MBZ4LIFE

Brought my car in to the dealership today to see if they can put in the Aux input in my glove box. They took apart the Command system only to find out that my Command does not have the plug required for the Aux input cable. Not sure if the 2004 model is equipped with it, but I'm sure MB left it out of the 2003 model.

What's even more frustrating, our 2003 year model cannot accomodate the new Motorola V60s phones. We can only use the old retired models (V60 and V60i).

This sucks since the 2003 E class and SL class both have the aux input and the capability to add the new V60s phones.

Eich

This doesn't sound right to me. You might want to ask MBenzNL (Steve) about this. I thought that all the pre-DVD commands had the capability for AUX input.

Do you see the menu option for AUX input on your Command? If so, there must be a plug somewhere.

MBenzNL

ALL CD rom based comands have an AUX input - and all CD rom based comands have the C2 plug that is used for the AUX inputs...

I guess your dealership has to do their homework a bit better...

greetingz,

MBZ4LIFE

The shop foreman and technical service manager had my Command open. They showed me the aux input cable and the the plug that was supposed to go into the Command. Unfortunately, plug didn't fit anywhere in the Command.

Does anyone with the 2003 W209 have an Aux input in their glove box?

ElonBenz

While I never used it for my iPod, I am 98.9% sure my 03 CLK 500 had an AUX imput. I wish I could check it out for ya, but I have not seen my W209 in 2 months .

-A.T.

cc4469

Hi MBZ4Life,
your 209 has an AUX-Input. The AUX-Input comes with the comand system, I should know as I'm the constructor of this wiring.
Ex works, you get the wiring for the comand head unit (A 203 540 09 09), which provides a splice to the glovebox. From this splice to the glovebox, you need the A 203 540 61 07 harness, which connects the comand harness -09 09 to the AUX-In inside the glovebox. These harnesses are installed in a 209 when it leaves the factory.
It seems to me, you didn't have the comand ex works but as an dealer installed option. If your dealer didn't change the headunit harness, of course there is no possibility to connect AUX In to the comand.
If your dealer really tried to plug the -61 07 into the comand, there's only one advice: change your dealer! Of course it didn't fit, as the connector must be plugged into the comand harness instead of the comand!

MBZ4LIFE

Thanks for the advice!!!

Nice to have one of the designers on this form.

cc4469

Hi,
I'm just trying to figure out, what the US dealers tell their customers.
So I hope my post was useful, don't hesitate to ask again if U got any questions concerning the ex-factory amps, radio, cdc and so on.

MBZ4LIFE

Thank you CC.

Now that you ask...

If I wanted to add an amplifier and subwoofer, is there a simple way to have a line level out? I hear you have to use a speaker level out, but that's not as clean.

I also hear that I can switch out my Bose speakers with MB Quartz for a brighter sound. However, it would still run off the stock power. Is there a way to upgrade the amp that powers the door speakers without having to get rid of the Command system itself?

cc4469

Hi MBZ4Life,
no, unfortunately there's no Line-Out of the Comand, so there are just the following ways to realize better sound:
- using the speaker terminals of the comand and run the line to an amp input (especially the Alpine V12 is recommended, as it can deal with the speaker output level of the comand). Of course, it's not a perfect technical solution. Another way to connect Comand to the amp, you need level converters. These converters don't have a 100% degree of efficiency. Therefore neither the speaker out nor the level converter is THE solution. For this reason, I'd rather connect the speaker out to the amp in, as it's even cheaper.
You can't easily switch the Bose amp to another aftermarket amp, as the Bose amp has an optical interface D²B, which is connected to the head unit (and E-Call, MB-Phone, Voice recognition). There's no other amp with a D²B interface, so it's not possible to switch.
Regarding the speakers, I've no idea what the Quart sound like, as I've only heard Bose before.

Eich

Thanks for sharing your knowledge cc4469. US dealers tell their customers that a Command cannot be installed by the dealer. From what I understand, "can't" simply means "they don't want to", because it is not that difficult.

Many of us here were lucky enough to have found Steve, a guy who knows how to install factory Command units in a car that was not equipped with Command at the factory.

kokketiel

about a COMAND install in a W203, which is pretty much the same as the W209. This publication shows the auxiliary connector and how to wire it up to the C2 plug. Check out the W203 for at www.benzw0rld.org. (make that...world.org

mecca281

Fellas,
I have a 2006 clk350. Unfortunately my car did not have a dash board screen or an aux input...I had to get an aux iPod wire installed when I first got the car CPO... I hate it.. I didn't get the mm headphone jack, I got the charger end wire installed in my glove box, so now I leave my iPod plugged in and charging in my glove box.. Here's the problem

1. The mb interface I have with my iPod sucks
2. I can't shuffle songs efficiently because the software sucks
3. Sometimes I would rather hear pandora off my iPhone.

