C32 W203 Stereo Retrofit
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
C32 W203 Stereo Retrofit
I recently purchased a 2002 C32 and the previous owner left with a near inoperable audio system as he yanked out his primo amp and didnt properly wire back the old Bose amp for me.
So I have no sound coming from my sub on the rear deck, and I have a number of wires chilling out in my trunk. Sounds like my fronts & rears are getting 3 watts total and my 6-Disk Changer i dont think is even hooked up either. Totally cool paying someone to fix this, but dealer will kill me and every store in Houston just wants to sell me something. I dont want to install another amp- I simply want to use the current Bose speakers and the Bose amp that are in there, just need to figure out how to wire them back together.
Does anyone have any thoughs, suggestions or some pics or diagrams to help me?
Ive spent the last 8 hours searching on google & these message boards and have not found anything to help. I am getting old.
thanks in advance
So I have no sound coming from my sub on the rear deck, and I have a number of wires chilling out in my trunk. Sounds like my fronts & rears are getting 3 watts total and my 6-Disk Changer i dont think is even hooked up either. Totally cool paying someone to fix this, but dealer will kill me and every store in Houston just wants to sell me something. I dont want to install another amp- I simply want to use the current Bose speakers and the Bose amp that are in there, just need to figure out how to wire them back together.
Does anyone have any thoughs, suggestions or some pics or diagrams to help me?
Ive spent the last 8 hours searching on google & these message boards and have not found anything to help. I am getting old.
thanks in advance
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,221
Likes: 11
From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
Originally Posted by hugoma
I recently purchased a 2002 C32 and the previous owner left with a near inoperable audio system as he yanked out his primo amp and didnt properly wire back the old Bose amp for me.
So I have no sound coming from my sub on the rear deck, and I have a number of wires chilling out in my trunk. Sounds like my fronts & rears are getting 3 watts total and my 6-Disk Changer i dont think is even hooked up either. Totally cool paying someone to fix this, but dealer will kill me and every store in Houston just wants to sell me something. I dont want to install another amp- I simply want to use the current Bose speakers and the Bose amp that are in there, just need to figure out how to wire them back together.
Does anyone have any thoughs, suggestions or some pics or diagrams to help me?
Ive spent the last 8 hours searching on google & these message boards and have not found anything to help. I am getting old.
thanks in advance
So I have no sound coming from my sub on the rear deck, and I have a number of wires chilling out in my trunk. Sounds like my fronts & rears are getting 3 watts total and my 6-Disk Changer i dont think is even hooked up either. Totally cool paying someone to fix this, but dealer will kill me and every store in Houston just wants to sell me something. I dont want to install another amp- I simply want to use the current Bose speakers and the Bose amp that are in there, just need to figure out how to wire them back together.
Does anyone have any thoughs, suggestions or some pics or diagrams to help me?
Ive spent the last 8 hours searching on google & these message boards and have not found anything to help. I am getting old.
thanks in advance
You can buy your own drawings from Mercedes USA using the tech info site and you can get replacement pins and BOSE connector from www.audiocomp.de - Look in the shop section under plugs for the later.
http://www.startekinfo.com/StarTek/subscribe.jsp
You can buy a 1 day pass and go nuts with data downloads.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 538
Likes: 2
From: Silicon valley
Audi C7.5 S6
If you have the original radio, then you need to connect the optical link to the Bose amp. If the other person had another amp connected to the door speakers, then you have a larger mess. The Bose speakers are about 2 ohm, most aftermarket speakers are 4 ohm. He probably has already switched out the speakers also?
If the old radio was removed or amp was removed, then the optical link would have generated an error in the system, which need to have been turn off by telling the computer that the amp and radio are not installed. The CD player connects to the radio with an optical link.
You really need to take an inventory of what you currently have, how much was changed? Find someone who knows Mercedes 2002-2003 audio.
On mine, I tapped into the input electrical signals inside the Bose amp, between the ADC op amp buffers and the power amp. I also changed all the door speakers to 4 ohm, put in a different subwoofer and amp. All my optical connections are intact.
Also, if you talk to the Mercedes service department nicely, they may get a printout of the speaker connections to the Bose amp. I have one somewhere, in paper form.
Here are some links that may be useful, some forums need logon to view.
https://mbworld.org/forums/audio-electronics-38/
http://www.buellwinkle.com/howtos.html
http://www.mbklasse.com/forums/ Car Electronics & Lighting
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/audio-telematics-forum/
http://www.benzworld.org/tech.html?id=322
If the old radio was removed or amp was removed, then the optical link would have generated an error in the system, which need to have been turn off by telling the computer that the amp and radio are not installed. The CD player connects to the radio with an optical link.
