I just bought this car yesterday and I was shocked to not see an 08 CLK350 with NO bluetooth. It has the iPod and the CD changer in the glove box, but NO bluetooth. Also, it has the "i" and the "wrench" in the center console, but it looks like it wasn't pre-wired for BLUETOOTH where I could just connect a puck (dealer said it doesn't have the prewiring in it either b/c there would be a cap in the center console for it)

Has anyone done an installation of BT on this car before? How is it? Any feedback? Was it too difficult to start from the top? The dealer wants like $3000 to put it in and I think thats outrageous.

What is the best product to buy. I want it integrated into the functionality of the system as well, but am worried its too difficult. I saw a video on Youtube, the itronic system, and it looked pretty easy to do, but I couldn't find a place to purchase it anywhere. A little overwhelmed b/c CA law requires hands-free devices and I don't want to have to hold the phone up to me on speakerphone

Is there an installer somewhere in the los angeles area? Thanks for all the help guys!!

 

Lol, have fun with that. Aftermarket is your way to go.

 

Lol.. Any reccomendations?? I dont want to have just an earpiece or speakerphone

 

i have NAV-TV bluetooth and it works great, im happy with it....it uses all the steering wheel functions just like its OEM...installation is pretty easy, i did it myself...any question just let me know

 

Just checking but are you sure that it is not under the cap because I have never seen a Mercedes built after 2003 that doesn't have pre wiring and if it's not use parrot there very good quality and a reasonable price and halfords or a place like that will integrate it for you!

 

Go the Parrot route...probably cost you around $800 installed...much less than the MB route

 

Seriously parrot costs that much in the us - here in England a good model will cost you £160 including fitting!

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...egoryId_165571

 

under what cap? I can take a pic of the center console but I'm having them check on Monday as well. I was shocked to see no prewiring kit there as well. I open the center console slider and seriously, on the right side, there is the wrench and i, and then inside its just a cup holder and behind that is a fabricated rectangular box in which the back side of it is angled out. No type of box in there at all.

I'll look up the parrot model, do you think I can buy it in Europe and then install it? Will I still be able to use the function on the center console (send, end, dialing, etc)?

 

Btw, it DEFINITELY looks like the Nav-TV is the way to go to get the most usability out of the Mercedes interface. Does anyone else have this? How long does it take to install? What kind of work/skilsl is required?

http://navtv.com/product/24/tooki-mb...eShowProduct=1

Just talked to a dealer who said NAV-TV TOOKI system is bad and people have had bad experiences with them and Parrot is the best one to go with.

Also said to maybe do Mobridge? Guy said it uses Parrot and it'll cost about $1K to install and $650 standalone and says its MUCH better and does the same thing.

Thinking about getting one on eBay w/ the iPod kit (even though i already have iPod, for only $650.. Think I can install it on my own

 

Has anyone installed the denison gateway 500? Ive been reading and its much cheeper than any of the others and provides the exact same features. It seems before they had some issues with the bluetooth but it all looks resolved. Can someone please shed some light on this. Thanks!!!!!

 

+1

 

fuggeddaboutit!!! you can have OEM BT in that sled in under 2 hrs for about $600 (I did). Is there a cell antenna on the rear window?

 

No cell antennae on my rear window. How'd you do it for under $600????

I was reading more and more about the Denison Gateway 500 and it seems like it has more features than the mobridge and is about $250 cheaper.

Can anyone confirm this will work???

 

Brutha, you gotta do some searching, or like the mods say "STFF". There's a comprehensive thread in the Audio forum by Skylaw to start with. Since I'm guessing you're not much of a speedreader, I'll give you my takeaway from it all: aftermarket units may be easier and/or cheaper, but your buttons on your steering wheel won't work. Get in touch with cellguy85 (cellguy@live.com) and he'll school you. He's in SoCali so he might even install, but take it from me: it's DIY and moron-proof.

 

Wow.. I thought w/ the iTronic or mObridge or even the Denison would work with the steering wheel controls. I will definitely read more and i'll get in touch with cellguy85.. From all of the videos I've watched, it seems pretty easy to just do it myself. Basically, I remove the CD changer and just plug in the fiber optic cables to either the iTronic, mObrdige, or Denison and then power (I know, there's a little more to it than that0.

 

who says the aftermarket BT wouldn't work with the steering wheel controls??????????? you're right KingsDude, i have the Nav-TV tooki and all the functions include steering wheel controls work just fine.. i think that the mobridge and itronic are the same way.

 

If the car is truely not prewired then you would not be able to put in the OEM system without running the fiber optics. This would require the dealer to do it and cost at least $2 grand. However, you cannot tell if the car is prewired by looking for the cap in the console. To check for prewiring, use your VIN to look at the cars options or you can unscrew the back of the inside of the console and see if there are connections and wires there. If so, you can go OEM form $600 to $700. If not you can use the 3rd party options mentioned above. I believe that although you can use the steering wheel controls, you may have some other consequences related to CD changer on some of them. Anyway as eddie045 mentions, read the thread from skylaw and talk to cellguy85.

MBA

 

I think a few of us got all excited when we learned our cars were "prewired", then we learned that prewiring ain't half of what's needed. That said, I find it really hard to believe that an 08 wouldn't be prewired (but the lack of an antenna might support that. not a deal-breaker though, as BT doesn't use the antenna) cellguy85 is the best place to start; MBAgain and I both used him and he's the real deal. Been installing phones in MBs since 85, so he knows his way around. Unlike sellers of lots of aftermarket stuff, if his stuff won't work in your car, he doesn't want to sell it to you.

