COMAND swap out - MBWorld.org Forums

Sep 22, 2007 | 03:53 AM

officerdave

Thread Starter

Newbie

Joined: Sep 2007

Posts: 4

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From: Las Vegas, NV

S55 AMG

COMAND swap out

Long time lurker... now poster

I own a 2003 S55 AMG. The Comand/nav is not so hot. Is it possible to swap it out for the new DVD version that went into the 2004+ models?

Thanks

Sep 22, 2007 | 07:52 AM

Diesel Benz

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Joined: Dec 2006

Posts: 6,501

Likes: 336

From: Europe

223.168 & 213.012 & 906.633 & 214.005

Quote:

Originally Posted by officerdave

Long time lurker... now poster

I own a 2003 S55 AMG. The Comand/nav is not so hot. Is it possible to swap it out for the new DVD version that went into the 2004+ models?

Thanks

You might clarify if it is a MY 2003 in the US notation, or is it manufactured 2003, actually also the manufacture month. I see several changes around late 2002 and during 2003 on the schematics.

While waiting for experts' answers, might spend some time at this web address:
http://www.mercupgrades.com/

Sep 22, 2007 | 09:30 AM

Skylaw

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Joined: Dec 2004

Posts: 3,063

Likes: 27

From: Tampa, FL

2005 S500 4-Matic, 1978 450SL

Quote:

Originally Posted by officerdave

Long time lurker... now poster

I own a 2003 S55 AMG. The Comand/nav is not so hot. Is it possible to swap it out for the new DVD version that went into the 2004+ models?

Thanks

Your MY '03 was most probably manufactured with a D2B fiber optics bus. The S-Class DVD COMANDs were made for the MOST fiber optics bus beginning with the '04 model year, and the two are not interchangeable. Changing out fiber optics buses is very expensive - easily $10-15K, because everything attached to it, and the fiber optics itself, must be changed.

I believe Diesel Benz refers to the fact that MY '04 cars began coming off the production line in calendar year '03; those destined for the U.S. market would have already been fitted with DVD based COMANDs.

Last edited by Skylaw; Sep 22, 2007 at 04:55 PM.

Sep 22, 2007 | 11:27 AM

kenstudios

Super Member

Joined: Aug 2005

Posts: 987

Likes: 5

If there's one man on this forum you should listen to, it's skylaw. He knows his way around these electonics and when he say's easily $10-15K beleive it. At that cost I dont think it justifies the mod, well atleast to me it doesn't. You pocket might a little deeper than mine. Good luck.

Sep 23, 2007 | 01:55 AM

officerdave

Thread Starter

Newbie

Joined: Sep 2007

Posts: 4

Likes: 0

From: Las Vegas, NV

S55 AMG

Thank you everyone for your input. it's a MY is 2003...

The reason I want to change it is becuase my COMAND nav doesn't have:

1. The ability to point travel direction up rather than North up... unless you have a route programmed in.

2. Street names are not on the map.

3. Can't search by intersection.

4. Database of Points-of-Interests are worthless

In my previous car ('99 E320) I put an old Alpine CVA-1005 system with the CD nav in and that thing has more functionality in 1999 than the COMAND in 2003... *sigh*

Sep 23, 2007 | 10:50 AM

Skylaw

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Joined: Dec 2004

Posts: 3,063

Likes: 27

From: Tampa, FL

2005 S500 4-Matic, 1978 450SL

All good reasons. The DVD based systems did improve on each (though the POIs through '06 still aren't great; I hope they have improved on the '07's and '08's).

Sep 25, 2007 | 09:24 PM

TLWev

Newbie

Joined: Jul 2007

Posts: 10

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03 C32 AMG

Can you tell me if my non-nav 2003 C32 manufactured in Oct of 03 will accept a W203 Nav system, possibly plug and play? If not plug and play would it still be economically feasable to install one?

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Sep 25, 2007 | 10:47 PM

my06clk

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Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 1,578

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04 S430 (sold),05 X5 4.4i, 02 325i, 87 560SL, 85 Alfa Romeo

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLWev

Can you tell me if my non-nav 2003 C32 manufactured in Oct of 03 will accept a W203 Nav system, possibly plug and play? If not plug and play would it still be economically feasable to install one?

Yes it will but it is certainly not plug and play. Not exactly. But, very feasable. I did my 2004 c230 for about 150 bucks in misc. parts plus the 850 I aid for the unit. I also added Aux input while I was doing the job so I'd say yes it was worth it.

there is a nice very detailed DIY writeup on how to do this on the forum by member PaulHDick. This is one of the most worthy mods you could do to your car. I have pics of before and after of my job just so you can see the difference
the command makes on the interior alone.

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