dddonkey

OK, I have a 2005 C230K with the six speed. I know that the '05's are pre-wired for the phone feature. I would like to add this to the car but don't know what all I need and were to get it. The dealer wanted like 2K plus labor but I find it hard to believe that it cost that much. Can anyone help me out in locating the parts that I will need and how much it will cost to do it myself. Thanks for the help and I look forward the the help.

Lucky13

I tried the same thing last summer. It is that expensive OEM. Aftermarket is cheaper ($800) but you lose lots of features. Search the forum for opinions. I opted out, but Argos unit seemed closest for my needs. Lots of hands-on for the install, though.

dddonkey

Thanks for you help and info, but why would you lose options when you put the OEM parts in? Sorry for the questions but this is my first BENZ.

Lucky13

You lose options if you go aftermarket. $2400 OEM will buy you the whole enchilada.

SlvrC230SS

You may want to check this out:

http://www.eiskits.com/MB.html

dddonkey

thanks for the help and link!

Lucky13

Argos is a good product but it does not use the pre-wired cell antenna MB installed. All calls go out through your bluetooth-enabled phone. You may lose some connectability. You will also pull significant power from the phone battery as the phone is always in Bluetooth mode. Consider a charging cradle, or plan to have your phone plugged in to the cigarette lighter. I will give you one caveat about ordering the Argos unit. I ordered last June, late in the month, from Euro Car Phone. I was told the unit would be shipped in 5-7 days. Two weeks later I was told it would be another week. 10 days later I was told that the manufacturer was in Europe and most plants in Europe shut down for the month of June and it would be another two weeks. I asked for a refund and called K1 Motorsport. They were honest from the beginning and told me that the Argos was not in stock and they did not know when it would ship to them. Hopefully you do not encounter this issue. I spent weeks looking for an aftermarket integrated phone, as MB does not make it easy change anything. It was a huge buzz kill to go through this crap after finding a viable substitute.

FrankW

there was a thread on this in the sticky DIY/FAQ section...SEARCH first NOOB!!!

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w203/125079-motorola-ihf1000-bluetooth-kit-05-c230k.html