CitronC230K_03

i cant wait to use BT and get rid of my ****ing T637.

jkrutch

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but my knowledge of bluetooth is lmited to getting into my car, placing the phone on the pass seat and voila, it works. I just got my wife a R500 and want to be able to have BT work within COMAND. 1. Will this be possible? 2. If so, what will I need to do it. Thanks in advance.

I don't find it necessary to cradle the phone. Just want to be able to get into the car and use the phone wit the built in microphone and car speakers like I do in my BMW.

Skylaw

In partial answer to my own concern, my current Mercedes branded V710 does in fact have the Verizon firmware version that enables the handsfree protocol for car kits - it is 8700-01.40.0R (you find it in the phone info menu, other info, S/W version). There may be a more recent version out as well (the 8705_combo.v3, but I don't know what its readout on the phone would be). Verizon V710s with either firmware version should work with the M-B Bluetooth kit without modification when the BT kit becomes available.

I don't know where the Mercedes handshake code that allows use of an M-B branded phone (and the absence of which prohibits use of non-branded phones in a cradle, at the moment) is located in the phone's programming; the 8700-01.40.0R firmware mentioned above is called the SEEM - so if the handshake is in another part of the phone's programming, one could do an update (if needed) to enable Bluetooth without disabling the M-B handshake that lets it operate plugged in to a cradle.

For those of us using Verizon, car kit compatibility charts for their phones are accessible at http://dts.vzw.com/pdf/bluetooth_chart_handsets.pdf and http://dts.vzw.com/how_to_use/bluetooth_car_kit.html - not updated for M-B yet. The M-B compatibility list, when released, will likely be more useful.

Skylaw

You will need the phone installation as if you had ordered it with your car - EXCEPT that you will probably not need to buy a cradle or an M-B phone (which could save you around $600 on the installation). When the M-B Bluetooth mod becomes available (I understand now targeted for March/April) you will need the BT add-on and any compatible (M-B branded or not) phone.

My suggestion would be to wait until the BT kit becomes available, then have the installation done - and choose your compatible phone at that time (the phones you own may already be compatible).

If you already have an M-B phone kit in the car, you will just add the BT mod and use it with a compatible phone.

Hartfxr

Apparently bluetooth is now available for some of the models. Check out the link below. I'm interested in knowing if anyone has heard anything about this or used it.

http://eiskits.com/argoslaunch4.html

It is expensive but I would bet that most of us would pay it if it works. Any feedback??

KosherBenz

here is the .PDF info for mercedes from that site...

http://eiskits.com/Argos%20for%20MB%...%201.3comp.pdf




https://www.connects2usa.com/products.php?id=18
Price: $865.00


https://www.connects2usa.com/products.php?id=17

SFoRZA

the puck out yet????

r207

im really hanging out for this so i can get rid of my 6230 and start using my v3

WyattEarp

I need Bluetooth now.

Capt Nemo o2

I'm a little confused. Does this require the Mercedes phone kit already installed? It doesnt seem like it does. If not, $900 bucks isnt bad considering how much the MB system cost including the phone and installation. Although if you already have the MB system than its a bit pricey.

tiggerfink

I just orded the bluetooth Argos system from https://www.connects2usa.com/products.php?id=1. Dealer informed me that the Mercedes bluetooth will not work on D2B.

Skylaw

Judging by what I read on the Aardvark/ARGOS site, their equipment replaces the Mercedes PSE. What I am not able to determine from the site is whether the Argos unit will connect the phone to the car's external antenna or whether it uses the phone's antenna inside the car. See the discussion earlier in this thread concerning the impact of using the phone's antenna vs. the car's external antenna. It's more than just range.

Note also that the Argos unit shipping for Mercedes is for D2B fiber optic bus cars; it is not available yet for MOST bus cars. There is a Mercedes compatibility/availability chart on their site.

Capt Nemo o2

Thanks, I actually found the answer to my question after I posted. I found the installation instructions on the site. It does indeed replace the MB PSE. I emailed them to see when they plan on releasing the version for MOST. I also asked if there is any discount for a group buy. Including myself, I have 4 cars that would be very interested in this, and then if this board gets involved, we can get alot more.

tiggerfink, when you get it installed let us know how you like it.

tiggerfink

I cannot tell the difference between the car antenna and the cell phone antenna in my 2004 SL500.

This is what Randy wrote to me.

> Randy,
>
> I need the following questions answered, if I order
> the ARGOS PSE from you.
>
> 1. How long will it take for delivery?
As an "early adopter" it is available now - you would be the first to
verify compatibility with the E815. we have two versions - and it
will be supported one way or the other. Final release of the
software is about 2-3weeks away.

