vanwiek

Hi all. I have been lurking in this forum for the past year and have only posted once. I haven't had any issues with the car since I bought it a year ago, thus the lack of posts. I have done a few electrical mods though, the latest being a Motorola bluetooth car kit. Check out the pictures below. This kit is wonderful, the voice recognition works great, it mutes the radio and uses the built-in Mercedes cell phone speaker. I hope you guys enjoy the pics.







Some of the other electrical mods that I have done:
Crimestopper CS-865.RKE.II Keyless entry

self designed box to lock the doors once the car starts rolling. I didn't like the auto lock function of the keyless entry where it locked the doors whenever the ignition was turned on; so I made my own.

Installed a central locking switch/ATA indicator from an S-class in place of the ugly dim ATA indicator that came in the 124.

DEI 545T Nite-Lite system. Automatic headlights on @ dusk/off @ dawn. Also turns the lights on with the wiper is turned on in the rain. Also when locking/unlocking the car at night with the crimestopper keyless entry the
545T will activate the exterior lamps and reverse lamps to light a path to/from the car from 1 to 90 seconds.

DEI 530T windows automation system. This module makes the windows one touch UP AND down and interfaces with the keyless entry so that the windows can be rolled up and down with the remote. This is great for opening the windows to vent the car in the summer before you get in. I need two of these modules as one 530T does two windows. When I get the second 530T they will totally replace the convince control module under the rear seat.

Made a custom charging cable for my cell phone that plugs into the RJ-45 jack in the center armrest.

Well, I think that's it (for now). I have plans to add a rain sensing wiper system in the semi-near future.

Let me know it you guys have any questions or would like to see pictures of anything specific.

Ken

Makahveli

Wow thats great, I'm in the process of doing a few custom things myself, just need to figure out where and how to get wires in and out the console area. Mine being an older "88 it has the factory fader with a no-amp setup. So I plan to mount a 2 channel amp in the passenger footwell area along side of a (slim) PS2. Set up will run all speakers at 4ohm, but with the way MB already have wiring setup the amp will play at 2ohm (more power) while still enjoying a stock factory fader. Then in my glove box I plan to have a portable DVD player to accompany the PS2 and it has a TV reception input and the alpine deck inself has an AUX input for it. Then I also have a 10" killer sub for the trunk which I will place 2 4" ports at the rear deck where the rear headrest fall back on. My system consist of MB Quart, Focal, Alpine, Eclipse, and Phoenix Gold. Wiring is the system is whats stopping me, I don't know all where to start and watch out for (I have done it to other cars -American Models- before) .

P.S. I take it your not a smoker!

YNVDIZW124

Thanks for the pics and the idea!! Wow sounds like you know your electronics...

Keep us updated on any other mods you have going on...or pm me....

2PHAST

I plan on installing a keyless entry into my 500E. Can you detail which wires you tapped into at the vacume modulator and which wires on the convience module you tapped into. Maybe I should ask if your car had the OE alarm and if you use your aftermarket to turn on/off the factory alarm, otherwise you probably did nothing with the convience module I bet.

Makahveli

is that radio stock for that car?

Eliot

Yes

vanwiek

I'd be happy to detail the installation for you. I had originally planned on following the instruction in the DIY section of mercedesshop.com, but once I got in to it i noticed there was a better way the required less wiring. I do have the factory alarm but did not have to wire in to the convince control module. Even without wiring in to the convenience control module my keyless entry still arm/disarms the factory alarm. I will detail the installation with pictures and instructions tonight on a new thread.

By the way, I think your 500E is awesome! I have been to your site allot and plan on following your instruction to install an auto dimming mirror. I enjoy reading about all the mods that you do to your cars. I have been thinking about installing the illuminated door sills but I can't decide if they fit the 124.

vanwiek

Yes that is the stock radio for the car. I bought a 6 disc Alpine cd changer that plugged right into it in the trunk.

2PHAST

Hey good deal, I saw the instructions on mercedesshop, but they were pretty vague and assumed you had one of their alarms, they should of wrote it up with instructions as to what each wire was etc.

