starr719

Earroyo,

adding the isolator is easy. I took 2 RCA to 3.5 female adapters:
http://www.cablesdirect.com/prodimages/CC399FM_LR.jpg

Connected the Ground Loop Isolator in between:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2062214

You may have to use 1 female and 1 male adapter depending on your set up, but they are easy to find at any electronics store like Fry's or RadioShack as people use them all the time for audio:
http://www.unterzuber.com/isolator.jpg

Benzito911,

Complete control of the Ipod and my sirius is accomplished with the Harmon Kardon drive play:
http://www.toddfinnell.net/images/dr...%20install.jpg
http://www.bmwsociety.com/board/images/108027.jpg

I found two of the Drive and Plays at Best Buy for $30 each, 1 for each of my 2 cars as the beemer came with its own connections.

I'll see if I can post a pic of my set up along with the Kuda mounts (GPS & side car).

starr719

Here's a quick pic I snapped this morning when I was stuck waiting for Obama's motorcade to go by... Sorry about the blur. I'll see if I can take a few cleaner pics this weekend.

benzito911

clean clean setup..

how much was your harmon kardon play...?

here is a pic of my current setup.. still gatta control all from iphone* not the cleanes setup but works very good cuz i take the Iphone in and out with me.

i dont have ipod

*i like how the iphone gets the calls thru the cars stereo

starr719

Thanks. The Harmon Kardon play was only $30. I have an 30gb video ipod connected to it, while the Sirius s50 has recording functionality and un-docks for additional portability. The GPS is the Garmin 760 with MSN direct/traffic and bluetooth for my phone to play through the speakers.

I had the audio port of the GPS connected to the H&K but could not get the an adapter long enough to run in and around the radio to the back of the H&K brain (under the Kuda), so I disconnected it as I don't like having wires to show.

As it is you can barely see the MSN cable going in between the vents and the switch panel.

Okay... I'm buzzed and I'm off to play COD-WAW....

starr719

Here are some better pictures...

Parked in the garage:


Flash off:


Side view, all off:

cjausburn

I tested both pin 5 and 11 and using pin 5 the audio is not as loud as when you use pin 11 as the ground or common. I have had no hum or noise issues when using pin 11.

On my '07 I did not have that connector on the passenger foot well. So the only option is to pull the head unit. It really isn't as hard as it seems. The DIY on this forum is really good and so are the tips everyone leaves along the way. It took me 3 hours with making my own cable and all, it could be done faster for sure. I'm guessing if you are on a mission you can get it done in 30 min?

To do the removal of the head unit I followed the following thread;

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...oval-pics.html

Here are the comments that I posted in that thread that are relevant here as well;

My 07 that I bought in Oct 06 did not have the white connector on the passenger side sill.

Another couple of tips are to zip tie the cable to the back of the HU so you don't pull it out after a few tugs on the cable when you are routing or later on.

The other is that the pin spacing on the back of the HU is the same as an IDE cable in your computer. So if you have an extra IDE or floppy cable around you can use a razor knife and cut it down to just a 2x2 size, 4 pins total so it will fit on the back of the radio. Just cut off one end and leave about 6-8 inches of the grey ribbon cable to use to connect to the 3.5mm cable. Make sure you solder the 3.5mm cable to the wires from the IDE cable and either shrink wrap or tape up the connections. And use pin 11 for - or common and 6 and 12 for right and left.

Then I ran the 3.5 cable down by the ashtray on the right side, then when it came out in the passenger footwell I just tucked it up under the center console so it would come out by the center armrest/storage until I finalize where I want it to go.

Great news is that with an iPhone hooked up this way you can use the stereo as a handsfree device. The iPhone will use its own mic and the speakers in the car. It sounds great. It is fun to play with the light saber app in the great sound of the C230 - whuuuooo, waaahhn, woooo waaa whooooo (light saber noises).

I didn't have to buy anything since I had everything in my old electronics parts bin. So cost out of pocket = $0, the cheapest mod I have done yet!

www.twoseconds.net

kjmurphy

Just checked my son's 2007 C230 Sedan, build date 07/06, and it does have the white connector. I can't wait to do this mod. Thanks to everyone for the great write-ups.

Kevin

lbaumruk

Nice directions thanks. One point, some 2007 have the plug under the passenger side sill plates. I discovered that after taking the counsel apart and radio out. First check sill plate before taking the radio out.

hisky32791

Thank you this worked really well for my C320. The job itself took like an hour. My only question is where you connect the wires that you made, I had a white connector already plugged in there, whats that for?

tbirdsaw

Hisky32791,

I don't know, honestly, because I can't remember. I would guess though that you may already have the wiring harness pre-wired, and may not have needed to do all this work.

lbaumruk pointed out that the connector for the AUX cable may be in a different spot, so you might want to track that down first.

hisky32791

Thanks, but I like the setup I did with opening up the Head unit. This was a great DIY

sexyklammy

Hey everyone, fantastic post!

