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thanks, has anyone felt with the fiber optics?
or bypass them?
I think you need the bypass thats listed on the link you posted BUT its no longer for sale at Crutchfield -- I'm in the same boat I'd like to install my Pioneer deck but I have the Bose system in my MY2003 CLK55
Fiber optics don't come into play here. The steering wheel controls use the CAN buus which is copper wiring. The fiber is used only to connect the factory audio devices - head unit, Bose or Harmon-Kardon amp, CD changer, and OEM cell phone interface. When install an aftermarket HU, you abandon the fiber. If you have the Bose or HK audio system, the car will have no audio wires (high or low level) from the dash to the speakers. The factory setup uses the fiber to send audio to the Bose/HK amp in the trunk, then it converts to analog audio and outputs to the speaker wiring. In this case, you'll need to run your own analog wiring from the dash to the trunk, then patch into the speaker outputs in place of the Bose/HK amp.
Fiber optics don't come into play here. The steering wheel controls use the CAN buus which is copper wiring. The fiber is used only to connect the factory audio devices - head unit, Bose or Harmon-Kardon amp, CD changer, and OEM cell phone interface. When install an aftermarket HU, you abandon the fiber. If you have the Bose or HK audio system, the car will have no audio wires (high or low level) from the dash to the speakers. The factory setup uses the fiber to send audio to the Bose/HK amp in the trunk, then it converts to analog audio and outputs to the speaker wiring. In this case, you'll need to run your own analog wiring from the dash to the trunk, then patch into the speaker outputs in place of the Bose/HK amp.
so you're saying the DIY in the link below is NOT possible?
No, that is not the way the W203 Bose or HK system works. That is for the W208. The W203 uses a fiber optic connection to the amp. There have been some devices that was tap into the fiber to retain the Bose amp, but they are no longer made and were quite expensive.
well, i am throroughly confused, i just bought a 2004 clk500, and was gonna bring it to best buy to have geek squad install a w209 faceplate and a basic pioneer double din radio unit. will they require anything else or is this not gonna work?
I dont remember where I specifically bought it from. But I remember that being the model number: CA-R-PI.13. It's made by pioneer but only addressed on the .eu site. I guess they found no market to release it here in the US.
Heres the link to the specs: http://www.pioneer.eu/files/eur/car_..._R30728-08.pdf
It makes it plug and play for the most part, at least I did not have to cut or crimp the factory wires. However, I am not sure if you can what it does if you use stock amps. Also my car was pre-facelift.
For a MY2004, it's pre-facelift so the W203 double-din adapter will work. The difference between the W203 and the W204 is that the center stack on the W203 is slightly wider. But pre-facelift, the wood panel that totally surrounds the HU opening makes up for this width difference. Post-facelift, the adapter has to span the entire width o fthe center stack, and that's where the size difference comes into play.
PSKDUDE said "double-DIN adapter" do I assumed he as talking about the faceplate. In any case, the wiring harnesses are the same across all model years.
07-13-2014, 03:41 AM
