joaking

I recently bought a COMAND GPS unit for my C-class SC (W203) and install it myself. The problem is that after pushing the ON button, the MB star appears in the screen for 10 seconds, but after this time it suddently dissapears and the unit switches off automatically. Is this normal due to a missing configuration of the unit by MB technical service (WIS/STAR diagnosis)? Or is due to the unit being damaged?

Any ideas would be welcome ...

benzmodz

You need a diagnostic to find out.

MBenzNL

...you have an open fiberring...

greetingz,

joaking

Thanks for the help ... but

1) what do you mean by open fiberring?

2) I went yesterday to the official MB Technical Service and they told me that by having changed AUDIO CD 20 by COMAND APS, the central console needs to be configured with the WIS/STAR DIAGNOSTICS. That's most probably, from their pov, the reason for having this problem.

What do you think? Should I trust MB technical services or review the retrofit first?

Sorry for bothering with such questions, but spending hours searching in the forums hasn't brought some light cause some people say the retrofit is:

* should work plug&play, no issues at all
* some basic functionalities work from the begining, the rest after WIS conf.
* nothing to do without WIS conf.

Thanks again for your help ... Cheers,

Richard

As mbenznl says, the comand unit is expecting to see something on the fibre ring when either you have nothing on the fibre ring or you havent plugged in the fibre ring, or possibly you something different on the fibre ring to what COMAND is expecting.

So, firstly, check the fibre connector is properly connected (its part of the big plug in the back of the comand unit) . You may of course not have any fibre network in your car if you do not have and of the phone/cd/ipod/harman-kardon/voice-recognition options.

Then tell the MB dealer to do the 'initial startup' coding sequence on the AGW and the COMAND (the AGW is part of the comand in your car)

You also need the MB dealer to turn on the navigation menu and tell it to take its time setting from the COMAND unit - that is done in the cluster coding section of star diagnosis and is what the dealer is talking about. That has nothing to do with the COMAND unit just displaying the star and turning off/

WIS has nothing to do with it - since WIS is their documentation system. Star diagnosis is the system that diagnoses/configures the car, and that is the tool they will use to do this.

Richard


ps, if you want to see some pictures of the connector, go see my document on fitting COMAND to an A class, at http://www.mercupgrades.com

joaking

Thanks Richard,

I have read all your documents and found out exactly the same symptoms I am experiencing with mine

"11) I just installed COMAND-APS and it immediately turns off ?
COMAND-APS will display the Mercedes Star and turn straight off if its expecting equipment on the MOST fibre optic network that is not present. You will need to get the unit coded by the MB dealer and his Star Diagnosis computer. Also, the chassis number is stored in COMAND-APS, and it may need to match the chassis number of the car in order to function."

So I have an appointment next Friday with MB technical service to configure it.

However, today I have taken some pictures of the COMAND APS unit to ask for some more info and understand a bit more about it.

I have "attached" a couple of pictures of the multiway connector. Can somebody identify the different letters with the function of the connectors to which the belong to?



In the second picture, there is a cable in my multiway connector that it is not connected anywhere ... Any idea of what it is? Should it be connected somewhere?



I have not found any MOST fiber cable, and I believe it makes sense since the only thing I have in my car is the COMAND APS itself. No phone, no CD charger, no sound amplifier ... Is there any issue not having the fiber ring? Should I tell the MB dealer at the configuration time to take it into account?

Thanks for answers, it is appreciated ;-)

Cheers,

Joakin

joaking

Second try for the pictures ...

http://img116.imageshack.us/my.php?i...nnectorlp3.jpg

http://img467.imageshack.us/my.php?i...andaps2gn5.jpg

Richard

A is speakers (like the Din B connector)
B is power (like the Din A connector)

The white one is for the AUX connector (in glovebox)

C and D are where fibre optics can go - I cant remember which one is normally used, its in my pictures on my retrofit document :-)

I think that unused connector is for powering the CD changer, it looks like it has a brown wire (which is ground) and the other is +12 - but i'm not 100% sure - the A class doesnt have it, had to splice the power cable in (or run it all the way back to the fusebox)

Part of the 'initial startup sequence' configures the COMAND and it;s internal AGW unit to what is actually on the MOST bus (in your case, nothing), left/right hand drive, seats (leather or not) (for sound equalisation), tuner country (for frequency spacing) and a load of other stuff
- ask them to specifically check if the AGW needs it;s software updated - there was an update in March.

Cheers,

Richard

benzmodz

The unused 3 pin connector is for the cooling fan. It is displayed as a part in EPC. It is also noted in the wiring diagram.

The MOST optical goes on the "outer" slot. Clearly matched with the optics on the head unit.

Richard

I guess that raises the question "should he be fitting the fan" :-)

Richard

MBenzNL

the eurospec 203 DVD comand can either have nothing programmed on the fiberring or can have something programmed on the fiberring...

when the car does not have optional equipment - the AGW will only have the AGW on MOST pos 1 and will have the COMAND/NAV on MOST pos 2 programmed...when this is the case - the actual fiberring is bypassed and switched off so no fiber needs to be connected to the comand - it will work properly.

when the car does have optional equipment (such as a CD changer, phone, HK sound or VR) - these optional equipments get programmed on the fiberring between the AGW and the COMAND/NAV so that the fiberring gets activated and thus the fiber needs to be connected (properly) for the comand to function well...when there is no closed fiberring the comand will not get passed the startup screen.

Your comand has optional equipment programmed where as you don't have any in your car so you either need to get the comand programmed properly (AGW as MOST master and comand on the second MOST position) OR you can use a piece of MOST fiber to loop the fiber connector in the back of the comand (1 piece of fiber of which both ends go into the same fiberconnector) - that will make teh comand go passed the startup screen as well.

greetingz,

joaking

Thanks guys,

Went to MB dealer this morning and after messing for about 15 minutes with Star Diagnosis and COMAND APS, they configured it properly so now I have a new toy to play with for some time

Cheers,

Joakin