Just a piece of info for those wanting the Sat Radio. If your car is 04, it is ready for sat radio. You CANNOT have both Sat Radio and TV TUNER together. Sat radio will be a d2b componenet.

 

Do you know if they will need to add an external antenna? or is one already built in some where. I have an '04 SL500 (USA)

 

external antenna will be required and mounted on the rear deck lid. It's black colored and not very pretty looking. The wiring should be present already from factory to hook the antenna up.

 

yuk

 

When should the dealers know about this? Sirius is the sat provider?

 

I was at my dealership on Saturday and they said that they installed the first one on an S class and more are coming.

BUT GET THIS: On an SL they will have to drill a whole in the trunk! He said they would put something (a receptor/antenna type of thing) that lays flat on top of the trunk, I understood it to be a flat square that will lay on top of the trunk.

This is ABSOLUTELY ridiculous! I will not have the dealer or anybody drill holes in my car to install something that should have been there from the factory. I can just imagine all the problems that will follow, besides the fact that it will look like crap.

I read on other postings that they sold the 2003 E class with the promise of a navigation system that in the end did not work and MB just bought them back and gave people 2004 replacements. Should we ask for the same thing? I'm sure the 2005 model will have a more decent setup that is concealed.

What do you think and how would one go about doing something like that?

 

All I can say is that I am going with XM sat radio and the installer is putting the antenna out of site in the front of the car near the grill. He claims reception is reasonable and there is no antenna to look at at all and no holes in the trunk.

If interested I can post pictures and details next week or two when I get the car back

Paul

 

Yes! I would be very interested to see pictures. I would also like to know how/if it works with COMAND.

Thank you for your offer to post pictures. I can't wait to see them.

 

That's a waste of time. If they offer the option like they said they would, then they've covered their promise. You may not like them having to drill holes, but I doubt they mentioned anywhere that they would or would not have to install the antenna in a particular way. Like I said, as long as they offer the option, then they've done what was promised. The E-Class replacement situation was a PR decison by them after determining that 2003 E-Class vehicles could not be retrofitted with the nav system AT ALL. An ugly or undesirable antenna mount isn't the same thing.

 

I can see your point. I'm still not happy, but I understand.

 

Yes it is true, a antenna will have to be drilled into the rear trunk lid. Wiring should be there already for 04 models. Sorry but that's the only way to do it. It's black colored too.

 

Given the apparent necessity of installing a new antenna on the trunk in order to get Sirius, MB owners should consider getting XM.

I had XM installed on my 2003 E500 maybe 9 months ago. It connects to the stereo system by using an FM modulator, which transmits an FM signal to the car antenna that the radio interprets as a regular radio station. Volume, etc., is regulated through the radio controls. While this type of connection is theoretically less good than a direct connection, in fact the sound is to my ears equivalent to CDs. Selection of XM channels is done through a small unit which fits into the ashtray compartment; if you shut the ashtray cover, you don't see it. The antenna is a small unit (about the size of an egg) which sits totally unobtrusively on the shelf under the rear window. I have rarely had any issues with reception.

If you want Sirius service rather than XM service, some incremental convenience in accessing the radio through your COMAND system, and potentially some improvement in sound quality, or if you can't stand the thought of non-Mercedes installers touching your car, and you are willing to put up with what apparently is an ugly honker of an antenna attached to your trunk, then by all means get Sirius through MB. But my advice would be to at least consider the XM route.

 

I agree as well. I have XM installed in my car and here are the pictures of the system.

MY WEBSITE WITH PICTURES

 

I have all of the 2004 Mercedes Install Bulletins for the Satellite radio retrofit ....

You can go to my website and click on the Sattellite Radio (of the COMAND 2.0 page) link for a W203 to see what it looks like. If you want one for a specific 2004 model E-mail me with and address that can handle a large file attachment. They don't have one for the "C" coupe yet .....

My website is here ......
COMAND 2.0 retrofit

All installs require drilling in the rear trunk deck.

Paul

 

The interesting question to ask is how such an install would impact lease or balloon payment deals. Since vehicles who get a retrofit install won't have the option listed on the window sticker, is it looked at as an add-on that has to be removed prior to turning the car back in at the end of the lease or turning the car in in lieu of a final balloon payment (doing the balloon payment this way essentially makes that option work just like a lease)? Since a hole has to be drilled, that would be serious damage that I don't necessarily think would be covered by the credit card test. Any thoughts?

 

I am doing everything through my MB dealer. I am sure that will take care of any problems.

 

I am having the OEM Sirius radio kit installed at my dealer tomorrow.

I was pleased to see that it appears that the antenna on the 2004 CLK Cab (W209) is actually installed under the trunk lid. (No outside antenna or drill holes). The trunk lid must be non-metallic.

 

What is the trunk of the CLK made of? I thought it was aluminum?

 

that's weird. The sat signal is very weak. I wouldn't think it can penetrate metal. Well, keep us updated.

 

I just installed XM in my 2002 C320. I used Audio Explosion in Silver Spring, Maryland, the only audio/electronics shop I will trust with my car. My installer was Boris, who did a great job. I used the XM Commander system. We put the control module in the ashtray, and the the FM Modulator behind the audio, climate control, navigation stack. We placed the antenna on the front dash near the windshield. Reception is good so far. No wires show and the install looks built in.

Question: Audio Explosion said it would put the antenna on the roof, if I desired. This means, of course, that Boris would have to put the antenna on the roof, wrap the wire around the back windshield rim, then figure how to break through the seal between the windshield and the trunk, run the wire through the trunk liner and the length of the car under trim to the XM modulator. Since I am getting decent reception with the antenna in its present location, is the roof location for the antenna worth that effort? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Just an FYI if you folks are interested. All models require drilling a hole in the trunk lid or roof .... except for CLs and CLK-CABs. I guess the trunk material on those is aluminum????

The SAT radio signal can not go through ferrous metals but will go through thin non-ferrous metal .... The antenna for both the CLK-CAB and CL looks to be about the same size and shape as the GPS antenna on both vehicles which is also mounted under the trunk lid (about 4" square).

Paul

 

I believe the trunk of the SL is Aluminum ? ? ?

 

Aborwick,

I'm in the DC area, too, and I get good reception with an antenna that sits under the rear window. I used to have XM in a Volvo with the antenna on the roof, and I don't believe that the reception was any better than what I am getting now. If I were you, I'd leave things as you now have them.

 

Thanks, Ctemkin.

 

CL and CLK cabs have a composite trunk. As for the rest of us - that's way too ugly to cinsider doing to my car. And if you wait a year they'll have a better looking antenna.