Mavrogenis

Just took delivery of a 2004 E320 with the Premium package which has the Harmon Kardon radio and Navigation system among other neat items. However, I have been unable to figure out how to have the Navigation system On without the radio (or CD) playing. There is nothing in the owner's manual on how to have only the Navigation system on. I've had to resort to using the Mute button to keep the radio (CD) from playing when I only want the Navigation function. Has anyone figured this out?
Thanks
Jim

scorchie

Hi, welcome. Please learn to use the search function on the board!

The COMAND system has pretty much always worked the way as you described. If you don't want to hear any audio, you have two obvious choices (well obvious to me):

1) select radio, turn the volume all the way down, enter your destination and you should still hear the voice

2) select aux input, don't plug anything into the aux input, and you won't hear anything but the nav voice

-s-

MBPhD

Thanks scorchie for the info. I just installed the comand recently and still try to figure out how to use the NAV alone without the radio/CD. This info ended my search. Thank you.

kort677

maybe I'm missing something here, I have an '05 E320 CDI with the command and if I want to use the nav without the radio I just hit the nav or map button before turning the radio on, what is so hard about that?

MBPhD

Well, if you have the cd or radio on before. As soon as you hit nav, both nav and radio or cd (whichever you used last) will be on at the same time. You CAN'T just turn on the nav without the other component. Just as scorchie mentioned that you either hit radio and turn down the volume or aux (without any input) after turn on the nav.

You might have a newer comand with more options than my older comand.

Rudegar

I thought Mute was the way to do it. What is the problem with just doing that?

scorchie

Nothing wrong with that, but a lot of functions reset the mute operation... just tapping a volume button on the steering wheel will cancel mute, for instance. Also turning the car off and coming back.

-s-

MBPhD

There is another problem with muting while in CD mode. The CD keeps on spinning and spinning and spinning...

Mavrogenis

Thanks to all. it seems that at least the 2004 COMAND system does not allow the audio (any input) to be turned off if NAV is on. It appears that the 2005 included that feature. So for now, the setting the Audio to Aux is the best way to go. I've been startled sometimes when I pressed a volume button on the steering wheel and had the radio suddenly blaring (bad when your significant other is snoozing). Another approach would be to not insert a CD into the single CD slot and select the CD. I was also concerned that if I had a CD selected and muted that it was continuing to run. Can anyone confirm that?
Thanks
James

MBPhD

Yes, if you mute the CD is still playing (unless you stop or pause). If you remove the CD (from the head unit) how can you use NAV (if your comand is CD)? No NAV CD, No NAV.

scorchie

Are you sure that if you mute the CD it continues to play? Older COMAND and MCS behavior is that mute = PAUSE.

I will go check.

Good thing I checked. On my COMAND in my 2003 car, there is no PAUSE function for either the CD changer or the internal COMAND CD. When pressing MUTE, it does PAUSE the CD. The internal CD seemed to keep spinning while paused, I do not know if spins down at some point; the CD changer spun down immediately when pausing.

-s-

MBPhD

I'll double check my cd changer tomorrow morning.

Rudegar

My Mute function stays muted through car restart just as the volume would if left on...

scorchie

Since it may vary from software version and hardware version, it's not a good recommendation. (2003 cars did not come with COMAND.)

So, to address your earlier question: nothing is wrong with using MUTE, but for you. Unless you're concerned with your internal CD still spinning while it is muted.

It's just easier to suggest things to other people that will generally work in all cases for them.

-s-

MBPhD

Just checked that mute will pause the CD changer. How about the laser beam in the lens? Is there a laser beam there? Will mute also turn it off?

Rudegar

BTW, my 04 doesn't have an AUX button. It has a SAT button but this just says that "No satellite radio" so it doesn't mute the radio function.

Mavrogenis

The Aux button image is displayed on the screen after you select the "Audio" button. You select it by pressing the so called "soft buttons" which are the small black unlabeled buttons at the edge of the screen.
The manual is not real clear about these "soft buttons"

Rudegar

Hats off. You are absolutely correct. thanks.

Dema

I think commands controls missleading. Nav button makes us think that it's special device along with tape, CD, TV, or AUX. Generally, it's only display switcher, and it has no relation to audio at all. I hope the explanation helps.

Mavrogenis

Dema, Did you mean that all the COMAND systems are ON all the time and these buttons (NAV, AUDIO, etc) only switch between them?

scorchie

New COMAND fixes that... there's just AUDIO and VIDEO. But in the USA, the SAT button replaces the VIDEO button, and that makes the user interface inconsistent. SAT should really be a choice under AUDIO, like CD, RADIO, etc.

-s-

BoSoxFan

You're right!! This is not a well-thought-out design. Aside from the problems it causes for users, especially with regard to upgrades, I don't see how they can make money with all of these different variations - even at their exorbitant prices