zebra100

I have bought a voice control module from a member here for my NAV D2B C240 2003.

The problem is after installing it, when I pulled the lever, nothing happened.
Go into diagnosic menu, the configulation didn't show the VCM in "actual" and "Configured". Wakeup test ends up nothing. I heard you don't need to activate it to make it work, the only thing is that it will flush the memory with error code, but you still can use it. If this is true, then th module is at fault. Or you have to activate it to make it work? Any idea?

I went to a dealer (FJones in Las Vegs,) they want to charge me $150 for activate it! So is there anyone in Vegas can activate it free? Otherwise I might just buy a cheap chinese activator.

Please help!

Skylaw

Good luck with the "cheap Chinese activator." The "activation" is called version coding, done by MB proprietary software on a computer called STAR diagnostics or DAS.

Most shops will do it for an hour's labor charge (a shame, because hooking up the computer, doing the coding, and disconnecting takes 10 minutes or so).

Try a certified MB independent.

Version coding is something akin to telling the registry of a Windoze computer that a new piece of equipment has been installed, and what it is, so the OS will know what to do with it.

JohnCL

Do you have all of your fuses in? By default in the C class the correct fuses for VCS are not installed. They will be in the rear SAM, and #16 being one of them comes to mind. You will not need anything else done to make it work.

zebra100

Yes, I cheked Mercedes bulletin, all the fuses and relays are there, but no response when pull the lever and no indication anything is there in the diagnostic mode

JohnCL

Put in all the fuses for the phone system as well. Make sure you have #13, #16, #40, and #44 installed. 13 and 16 are in the rear 40 is in the passenger cabin on the drivers side, and 44 is under the hood.

zebra100

Yes, I checked all that

JohnCL

Is everything else working? HU, changer, etc? Make sure on your fiber, and the connector.

kjb55

It's what Skylaw said.

You need the car version coded to tell it that the VCS is 'present'. All the other checks were not a waste of time, but with out the coding, it won't work.

zebra100

Ok, John. I tried everything. All other things of the Nav system are working perfectly, teleaid is on the ring and response with no problem, so I think the problem is the VCM module. To be sure, I will find another modue to test, if that works, I have to return your momule.

JohnCL

The problem is not the module. It worked fine before it left my door as it was tested and it functioned perfectly. If everything else is working I am assuming that your fiber splice was OK too.

Post a picture of your setup showing the installed module.

kjb55

The only thing you haven't confirmed is that you've done the version coding. Why not do this, as it is required.

zebra100

That's right. but the thing is all the people here said the ring can detect the components immediately without coding, the only difference the coding would do is get rid of alot of error messege for the discrepancy of the code configuration and actual. I did all the wake-up test and check, seemed there is nothing except the teleaid on the ring. and my dealer charge way too much $150 for this coding, so i want to make sure the thing is working. I don't want waste $150 to let them tell me my module is not working.

What I can only think of is either the module is not comaptible with my car, or the module is at fault. I am an electrician and Microsoft engineer before, I know what I am doing and checked every possible solution.


Is there anyone in Las Vegas area with a D2B Voice control car willing to help? I just want to swap this module to see if it works on another car. If this is, then I have to go toe dealer to code it

Skylaw

These questions are probably beneath your experience level - but are you sure you got a VCM for a D2B fiber optics bus? Regarding modules for different models, they're all about the same - the difference is mainly the brackets.

However, a MOST module would not work in a D2B bus. I would think that the differences in the connectors for the fiber optics would have kept you from hooking it up, but I had to ask.

Do other components on your ring work? It's a bit strange that you would have only Tele-Aid showing, and still have the remaining devices on the ring work.