Now I really wish I had them expose a headphone jack..instead of the useless iPod charger jack. That way I could plug anything in aux.. Even though it wouldn't charge...

Does anyone have a DIY for an aux jack installation for my car? Is it a difficult task?

Thanks in advance as always.

eddieo45

I have a 2009 with iPod and only just learned how the phone buttons on the steering wheel navigate the iPod playlists and shuffle function. I listen to my own Icecast webstream on my iPhone 4 when I'm not selecting playlists on an old iPod. My daughter streams Pandora in my wife's E Class; the interface works fine.

Rudeney

I guess I am too old to understand the problems some of you have. I have Sirius and the OEM iPod interface and I am perfectly happy with the two. When I go through my 10 Sirius presets and don't like what I hear I switch over to the iPod. I have no need for Pandora or other streaming services. I use Rhapsody an iTunes to get music on my iPod. The only thing I wish is that Apple would make a "car iPod" that deleted the user interface (touch screen, click wheel, etc.) and just has wifi sync and the standard dock connector. My old iPod Video is on its last leg - the screen is shot and the hard drive is beginning failing due to the unpleasant environment of the car's glove compartment. If I intended to keep the CLK more than another year, I'd probably replace the radio with an aftermarket unit that had and SD card slot.

California

Rudeney, it is really easy to put a new hard drive in an old iPod like yours (i have the same one in my clk)... try the "ifixit" website. You can even upgrade the ipod's hard drive.

But what I want to know is why I cannot seem to stream a live webstream from my iPhone into the 2006 clk350 iPod aux in connection. It will stream the live stream off the livestream app for a moment, then revert to my iPhone's music (inner ipod) and I lose the live webstream. Very frustrating.

eddieo45

I had forgotten you wrote this; are you still planning on moving on from the W209??

I know I have streamed from iPhone into the aux input; maybe it was before I loaded any mp3/m4a files into it? I've got a long drive today, will try and report back.

Pilk

Since this thread has revived I have a question. I have a 2003 CLK500 Bose. Is the factory aux in possible in my vehicle? I'm new to the MB world so I'm trying to figure this out. I like the Bose sound fine and actually make use of the CDC because I'm old and have 4-500 CD's. But I miss my iphone music. I think I know what's coming as far as an answer but thought I'd see since this thread has the attention of some experts. Thanks.

Eojj

I'm in the same position, except I have a 2004. One of the first things I wanted to get on the car was aux installed. But looks like I'm SOL with the cheaper factory route. I'm thinking of getting one of those cassette tape adapters or a fm transmitter which isn't great but cheaper than a whole aftermarket Head unit.

If someone knows a better/inexpensive solution I'd be interested!

MarcusF

@Eojj and Pilk


Couldn't you guys change the head unit to something that reads solid state memory? I've seen where steering wheel controls have been retained and a PAC box used to convert the aftermarket head unit output to match what the Bose amp expects to see as input. A 160 GB USB powered hard drive will easily hold 500 CDs. It'll hold over twice that much music.

Pilk

I've read that but never had confirmation on the 2003-04 Bose. You'll see w208 aftermaket HU installs with Pac OEM2 to feed the Bose and an adapter to retain the steering wheel controls but when I ask about the 03-04 w209 Bose I get a steady stream of 'no, it can't be done. I'm still not sure I understand the difference between the w208, the 03-04 w209 and 2005 and up w209. It's like we're in this crappy twilight zone of HU upgrades. If I could swap HU's and keep the Bose intact...I do it in a hearbeat. HU today has USB input and BT which solves any connectivity problems.

Rudeney

When I bought the CLK, I was going to buy an SL, but my wife shamed me, saying it was so impractical not to have a back seat. 99.9% of the miles on my CLK have been with an empty back seat. And I still have the itch for an SL. It will happen, I'm just waiting for the right one at the right price. Probably a MY2011 SL550.

Rudeney

I think I'm just going to buy a nice used iPod Touch with wifi so I can sync it wirelessly.

On your problem, I'm not sure - I wonder if it's an iPod thing, or an issue with the control signals sent over the MBZ interface?

Pilk

Hi...i sent a PM concerning the aux in in my 2003 clk500 BOSE. I was hoping you might take a few minutes to answer in this thread for me and others who might need clarification on whether its possible and what needs to be done to have the OEM aux in on our vehicles. Thanks.

2003clk240

I have the same problem but with a 2003 clk 240 (w209) that is only fitted with an audio 10 radio/cassete player unit and six cd changer (no command). Since I would like to use my ipod I was hoping to be able to install the aux in cable but apparently this can't be done in cars which have no command unit. So I'm stuck with a cassete tape adapter that I connect to the ipod and that has a very lousy sound.

I wish there was a solution for this. Maybe something that would replace the cd changer which I could easily live without.