alfcruiser

First I want to thank Miguk_Saram, Steve, and Wanda for their great COMAND install guide (see below) and 2ManyToys for helping me along the way. I finally broke down and bought a EURO COMAND, I bought it from a guy in Lithuania. Unit arrived in a few days and it works great...

I also found a link on the internet with step by step pictures of an install...so enjoy:

Pics:
http://www.mbdoctor.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=8

Install guide
COMAND Removal Procedure (thanks Steve & Wanda):

1. open the ashtray
2. pry the shifter wood panel up with your fingers at the ashtray
side...the panel is held in by clips at the frontside - release these
clips by pulling the panel up...the rear of the woodpanel comes out by
moving the panel forwards
3. unclip the 2 plastic clips at the front of the ashtray that hold
the ashtray in
4. take out the ashtray after the clips have been released
5. take off teh connector at the back of the ashtray
6. take the 2 torx 20 screws out that hold in the CD changer/compartment box
7. disconnect the 3 connectors at the bottom of the CD changer
(only 1 connector if you don't have the CD changer) BEWARE not to bend
the fiber (amber colored)!!!
8. take out the CD changer/compartment box
9. unscrew the 2 torx 20 screws at the bottomside of the comand -
turn these screws counterclockwise till they don't go any further
(won't come out)
10. take out the comand by pulling it towards you
11. disconnect the connectors at the back...BEWARE not to bend the fiber!

Put it back together following the reverse procedure.

--

This was actually very easy to do, just had to go out to the hw store and buy a Torx 20 bit. Seeing the song title of a song is worth it on its own, MP3 and DVD playback are a plus

-alf

dannieboiz

I don't have the Euro command unit (or at least I think I don't) but I can see all the CD Text from both the changer as well as the single slot disc just fine.

Am I missing something here? I have an 04.

I see a lot of Euro command unit on fleabay and is debating on weather I should go for it or not.

Barry45RPM

On the CD changer, when playing a CD I get the CD Album title and the Song title. On the single slot CD, I get ONLY the song title. BUT I get these results ONLY on CD's I burn using Realplayer on my computer. (Even if I take a new CD Album from the store , put it on my computer and then select thes songs & burn them to a blank CD... The store bought CD does not display the info, but the home burned one does!)

I do not get any titles of any kind on any store bought CDs. I guess Realplayer puts this "Title & Track info" in a different field location of the CD's Table of contents than the record companies do.

dannieboiz

I download music online and just burn it as audio cd using Nero and everything plays exactly the way it should with the artist and song titles. Of course if the text isn't there on the Mp3 to start with then it wouldn't show.

Some of my store bought CD have titles some don't and it would display it if it did have title vs versa.

Sorry, not trying to hijack your post. Just hoping that I have an EURO command unit w/o knowing it LOL. I've tried all of the suggested things already.

migabc

The EURO COMAND head units built by Harman/Becker Automotive Systems also have the US hardware circuitry inside. You can easily convert your EURO spec COMAND to a US version COMAND by using the 5+3+7 key combination code. Once you do, your VIDEO button brings up the SAT menu instead (of course you'll still need to have the MB SAT Tuner and Sirius subscription for SAT radio to be available), and you'll lose the VIDEO menus (DVD, TV, Video AUX).
Besides that, there are some other minor changes when converting to the US version: You'll lose the RDS features in the Radio menu (Don't know why they disabled this in the US version - isn't RDS available in the US/CAN?). The TEL menu will have the SMS submenu (on the EURO version SMS is available in the SERV menu). SERV button brings up the System MENU directly (no SERV menu in the US version). There are also some differences in the NAV menu - for example, for the English language you hear the American female voice instead of the British one.

Unfortunately for you US guys, I don't think it's possible to convert a US spec COMAND unit to EURO version: The US spec COMAND head units built by Siemens do not have the EURO hardware circuitry inside (so you won't get the VIDEO menu when converting to EURO version).

alfcruiser

I was talking about RDS. Now when I listen to a radio station I get the name of the station, the artist and the song title!! You guys dont know how many times I've listened to a song trying to figure out who the artist was and the song title. This alone was worth it for me, plus I only paid like $540 for the COMAND.

As far as buying from ebay, it is tricky and I don't want to recommend a specific seller in case you guys get burned. But this guy I bought it from seemed legit, and I think other people have bought from him before too.

-alf

Miguk_Saram

Thanks for the props, but I can't take credit for any of that. Whatever information I provided was provided to me by Steve and/or Wanda, I was just passing it along.

mumum

alfcruiser,
great thread, I too have an '03 and this is good news. I was thinking of doing the ebay route (have done so many times) and would appreciate if you could p.m. me the seller details (I realize the risks) if you are willing.

Anyways, correct me, but from your step by step procedure it does not seem that any wires/optics have to be cut or anything, only clipped in or out? This would make it easier for me as I do not want to learn how to be an electrician on my baby . Losing the cassete deck is obvious but I presume no wiring issues with that and the new command, right? Seems the hardest part was actually opening the lighter/gearshift compartments. Thanks again.

alfcruiser

the guy i bought it from is naviandbmwparts .

no wire cutting, just plug and play..super easy to do, just take your time and don't rush it, 30 to 40 mins tops.

-alf

p.s. IF YOU GUYS GET BURNED DON'T COME BACK *****ING AFTER ME...AS IN ALL THINGS EBAY, YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY. GOOD LUCK.

MBenzNL

...ever wondered where those come from?

greetingz,

KosherBenz

maybe stolen? I dunno.



Glad I could be of assistance!

~Evan

Kev04C320

Doesn't take a lawyer to figure that out. Lithuania, huh?

mumum

Thanks for the info and sharing all your experience. Ebay issues aside, I am always open to the options out there and is a real possibility for me.