maverik259

you are correct about the SDARS. I went through this basically when I added LCS (voice control). I've gotten everything wired up but still to this day haven't gotten it to work. but the install is similar. helps too if you get confused on which wires go where you can undo your radio and use those for guidance and a flashlight. You can shine it rhough and see where it comes out to know which fiber is out and which fiber is in.

lkfoster

It must be SDARS. When I added voice control all I had to do was plug it in and add the control stalk.

Interesting tip on the fiber network. I have found several different sequences for the loop in the documentation.

BF_JC230

Thanks guys.

My take away - I WILL have to pull back the carpet (not 100% sure how yet...looks tight) ((Thinking just pop the sill/kick panel and remove the whole piece of carpet, not sure I want to just peel it back and risk damaging anything...)) and adjust my fiber cables according to the document.

For NOW I will follow said document with respect to removing the SOUND fiber from slot 2 and replace it with with SOUND 2 in the trunk at the MOST Connector pulled out of the HK SOUND Amp.

- SDARS makes sense NOT to reconfigure the MOST RING near the transmission as it is the item before the CDC (if you have a CDC).

Again the loop needs to be for OEM NA Cars;
HU(Radio20/COMAND > SOUND > TELEPHONE > SATELLITE > CDChanger

MAX Options;
HU > SOUND > VOICE CONTROL > TELEPHONE > SATELLITE > CDChanger

maverik259

i have yet to get it to work man...its been installed for 6 months with nothing to show! lol

BF_JC230

Okay...between playing with my two year old...holding and rocking my 20 day old...working on the house and watching some TV with my wife...

I was able to pull out the carpet. Took no time...
1.) Pull UP on the sill, there are FOUR connectors pretty evenly spaced. The rear most, toward the seat required a little more finesse as I did not want to damage where it wraps around the B Post.
2.) Unclip the cover and with a large Phillips/Pozidrive remove the screw in the kick panel. Pull the leading edge (near door under fabric seal) INTO the car, there are two clips - one low and one high. Slightly fold the top in and pull it out.
3.) Fold carpet up, pull the carpet from under the console/dash and push up away from (my car) manual seat slider and remove.

Now...

HOW DO I UNCLIP THE MOST CONNECTOR THAT IS RECTANGULAR? Never mind the fact that I can barely remove the cables. They are PACKED in there - so much for all
the M-B warnings about how to treat the Fiber Cables...these things are packed and looped tightly! So...I can barely now get to the rectangular connector - just can not pop it open...any help would be great!

(Maverik259 - you have VOICE installed and NOT working or TELEPHONE or BOTH?!?!)

BF_JC230

Figured it out. Just pry back opposite of the slot on the bottom, the slot is a molding shut off to make the tab. Then walk it off end to end a bit at a time as the squares are friction fit pegs. Once inside, you will need to release the finger tang tab holding the ribbing of the fiber end.

Made the MOST Loop Configuration at the transmission and installed the MHI set up in the trunk.

Onto the armrest...

QUESTION!!!???!!!
Did those of you that made this install CONFIGURE AND SET THE MOST RING THRU STAR DIAGNOSTICS BEFORE TURNING IT ON? Or was this an at home DIY? Thanks! I have not read a single issue with the MOST ring and NEEDING STAR.

Thanks!

lkfoster

I didn't have to code anything for my BT, or voice for that matter. Just plugged everything in and it worked. The dealer reset an error code for the voice but it didn't change anything. As long as the fiber ring is intact you should be good.

BF_JC230

How did you configure the MOST Fibers to link VOICE properly into the loop? That may help others here like Maverik259 (or myself in the future)

maverik259

i hooked it up as per MBenzNL instructions so i know its hooked in to the most correctly. Plus it shows up on the MOST through STAR. However, nothing ever happens when you pull the stalk.

lkfoster

As I recall, which is spotty at best, I put the VCS before the phone. The phone input fiber is removed and placed into the VCS and a fiber from the VCS into the phone connector that you just tweaked.

BF_JC230

THANKS! That is mentioned and shown in Post #99. (I was asking more specifically what "IN > OUT" / "Funtion1 > Function2" did you use as there are many configurations. THANKS!)

I got it all up and running last night made the first test call! Overall I would say that I was EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS and so that took me a few extra minutes. That said, it is NOT A HARD INSTALL. Sure you have to remove some trim, and carefully move the fibers and fiber connections - but not bad!

THANKS TO ALL THAT HAVE POSTED AND HELPED - Hopefully with the added information and clear documentation - others will be willing to take this on and keep these components from the crusher/land fill.

(One last note: I DID PUT SOUND1 into MOST Connector Chamber2 at the AMP on my w203)

BF_JC230

This is the last part I was waiting for to re-install it OEM.
It is the 8mm Flange Nut that goes to the stud within the taillight area of the inner quarter panel.

turbonos7

Good for you! I am also in the process of performing this install although my progress is slow. Parts are just getting harder and harder to find. The dealer said that there are now only 7 of the brackets left for purchase in the country. I have the UHI "brain" module and the puck. Now searching for the always elusive contact plate. Hoping to come across that at some yard somewhere but something tells me chances of that happening are slim. I'll be happy with just getting what I need to make it work. I would like to make it oem and also install the antenna switch and the line compensator but if they become too hard to find I might not trouble myself with them as no one will ever need them other than to make the install oem which like I said I want to do. Anyways, how is the quality of the phone calls?

Duncan64

i'm thinking of canning the OEM unit and getting this bad boy...

