Finished Radio Install

[tkhuuyip]

After a year and a bit with the Bose system, non-navi, on a 2003 CLK55 w209, I've finally decided to upgrade the head unit. I've been to several local audio shops in my city asking for advice about keeping the Bose speakers because I did not feel like rewiring everything. They told me about it being fiber optics, but through research its just after the amp is where it becomes fiber optics. But the problem with the Bose speakers is their resistance being 2ohm's, where most aftermarket audio is 4ohm's. So I decided to gut everything and start fresh. This build was on a budget, I am still a student attending uni, and I need as much saved up as possible. Headunit: Clarion VX400 - $200 (Purchased locally) Speakers: F: Alpine Type R SPR-174A - Free from a friend R: Clarion SRR1625- Free from my brother (all are new) Subwoofers: 2 12's Alpine Type R - $100 (got it cheap from a friend) VW Harness: $15 (purchased from Advance) Radio Adapter: $10 Amplifiers: Sony Xplod -$100, I know sony is not good in car audio, but it was all I had, But I decided to buy an MB Quart amp for the subwoofers MB QUART FX1.600 - $180 (Both purchased from visions) Wires: $30 (Brian Reimer) All the places listed above are in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Total: $635 Note on install, you may need to modify the factory speaker mounting bracket. For my alpine speakers, the bottom portion were sticking out a bit. Marked the spots were I had to cut. Used a dremel. After: There is a piece that sticks out on the bottom part of the bracket, You have to cut it. After: Fits perfectly Before Pics of the old Bose Unit: For the 12v accessory and Dimmer Wire, I went to the cigarette lighter for them, Thanks to 2MCHCAR, for his post about this, otherwise I would still be looking for it. 12v accessory = Black/Yellow Wire Dimmer/Illumination = Blue/Grey Tapped into them At first I used a Self tapping connector, But they didn't work that well. So I just spliced them, and used a butt connector. Tested before putting it back in. I tucked everything on the driver side, using the cover underneath the steering wheel 3 Torx bit screws hold it in place. This tool is so handy! Without it, it would have been a b*tch to feed the rca's through. Here is a pic of how I tapped into the fusebox for a remote wire for the amps Sorry its blurry Before: After: No Dash kit, Still waiting on it. So I used foam in the mean time. Here is a picture of the wires being spliced and additional wires being added to them to extend them to the amp The grey extended wires are for the Rear Speakers The Copper extended wires are for the Front Speakers Sorry I forget which is which, but you have a 50/50 chance haha.

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[MarcusF]

A PAC-OEM2 would have allowed you to keep the BOSE amp and OE speakers. The PAC-OEM2 takes the unbalanced signal from the head unit, converts it to balanced signal (same as your OE head unit produced), and that signal is then passed to the BOSE amp. That setup would have been

headunit ----> PAC-OEM2 ----> wiring harness adapter.

The original PAC-OEM2 converter is no longer in production but new old stock units are available for $28 at Amazon. I've heard there is a replacement for the out of production OEM2, but I don't remember the model number.

Are you going to use the steering wheel controls with the new headunit?

[tkhuuyip]

Originally Posted by MarcusF

A PAC-OEM2 would have allowed you to keep the BOSE amp and OE speakers. The PAC-OEM2 takes the unbalanced signal from the head unit, converts it to balanced signal (same as your OE head unit produced), and that signal is then passed to the BOSE amp. That setup would have been

headunit ----> PAC-OEM2 ----> wiring harness adapter.

The original PAC-OEM2 converter is no longer in production but new old stock units are available for $28 at Amazon. I've heard there is a replacement for the out of production OEM2, but I don't remember the model number.

Are you going to use the steering wheel controls with the new headunit?

LOL, too late now, don't wanna go through that again.

And perhaps down the road, I do find that reaching over to the head unit whenever I want to change songs is quite inconvenient.

[MarcusF]

This is a DIY from when I did mine. It covers the head unit and the steering wheel controls. It was plug and play - no factory/Mercedes-Benz wires were cut.

[tkhuuyip]

I have to admit, that looks like a very clean install you've managed. Very thorough. Good job! The way you had everything planned seem so organized. Mine is roughly drawn with squares. haha