friend_sabe

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anybody may be able to help me with a problem I have been experiencing with my Mercedes.

I have a Mercedes 2000, S500 and the audio system cuts out intermittently when on, whether its CD, tape, or radio. After a few minutes of playing, the audio will intermittently cut out for 5-10 seconds then resume again. This happens regularly whenever I use the audio entertainment system in the car. When in tape mode its like it stops playing the tape and then starts up again after the disturbance goes away. In the radio mode, it just blanks out for 5-10 seconds. Throughout the whole process the navigation screen displays the audio mode - radio/CD/tape, and remains powered on, before, during, and after the disturbance.

I took it to a Mercedes mechanic and he hooked up his computer to the car to diagnose the problem, but oddly, he told me no error codes come up. He says he thinks it may be a problem with the amplifier unit in the car, but is not sure. So much for spending money on that.

Does anybody have an idea of what could be causing this ? Unit head software ?

I would greatly appreciate any time anybody could spare to help solve this mystery.

Allan

mrbobby

Min too '03 S500 4 Matic

friend_sabe

Hi MrBobby,

Finally someone who understands this. Did you get it checked out ? Any insight as to why it is happening ?

Allan

mrbobby

Initially it was just the radio that would cut out for a few seconds and then restart at a lower volume than before the cutout. After it restarted the volume would slowly increase until back to the original volume. I never did discover a cause.

About 3 months ago the problem seemed to intensify and now the whole unit would go dead. I'd wait a couple of minutes and then I could restart by pressing the "on" button. Back would come the GPS and radio functions. A couple of times it would be necessary to stop and restart the vehicle to get my GPS function back on line.

The last 2 months have been trouble free with everything functioning as designed. I feel that the electronics in my car are "wonky" and I would not be surprised to have to change the whole unit at some time in the future. From my readings on this and other sites, problems with the W220 unit are not uncommon and I don't believe there is any choice but to replace the whole unit.

If you find any other info please let me know. Good luck with your issue.

friend_sabe

Hi MrBobby,

Thanks for your detailed reply on this. I am not sure if we are experiencing the same technical problem. Actually the previous owner of my vehicle apparently had an SOS subscription, which he did not renew. So one theory I was told was that the SOS callout was activated in the vehicle when the subscription for it was no longer valid, and it continues to periodically send out the SOS signal to a receiving service which is not available, either due to the subscription not being current, or the service not being offered any longer, maybe just for that model I have ?

So I was going to ask if you have this same SOS feature in your car and whether you have a current subscription or not, and if it continues to perhaps connect to the service. It would explain the disturbance being periodic at least, if this is the same thing which has been happening in your vehicle. I found a youtube video on removing the radio:


Allan

jbondox

The list is long on what it could be. as different people with different experiences mentioned. It can be as simple as a bad speaker, terminal grounding out, bad amp, sos/telaid, optical, or a bad component on the optical line and it is a PITA troubleshooting it especially intermittent problems. I know it wont do the Lazarus, so hope it completely breaks or just put up with it, anything MB is expensive and usually requires a trip to the dealership for coding...

Tuscan1311

Same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Radio playing and then went out for about a minute then came back. Any ansers i would like to know too.

WHIRLINFIST

Took my trunk compartment apart, drove it to MB dealer. Tech look in there and thought it was the ground, but discovered it was tight. So he thinks it is the amp. I told him that I just put in a new amp and the problem still persist. I told him I was going to replace the command unit with an aftermarket unit, that fits like the mercedes one and has bluetooth/navi etc. built in. He said that is a great idea, because I can eliminate all of the problems our head units give us and it would be a lot cheaper. It should be here next week. I will keep you posted to the results. If it does not stop the problem, I'm going to replace the fiber optic cable, too.

Steinway

Hello,

I have same problem in my W203 C220 CDi Audio 10 Radio unit.
Radio works 1min, and after that cut out..Before a few days CD Player work on the same way: first, and maybe second track play OK, and just cut out. After cuttin' out, on display just say: NO CDS..and no chance for start working.
Some guy tell me that it would be some kind of 3GS cable??? Is there any kind of that cable??

Until now, I didn't check anything, don't know what to do. Very unpleasant situation...

WHIRLINFIST

I installed the aftermarket unit on my E55 that fits just like factory. I love it! Most importantly, it doesn't cut out any more and the sos does not beep. If any one is interested in these units, I can get them a lot cheaper than Amazon and Ebay. Private message me. I will post pics later

friend_sabe

Given the multiple possible causes everyone is facing here, the first step again would be to take to a mechanic who could hook up a diagnosing computer to the vehicle and check out any possible error codes. I assume you could get some information from this and rule out several possibilities. However, I am not clear on what types of hardware or software issues would be or would not be picked up a Mercedes diagnosing computer, perhaps someone who has knowledge of Mercedes error codes and how they work can explain this better ?

I had initially done this before trying to mess around with anything, however in my case, the mechanic I went to verified there were no error codes showing up, and suggested it could be the amplifier. Then I had the amplifier swapped out with a non-defective amplifier of the same part number, but still, same problem, audio cuts out intermittently.

