Hey all,

There has been a great deal of forum discussion on COMAND retrofits but nothing with a full HK logic 7 retro as well.

Well--just completed a complete retrofit of a 2009 512 option COMAND with 810 option HK logic 7 amp into a 2010 C class with audio 20. Retrofit also included a UCI retrofit. The system is fantastic! So it is possible to for all that might be wondering.

This retrofit is not for the faint of heart. It required basically removing the entire interior to route the MOST cables and restring speaker cables from their original front to the HU to the amp in the trunk. Very hard taking 4 full days and lots of patience.

I'll post all parts used in a later post. Bottom line it is best to get as much of the equipment for one donor vehicle. That and thanks to comand online UK for retrofit kit.

World is difference in sound and this before even replacing the stock speakers. Even my dubstep loving son was impressed by the lows this system will hit now.

Having the large 7 inch screen is rewarding--no more squinting...

So if you have time, patience and money this is a retrofit well worth the contorted positions you will be in installing this system.

 

As an addendum to this post I have not recoded yet or SCN for instrument cluster navi. All else works however. Looking forward to testing PCMCIA and UCI with iPhone.

 

can you give me some info on the UCI install?

I have a module and wasn't quite sure about how to retrofit it.

 

How much we're all the parts?

 

Finally completed the final steps to recode for the COMAND, UCI and amp. Dealer also did the firmware update. Man what a difference! I have to give it up for American Service Center in Arlington, VA. The shop manager, Jack R. took this on himself amd exceeded my expectations. I couldn't be happier with the results.

Altogether this project probably cost around $1900 after the buying and selling of parts settles. Outright I probably spent closer to $2800 outright but was able to offset some of the costs. The final product is better than I anticipated.

This weekend I had to Dynamat the rear deck due to the vibration from the subwoofer. $39 fix.

A total retrofit that includes the HK amp and surround sound is so worth the work. This is a complex project so not to be taken on if you don't understand wiring diagrams and basic electronics. If you do try this I highly recommend you do a ton of research and harvest as many of the parts as you can from a single vehicle. It will save you a great deal of aggravation.

 

Vertex. Sorry for the delayed reply. Have been extremely busy. For everything I spent in the $2800 range but sold many of the extra and leftover parts. Final cost is in the $1900 range. Primary cost came from the HU, amp, UCI, and wiring including the fiber optic cables. I also bought the comand online uk retrofit kit--saved me a bunch of time. Most of the work involved routing the fiber optic cables through the floor wiring channels.

 

If you have the main UCI then you need a few more parts depending on your set-up. Do you have sat radio? If so this will require different fiber optic setup. The reason being in the COMAND fiber optic system, or MOST is wired in series, not parallel meaning each of the components are wiring in a big ring. In my system fiber goes out from the HU, to the amp, out from the amp to that sat radio, from the sat radio to the UCI, from the UCI back finally to the HU. If any of the parts are not functioning or powered then only the HU will work.

So.... If you do not have an amp or sat radio then it becomes much easier. If you have only the sat radio then there is some rerouting of the outgoing fiber to the UCI instead of the HU and one final fiber line from the UCI back to the HU. You will then need the power cable and the cable to attach your iPhone to the UCI (this one is expensive). For directions on the retrofit I believe command online uk or mercupgrade has them on their site.

Let me know what set up you have and I can look up the parts you need to do the install.

Sorry for lengthy message but just not a simple answer.

 

I'm in the process of a similar retrofit on 2006 SLK. I've found a pinout for the HK amp; but do not understand how to wire the 11 speakers to the 7 outputs. Can anyone help with that and/or supply a wiring diagram. Or, a wire harness part number that will properly connect the speakers to the amp (AGW).


Thanks,


Brent

 

Ive just installed a carplay module and when in the engineering controls getting sound running through auxiliary I noticed the amp was set to "internal"? This I didn't understand knowing there is an amp in the boot. So I set it to "external".

My question is.... What should it be set too? Im starting to think there is likely a built in amp in the Comand head unit as well as the one in the rear which possibly just drives the subwoofer?

Any ideas?