Scott Simoncic

Hello everyone.... I would like some opinions. I am looking for, and have the funds to upgrade the Head Unit in my "new to me" 2002 CLK-430. I've been searching and reading like mad about this and have basically come to the conclusion that the heyday of being able to find the retrofit harnesses for a decent price are long ton ($75 for some molex and wiring?.... Seriously?) Hell, if I had the specs I'd just have the guys at work print the molex on the plastic printer at work... Anyhow, I'm looking for a screen to fill up the double-din as I can't stand the plastic tray under the factory audio-30, I also don't have the code if the battery goes flat, and I really need iPhone / iPod connectivity, since all my listening is done through spotify. I am ok with it just being aux-in, anything more is a luxury. I want steering wheel controls, I know PAC makes all kinds of swi and canbus adaptors to make that work, as well as a balanced output adaptor for the bose, which I am happy with. Question: Should I spend $75-$100 on PAC adaptors and $300-500 on an in-dash double-din (don't care if it's nav or not) or spend $75 on the retro harness and $275 on a w210 or w208 Comand unit from E-Bay? Also, I've searched like mad and can't find any definitive pages with an audio 30 to Comand retrofit with, say, detailed instructions, pictures, and links to websites of suppliers for parts that still exist... Any still out there? Any that are on this side of the pond here in the US? Help would be great! I would like to pull the trigger one way or another soon on this project.

MarcusF

If you go the COMAND route, I'd be interested in hearing about the install (please keep this thread going with details). It sounds like you're going to use either an A208540---- box and have the dealer configure the settings, or a late W210 w/CANBUS and have the dealer upgrade the software & configure the settings, or one from an ML and have the dealer do who knows what.

It should be an intersting upgrade.

Scott Simoncic

You hit that right on the head Marcus... Late W210, already upgraded was what I was looking at.... However, after reading your wonderful site DIY on replacing the head unit.... I'm tempted to go the aftermarket route, still not sold either way at the moment, however, the availability of all the PAC interface units makes that route look mighty tasty. The money shot for me is how the unit looks in the car, honestly I've always thought even the comand unit looks somewhat out of place, not as bad as the audio 10/30 setup, but none the less, off. If I can get my hands on a retrofit harness is the big one for me, hell, I might even have the guys at work print a few copies of the molex connectors out on the printer if I get my hands on one, re-pin them and sell them for material costs just on basic principal that $75 for a few feet of 18ga and some molex should have the vendor bearing the weight of sleepless nights due to the lack of morality of the situation. Anyhow.... It's late, more contemplating and research tomorrow... Thanks for the amazing site Marcus!

HWYSTAR

Hey I have a 2001 CLK 430 and my dealer had no problems gettin my code for me free of charge. I also want MP3 connectivity as most of my music is on my phone(Galaxy Note II). I have seen only one site so far that sells refurbished untis with MP3 connectivity. As I am new to the MBZ owners group how do I know which system i have? It has a display and controls for almost verything from the radio,CD,phone etc.

Scott Simoncic

Well, most likely you have the Audio 30, you can decode your vin (google it) and it will tell you, as long as you don't have the factory navigation. If you do have factory nav, then there is an aux in port in your glove box on the right side, looks like a headphone jack. If you don't have the comand nav, then you can use a tape adaptor, which sucks, or a FM Modulator, which sucks... A comand retrofit (which I'm contemplating) or a full aftermarket deck swap. My dealer isn't so nice about such things as giving me the radio code, they want an hour labor to do so.

HWYSTAR

Hey Scott thanks for the response,well my guess is I have the audio 30 since I dont have the nav. As far as your dealer, that's just BS bro. It is no trouble at all for them to pull it up on thier system with just the Vin number and like 5 minutes. Where are you located and what dealer do you go to. I dont mind the command unti in this car and i do love the steering wheel controls. If I go aftermarket then i lose the steering wheel controls but gain all the featurs I want with the possibility of better sound quality with the bose speakers. This system really rocks already but being restricted to just the radio(as I don't bother with CD's anymore) really sux. My dealer is nice enough to hook me up with thier personal aftermarket shop as most older benz owners want the same things. Also check out my post if you can and give some feedback. Thanks.

MarcusF

@HWYSTAR – I swapped head units, kept the steering wheel controls, and kept the BOSE amps and speakers. My cost was $155 in converters plus the head unit.

Two converters are required to keep steering wheel controls. The steering wheel control converters were $140. The converter that changed the HU output to a balanced differential signal (which is what the BOSE amps are intended to receive) cost $15.

Here’s a link to the page that describes what I did.