If you haven't already seen it, the phone bulletin for your car at http://home.earthlink.net/~phdwebsit..._bulletins.htm may be of some help.

zebra100

Ok, the module I think is from a c32 and he used in a c230 before, it's definitely D2B, hook up is smooth, though the part number is a bit strange:W203 820 97 26, usually it's
My service manual showed after install (same as before install):

Config

TV-tuner
Telepohne full exp. checked
Star guide obur checked
star guide drg
analogue Sound

Cfg: 22 4D 04


Components

Pos Actual Config

000 1C8 1C8

Off 000 0E0

Off 000 190

Off 000 000

there is no sign of Voice control present



If I use wake-up test


CDC

Telephone checked

SBS checked

Sound

Mobile Phone


The ones I didn't write cheked are all not checked


I know this is diiferrent from the one we see at MBupgrade menu of Europe model, but what's wrong with this list?

rob13572468

MOST systems (usually) handle auto detction of any new added device but on D2B systems that is not always the case... im pretty sure that you are going to need to have VCS version coded. The reason why is because the system needs to know that the VCS is now reading the mic inputs instead of the UHI/MHI.

kjb55

I did the VCS conversion on my W203 MOST system. It needed coding. The later model MOST cars (>2008?) have auto detect. I did the telephone retrofit on a W203 D2B system. It needed coding. The coding is quite simple - you set VCS to present. Come to think of it - I needed to code for the power folding mirrors, on the W203 MOST, to present so the front SAM would activate the mirrors.

Beat your head against the wall - or - do the coding. Your head most likely hurts by now - so I would try the coding.

zebra100

I talked to a guy who specialized in MB phone system retrofit. The guy is so specialized he only does this for a living. According to his opinion, D2B never needs coding to work on phon and voice control. If you push the telephone button on the NAV, it says No Phone, it will activate as soon as you put a phone system there. The only coding need is to activate the cluster steering phone fuction. but he confirms if the cluster also can show no phone in the menu, that's a go also (means it's activated). I have both. I can't go into details with him, because he wants to sell me his kit and installation which cost me more than 1000

I browse through my service menu again and see in the Infor menu

D2B

serial no. SW no. D2B Proto

Handy no no no

tele aid no no no

SBS no no no

CDC no no no

Sound no no no

That's wired. because teleaid is there, though not service activated, it should be funtional. When I call tele aid service, it will try to connect and say connecting and the alarm will go off. Also if I disconnect the teleaid module, the cluster will immediately show error, let me check the system, so the ring is connected. and the funny thing is the fiber line from teleaid (last component on the ring ) is directly go to front without a connector, so I tried to unplug the teleaid and use the voice control as the only component on the ring to eleminate teleaid mal-function to stop ring to the voice control, it won't let me, it will just let me check the tele aid, so the Nav knows whether teleaid is on line or not, that means thering is connected behind the NAV. SBS here suppose means Voice control


D2B High Connection show


PID 1 2 3 4

D2b Addr 00 00 00 00

Direction tx rx tx rx

Open/closed OP Op CL CL

Con Status 80 80 00 00


I don't know what these means

Skylaw

The following tell you that you have (in sequence) no cell phone, no tele-aid, no voice control, no CD Changer, and no audio system - essentially, nothing is showing on your fiber optic loop.

Handy no no no
tele aid no no no
SBS no no no
CDC no no no
Sound no no no

This could happen if the loop were left open. Have any of the components been removed? If anything was removed, was a bypass loop installed on the connector, to maintain loop continuity?

Your tele-aid system is analog, and will no longer function unless it is upgraded to digital. It should still show as being installed, unless it was deactivated and programmed out of the loop. It's just that the entire analog cellular system was taken down in the U.S. in February '09. Whether it is still present, or has been deactivated, would not cause this problem - unless it was simply unplugged, and the loop left open.

zebra100

Thanks, Skylaw. You are absolutely right. I suspected the same thing you do. Actually, before your post, I was doing the test. Since the Teleaid seemed working and making the call, and with the emergency siren all that and then said call failed, I thought it was acutally the 25 pin ( or whatever) plug to the teleaid doing the false job, actual fiber might be open, so I open the fiber ring to the teleaid, and test the teleaid button again, the teleaid surely whistled as before like nothing happened, so that proved the ring is open, the only chance is open in front. I was hesitated to open the Nav, beacuse accoring to mercedes bulletin, you have to remove the shift chrome panel before remove the whole shift panel, and I knew that chrome panel is fragile and lot of people here broke it and many broke by itself just by normal shifting. Finally, after intensive search, I found an outside website with removal picture which proved the whole shift panel can be front lifted without touch the chrome panel upon it.

