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So I have been doing a ton of research and going through numerous threads when it comes to going aftermarket with our sound systems.
I have come to the conclusion that I will be going with an Android headunit feeding an aftermarket amp/s which will either be ran through RCAs or possibly optical out.
I understand how to run the Canbus stuff to get the steering wheel controls to work.
Where I need a bit more guidance is when it comes to looping out all the stuff I won't be using... Such as the Navi DVD drive, CD changer, etc. Is this pretty straightforward when it comes to using the loops?
Also, I have seen many products showcasing a long cable that must run from the headunit to the rear. From what I gathered this would be for the radio antenna? Or is there something else (besides RCAs) that would need to be ran? I have no interest in using any of the stock stereo stuff, except the speakers themselves. I do believe they are 4 ohm drivers, so should be very easy to integrate an aftermarket amp.
Sorry for the rambling, just want to make sure I have everything before I start the install itself! Thanks for any help.
I did this as well a little over 4 years ago. It's fantastic! I would absolutely do it again. Here are a few notes and links that should be helpful.....
The GPS and radio antennas as well as the internal mic are in the back. You'll need to connect to them using fakra connectors. The thread below helped me figure out what I needed to run from the head unit to the back to connect to those. Though I never figured out the factory mic connection so I wound up just running the little mic that came with the head unit so it pops out below the instrument cluster/above the steering wheel. Oh, you might also want to consider running an RCA cable for a backup camera video. They make wireless ones, but I figured if I'm running wires I might as well pull one. Oh, and pull an amp turn-on lead to the headunit as well. I think that's everything I pulled. https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...-pics-txt.html
They make loop adapters so you can bypass anything you pull out of the fiber optic loop, but really you don't need to of you're removing everything. The only reason to do this would be if you can figure out how to make the CD player door under the stereo still open/close when the button is pressed. There is a little cubby/box thing you can replace your CD player with, but my understanding is that the factory headunit has to be in the loop still for it to work. Haven't done any research on this in quite a while, but had these links if you are interested in diving down a rabbit hole. https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...en-pocket.html https://www.benzworld.org/threads/re...anger.2268522/
And lastly I had quite a bit of issues with ground loop noise I had to resolve. If you can find a receiver that can spit out fiber optic and an amp that can accept it, that would be awesome. Would make running wires to the back much easier too, get rid of a few bulky RC cables. And if I had it to do over again, I probably would have spent another $400 or so and gotten a good DSP I could control from an app in the headunit. But it's running fine and I'm too lazy to deal with it now.
Good luck and let me know if you have anymore questions.... I've done a lot of these kinds of projects and this one was pretty easy and came out great.
I did this as well a little over 4 years ago. It's fantastic! I would absolutely do it again. Here are a few notes and links that should be helpful.....
The GPS and radio antennas as well as the internal mic are in the back. You'll need to connect to them using fakra connectors. The thread below helped me figure out what I needed to run from the head unit to the back to connect to those. Though I never figured out the factory mic connection so I wound up just running the little mic that came with the head unit so it pops out below the instrument cluster/above the steering wheel. Oh, you might also want to consider running an RCA cable for a backup camera video. They make wireless ones, but I figured if I'm running wires I might as well pull one. Oh, and pull an amp turn-on lead to the headunit as well. I think that's everything I pulled. https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...-pics-txt.html
They make loop adapters so you can bypass anything you pull out of the fiber optic loop, but really you don't need to of you're removing everything. The only reason to do this would be if you can figure out how to make the CD player door under the stereo still open/close when the button is pressed. There is a little cubby/box thing you can replace your CD player with, but my understanding is that the factory headunit has to be in the loop still for it to work. Haven't done any research on this in quite a while, but had these links if you are interested in diving down a rabbit hole. https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...en-pocket.html https://www.benzworld.org/threads/re...anger.2268522/
And lastly I had quite a bit of issues with ground loop noise I had to resolve. If you can find a receiver that can spit out fiber optic and an amp that can accept it, that would be awesome. Would make running wires to the back much easier too, get rid of a few bulky RC cables. And if I had it to do over again, I probably would have spent another $400 or so and gotten a good DSP I could control from an app in the headunit. But it's running fine and I'm too lazy to deal with it now.
