funky102

I just won a bid on ebay (Germany) and I need to pay him.

How did you guys pay the person when you got the COMMAND system?
What is the most inexpensive way of getting the payment to the person?
Also, how much did you pay for shipping?

Thanks....

Ted Baldwin

wire transfer from your bank to his/her account using the prevailing rate between Euro and dollar for that day usually 1:1

Ted

JohnAMG

Wire transfer through your bank is the best method and it will take about 2-3 days to go through. Shipping wise, I used the FEDEX International economy. It cost me $88.00( to Buffalo NY) and insurance included. The package took 5 days to arrive. This is how I did it. I have a FEDEX account. I send the Airbill and the "commercial document" to the seller and the seller will call the FEDEX courier for the pickup. From there you can track the package from Frankfurt to your door step. Just remember to write down the Airbill's tracking number before you send it. I hope this help.

John

funky102

I am at my first stages of retrofitting a Command 2.0 on my 2000 CLK (with multi-function steering wheel). I have been reading the archived posts and it appears you are one of the leading experts in retrofitting.

I read somewhere, if i'm not mistaken, that you were planning to post a step-by-step guide in retrofitting. Did you ever post this?

Right now, I am getting the Command 2.0 (W210) version shipped here from Germany. What other parts do I need? Do I need some sort of bracket for the Command to be held in place in my car. Appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks.

Frank

Richard

Frank. PM me with your email address - I have written a document, (well, I have written the first draft)(and its based round a C class which I helped someone fit by email, and a ML also done by email). Happy to send you the first draft before I stick it on my web site in a couple of weeks time

R

funky102

do you know how much the COMMAND system weighs so I can estimate the shipping charges.... Thanks

JohnAMG

From my recollection, the COMAND 2.0 weighs no more than 5-7 pounds and I believe the FEDEX has a standard fee for certain weigh range. What ever you choose do not ship by sea; it will take an eternity to arrive. I was planning to write a complete E-class installation guide but the golf season came along and you know the rest... I have listed the part numbers in www.mbnz.org galleries. The toughest job is trying to get the existing reinforcement out and insert the new reinforcement. The reinforcement is the black plastic frame the radio/ COMAND, AC sits and it is an absolute necessity. If I have to do it over again, I will probably have the body shop do the reinforcement installation. Because the risk of cutting and scratching the molding and interior finish is not worth it. The Mercedes body shop was going to charge me $200-300 to install the reinforcement. If need help and advice, email me at johnthy@netsync.net

Good Luck!!!

John

Richard

Unboxed command system = 4.5lb

Please buy the correct one for your car. (ie, clk starts with A208 540 xx xx, E is A210 540 xx xx etc)

One of the few exceptions to this is the ML and CLK mountings are the same, but if you buy one from the wrong car it will need to be recoded by the MB dealer to tell it its in the right car or else lights/speed-signal etc wont work properly

It should also be noted that M class ones will work in cars without CANbus (and in fact any new one can be recoded by star diagnosis to tell it to use discrete wiring and not CANbus)

Cheers

R

a2gtinut

why are you buying COMAND from Germany?
US version has radio tuner adjusted for US market. If you think that you are geeting special version with TV button. Well, they all have this feature and you are paying big bucks for this button only since US version can display video.
The trick is you have to know somebody that knows Bosch units very well.


later

mmgrad

I too was looking into getting a COMAND system from Germany for my '02 CLk430.

Are there any problems with it operating in a US spec CLK?

I'm not upgrading JUST for the TV... my car didn't come with a Navigation... so i figure, if i'm going to spend the money to get Nav, I might as well get one with a TV function available.

Richard

Some while back I posted a list of all the part numbers for all the COMAND units and their related model years.

In Europe, MB increase the COMAND functionality with each model year, and dont issue software updates for older model years.
I beleive in the US, dealers are issued with software updates reasonably regularly.

I strongly beleive the hardware (with the exception of the word TV on the tv button) is identical for all markets - only the software changes - this has recently been bourne out because nav-tv discovered that US units do support TV, if the dealer turns the TV setting on in Star diagnosis (well, certainly on the later units).

The Ebay germany site sells lots of European comands, and is therefore the cheapest way of getting a COMAND system. It also occasionally sells US COMANDs, and because its primarily selling to a European market, the pricing is not very different to European COMANDs.

Buying a new COMAND from a dealer is a few thousand dollars. EBAY is about $1000 ..

I have a partially finished document on how to retrofit COMAND - its partially finished because Im trying to make a table of what is fitted in what cars [and its different between US and EU cars] at the factory.

Ted Baldwin

...........a lot of misinformation regarding TV functionality in US COMMANDS. It is simply cheaper and less confusing to purchase a Euro command. Since as Richard said, it will cost you several thousand dollars from a Us dealer, I don't really see a reason to purchase a Us command if you are interested in TV function. Having said that...........all US command 2.0 have TV functionality. Not all US command 2.5 have TV functionality. The pre-2001 Us command 2.5's do not have Yv functionality and no software update in the Us can fix this, period. Good luck.


Ted