After doing a lot of research and seems read different threads here and there i got some questions for u guys with aftermarket HU

I am not going to talk about HU's yet about different wiring harnesses needed.

STEERING WHEEL Functionality:
there are around 3 possible solutions that i came across to not lose your functionality with the steering wheel
#1) For Kenwood HUs, the company has 2 sets of wires to purchase which are CAW-CCANME1 & CAW-CANUN1 (http://www.kenwood.eu/support/swrc/mercedes/).
anyone tried these before?

#2)PAC series, 2 sets of wires as well SWI-CAN & SWI-JACK (http://www.pac-audio.com/productSear...2004&YearId=15)
I read more than a post that people where having issues with the PAC being faulty and not working and needed replacement more than once. Any thoughts anyone?

#3)Axxess Interface, according to there website > The ASWC has not been tested with your vehicle. Call us at 1-800-253-8324 for further information. -- Any Ideas about these people as well? (http://www.axxessinterface.com)

btw, for Pioneer HUs, there is something called CA.R.PI which helps with the interface being configured wth the steering wheel.. just an FYI

What do you have in your car? is the one you have programmable?


For People with Parktronic Sensors:
owners of other MBs said that by changing the HU, that the Parkatronic stopped working for them and they needed to get the Soundgate CANPARK to activate the sensors again (http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...lies-Last.html)

Anyone care to comment on this? i have my COMMAND 2.0 powered off in the car (from behind -- No Audio all the road ) and i still have the Sensors working fine... but a second opinion is worth knowing.


Additional Info Picked on the Way:
No BOSE system, no need to read below

If you have a BOSE system in the car, different things are needed from you before being able to get an aftermarket HU (take it easy on me now, i`m just transfering my know-how on what i read, so dont bash me if something is wrong, just correct it).

The bose amp either needs to be replaced, or a converter needs to be added to it since the (lets see if i got this right :S) wiring is a 2Ohm. for None Bose systems, the wiring is 4Ohms and can be directly linked to the HU.(i`ll stop here... better )


COMMAND 2.0 Experience
COMMAND IS RUBISH! and i have no idea why they even charge around 300$ (here) for a unit that does not have 20% capability & features of an aftermarket unit.

i was turning on the Car & suddenly had different faults coming on the cluster, of which i got "AUDIO ---" & "TEL ---". The electrician said the COMMAND 2.0 was the issue and now disconnected it. Any thoughts?


Last thing..
Since you will probably see this thread, just post what Aftermarket HU u have in ur 209, and the setup made... it might be enlightening for me or anyone else (who wants to get a new HU) to see what is being put in other 209s and if they are worth.


One more thing, a Car Audio guy told me that the AMP sometimes on a W209 comes underneath the window of the back passenger side. anyone has an idea about that? or is it always in the trunk driver side?

Thanks!

 

The only reason why I went with the Comand 2.0 upgrade is that it's OEM. It blends in better with the interior better and it's a stable device if you ask me.
Alot of after market devices have buggy firmware and new firmware patches will never be released.

I do believe that there's alot of better units out there with better gps and audio features.
But the Comand is a well tested OEM part from Mercedes and I'm happy with it
I haven't had any trouble with it with. Im using it with my after market audio system and it sounds amazing.

You say that your car threw a few errors in the cluster, did you get the correct wire harness for the Comand?

 

OEM blends well in, that is right but take a look at this Unit
> Dynavin DVN-MC2000 - Nice OEM LOOK & FEEL


too my astonishment, my COMMAND 2.0 was not primarily installed from the factory yet bought and fitted later on by the previous owner, i knew from the wiring when it was taken out. i will have it fixed yet an aftermarket HU with the features are well worth. COMMAND gives u AUX for your IPOD for instance, & that is the only + u might get. the CD BOX does not read MP3, nor DVD, same as the CD unit in COMMAND. TELEPHONE wiring is supported for Nokia 6 series and it would take time to go over a new wiring harness for the phone since they ask for Arm & Leg in pricing even at the dealership for a bluetooth integration (500$).

 

Good post boull, I too have been planning my headunit upgrade the past few weeks and have done quite a bit of research.

Firstly, looked into Dynavin as well but besides being 2mm wider for the facelift W209, read mixed reviews about their long-term quality.

The best thing I found for my case (Audio 20, no HK or Bose) that it makes aftermarket HU install a lot simpler. Since non-HK speakers are already 4ohm impedance, they would work fine with an aftermarket HU.

