Command system issues 2005 Cl 500
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Newbie
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 9
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From: New Jersey
1997 W140 (S500)
Command system issues 2005 Cl 500
Before anyone suggests I did take all of the discs out including the nav 
Anyway my battery drained so i bought a new one about a month later (christmas eve) my car wouldn't start. I thought it had to be an alternator but it is a Benz ... so i took it to a dealer and before i started it up with the new battery I heard a strange noise coming from my navigation area. The dealership tells me for some reason the command unit/nav/cd is staying on when the car is off. They told me 9k to relplace with a refurbished unit. If i change my cd/navigation will this problem go away? I was thinking of getting a switch installed to cut power to the command unit, but for now i am straight ghetto (i disconnect the battery every time i get out of the car) any advice?? prior experience?
Anyway my battery drained so i bought a new one about a month later (christmas eve) my car wouldn't start. I thought it had to be an alternator but it is a Benz ... so i took it to a dealer and before i started it up with the new battery I heard a strange noise coming from my navigation area. The dealership tells me for some reason the command unit/nav/cd is staying on when the car is off. They told me 9k to relplace with a refurbished unit. If i change my cd/navigation will this problem go away? I was thinking of getting a switch installed to cut power to the command unit, but for now i am straight ghetto (i disconnect the battery every time i get out of the car) any advice?? prior experience?
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 310
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CL500
Before anyone suggests I did take all of the discs out including the nav Anyway my battery drained so i bought a new one about a month later (christmas eve) my car wouldn't start. I thought it had to be an alternator but it is a Benz ... so i took it to a dealer and before i started it up with the new battery I heard a strange noise coming from my navigation area. The dealership tells me for some reason the command unit/nav/cd is staying on when the car is off. They told me 9k to relplace with a refurbished unit. If i change my cd/navigation will this problem go away? I was thinking of getting a switch installed to cut power to the command unit, but for now i am straight ghetto (i disconnect the battery every time i get out of the car) any advice?? prior experience?
Anyway my battery drained so i bought a new one about a month later (christmas eve) my car wouldn't start. I thought it had to be an alternator but it is a Benz ... so i took it to a dealer and before i started it up with the new battery I heard a strange noise coming from my navigation area. The dealership tells me for some reason the command unit/nav/cd is staying on when the car is off. They told me 9k to relplace with a refurbished unit. If i change my cd/navigation will this problem go away? I was thinking of getting a switch installed to cut power to the command unit, but for now i am straight ghetto (i disconnect the battery every time i get out of the car) any advice?? prior experience?
Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 90
Likes: 2
From: Calgary,Alberta, Canada.
2003 CL500
yeah but could be electrical, as in the command staying on because of another fault such as a computer thats gone haywire and is telling it to stay on. I would go to the dealer to atleast get a diagnosis,
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 584
Likes: 3
From: Northern NJ
E90 N54 & W251
If the COMAND unit is staying on, then the fiber ring never goes to sleep in addition to the power that the unit is consuming, hence causing the battery drain. Since we're talking potential big $$$, I would first fork out an hour of diagnostic time at your local dealer to find the EXACT cause of the problem. If it's definitive that COMAND needs to be replaced, then I would contact Steve at MBenzNL and have him sell and install a Euro COMAND unit for much cheaper. Good luck!
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 960
Likes: 2
From: Long Island, NY & SE England
A Mercedes obviously!
My father had this exact problem and with similar diagnosis and solution by MB dealer on his '00 S500 in the UK. However, the dealer said it wouldn't guarantee a fix of the problem and he didn't want to drive around with a car that rattled.
It was a f'in PITA and he ended up junking the car as a result.
It was a f'in PITA and he ended up junking the car as a result.
Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 212
Likes: 2
2000 CL500 1992 300SE
Use the nav disc only when needed.
It costs nothing to eject the nav disc when it is not in use. This will eliminate the high draw on the battery.
The dealer tried to sell me a new alternator for my CL500, but my neighborhood mechanic found the alternator fine. He also found a 3.0 amp draw on the battery that dropped significantly when the cd was ejected from the nav.
Saved me $800.00 plus tax.
The dealer tried to sell me a new alternator for my CL500, but my neighborhood mechanic found the alternator fine. He also found a 3.0 amp draw on the battery that dropped significantly when the cd was ejected from the nav.
Saved me $800.00 plus tax.