You really need to take an inventory of what you currently have, how much was changed? Find someone who knows Mercedes 2002-2003 audio.
On mine, I tapped into the input electrical signals inside the Bose amp, between the ADC op amp buffers and the power amp. I also changed all the door speakers to 4 ohm, put in a different subwoofer and amp. All my optical connections are intact.
Also, if you talk to the Mercedes service department nicely, they may get a printout of the speaker connections to the Bose amp. I have one somewhere, in paper form.
Here are some links that may be useful, some forums need logon to view.
https://mbworld.org/forums/audio-electronics-38/
http://www.buellwinkle.com/howtos.html
http://www.mbklasse.com/forums/ Car Electronics & Lighting
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/audio-telematics-forum/
http://www.benzworld.org/tech.html?id=322
Last edited by m444; Aug 5, 2006 at 12:44 PM.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
C32 W203 Stereo Retrofit
Thank you both for your replys. Purchased the drawings- somewhat helpful but not visual enough for me. Hoping to see what things are supposed to look like.
I have the OEM headunit, OEM speakers (which i think all work) and the Bose Amp. I have the sound1 optical cable plugged in to the amp, all of the wiring in, and not sure where sound2 goes. I did have some weak sound coming from my front & rear (not sub though) for a day or so, though there was absolutely no bass. Now nothing is working, but fuses all look good (and my radio is coming on, just no sound). So not sure what happened now.
All looks plugged in correctly to the amp. Not sure why the Center speaker would not be working or why there would be no sound now...
I have the OEM headunit, OEM speakers (which i think all work) and the Bose Amp. I have the sound1 optical cable plugged in to the amp, all of the wiring in, and not sure where sound2 goes. I did have some weak sound coming from my front & rear (not sub though) for a day or so, though there was absolutely no bass. Now nothing is working, but fuses all look good (and my radio is coming on, just no sound). So not sure what happened now.
All looks plugged in correctly to the amp. Not sure why the Center speaker would not be working or why there would be no sound now...
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 538
Likes: 2
From: Silicon valley
Audi C7.5 S6
Have you looked at the Bose amp? If you look in the truck, on the right side wheelwell, there is a large connector (cinch jones rectangular) plug (maybe 20 pins), that goes into the Bose amp. You may need to pull ut the amp to see the connector. All the speaker wires come from the connector. They are twisted pairs. They are all color coded.
Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
everything and anything
Originally Posted by m444
If you have the original radio, then you need to connect the optical link to the Bose amp. If the other person had another amp connected to the door speakers, then you have a larger mess. The Bose speakers are about 2 ohm, most aftermarket speakers are 4 ohm. He probably has already switched out the speakers also?
If the old radio was removed or amp was removed, then the optical link would have generated an error in the system, which need to have been turn off by telling the computer that the amp and radio are not installed. The CD player connects to the radio with an optical link.
You really need to take an inventory of what you currently have, how much was changed? Find someone who knows Mercedes 2002-2003 audio.
On mine, I tapped into the input electrical signals inside the Bose amp, between the ADC op amp buffers and the power amp. I also changed all the door speakers to 4 ohm, put in a different subwoofer and amp. All my optical connections are intact.
Also, if you talk to the Mercedes service department nicely, they may get a printout of the speaker connections to the Bose amp. I have one somewhere, in paper form.
Here are some links that may be useful, some forums need logon to view.
https://mbworld.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=38
http://www.buellwinkle.com/howtos.html
http://www.mbklasse.com/forums/ Car Electronics & Lighting
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/audio-telematics-forum/
http://www.benzworld.org/tech.html?id=322
If the old radio was removed or amp was removed, then the optical link would have generated an error in the system, which need to have been turn off by telling the computer that the amp and radio are not installed. The CD player connects to the radio with an optical link.
You really need to take an inventory of what you currently have, how much was changed? Find someone who knows Mercedes 2002-2003 audio.
On mine, I tapped into the input electrical signals inside the Bose amp, between the ADC op amp buffers and the power amp. I also changed all the door speakers to 4 ohm, put in a different subwoofer and amp. All my optical connections are intact.
Also, if you talk to the Mercedes service department nicely, they may get a printout of the speaker connections to the Bose amp. I have one somewhere, in paper form.
Here are some links that may be useful, some forums need logon to view.
https://mbworld.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=38
http://www.buellwinkle.com/howtos.html
http://www.mbklasse.com/forums/ Car Electronics & Lighting
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/audio-telematics-forum/
http://www.benzworld.org/tech.html?id=322
I was hoping to improve the quality of my stereo, without sacrificing the use of the steering wheel contols. The mods you performed....does the controls still function? Also do you recommend any particular amp or speakers? I know its a matter of taste and budget.
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
