jps4jeep

Hello All, new to your board and new to mercedes all together. I did search and found something similar to my situation, but the solution didn't help (detailed below.)

I bought my wife a used 2000 E320 wagon, everything is working fine except the radio seams to be an issue. single DIN head unit and CD changer in the trunk.

-the steering wheel controls do not work
-with the head lights on, the display does not illuminate
-the volumn button is either hyper-sensitive or doesn't work
-the radio does not turn off with the ignition

I have the code from the dealership that sold me the vehicle, I pulled the head unit and unplugged the unit, waited a little bit, plugged it back in to reestablish communications between the head unit and the vehicle, after entering the code, nothing changed.

The display is a little worn so Ideally I would like to replace the entire head unit with a new to me one from ebay or craigslist, will this solve the issues I am having or is it the car that is suspect?

I would prefer to keep the factory head unit and not an aftermarket.

one more question, I think I have a tape player in the head unit, how to I access the flip down?

Thanks in advance

saintz

Is the head unit Mercedes original or aftermarket?

It sounds like it's wired wrong.

jps4jeep

No it's a factory head unit original to the car. I agree it seams to be as if the constant and the switch power are both wired into the contant power supply, but the wiring on the back of the head unit is as it should be. is there a wiring diagram on the internet for these radios? might as well statr testing wire on the back to see if I am getting ign+, cont+, illumination, etc..

I figured it was a semi-regular issue, I found one other thread on another forum where the person had the same exact issues, but the posts were 5 years olf and no solution was offered.


any help would be apreciated.

bmroxm5

why is it that you want to keep it 'original'?

there are so many good aftermarket headunits these days offering a vast improvement in sound quality and many will still be compatible with your steering wheel controls.

Otherwise with so many owners having changed theirs to an aftermarket one already there should be a few (old) original headunits floating around.

jps4jeep

I am well aware of aftermarket head units, I was a MECP installer for years while in college, and I have stayed reletively abreast in the field in teh 15 years since I was an installer. But as mentioned, this is my wifes car, I doubt she cares less what her bengals CD sounds like as long as she can hear it, so absolute sound quality is not an issue. Theft prevention is second, an aftermarket unit is more likely to be stolen where I live than a factory head unit. third, I personally do not like the look of an after market single din receiver in the mercedes, doesn't look as clean as the stock unit.

If I go aftermarket, I will probably search for the factory double din nav dash and install a pioneer double din nav unit.

But for now, I would rather spend the $100 to fix what I have than $1000 for something else, I am ***** deep into 4 linking my jeep (hence the screen name) so extra money is alocated there.

RichardM98

Here's a pin-out for the early W210 radio harness. I don't know if there are any differences due to steering wheel controls. Becker used to have these on their website but took them down a couple of years ago.

Symptoms of cross wired 12v connectors are 1) radio won't turn off via ignition and/or 2) stored frequencies are lost when turned off,

jps4jeep

Thanks, now the fun of chasing a gremlin.

I just want to be assured that it is the head unit and not something in the vehicle.

to add, stored presets are not being lost.

jps4jeep

thank for the help, I tested all the wires and they were working as they should, I pulled a radio out of a junk yard car, luckily the code was scribbled on the cage so I tossed it in, with the exception that the display is not in too good of shape, everything is working as such. Now I am going to search for a good condition factory unit and keep my wife happy... because if she is not happy, nobody is happy.

RichardM98

Becker NA has an exchange program for most of their MB radios. You can send in the old one and they will either repair and return it or send you an identical model that has been 'refurbed' -- your choice. About $150 I think.

www.beckerautosound.com