Post a pic of your modified headunit
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
07 C230S
My Kenwood Nav, looks just like the Pioneer. I am looking to upgrade to change it to a smoother one once I find one. I have to look into the carbon fabric wrap. Did you install yourself or professional install?
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 968
Likes: 62
From: San Francisco, CA
2005 c230SS
I installed myself ... took me a total of 8-10 hours over four different spurts ... most of the time spent in the discovery process. If I had to do this again it should take less than half that time.
Fyi, I started doing all of my auto repairs about a year ago, fed up with the high auto shop labor costs, padded hours, and questionable quality work and incorrect fluids. In the past year I've replaced brakes/rotors, shocks and struts, front suspension arms, trans mount, done engine/trans/diff/PS/brake fluid flushes, all for a fraction of the cost of getting it done for me, and with the comfort of knowing what's in the car. This radio install was icing on the cake, turning an otherwise ugly and outdated sound system into a (as soon as I replace the speakers) great one.
Fyi, I started doing all of my auto repairs about a year ago, fed up with the high auto shop labor costs, padded hours, and questionable quality work and incorrect fluids. In the past year I've replaced brakes/rotors, shocks and struts, front suspension arms, trans mount, done engine/trans/diff/PS/brake fluid flushes, all for a fraction of the cost of getting it done for me, and with the comfort of knowing what's in the car. This radio install was icing on the cake, turning an otherwise ugly and outdated sound system into a (as soon as I replace the speakers) great one.
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
07 C230S
Ive been working on my cars for 12 years, so I understand what your saying. (Ive done engine swaps conversions aspiration changes etc. ) Though never wrapped any carbon fabric. Just curious. Thanks for the time heads up.
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 968
Likes: 62
From: San Francisco, CA
2005 c230SS
I recently wrapped smoke-tinted vinyl on my son's Honda Accord taillights and side markers. If the carbon wrap is similar (vinyl) it's actually not that hard once you get used to it. Just buy a heat gun -- the vinyl really stretches around corners and still retains quite a bit of thickness and strength.
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 968
Likes: 62
From: San Francisco, CA
2005 c230SS
Really not that time consuming. We did the Honda's four taillight sections and the two rear side marker lights, including pulling the lights off the car, all in about 3 hours. That includes the time spent learning how to do it, and a lot of the time was spent stretching the vinyl over the spherical curvature of the outside taillights.
If I had to wrap the double-din faceplate on the Benz it would take me maybe 10-15 minutes.
If I had to wrap the double-din faceplate on the Benz it would take me maybe 10-15 minutes.
Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 197
Likes: 27
From: Tejas
2016 C450 AMG, 2005 C230 Kompressor
Looking into upgrading my HU this upcoming summer....
Would something of this sort suffice
Or should I invest more properly and look into a Pioneer or other high quality 2-DIN?
I noticed there's a lot of other harnesses, and possibly extra labor (electrically) to be done with other aftermarket products.
Thanks in advance!
Would something of this sort suffice
Or should I invest more properly and look into a Pioneer or other high quality 2-DIN?
I noticed there's a lot of other harnesses, and possibly extra labor (electrically) to be done with other aftermarket products.
Thanks in advance!
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 968
Likes: 62
From: San Francisco, CA
2005 c230SS
This looks like an aftermarket radio with custom-fit faceplate and controls, mounting tabs, and pre-built wiring harness. You still have to do all of the excess wiring ... the only thing it will save you is getting a faceplate and spending time wiring up the harness.
I also don't see any fiber connections (which aftermarket radios don't have).
I also don't see any fiber connections (which aftermarket radios don't have).
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
8 Oddball Mercedes Ideas That Actually Made it to Production
Verdad Gallardo
Dubai Tuner Gives the Mercedes G-Class An Entirely New Look
Verdad Gallardo
Six Gift Ideas Your AMG Loving Dad or Grad Will Cherish
7 Craziest Things AMG Gas Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
New Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Unveiled: 10 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)
Verdad Gallardo
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,434
Likes: 4
From: Raleigh, NC
2005 C230K, 2019 Honda CR-V, '74 Lotus Europa
I've never heard of Koolertron - that doesn't necessarily mean anything. It looks a lot like a Dynavin that I understand was made in China. A few people on this forum bought one and I never heard any complaints about them, but I would buy something from a more well-known brand like Pioneer or Kenwood. I have a Pioneer X940BT that I like pretty well and it cost me less than the Koolertron you pointed to (maybe about the same if you include the install kit, antenna adapter, harness, and steering wheel controls).
Just a thought.
Good luck and let us know what you got!
Just a thought.
Good luck and let us know what you got!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,054
Likes: 11
From: fort worth, tx
06 C230 SS 6spd
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,054
Likes: 11
From: fort worth, tx
06 C230 SS 6spd
i got the older Pioneer F700bt for my audi for only 200 and upgraded all the firmware to 2013 maps. cool thing about pioneer is you can hack it and install maps and what not, the Pioneer units run on a windows program.
Check www.AVIC411.com its a site dedicated to the Pioneer headunits and if the pioneer site stopped doing firmware updates and map updates, members on there have made firmwares to upgrade them. Theres DIY on how to do it, all you need is a SD and it takes about 45 mins for it to load but you only do about 5mins of acutally doing anything most of it is the files moving over from the sd card to the hu hard drive. With that I like the Pioneer HU.
Check www.AVIC411.com its a site dedicated to the Pioneer headunits and if the pioneer site stopped doing firmware updates and map updates, members on there have made firmwares to upgrade them. Theres DIY on how to do it, all you need is a SD and it takes about 45 mins for it to load but you only do about 5mins of acutally doing anything most of it is the files moving over from the sd card to the hu hard drive. With that I like the Pioneer HU.
