What's the computer in the trunk??
 

I have a 2008 E350 4matic. It has the COMAND head with Nav up front. There is a computer with a CD?/DVD? drive in the back. It all works great.

I'd like to get an overview of this system...

What does the computer do? (Is it a computer or a drive?) Does it do any other function for the car?

The NAV works, so ... is there a disk in the drive? Can I take it out? Is there an upgrade for US since 2008? (I think the new systems may not use disks, so will there be any updates??)

On my Lexus, the climate control, security, radio and diagnostics are all one unit making it impossible to upgrade/replace.

Where are these functions in the MB?
Where is GPS unit?
Where is Tele-aid unit?
Where are engineering functions stored?

Does the computer boot from the disk?
Is there an operating system? If so, what?

There's a fan that runs in the trunks sometimes making me think that it's a full computer. It seems to start as soon as I do anything in the car and runs until a few minutes after I'm done. Is this normal? When does the computer run?

Is there a place where this is explained??

Thanks for helping to educate.

If you're talking about the drive in the left rear quarter panel, that is the DVD drive & Nav unit that sends all the info for the COMAND to display. The nav unit is not located in the dash. Just the display is. (Neither is the SAT unit. Its located in the other quarter panel in the crescent shaped bulge forward of the tail light above the storage net.)

The functionality of many components in these cars is addressable by the dealers SDS Laptop when MB decides to change how these items appear to work. There's not much you can change or change out in these cars.

It sounds like the COMAND head is at least one display and keyboard. Perhaps the COMAND is the computer also or is that somewhere else? The "peripheral devices" like the NAV, NAV drive, SAT and others are scattered about the car. The dashboard and steering wheel are another peripheral. It seems that there is something like a OBDii/CANconnection to this system (since it has engineering functions).

Is that a fair description??

What else is over in that driver's side left rear corner?? (I borrowed this photo from another thread...) http://www.harjothundal.com/mbworld/navi/12.jpg

Again, just trying to understand...