> 2. Who will support me in the USA.
We will -
> 3. Are new firmware updated free?
Yes - during the 1st year.
> 4. Will the Argos System use the car antenna?
No
> 5. Will Argos/cell phone work with the Mercedes Voice
> control module?
Yes
> 6. Are there phone cradles that can power my phone in
> the car?
Maybe - but that isn't something we make.

tiggerfink

Right now I am trying to get the VRM kit for my SLK320. Mercedes is no longer selling the kits. My dealer told me that he cannot get the individual parts and MBUSA tells me that the dealer can order the individual parts in the VRM kits. (Voice Recognition Module kits)

Skylaw

Tiggerfink, thanks for getting the information on the ARGOS BT kit. Please note though that range is not the principal problem in using the phone's antenna, vice the car antennna. This would be a problem in areas of poor coverage, not in mostly heavily populated areas.

The principal problem is the warning in most of our manuals that cell phone transmissions inside the car may damage electronics. I understand the areas of principal concern (not unique to the Mercedes) are airbag electronics, especially side airbags; and ABS control units. My wife scoffed at this idea soon after I bought my 2000 S500, and used her cell phone extensively on a trip - and I had a malfunction in the electronic shift scheduling unit that caused hard shifts in some gears.

The Mercedes BT units will download your phone's SAP, and will use the car's external antenna for communications. This is placed outside the car for the reasons mentioned above.

I know there are comunications engineers (like my wife) who dispute the possibility of damage - but I note news stories recently on unintended airbag deployments (especially side), the warnings in my 2000 Audi A6 regarding damage to the ABS control circuitry with cell phones, and my own experience with the shift controller - so I will take the safer course, personally.

Tiggerfink, have you investigated getting a VRM or a lever through mkbaip, coyotesaftau or Coppertop91 on e-bay?

tiggerfink

I contacted mkbaip and Sunman and they both do not have the lever.

I need some more clarification on the Mercedes Blue tooth. The cell phone transmission may damage some of the car electronics and that is why Mercedes have the cell phones hardware into the car. Is the phone hard wire to the Mercedes blue tooth system? If not, would the transmission between the blue tooth device and the phone do the same damage as using the phone in the car?

Also it would it be a major issue with NHTS if cell phones cause damage to car most important electronic systems, like ABS?

Skylaw

The BT transmissions are at a different frequency range than the phone's transmission signals, and operate at far less power.

NHTSA has been looking into unscheduled airbag deployments, but I don't know the status; depends on how many people report them and whether there are injuries (I reported a very dangerous problem with the automatic trunk closure on my wife's brand-new Lincoln Town Car - complete with a DVD movie of the occurrence - let's just say we call the car "JAWS" - and since it was the first report to them (not the first one Ford has fixed, by a long shot) it was simply entered into their database, and they notified Ford; no other action.

Randy@EIS

Hello All, I hope this email will not be construed as a commercial venture, I would just like to clear up some information regarding our product. We designed and manufacture the Argos for MB product. Feel free to email us with any questions! We try not to interviene with any forums but thought it might be applicable to at least initiate some dialog.
I have spoken with someone at MB re the puck and I think you will find that it does not get your cell phone signal outside the car. It seems that alot of posters are concerned about this. Keep in mind that all manufacturers that offer Bluetooth options do not use the SAP in the way you think it means. Remember that you must have a PSE for the puck to work and also that the PSE never acutally had a cell phone transmitter in it. Just look in your trunk you will see that the antenna output of the phone travels a coax cable and (optionally) goes through a compensator and then out to the roof. It never went through the PSE. Nor does our product. You needn't have a PSE for our product to work with your vehicle.
Again, we will be happy to answer your questions but will refrain from posting since we are a vendor until we have permission from a moderator.
Randy...
www.eiskits.com
404-795-2185

tiggerfink

I am little slow, so help me out. What happens to a car that gets in the middle between a cell phone and a cell tower? If that is the case, I would be afraid to pass any car that uses a cell phone. If this happen constantly, would the automakers be afraid of the sue happy Americans? I can see it now; we will have lots of cars driving around us so they may have a reason to sue.

rrpnow

its the new year... any news on the kit?

r207

what a load of crap this is, where are these kits....

hey any news on new UHI kits

gmdebruyn

called aws and they said any day now. they will email people on their list when it comes out.

liftman

The last information I had was that there were two versions of the Mercedes own manufactured unit, they expected the units to be available in March 06? no price or part number was available (German source) For the UK the date of availability was July 06? (UK source).

However how accurate this is only time will tell.

Regards

Liftman

wsscott

I went by my dealer today after getting a part number off the mbclub.co.uk website, and can report that the MB Bluetooth cradle that we've seen on this site is now available and in supply. I ordered it today for $474.00 US and should have it on Tuesday. The part number is Q67875839 and is shown on the dealer's 2007 Telematics part list in the system. I was given the same part number on the UK site but instead of a "Q" it began with a "B". I have the UHI interface in my 2006 CLK 350 that I got and self-installed from Steve at mBenzNL, and have been using the cradle for the SE 630 phone. Its been working fine. I've been using bluetooth with my other phone, Moto V600, in my Touareg and so now I should be able to use either phone in the CLK. I'm hoping some setup instructions will come with the part, but if anyone has any leads on that I'd appreciate it in case it just comes in the box by itself. Thanks and I"ll keep you posted.