 

Wow.. You guys were right and it shows that you all know WAY more than a MBZ dealer does (even when they had the car in for service) and you guys didn't have a picture!!

Sure enough, I unscrewed the torx in the center console and there was power and there was fiberoptic cable. Unbelievable. So now what? What do I need to purchase? I assume I can just open it up again, plug the bluetooth adapter into both pieces and tuck them away and be good to go? Any instructions on this?

 

PM me your email address; I'll send you the install instructions (couldn't upload here). You need a MHI/UHI, a bracket to mount it/them on, the puck mount to put in your console, and the puck itself. Again, call cellguy (Keith Valentine 714-746-5930). Tell him eddieo sent you.

 

I talked to Keith and he's extremely helpful. Willing to sell me the OEM used parts for $575 + TAX (ugh, CA!). I'm still debating whether to have him come and install it or if I can do it myself.

Has anyone had experience installing it? All I have is the fiberoptic cable and the power module and from everything I saw online re: the aftermarket stuff, it looked SO easy, but I'm not sure how the install will go with the OEM system. A few years back, I successfuly installed an in-dash car computer (computer was in the trunk - ran all the wires, etc), so I feel like this should be a walk in the park. However, I really don't want to f anything up and am hesitant to mess with the fiberoptics. If it were simple plug in play, it would be easy and I'd do it in a hearbreak. But I really have a general understanding of whats required-- plug in the cradle and then install the BT adapter but you still have to mount the cradle - right?

Guidance is appreciated!

 

I have purchased the iTronic system and am trying to work out kinks with it now.

The steering wheel and center console controls work, including address-book download.

The problem I have with it is a bit odd. I'm used to handsfree units where the people at the other end say I sound bad while I can hear them just fine, but with the iTronic in my car, it's the other way around. Callers say I sound fine, but I can barely hear them, as though the volume has been turned way down. Turning up the volume in the car has no effect. *sometimes* changing the volume settings on the phone helps, but then it's not really very "hands free", is it? Sometimes it works well, and then it's great.

Note that I have a cabriolet, but the effect seems to be the same with the top up or down, moving or not, though, as you would expect, it is harder to hear when there is more noise.

iTronic support told me I could install in place of the CD changer, which I did, but now they say that the unit needs to be right next to head unit in the fiber daisy-chain, so I have to pull out the unit, rip apart the center stack, and put it in there. I'm trying to find time to do that...

As an aside, I got the version with iPod interface. What it does is pretend to be the CD-changer. Better than the OEM in that you can use the dash controls, see song names, etc., on the COMAND display, and use bluetooth for music. Different "discs" are various menus. Select disc 1 to get a list of your iPod playlists, for instance. To select a menu item you use "seek" to get to it, and "fast forward" (press and hold "seek" in Mercedes, so a bit awkward) to select it. You can access playlists, artists, albums, genres, and settings this way.

It works OK, except that when I shut off the car and come back, the car always switches to radio or something else, apparently because the iTronic doesn't come up fast enough. Again, iTronic support says I need to move it on the daisy chain, but if the old CD changer could work right in this location, I don't see why the iTronic can't.

Also, one of the reasons to get the iTronic (though it's not well advertised on their site) is that it can play music from an iPhone over bluetooth. However, I haven't been able to get that function to work with mine. You can guess what support says I need to do...

The install itself has been pretty easy, though mine clearly isn't done. Working with the fiber optics isn't hard as long as you remember not to ever kink it.

Hope that helps...

 

im in the exact same boat as you! i have a 08 clk350 and no cradle. the dealer said that i need core kit, completer kit, and puck. witch costs 1000 + 1000 for labor. all because my car is not pre wired.

I opened the screws just now and found 2 wires sitting there!

What part numbers do i need? I know the puck is B67876131, but i need to pop out the square and put the connector/cradel. what part is that?


BTW, the dealer does not know ****!

 

If you will call cellguy as mentioned above, he can tell you the parts you need and send you instructions. I did this install with the help of a friend and it was not too difficult. If I was in Cali, I probably would have asked cellguy for a quote on the install. It will take you a few hours and it just depends on how you value your time. MB dealer quoted me $2000 and I did it for $650 or so for parts plus my labor. Great thing about OEM is it looks great and works as advertised.

MBA

 

[quote=KingsDude;4194922]I talked to Keith and he's extremely helpful. Willing to sell me the OEM used parts for $575 + TAX (ugh, CA!). I'm still debating whether to have him come and install it or if I can do it myself.

Has anyone had experience installing it? All I have is the fiberoptic cable and the power module and from everything I saw online re: the aftermarket stuff, it looked SO easy, but I'm not sure how the install will go with the OEM system. A few years back, I successfuly installed an in-dash car computer (computer was in the trunk - ran all the wires, etc), so I feel like this should be a walk in the park. However, I really don't want to f anything up and am hesitant to mess with the fiberoptics. If it were simple plug in play, it would be easy and I'd do it in a hearbreak. But I really have a general understanding of whats required-- plug in the cradle and then install the BT adapter but you still have to mount the cradle - right?

The connections are the biggest part of the install along with mounting the MHI. Keith's/eddie's instructions tell you what you need to do and show pictures of most everything. Getting the fiber connected is easy once you figure out how the connectors work. The instructions for installing the cradle were easy to follow and you should have no problem with this at all.

MBA