Sure enough, the ring behind the Nav is hooked up to an open ring for a non-exist CDC fiber, so the the head plug is open, I should have found it from a small hole on the left wall of glove box, but I didn't realized before that the CDC on C W203 in front installed. The guy specialized in phone install gave some vague hint, but that time I found nothing. Anyway, I have to reconnect by remove the NAV.

After reconnect the ring, I found the theory from the phone guy is correct, the VCM work immediately, even the configuration is a total mess.


After install, the wakeup test can't be done, it said only be done with open ring, so now we know if our wake up test is successful, that means you have an open line!

Now, NAV 1C8 is at pos 000, tele aid 0E0 is cofig 001, actual at 002, 002 is acutal 1F8 voice control, but config as 190 (CDC), that order is wrong , according to bulletin, 0E0 Teleaid sould be the last and never second to NAV.
but it still working that way. I noticed it gave me already 3 more error code, I hope it won't flood me in future.

Anyway, I think the prvious owner had a CDC and decied to sell it on ebay (glee) to make a few more bucks, costing me so many days to figure it out.


Special thanks to kjb55 and especially JohnCL, for i costed you such a trouble after you gave me the module ( do you want it back now for such a whining buyer? haha)

Now i am happy, seeking for a puck to do with my sprint Razr v3 and samsung A300, I hope it will work.

The only regret is the VCM like Skylaw said, can't control NAV by name a destination. but the D2B Nav certainly has its benefit that you can enter and change your detination anytime during drive without spending a few hundred bucks to aftermarket or special coding it ----- but don't try it unless you like to ends up in hospital with all that functions and the car totalled!

JohnCL

I am so happy that you got it going. It can be frustrating, that is for sure. just look how much you have learned in the last couple of weeks!

You will get more errors, but if you get your ring in order you will be OK.

Skylaw

And although you cannot control the nav functions themselves with the VCM, you can call up the nav screen by saying "Navigation." That's an undocumented feature.

Control of specific nav functions was introduced with the MOST systems.

zebra100

that's true. Actually without referring to the manual, I just tried that because I thought i can also call street name or call out location name from memory, then I got all the tuning words repeat craps and realized the NAV is the end I can go.

Now I'm thinking to get a CD changer and hack into control sytem to control ipod, not likeyou to buy Gateway 500.

and future, hack into TV RGB system

slammer111

The correct order is here for a pre-facelift W203:

Head Unit
Sound System
Voice Control
Phone
Tele-Aid
CD Changer

I have no idea why you all talk about version coding. I've personally retrofitted 3 of those 6 items (CDC, VCS, Phone) into my car and NEVER had to go to the dealer. I've had to buy a few fiber joiners and connectors though.

Out of all those fuses and relays listed, you ONLY need to add Fuse 16 for VCS and Phone (Argos BT; OEM may be different). I know this for a fact. In fact, Fuses 13, 40, 44, and those relays (N and P?) are currently not even in my car.

Configuring the ring correctly was the hard part. A blinking flashlight is your best friend.

zebra100

thanks for the infor. Luckily I thought the same, otherwise I had to go to dealer for $150 and they would have told me the system is not working. Now I can save that money for a cheap chinese Tv activator. Certainly I didn't mean not coding it good, because that might flood my memory chip, but I just don't want to spend that much for it.

And also you are right on the relay. I have the rear relay missing, and the dealer charged $60 on that, I just didn't buy it, and VCM working perfect. I still havn't got the diagram for function of the relays, Mercedes seemed like to hide it.

pinebaron

Following my last service A, I discovered my VC function disappeared. I checked the fuses, removed and reinstalled #16 etc. to no avail. I used to see VC on my command screen and it's no longer there. Any clues anyone before I take to the stealership?