet.

 

[Diesel Benz]

Does it not turn off even from the on/off switch at the radio? If it does, then it is a clear CAN bus issue, the radio does not receive CAN bus messages and the cluster does not receive those from the radio.

But if it does not switch off even from the radio power switch, then it sounds more serious. I would pull off the radio fuse for a while and try again.

 

[richard]

Remember that if your radio has a radio code, you will need it. Mercedes units in the W210 (except COMAND the colour satnav) tend to need a code.

But if you don't pull the fuse/power the radio will flatten the battery and then you will need it in anycase :-(

Richard

 

[englishdas]

Thanks DieselBenz, it's not that CAN issue because it won't turn off at all, ever, using any means. So I will remove the fuse... how come the simplest things never dawn on me...?

I do have the Radio Code... somewhere, Richard. Better find that. But as you mentioned, it's a battery drain that's bothering me so the fuse coming out (and staying out, if replacing it doesn't fix it) may be more important than hearing my tunes, So I'll go with that. Fuse coming out.

Guess I'll have to get used to making conversation with the other half... any ideas what I can talk about...? Now that's a major problem.

By the way... speaking of the missus, This all first happened when she was taking the kids to school. At the same time, she says the Auto box wouldn't go into second gear and the car was making a god-awful sound. She shut the car down, fired it up 10 minutes later, and the Gearbox started working again (thank the lord!) but the Radio stayed frozen.

Surely this is some strange unrelated coincidence, huh?

 

[englishdas]

Update

I took the fuse out.

The radio is still frozen on, yet my driver's side window won't open and my seat won't adjust... and the mirrors won't move either.

I took the wrong fuse out, didn't I.

I'll get back onto it if it ever stops raining...

 

[englishdas]

can't find fuse now.

how come something so simple is so difficult.

looked in fuse card guide. fuse no 16 in auxillary fuses under rear seat. There's no fuse in no 16.

other than pulling all fuses out, which i don't wanna do in case it has more detrimental effects, i'm baffled. If i pull the battery, does anyone know how long the internal battery (if it has one) will last till it dies and i can hook the battery up?

 

[Smiley]

Can you get to the power leads behind the radio unit or is it all embedded in the dash?
I would pull each fuse with everything else turned off and figure out which one it is! It is bound to be one of the lowest rated (8amp?) fuses so no need to disturb the bigger beefy ones supplying electric motors and the like.

 

[renault12ts]

In my car its either 11 or 5(under the seat).

 

[englishdas]

good ideas, will try 11 and 5 when missus comes back with the car. thanks for that chaps.

 

[englishdas]

(SOLVED) fuse 5

In my car its either 11 or 5(under the seat).

yeah, you were right. Maybe i should have kept reading the fuse card after getting to Sound System (fuse 16) and carried on to

Radio (fuse 5).

What an idiot. musta been some static buildup, cleared it straight away with a pull on No 5, and a quick re-insert.

Thanks Renault12ts.

 

[jefrs]

There are fuses in the engine compartment.
There are hidden fuses in the engine compartment.
There are fuses behind the end panel of the dash, probably both sides.
These are fuses under the back seat.
...why?