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/AppRadio

SamIam43vr

I am in the same boat here with the VCS. The unit is installed with the stalk as well. It shows up as one of the items on the loop according the the HU in 'Engineering Mode' so it knows it's there and it's powered. Just not getting any feedback when pulling on the stalk.

turbonos7

Duncan, I would think about it THRICE! I have been tracking the appradio alternative since the original one and although this one is the best one yet and they are also offering a version that plays cd/DVDs which is awesome compared to the last version, all it takes is me reading a few reviews and I suddenly don't know anymore. The reviews are soooo all over the place! Some people love it, some people hate it. A lot of people are so so. I think mostly because it is so cheap compared to other alternatives. Almost everyone complains about all the safety screens you have to constantly push ok on just to get to where you need to get to. Another thing would be the list of compatible apps and the fact that you have to pay for most of the ones that are actually useful... Anyways, like I said I've been tracking it for a long while now and would love to get it, I just don't think it's ready for my expectations yet so I will wait. If you want to sell me your oem stuff let me know! I'll gladly take it off your hands!

turbonos7

Sam, did you re-arrange the mic input and the sound output when you installed the VCS? The mic array normally goes into the phone system but when VCS is installed it sits "higher" in the loop than the phone system. HU is the master, then sound (if you have it), then VCS, then phone. This means that your sound "out" whether from HU or amp goes to VCS, and then to phone.

You probably did it right but I was just trying to help just in case.

maverik259

my only issue with app radio is the lack of an actual radio...

and pretty sure my loop is correct, i believe that whats messing me up is the mobridge bluetooth/ipod system. Since it uses it's own mic vice the ones int he rear view mirror etc. But midcityengineering swears that that will not be an issue...but IDK i just need someone with STAR and an afternoon to mess around with it all

BF_JC230

I messed with the OEM phone system this weekend using a V710 Motorola connected via Cradle.

- I turned up and turned down the volume by just pressing the right most steering wheel buttons. "+" for volume up and "-" for volume down! That was it, real easy! Everyone could hear me at 30mph or 65mph, I had no comments on sound / sound quality and I could talk very easily.

Duncan64

Thank you i have not read a ton of reviews but now that you've said that, i'll start diving into it. I already told my wife i want the radio without the CD player for xmass since i'll mostly use pandora or bluetooth radio streaming from my iphone. I wanted to hold on to the stock radio and got a used Itronics so i could use my bluetooth phone and use the steering wheel controls. Problem with that is that i want to use it to stream bluetooth pandora from my iphone, but you have to connect it everytime you start the car and it blips in and out all the time. I can't stand it. My OEM navigation is terrible, i wouldn't want to sell it to you. It restarts all the time out of nowhere then you have to put the location in again.

by the way, i have a OEM bluetooth puck if anyone wants to buy it. I bought it off of Ebay when i first got the car, but then realized I didn't have the cradle and can't find a used one anywhere.

turbonos7

What I did for now is I got the OEM iPod integration kit and then I stuck a Viseeo bluetooth module (tune 2 air) where you would normally connect the ipod in the glove box and I've been using that. I have an iPhone 5 and it works very well. I stream pandora, or play my own playlists from my library and it switches back and forth no issues. Once I'm connected, it connects every time I get in the car. Picks up where the music left off last time it was playing and everything. When I get a phone call it pauses the music and then continues when I hang up. Works like a charm. Once I get the oem bluetooth going I will probably get the viseeo MB-4 bluetooth module to replace the oem one since I have read that they work together well. Other than that I plan on upgrading the car's factory speakers, amp (I don't have one now), and maybe get an 8 inch sub nothing too crazy.

As far as your navi...lol man that sucks... I can see how frustrating that can be... My wife takes no prisoners.... she's always so quick to be like "I thought this was a mercedes? Why is the door handle broken then? I bet that wouldn't happen if it was an AUDI...lol" I'm like "Sounds like you wanna walk....on those high heels....lol" It's always fun for me to argue cars with the wife!

As far as the contact plate.... yes it is hard to find one, espcially by itself but I'm working on it. If I find a source and you change your mind I'll let you know...

turbonos7

Maverik259, I see you got orders to the west coast.... you in Port Hueneme now?

Duncan64

Sounds like you got everything working pretty well for you then. I even tried to use a FM transmitter that uses the bluetooth streaming from my iphone, but even that looses the station after a while ... i tell you, this thing has caused lots of gray hairs to turn absolutely white on me!

My wife tells me the same thing... I always get the .. "you could have gotten a cheap brand new Hyundai with less issues than this thing" ... but obviously she doesn't understand lol

I did go kinda crazy on the maintenance thing when i first got the car, taking it all apart and cleaning everything with soap and water before putting it back together. You could eat off that engine so clean it was. Now my oil cap is leaking and i'm like OMG NOOOO!!!!

I've been looking at reviews and yes, the pioneer seems a little slow and the app thing may be a bit of a drag since they dont support all apps... but in the same breath I saw you can completely run anything on your Iphone on the 7" screen which is perfectly fine with me. The biggest things i want out of it, is good sound quality running pandora, and a good up to date navigation system. Then i saw there's a nice backup camera that i want also love

turbonos7

Hey no prob, just felt it was necessary to create that moment of hesitation and allow you to read a little deeper before you went all in on the appradio. Trust me, it's still tempting for me at this point since I'm very creative and had been thinking since long ago why cars even have radios when all you need now is some sort of interface for your phone and an amp to boost sound since the phone does everything now.

I've been open to the idea of the appradio for a while and now it is actually exists I just don't want to get disappointed. I guess I'll wait until you get yours and we will all see how it goes.... Good luck!

BF_JC230

Update image of MAIN parts needed...per PMs.
This image does not include the bracket.

B Q682 0967 (dropping the B seems to help) MHI Module
203 820 13 11 Contact Bracket
203 545 60 40 Bracket

Alt. Numbers
219 820 09 26 MHI Module
215 820 06 11 Contact Bracket

B Q682 0462 Hardware