I have the white aux connector in the passenger door sill and want to do this mod but don't want to pay MB $50 bucks for the wire harness. Anyone know how to make a suitable cable out of an old cd rom cable from that white harness?

Thanks!

samaritrey

did you check prices online? i got the aux cable for the older w203 01-04 command and it was only 12.29 + shipping.

sexyklammy

I didn't find anything online here in Canada. Called the dealer and they wanted $50 plus tax. Was hoping to make my own cable as it should be pretty simple L,R and ground and wondering if anyone has done that yet.

Thanks again

samaritrey

someone did that on the 2007 model i think because it doesn't have the wiring to the door. they got the pinout for the back of the radio and plugged in right their. i bet all you would have to do is find out what each pin does and go from their.

cjausburn

Post #31 should give you all the pinout info you need along with the following link;

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...e-warning.html

earroyo

I am installing a Navigation system on my car and I wanted to keep the aux audio connection already made for my head unit radio. On a previous post I gave some tips on the routing of the cable and came up with a question regarding which pin to use for grouding.

I found a pin-out description that I think may be the solution for the issue. See picture below.



It shows that the pin number 5 is actually the AUX-Shield and the 11 is the Ground. Perhaps the right connection, if you tied the Brown and Bare, is then using pin 11.

In fact before I found this pin-out diagram I used pin 5 for a while as ground and I end up having all sort of error on with my sunroof and the CD charger.

I think the optimal solution could be then to connect the Brown cable from your mercedes benz cable harness to ground pin 11 and the bare cable of the harness to pin 5 (shield).

Does any one have an opinion on this matter?

Regards,

earroyo

zignup

Hi earroyo, tbirdsaw,

Many thanks for the excellent information! I just purchased a 06 B200 (T245) and am planning to build a connection to the Audio 20 for my iPhone. Been browsing the net for hours and this post is by far the best!

I just have one silly question. In both of your pictures, the wire for the RIGHT channel (white for tbirdsaw and red for earroyo) is connected to pin 6, which should be "aux-in LEFT". Is this what I should follow as well?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

zignup

I would also like to check that this can be done when the original CD changer is installed?

zignup

And instead of using the MB cable harness, I guess there is no reason to stop me from connecting the CD-ROM cable directly to a standard 3.5mm cable that plugs directly to my iPhone? In that case I would only have L, R and Gnd (i.e. without the Bare wire from the MB harness). In that case would you recommend connecting the Gnd wire to pin 5 or 11?

Many thanks!

earroyo

zignup,
Sorry for the time it took me to answer. I have been busy.

Not sure if your unit on your 06 B200 (T245) has the same pinout that the Audio 20 headunit in the C230. If it has the same pinout, then left channel should be pin 6. See pinout plot in tbirdsaw's post (Figure 18: Pinout Diagram for Audio 20 Headunit) or attached image on my post "Some light on the pin 5/11 ground connection". Try to search the internet for your head unit specific pinout.

With regards to the MB harness cable, you are right you can, bypass it and connect directly to your standard 3.5mm cable. See (Figure 5: 3.5mm Pinout). It is not shown on my post but I did it. I have an aux input in the globe box, and other aux input that goes underneath the gear stick, the 3.5 mm comes out from the compartment box next to the driver seat. Both of them are connected to the same headunit.

zignup

Hi earroyo,

Many thanks for your taking time to answer my questions.

1. The pinout is the same. I do realise that the left channel is pin 6. What I do not understand is why is the wire for the RIGHT channel on the CD-ROM cable (which ultimately connects to the right channel of the input source) connected to this LEFT channel pin 6? Shouldn't it be LEFT-to-LEFT, instead of RIGHT-to-LEFT?

2. Are you aware if this mod can be done when the original CD changer is installed?

Many thanks!

OneOfaKindTrini

Can someone help me out to get the aux cable? I can't get it anywhere and I really dont want to make a trip to Helm. bros or Silver star.

W203E35

Does your car have the wire in step 5? Some people said they changed it in the 07 models?

https://mbworld.org/forums/audio-ele...ut-w-pics.html

OneOfaKindTrini

Thanks for the link karo, I have to check for it, but I am off the opinion that my car is pre-wired. I was trying to get out that plastic kick panel and the sil. How hard do I have to pull at it?