Looking for Aftermarket head unit
12-31-2018, 06:40 AM
#1
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2005 CLK500 Cabriolet
Looking for Aftermarket head unit
I have a 2005 CLK 500 and I am looking for an aftermarket head unit to replace my current (outdated) unit which does not support hands-free phone options. Any suggestions?
12-31-2018, 01:40 PM
#2
MBworld Guru
Welcome to the forum! Please take a moment to visit the User Control Panel and update your profile to include your car model and year, and your location (at least country). This information will then appear below your name and avatar on the left side panel next to each post you make. This will greatly help others to give you better information. If you are using the mobile version of the site, you will need to switch to the "full" version to get to the User Control Panel.
There are two routes you can take. One, find a specialty unit that is designed to look "factory". Seicane and some other brands have these. They are often sold as "pug and play" but rarely are. The other route is to get a quality Kenwood, Pioneer, etc. unit and face plate adapter and wiring harness.
There are a few challenges with this, but they can be overcome. First of all, there are no analog speaker wires in the dash. They are located in the trunk, plugged into the Harmon-Kardon amp. So, you will need to run some new analog wiring from the dash to the trunk. If you use the new radio's built-in amp, then you run speaker level wire, unplug the harness from the HK amp, and tie into that wire for the speakers, abandoning the HK amp. Also, there is no switched +12v or illumination wiring at the car's radio harness. There are two ways to get that. One is to tie into the ashtray illumination and cigarette lighter. The other is to install a CAN bus adapter that will provide these signals (as well as interface with the steering wheel buttons). Something like the Metra Axxess ASWC-1.
One final note is that the W203 face plate adapters won't directly fir the W209, so make sure you buy the specific one for your car.
There are two routes you can take. One, find a specialty unit that is designed to look "factory". Seicane and some other brands have these. They are often sold as "pug and play" but rarely are. The other route is to get a quality Kenwood, Pioneer, etc. unit and face plate adapter and wiring harness.
There are a few challenges with this, but they can be overcome. First of all, there are no analog speaker wires in the dash. They are located in the trunk, plugged into the Harmon-Kardon amp. So, you will need to run some new analog wiring from the dash to the trunk. If you use the new radio's built-in amp, then you run speaker level wire, unplug the harness from the HK amp, and tie into that wire for the speakers, abandoning the HK amp. Also, there is no switched +12v or illumination wiring at the car's radio harness. There are two ways to get that. One is to tie into the ashtray illumination and cigarette lighter. The other is to install a CAN bus adapter that will provide these signals (as well as interface with the steering wheel buttons). Something like the Metra Axxess ASWC-1.
One final note is that the W203 face plate adapters won't directly fir the W209, so make sure you buy the specific one for your car.
01-01-2019, 03:31 AM
#3
Junior Member
I went a differt route and solved the hands-free topic using my apple watch 😉 Also, I installed an original MB iPod Integration Kit that enables you to play and control your music via the buttons on the steering wheel... I can upload the pics I have from the installation, if this is of interest to you... just sharing my experience...