The cut out I experience does not happen due to mechanical shock impulses such as going over a bump, its something else and more periodic in nature.
Now its been suggested to me that it may be the fiber optic cable integrated into the audio wiring. Given I have no error codes from diagnosis, does anyone have an idea or suggestion, based on a balance of probabilities ?

I also wonder how long that fiber optic cable would be starting from the trunk area, would it be challenging job to swap it out, if I did myself ?

e55amg00

does that car have a built in handsfree phone system?

WHIRLINFIST

It runs down the left side of the car. When I ran all the wiring for the aftermarket unit, I saw the run for it. The unit I purchased, you plug the fiber optic cable into the harness, but you don't use it in the capacity the stock radio and amp used it. Once I eliminated it, the cutting out problem stopped. Techs told me that there are just so many problems with the stock command units, it was a great idea to change them out, if you don't mind not having the mercedes name brands unit. I didn't care, I just wanted something that works. Nobody can tell it isn't mercedes anyway.

Steinway

My Merc have it. I use Nokia mobile. And, When I put mobile into slot, then I have problems with audio !!! Without using mobile, things goes without problem. What's going on????

friend_sabe

My Mercedes has a hands-free as well. My model is S500, 2000 model. But I have an analog phone. I wonder I how could possibly change that out to digital ?

WHIRLINFIST

Right now, the dealership is the only place I know of, that can change you to digital, but they told me it is very expensive. I know I keep talking about the aftermarket unit, but that was the answer to all of the problems. It looks like the mercedes unit and it had phone, gps and everything else built in.

friend_sabe

Hi, is this problem happening every time you turn on radio or CD in the car, or just occaisionally ?

msbelle

I have an 06 E320 CDI and mine does the same thing. No rhyme or reason as to when or how long it will last. It didn't start until I had a flat and had a reputable tire dealer put on new tires and replace the spare in the trunk. I left from there and the problem started immediately and has been going on for months. I assumed there was a loose connection in the trunk somewhere but neither the tire place nor the MB dealership could find anything...not sure how hard the dealership looked to be honest. It's driving me INSANE. I may be interested in the aftermarket option mentioned but am tired of putting money in this car.

Help me please before I completely lose it!!!

wellbe

Trust me, I read all the threads and was scared as the cost of rectifying the problem, even replacing the unit.
Wen radio on, it would shut off the sound for several seconds then restart, the unit itself did not switch off. When playing a cd (10 cd autochanger) the sound would be cut, again power to the unit was not interupted but it would read "No CD" and i would have to restart the system. However, I read one of the last comments about this problem which blamed the mobile phone. I use a basic nokia phone (not smartphone). The nexthe time I drove the car, I left the phone off. Guess what, no problem during 30 mile journeyou, radio and cd.
On the return journey turned phone on and put it in storage area directly above radio. Within minutes, the units sound switched off. I turned off the Bluetooth function of the phone but it still effected the unit. Found that you can leave the phone on and leave it on the centre console and it doesn't effect the radio or cd. Problem solved with no expense. Trust me, try this first, it works.

Scotty025

Just read your post about the radio. I am having the same problem. Could you provide me with the link please?

Polar Bear

There is likely a lose connection on the fiber ring, or our COMAND needs a software update. This is a common bug on the old COMAND software installed on early units. If you press the SRV button, do you see in the background an image of only an E-Class, or an E-Class on the left and a CLS on the right? If just an E-Class, you have very old firmware and should update it. It is very easy to update, and just requires inserting a CD into the COMAND and pressing a key sequence. Takes 5-10 minutes max. Does not need a diagnostic computer. However, you may also have the AGW checked to see if it has the current software on it. The dealer can update that for you.

Since a spare was placed in the trunk it does sound related to something coming loose. The only way to track it down if it is a loose connection is removing devices from the fiber ring one by one.

McDesign

Tell me about how to do the COMAND update - where does one get the CD? And since the CD player doesn't work mostly . . .
My symptoms - '01 CL600 74K miles. Suddenly a few weeks ago, no radio sound and it can't find the CD player. Screen and radio functions work, just no sound. Today, I took the CD changer cassette in and out a couple times - radio suddenly came on, then off sometime around then - about a three second continuous cycle. Then the radio worked for about five minutes. Now it's back to the on/off. When the radio WAS working that brief period, it still couldn't find the CD changer. Don't know of any chance for dampness, but drove in some heavy rain a few weeks earlier, IIRC. I did check all the fuses (even under the seat) before it started to cycle on/off.

He'p me, please! Nice weather coming - need tunes!

Forrest

Polar Bear

My apologies for not reading your profile and realize you have a CL600 from 2001. Your vehicle has the drop down door for the cassette and CD Changer in the trunk, correct? It would have a D2B fiber ring.

McDesign

Yes - that's the configuration I have. I did buy the male and female fiber-optic loop jumpers from Amazon, to help diagnose. I tried holding down the "power" button on the COMAND unit for twenty seconds, both starting from "OFF" and "ON", but got nothing to indicate any reset was happening. Radio still 2-seconds on, two seconds off; it can't find the CD changer.

I spend the rest of the weekend rebuilding the king-pin-type front suspension of my '59 190D - it's a bit cruder technology!

Forrest
'01 CL600
Atlanta

Carl Selfe