Now I just feel like I am talking to myself - Posting right after my own posts...But - Here is a small update...

1. VOLICO paint is in...
2. Laser Etching TESTS have been started (you can see non registered attempts at burn/speed and strength here with some funny clip art - a Beetle and a Plug)
3. Mold is made of OEM part that is molded black - should be casting a white / translucent part soon...

Then onto the hard part...CANB or stand alone triggers...
Jake

 

UPDATE...

Parts are being made...I will make a few to paint and etch to get the MOST OEM look and feel...

Jake

 

Awesome progress - can"t wait to see the final results!

 

You haven't seen Sunmans car have you !

 

I have...and it is an amazing project (s). When he replies I get quality information...I am trying to track down as many OEM components as possible for my projects...and being an Industrial Designer - I want a certain look and finish with this switch row...it looks so...unfinished right now...

I am trying to gather as much INFORMATION and PART NUMBERS to add in cooled / vented seats...I am looking for the wireharness, the loom, the controller and what ever fan components I may need...from a w209 or w211 and what I want is to send a signal from the switch row PCB through CAN B to an OEM controller to the "new" installed option or feature...

That's why it is a hobby!
Thanks all,
Jake

 

Very cool project....watching it closely.

If you could figure some of this stuff out it will be great for some of the members that have their heated seats burn out and dont want to pay for the dealer charges to fix them. You can pick up a heated seat add on unit for around 120 and it would be nice to wire it into the factory buttons..

props for the effort...

 

Final DXF art...
Jake

 

wow that's some good work. impressive.

 

Final Etch on OEM parts...

Anyone with PNs for the COOLED / VENTED seats - I would love to get some info...thanks...

Also I have these two PNs for the FULL w209 switch row...
Can anyone confirm which one is the one for the part?

A 209 820 48 10 CLK FUll Switch Row
A 209 870 16 10 CLK FUll Switch Row

Thanks,
Jake

 

jake,

will you be selling these? are they stickers?

 

I highly doubt that I will be selling any of this...I can give you my DXF files and you can take them to your local CNC laser engraver...I can also share my settings that where used along with anything else I used, location, sizes, etc...

Please look at the top of this switchrow that was practiced on while dialing it all in...the top has been destroyed to get the bottom icons correct...

So NO - these are NOT labels / decals / or stickers - this is a LASER ETCHED (like OEM) icon into the OEM part. Basically the part is white (translucent) and then painted 211, 111 black anthracite charcoal - then the icons are laser etched (or burned) to remove the paint and reveal the white plastic. I had to cast the only button that was molded in SOLID black - to be able to etch and back light it.

I have been "warned" and I do take that as I may need help in the near future to get the buttons to do ANYTHING other than look pretty...I agree to this 110% based on the internal PCB and the Mercedes-Benz twisted wire CAN BUS system that is employed in my car(s)...So there is a whole TON of work now to move forward in getting these to "work"...

Where there is a will - there is a way,
Jake

 

Does anyone have the Part Number for a 2005 face lifted w209 FULL SWITCH ROW? The PNs I have are not working...And I would like a full OEM w209 Switchrow to start with - now that I am getting the features I want / need in the button units...

Thanks all,
Jake

 

This is a part I found with the FULL w209 row...

I also have laser etched the parts I wanted to...Now I need to paint the cast part and etch that one...then on to reading the CAN BUS signals and creating a module that will turn off and on the accessories I want...

Thanks all - Any help is GREAT AND APPRECIATED!
Jake

 

jake can you send the DXF FILES TO me and the settings i will try to find someone here to laser engrave those icons awesome looks nice

here's my email kenchee6@gmail.com

 

Sure...I am trying to re-work them to be .02# line weight as that what the cutting laser I used had as a stroke...

I am also trying to re-work some of the stock logos...

Give me a few days - and you can see what you want then.

Thanks,
Jake

 

awesome stuff dude~! i'll be keeping my eyes on this!

 

Love this thread... keep up the good work. I've never seen anyone go into so much detailed fabrication, its great. Are you sure you don't want to sell these? I'm sure we could come up with some creative uses for the buttons...

 

We should come up with a thread listing any buttons we'd like to have on our upper switch row. Jake could engrave these for us in his spare time Just for fun of course.

Imagine the look on people's faces when they sit in the driver's or pass seat and saw these buttons. Here are some of mine off the top of my head. I'm at work now so I can't MS Paint these up:

- eject button icon with a seat icon above it
- rear 1/2 side view of car with oil/gravel coming out the back
- side view of car raised up 3 feet higher (to match the height of SUV's)
- rocket/missle icon
- boat icon (for those underwater excursions)
- "hybrid mode" icon (to "explain" how we C230K owners get >35mpg with our cars...uh, on second thought, NO..no need to pretend we're a hybrid)
- B2 bomber icon (for stealth mode)
- turbo boost button (OK, so I watch the 80's Knight Rider)
- binoculars icon
- pistol icon
- police car icon (for when we need to go into police mode to make citizens' arrests)


I'm sure we could come up with a ton more of these. Any other ideas? Jake...you feel like making some of these non-functioning buttons for us?

All joking aside, Jake, you are doing an incredible job on this. Your dedication and meticulousness are worthy of Mercedes-Benz hiring you as an engineer.

Cintoman

 

nick,

are you going to do this MOD?

 

lol, some pretty good ones. i usually tell my passengers the SOS is a eject button. hahaha. what about a button with a soda on it, like a soda dispenser, hha.

 

Hi all,

Thanks for the coments - I will have a better update soon...

Here is an image of many white parts...
Jake

 

Hi All,

I went back in (designer thing - I NEED a deadline!) and recreated the logos to look more OEM...separated the icons apart, and left some hard edges...

Also I referenced a few OEM "sonar/radar wave" icons to create a new deer alert warning - I really just felt that the 20 kHz did not work, and the more I looked at the ESP OFF verbiage - I liked it less and less...so I recreated that too to look like the dash icon that illuminates when you turn off ESP...Seemed natural.

Thanks all,
Jake

 

jake that is awesome!!

 

Thanks!

I painted the white parts with the www.volico.de paint - it looks like the right color and finish - I did not have a facotry part with me...I said - It will be what it is - and I did not want to clutter up the spray booth...

I will post a comparison soon...and then - Re - Etch...See how that goes!

Jake

 

Well after putting the dried parts in the carrier - they are off in both...

1.) Color
and
2.) Finish

They are not "BLACK" enough - too much grey and blue in the "color" and the sheen is not there - why not a gloss finish OEM - these are too dull.

I will now work to find an answer...Nice paint though - would be great if it wa not right next to factory parts...

I am also wondering if these USED OEM parts have some interior treatment on them - such as *gasp* Armour All or the nice M-B Interior Care...Might be affecting the finish and color...

Anyway - This DOE NOT seem good enough to pass as OEM and thus - needs work.

I have found a lab with a 4-input oscilloscope that should be able to read the CAN BUS signals...

Jake