siberiansun

So, finally, I wanted to share my story on changing the Comand Headunit to NTG 4.5 (Comand Online)





How I bought it.
Found my car with stolen comand and airbag for about 5000€ off normal price on german mobile.de directly drove to Berlin and bought it.





Theft cut most wires





wire-puzzle
nightmare..




CAN-Bus

So I got myself all the wire plans from MB WIS and startet to search for a new comand.

One day I came across this:




eBay-Kleinanzeigen

So I quickly drove there:




Driving there - with my small Comand


And extracted the head unit and connected it to my car.



First hands-on
But: Nothing! So I bought the complete Dashboard with almost everything included with a huge discount, just to find out later that the main fuse was missing

Best deal for sure.. But.. the unit is not intended to be used in a normal car, it's pre-production, there is no anti-theft, but it has some software bugs included as well..





Had to change some Pins


So after changing some pins on the main Plug I was able to listen to some music from SD-Card and was able to see the title in the speedo.
But the screen that came with the Dashboard was a nightmare. I wasn't able to get it running, maybe it was the CAN-Bus wiring.. Original W204-Facelift-Screens are expensive, so I just bought a cheaper W212-Screen from MB GTC to test:



W212-Screen from MB GTC

And I was really happy now. There was a huge mess with the new wires and after making them shorter it stopped working. So, mess again and it was working again seems I accidentally got the right resistance for CAN-Bus.

Then I changed the Speedo, It was also kinda working but not fully.




Everything kinda working - next big step.





Step 1





Step 2





Step 3

siberiansun

Step 4





Step 5 - it's getting dark.





Step 6





Step 7
I had to cut off some plastic from the dashboard to fit the W212-Screen, but yes, you can use it inside the W204.




Step 8 - almost done - not really..
Then I had my Speedo changed to a diesel one, because the gas version that came with the dashboard wasn't working properly as you might think plus teached to my car the right way..

Didn't manage to get GPS with the original antenna, so I'm using a 10€ aftermarket GPS-receiver inside the dash, works well.
I had to change the CAN-Bus-wiring for the hazard flasher, because on pre-facelift it's integrated above comand and now below but that wasn't so hard to do.
For the climate control panel I placed the old electronics and buttons inside the new fitting but the facelift-one should work well, too.

Still some problems:
- no bluetooth (cables are not connected but iPhone shows up on Comand, maybe software-related)
- no online (because no phone connected)
- old maps, Mercedes dealers don't want, maybe can't update
- software crashes from time to time

But all in all I'm pretty happy with my setup.

Minuszeit

Congratualations!
I did this mod with NTG4 screen unit by using a DIY converter due to different LVDS.
The flip mechanism still works. https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...-facelift.html

siberiansun

Nice. LVDS converter.. but the old display has so many pins, the new one has just 4 plus ground.
Is the resolution still the same? 800x480?

Does anyone have a pinout for the USB-Fakra-Plug? I tried all combinations for direct wiring already but without luck.

dudeitsmattx

Wow what a project!! facelift dash! Now you should get the facelift amg wheel!

Minuszeit

Yes the res. is 800 x 480.
Just for info, the Video Aux Input is in NTSC mode 640 x 480, in PAL 704 x 576.

Did you use the OEM MB USB wire?

siberiansun

Yes, I'm looking for an facelift steering wheel, I already have the right airbag-module for it but the old one isn't so bad at all.. It's just me not willing to pay so much for the stupid steering wheel
I already upgraded to the facelift LED backlights which is a mayor update in exterior design

W204white2010

This is very eye opening just like Minuszeit's thread too. congrats n the big update!

MB Marko

seem like a ton of work looks good though

kman2k

- You should upgrade fỉmware of the HU to NTG4.5 Gen 2.
- Use existing bluetooth module & connect to the NTG4.5 it should works
- Download new map & buy key from ebay
- Turn MOST off if you don't connect fiber optic cables.

>USB port Part number is : A1728200515

Chris The Swede

Cool How did it turn out? This is exactly what I will be doin to my X204 GLK from 2009. Total dash replacement to facelift with Comand 4.7.

ap10046

How did you connect the new speedo cluster? Was it plug and play?
Did you need to code it? Are all the display options/functions working?

Chris The Swede

Conectors ARE plug n play. But cluster MUST be programmed if you want odo to work and settings to be the same as Before. Cluster MUST be NEW or used cluster MUST be "virginized" so it apears to be new..

Doa

impressive

ap10046

Thank you for that.
If I were to buy a new color cluster, and plug it in directly...I don't mind a --- reading for the total miles, as I'm not selling the car, would everything else work out of the box?
-dash controls
-audio
-settings
-trip controls

I had done this in my previous 211 with an E63 IC, but the tossers made such massive a mountain out of that, I swore I wouldn't go back to them.

Chris The Swede

That might work but a new one often needs "menu"programming. If you dont care about the dotted line then go for a used one. No need to buy a new one. Same here though. Common features like settings and trip Always work. Also Always remember that you destroy the car service history if you do it this way. It clearly shows in the car system that you have replaced the cluster and you can not install the old one back without that one also start to show the dotted line because the car sees that it has been out of the car to long to match up again.

Chris The Swede

Here is a strange thing... I installed a Comand 4.7 to my car(X204) that had the cheapest 2009 Audio 20 system. I changed the can-bus Cables to 6 and 12 in White block from black. The unit is totaly dead. Wont Wake up at all???? Am I Missing something here?

MIAH

Hi,

Does anyone have the LVDS converter for NTG 4.5 HU to NTG 4 Display?

Nicholi2007

I presume you bought a cable and then cut and re-attached. Do you have the part number?

qunos

Looking for an advice. Want to do the same change to my car. Have a w204 prefacelift and want to upgrade to a facelift look.
Barely found this thread when looking for pin layouts for NTG command units (4.0 and 4.5).
Alot of people refer to these mods as retrofitting. But IF you search for it this way, nothing comes up for dashboard retrofit from PFL to FL.


So have i have :
- dashboard, trims and other plastics
- instrument cluster
- NTG 4.5 audio 2.0 + the display from a facelifted W204. The old owner upgraded to command online and sold the audio 2.0 to me at a good price.
- steering column stalks / or squib from a W205 / W117 with same functions
- new sport steering wheel from a w205

So far from my documentation :
1) i have to repin the hazzard lights because the prefacelift has them in vent grille and facelift has them under the NTG with heated seats
2) have to code the instrument cluster to my CAR / VIN and it is plug and play.
3) steering wheel should work. Have fallowed this tutorial and some others on the internet : 4) dashboard should fit nicely, but has to come with trims and GLOVEBOX. Old glovebox does not work from what i found on the internet.

The next problems i do not seem to find an answer for are (and keep in mind i am not an electrician):
1) Does the cabling from my old NTG 4.0 work with the new head unit and display ?
2) Do i need new wires from head unit to display ?
3) Do i need to repin wires from the quadlock ?
4) Do i need to code the new NTG unit to my CAR / VIN ?
5) Read above something about a LVDS converter or something. What is that about ?
6) Can anyone provide me with pin layouts for the NTG 4.0 and NTG 4.5 ? I do not have MB WIS.
7) Does anyone have a pic of what pins should be repiined if indeed repinning is needed ?

If you have any advice, instructional video you came by on youtube, etc. Please link.


Much thanks. Hope someone still follows this thread to help me.