Voice control in 2003 ML
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: SF Bay Area, CA
2003 ML500 - soon
Voice control in 2003 ML
Just got off the phone w/ local dealer. He is telling me that I can have the voice control module installed w/o the phone. He didn't have 2003 pricing yet, but estimated 450-550 plus no more than about 200 labor. Sounds better than spending 2000 bucks for an integrated phone, knowing that it will be obsolete so soon. I am 95% there on buying a new ML500, but am really disappointed it does not have the audio controls on the wheel. The design of the head unit makes it quite a stretch. Can anyone confirm this is possible. How well does the voice control work and what functions will it control? Thanks. Hope to be a MB owner once again.
Last edited by Joe M; Oct 1, 2002 at 12:35 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 16
From: Berkshire, UK
2004 SL55, 2015 A250d, 2016 GLC250d
Yup, voice control works without the phone system connected,. I tried it to make sure. BUT, I have COMAND not MCS as Im in Europe.
You can (basically)
Select CD by number, select track by number or "next track" or "next cd"
Select radio station by frequency, (and I think by saving names for your favorite stations)
Switch to the nav screen (but no more nav functions then that)
Switch to the TV screen (but no more tv functions then that)
If you have phone, dial numbers, and save names against phone
numbers that you can then say "dial name"
It all works OK, you learn to talk to the system in a way it understands pretty quickly - dont bother if the windows are down.
Voice recognition technology that works properly in noisy environments is only *just* making it into the manafacturers, so its 9-12 months away from making it into cars/phones etc. See companies like www.neuvoice.com for more info
I find it a big shame that there are no steering wheel controls or central display in the cluster for NAV directions etc to come up in
200 labour. Ouch. It consists of
(a) plugging the lever into the left hand side of the steering wheel cowl
(b) removing passenger seat
(c) screwing controller onto plate, plugging it in, possibly running
some fibre optic cable to it
(d) putting seat back in
(e) programming head unit to tell it its present.
I could do that in an hour .. (in fact I did on my wife's car)
Cheers
R
You can (basically)
Select CD by number, select track by number or "next track" or "next cd"
Select radio station by frequency, (and I think by saving names for your favorite stations)
Switch to the nav screen (but no more nav functions then that)
Switch to the TV screen (but no more tv functions then that)
If you have phone, dial numbers, and save names against phone
numbers that you can then say "dial name"
It all works OK, you learn to talk to the system in a way it understands pretty quickly - dont bother if the windows are down.
Voice recognition technology that works properly in noisy environments is only *just* making it into the manafacturers, so its 9-12 months away from making it into cars/phones etc. See companies like www.neuvoice.com for more info
I find it a big shame that there are no steering wheel controls or central display in the cluster for NAV directions etc to come up in
200 labour. Ouch. It consists of
(a) plugging the lever into the left hand side of the steering wheel cowl
(b) removing passenger seat
(c) screwing controller onto plate, plugging it in, possibly running
some fibre optic cable to it
(d) putting seat back in
(e) programming head unit to tell it its present.
I could do that in an hour .. (in fact I did on my wife's car)
Cheers
R
Last edited by Richard; Sep 26, 2002 at 05:29 AM.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: SF Bay Area, CA
2003 ML500 - soon
Voice control
Thanks for the info. The install cost was actually the cost to install phone w/ voice control. Parts dept quoted that, saying it should be less, but no more than that. Glad I'm not the only one that thinks it's a glaring oversight to not have steering wheel controls. Enjoy your MB and thanks.