I'm going with the Pioneer AVH-P3300BT for my car. I know it may not give a good stock look, but it gets me all the features I really want and greater sound quality, and that has more value to me. All I needed was a double-DIN fascia kit for our updated W209, a steering wheel adapter that retains your steering controls AND makes your headunit install easier (just like the CAR.PI you mentioned, no splicing wires), and an antenna adapter. That cost me $125 for those 3 parts.

I'll hopefully make a thread in the W209 forum once the parts get here next week and I get the weekend to install the headunit myself (first time on a Merc). My fascia kit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/350498464048...ht_2180wt_1270

As far as I have found out, you (and HK cars in general) can do everything the same way as above, except for:

(1) you will have to run new wires straight to your speakers, since the original HU uses fiber optics to communicate with your HK amp, or like you said, replace the amp and the wiring completely.

(2) You will have to change your speakers to 4-ohm impedance (aftermarket standard) since your HK speakers are 2 ohm.

Here are some good threads to read and see other folks' work.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/elect...to-w209-2.html (especially check out post #20)

DIY installation of AVIC & other aftermarket HU's for W203 (Warning! lots of images!) (page 3 and then later pages 39-41 have some good examples of installations).

I never heard of sensors not working after HU install, could you link me to this information? Thanks

 

mmm. the first option for sw control is plug and play. makes it easier for the install. assuming that its made for your car.

I have a similar one but made by pioneer. does the same thing. plug and play, pretty assume.

 

Where can one get a COMAND for $300? Best price I've seen is $650 for a rebuilt and that's with a core swap (for facelift W209 anyway).

 

btw you have it correct about the bose/non bose.

you should look into getting a new amp and new speakers....just so you do it all at once.

PS. my set up is:
Pioneer Avic Z-110bt
JL c2 conponents
JL c2 coaxials
Alpine MRP-F300 for speakers
Alpine MRP-M500 for sub
JL 12w6v2 in a ported box

love this set up. and i commute a bit so audio is honestly the best mod ive done on my car.
i say if you are gonna do it, go all out relative to your budget.

 

Hey, first good luck with ur upgrade.
Let me start with the sensors, i have my HU now unplugged... so it is not running yet all my sensors are still working... i guess what i read was an old thread.. i guess the guy thought that the parking sensors are on the fiber network, so by taking out the HU, they never work.. well in my case i can say that is not correct.

i am looking at the same unit, yet here we don;t get that one, we have the Pioneer AVH-P3350BT series, it is the same yet i guess a mild configuration with the software since we don't count Odd frequencies & i guess something to do with the DVD region (something like 4 here, not sure what that is), the big issue is the price, 3300 is selling online at sonix electronics for 330$ i guess, we have it here locally for 550$. and still that is the HU alone with no labor, no connections no nothing...

can you send me the links concerning the CAR.PI u got, fascia, and the antenna adapter (i guess these i might ship them wont cost me much).

will keep this thread updated if i made my mind and went on with the project ... hopefully we can see some pics of ur upcoming project soon as well..

 

Well, i have a friend with a 320 CLK '04, and we went to see what the command cost... we were given the price range of 250$ to 500$. we r not talking refurbished. just used commands for sale... (Lebanon)

we had one giving us a 250$ including labor... (dont ask y so cheap IMO) & the condition is pretty good. i guess it would have been stolen or something

 

Nice Setup bheng
as u said, it is all about budget...
i had previously owned a VW Golf MKIV, i had a crush on Sony Xplod
i went for 6 speakers (4 in doors & 2 out in the back), with 2 Subs (AMP+Capacitor provided as well) in the hatchback. My eyes used to roll out on high volume.. i miss these times...

Alpine here are a bit expensive, but i`ll check to see what i can get as a deal.

thanks

 

here is a comment about the parkatronic Post #6

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w209...on-pinout.html

 

Haha mine is 3350BT as well! I wrote 3300 thinking you're in the US. 3350BT is the Asian / Middle East counterpart of the US 3300, and as you said, different radio frequencies and some additional functions like satellite radios, etc. Here in Qatar, I'm getting my 3350BT for $450 dollars from the Pioneer dealer.

Where are you located btw?

Here are the links you asked for. I ordered all of them from the same guy on eBay, his service was pretty good and was very prompt with emails (I sent like 8 of them ).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...E:L:OU:US:1123
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...E:L:OU:US:1123
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...E:L:OU:US:1123

NOTE: I just realised your car is pre-facelift and the items I just listed above are all for post-facelift CLK. The same store above sells all the items I just listed for your pre-facelift model as well. The double DIN fascia for your CLK is actually a lot cheaper if I remember correctly. The steering wheel adapter above is supposedly going to make the install plug n play, since I wont have to splice wires and arrange for separate ACC, speed sensor, paking brake sensors, supposedly being the key word there. I will only be able to tell once everything gets here from the UK.