I did the work at home and it took a couple of hours. The newer aftermarket head units really are much better than the original equipment.

Scott Simoncic

Yes, my dealer isn't very giving... I live in Lodi, CA so it's Berberian in Stockton. Anyhow, you can go aftermarket and keep the steering wheel controls, PAC makes a couple of interface boxes that make it possible, user MacusF has a website that details exactly how to do it.

HWYSTAR

I would really like to keep the controls on the wheel, if I go aftermarket will I just lose the volume controls or all of them.

Scott Simoncic

You can keep the controls including volume if you use the interface boxes from PAC http://www.pac-audio.com/productdeta...?productid=207

HWYSTAR

I want to do a double din with a screen and aux input. Any suggestions.

MarcusF

I'm an Alpine ***** and it's your money (removing any budget contraints), so I'd recommend you look at the Alpine S920HD (for $400 more, the Z928HD is available). There are many more reasonably priced HUs - the Pioneer AVIC series, the Kenwwod DNX series, JVC KWs, and several others.


There are several threads where people have posted pictures of their aftermarket double DINs. GiZzo has a nice HU. A Pioneer IIRC.

HWYSTAR

Hate to say this but ALL of my other rides,my Armada,my fox body stang and all the other vehicles I have owned all had Kenwoods in them. I really like the sound to price value of the Kenwood decks. As far as speakers go,I dont think I will need any subs as most of my music is old school metal and rock. Manowar,Ozzy,Black Label Society,ACDC etc. so I dont really need all the bass, just really goood crisp sound. If I decide to replace the speakers do you guys have a preference,like maybe polk audio or infinity?

Scott Simoncic

Most HU's will match illumination color on the buttons now, that's important to me for matching mb's amber... Just stay away from the $115 double-din "deals" on ebay with the no-names. I'm more of a Focal, Hertz, or Diamond Audio kind of guy for speakers, but that all depends on your budget, and those aren't the cheapest.

Scott Simoncic

Went aftermarket. Was going to do the "Appradio" from Pioneer, but for the price, and the built-in obsolescence, decided that was a bad mood. Now, here's the deal, I love crutchfield, I really do, but I went with Sonic Electronics, and they were FANTASTIC!! Ordered the Headunit, they included all the install parts just like crutchfield, just selected 2001 Volkswagen Jetta, and they sent the harness, kit (which I didn't need obviously) and the antenna adaptor, $4.00 for the removal tools. Best Buy and Crutchfield wanted $379.99 for the HU alone, I paid 279 after shipping and tax, to my front door, and it was there the NEXT DAY! There are a few write-ups, but I figured I'd go with a few questions I had, and have seen, to answer.

The PAC-OEM2/4 debate.... Yes, it's Possible to go without it, which I am doing right now, it's more about getting the middle ground between pre-out and line-out than it is about interference noise or any of that business. The problem is, even at 4 volts, the pre-outs aren't powerful enough, the line-outs are too powerful, this is pretty much what others have posted, but in simple terms, so you're creating a middle ground, that's why it cancels the hiss, or hum, because it isn't the normal ground loop hum that increases with RPM's, it's over-amplified input hiss / hum. Hope that makes sense. So, you can go without it, I am until I can find a decent deal on one, and honestly it sounds great, the hiss is minimal, but 1 on the volume isn't loud, but it's about 5 times louder than it should be, 1 should be 5... 5 should be 10.... 10 should be 20, etc... It doesn't really bother me, as I listen to my music pretty loud, however, it's too loud at 1 to have in the background if you're parked somewhere on the phone.

Now, for the VW harness, mine came with the remote and antenna wires unterminated from the harness, so you have to insert them in the correct blank spots. Disgard the antenna one, you don't need it. The amp turn (remote) lead clicks into the spot that mates up with the blue/white wire in the factory harness. The 12 V Constant Lead needs to be moved, it's the yellow wire in the VW harness, red in the factory harness, remove it by getting a small jewelers flathead screwdriver, and depress the tab holding the pin into the plastic shell of the harness while gently but firmly pulling the yellow wire from the VW harness, it will side out, now clip this into the blank slot in the VW harness that mates up to the red wire in the Mercedes factory harness. For the Switched 12 Volt, and Illumination, reach back and find the harness going to the Cigarette Lighter, You will be tapping these wires, this upset me a bit, because I took the time to actually solder every wire on the vw harness, but I used tap-splices for the switch 12 Volt and Illumination. You will tap the pink w/green stripe for switched 12 Volt, and gray for illumination. I'll post some pictures as soon as my lazy butt downloads them. This was on a 2002 CLK 430 Coupe without Nav, with Bose.