Thanks for the comments, glad you found some usefull info. I look forward to seeing your write up, it will save me a lot of time when I go to install my keyless entry.

BTW, the illuminated door sills can be purchased specifically for the W124 and go over the top of your OE door sills. They look pretty good, but dent easy and do require some polishing to keep them looking good.

vanwiek

I plan on keeping my stock deck and the cd changer that i added, but I do want to replace the speakers. The speakers don't sound bad but I figure after 12 years (the cars birthday is this month) that they would sound better if they where replaced. I haven't done any speaker wiring in this car and I don't have that silly fader switch so I can't be of any help there. If I were running speaker/power wires for audio I would take out the front seats (easy, 5 bolts) and run the wiring in the factory wiring harness channels they run from the front of the car, all the way to under the back seat. There are also channels that run from each side of the center console to channels that run the length of the car. I am sure that you could just run the wires under the carpet along the door sills and save from taking the seats out, but I am a bit OCD about this stuff. I like things to look as factory as possible and with the seats out it makes it much easier to run wires and such.

I have some pictures of the front seats removed and the wiring channels that I will post sometime later. The power went out about and hour ago and I am posting on my laptop with my cell phone as a internet connection; VERY SLOW!

Ken

vanwiek

BTW, definitely not a smoker, I only used the ashtray for change. So i made a mount for the Motorola control panel and bam, a custom installed car kit.

Makahveli

YEah I also wanna change the plug for the car charger as it will be used alot when I'm done, and always just having the ashtray door open doesn't look so cool to me.

2PHAST

I am going to start my keyless entry install tonight, any chance you can share what wires you used for your install?

YNVDIZW124

This may help 2phast ...http://www.commandocaralarms.com/dow...mdoorlocks.pdf...

2PHAST

Thanks for the link, although what I really would like to know is what method was utilized to implement not only locking but arming of the factory security system WITHOUT tapping into the convienience module, which will be the route I would like to go tonight.

Although I could just run the VOM over all the different wires at the vacume modulator and convienience module and figure it out myself, guess I am getting lazy

YNVDIZW124

Well since i don't have a factory alarm i don't really know? I used this diagram and put two sets of relays for the front doors and wired up my alarm like that..so far no complaints but it does lock my doors when i turn on the ignition.

vanwiek

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I have had no internet for two days.

2PHAST, you've got a PM.

vanwiek

2PHAST, what model keyless entry are you installing?

Makahveli

YNVDIZW124 , doors locking is factory? mine don't lock when I turn on the ignition

vanwiek

I think YNVDIZW124 meant that his keyless entry locks the door when you turn on the ignition; that's not from the factory.

jonsonneborn

I dig this bluetooth carkit install and want to do the same thing in my '95 E300. Can anyone tell me how to tap into the factory phone kit for factory speaker, radio mute and also power, etc for the aftermarket bluetooth phone kit? As specific of details as you have are greatly appreciated. Thanks. Jon jonsonneborn@yahoo.com

vanwiek

I took pictures of my install and will try and post them with a write up. I also have the wiring diagrams that I can email you. Have you already bought a bluetooth kit, which one?

Ken

jonsonneborn

I was thinking of buying the less expensive Motorolla (I beleive it's the 850). Haven't bought it yet. Should I consider other brands/models? Also haven't bought a bluetooth phone yet, but I have Sprint service so phones are limited to 2 Samsung Models, 1 LG model and the Treo 650

vanwiek

I had originally bought the 850 as that was the one Nextel sells for my phone. When the kit arrived I found out that I was paying more for the 850 then I could buy the IHF1000 for on Ebay. I like the IHF1000 better because of the added speech recognition and it is speaker independent (it doesn't have to be trained to your voice). It works very well, very rarely does it not understand what I am saying. You can also dial just buy speaking the number, I don't think that you can do that with the 850.

There are a few other brands that I researched, but ruled out because of the interface, the control panels were large and ugly.

YNVDIZW124

This is alittle off topic and dumb but i just notice when the doors are locked and a passanger wants to get in i just pull the handle and all the doors unlock by themselves.....i used to pull up the pin to unlock the doors and then open it or unlock my door...