Does you car have Bose or HK? If not, this should be easy. Fingers crossed.

From the steering wheel adapters that you mentioned in your first post, I've heard very good things about the Axxess (although it needs some programming) and heard some negative criticism of the PAC controllers (slow response, errors after a while, etc.)

 

Interesting. The problem could have been something else? Dunno, never read this issue anywhere else though, and like you said, you have yours disconnected and the sensors still work. I'll find out soon

 

Thanks for the links grech
i`m located in Lebanon .. not so far!

well look @ my silly dilemma...
i have no idea if i have a Bose sound system in the car.. i looked behind the linen in the car trunk & found 2 things .. yet nothing looking like a bose amp
assuming the bose amp is something like this:


the 2 other things, something like a big fuse box & the other is a small rectangle thing with Merc logo on it.. gona search for it.

Also i found something pretty interesting...
since the Amp works on a low level signal & any Aftermarket HU works on a high level signal, that is why you cannot connect ur new HU to the BOSE system... but what if you have no money to change the amp & the speakers?

i read that you can order something called OEM - PAC2, which converts the signal of the HU to low level understood by Bose. so no need to rip the amp and the speakers out.

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...ose-amp-2.html

& the link of the item (Cheap as well 12$)
http://www.amazon.com/PAC-Premium-So.../dp/B0002J227I

as for the parkatronic sensors, keep me posted on what happens with u.. i need a second opinion on that..

Thanks Mate....

 

I'm sure there are quite a few difference between premium vs. standard audio systems that you can observe to find out if you have Bose / HK. Do you have a subwoofer in the trunk? Do you have a center speaker above the front middle AC grilles? If not, then I believe you can be sure that you dont have any premium sound system, since the standard like in my car only comes with 4 speakers (2 on each door) plus 2 tweeters (1 on each door). Plus you havent been able to find the amp either, so I guess there isn't one. Then again search on the forums on where exactly the amp and Bose components should be.

Lebanon, yup not far away at all!

That adapter you mention is interesting, but note that thats in the older W208 section. I was under the impression that the reason, besides being different power like you said, is the main issue that your current headunit communicates with the amp via fiber optic wires, not your conventional copper wires. So I don't see how this adapter would work on a 2003 W209 CLK, which I'm pretty sure utilizes fiber optics for the amp. You may not even have to worry about this since you may not have a Bose system in your car.

My items were supposed to be in my forwarding mailbox in the UK almost 6 days ago, and till now they haven't gotten there. I checked with the seller and he says that if I don't receive them in my UK mailbox by end of this week, he will dispatch a new package with replacements. Can't wait for everything to get here!

 

Lately i had this weird issue, i was at the gas station inflating my tires when i turned the car, i got an SRS light, an empty gas tank light (car was 3/4 full), and the high beam switched on & off.

went to the mechanic & was told that the COMMAND 2.0 is the issue so it was hooked off.

went to an Audio expert & was taking a look, so he hooked the COMMAND & for his astonishment when linking the LOW CAN & HIGH CAN, the windows rolled down , and then rolled up... (He looked like this emoticon)

Turned out that the COMMAND 2.0 has a glitch in it & is broadcasting different signals which made the whole instrument panel turn into a christmas tree. so thats it my COMMAND needs to be changed for sure now.. not a want but a need now.

for now, it was just plugged back, i need to power it on each 30 minutes since it does not recognize the car is running (standby mode).

the interesting thing is that i was offered (i dont know the brand) an aftermarket HU which resembles too much a COMMAND.
here are the links & the image:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MERCEDES-BEN...item2eb5ee68f6

http://www.autocarplaza.com/mercedes...h-can-bus.html

Anyone has any idea about these? i saw the product (well not this one) but another one for a C Coupe 2010, and the finish of the product is amazing.

Anyone tried this?

 

Search up Dynavin, lots of posts on this identical head unit.


I do like the OEM look but those units are roughly $900 for no name china brand.... I'd rather spend that money on a well known deck even if it doesn't look as good. At least you'll get functionality, reliability and customer support

 

i was quoted 1500$ for Dynavin MC-2000 & 1200$ for the non-branded one.

the weird thing is that the non branded chinese model on ebay is sold for approx. 700$ which is not cheap at all when you can get any pioneer or kenwood for 500$ loaded with features.. the down side, sacrificing the looks.