Good luck and let me know if you have anymore questions.... I've done a lot of these kinds of projects and this one was pretty easy and came out great.
Damn, thank you! This is some very valuable information. Let me ask you this... If you are using the GPS module that comes with the head unit, would you even have to deal with the GPS in the rear? I also don't listen to the radio, so I would probably consider skipping that as well, but like you said, you are already running cables so whatever haha. Lastly, I did not know they made wireless back up cameras! That is awesome.
I have found a few DSPs that will take in optical, but most of them are quite pricey. Still doing some research on that!
I'm not sure if mine came with a GPS puck. Either way though.... now I have no idea why I didn't buy a $15 GPS and toss it up into the dash somewhere??? I'm sure it would have been more than fine reception. But once I was pulling a few cables I guess it became the more the merrier.
And my two cents - I would go ahead and connect to the radio antenna. If nothing else, when we're driving to a football game they switch the TuneIn feed to national syndication an hour before kickoff, so we can't listen to pre-game if we don't swap to the radio.
Most places you look for Android head units they sell the backup camera - but Amazon has them too. There is a design for this car that replaces the license plate light with the camera that has a nice sleek look to it that blends in well.
I'm not sure if mine came with a GPS puck. Either way though.... now I have no idea why I didn't buy a $15 GPS and toss it up into the dash somewhere??? I'm sure it would have been more than fine reception. But once I was pulling a few cables I guess it became the more the merrier.
And my two cents - I would go ahead and connect to the radio antenna. If nothing else, when we're driving to a football game they switch the TuneIn feed to national syndication an hour before kickoff, so we can't listen to pre-game if we don't swap to the radio.
Most places you look for Android head units they sell the backup camera - but Amazon has them too. There is a design for this car that replaces the license plate light with the camera that has a nice sleek look to it that blends in well.
Awww. Yea you make a good point. Would something like this suffice for the antenna? This one probably isnt long enough, however...
Searched Amazon history, and this is what I bought. I bought two of the long fakra cables, and I THINK one of them was for the radio antenna and the other, with the short adapter cable, was used for the GPS.
All my cables were 20' long, and I don't think I could have gotten by with much shorter, but everything was definitely long enough. And after my issues with ground loop noise, I found these RCA cables. I'd really recommend them if you are going to use RCA cables, they are very well shielded. https://www.knukonceptz.com/mobile-a...air-rca-cable/
I bought 3 MOST Loop Connectors, however they only fit onto the MOST Wire Ends for the CD Player and GPS/NAV Unit, NOT for the OEM Radio MOST Connector that has an additional 4 Pins! I have my whole interior removed (Seats, Dashboard, Steering wheel, etc.) after having treated every exposed piece of sheet metal with Second Skins “Dynomat” product as well as their CCF/Vinyl “Damplifier Pro” with their “Heatwave Pro” on top of that! Now that’s done and I just reinstalled the Evap/A/C-Heating Unit after wrapping it with “Heatwave Pro”, and I can tell you that in order to get the Heater/A/C Tubes seal to the firewall to line up properly you get bolts into the Center Dashboard Frame 1st (located just right and left of the Gear Shift) so as to lift the Seal High enough to seat correctly, rather than starting with the sides. ASK ME HOW I know?!?!?! I must have removed that thing 3 or 4 times, but I also had to go back in and trim exess Heatwave Pro that I had Overlapped both on the firewall and that I had wrapped on the front side the AC Unit itself as I made two sides with cutouts for the Air Ducts with a layer for CCF around such Ducts as well as where Aluminum Tape would otherwise touch! That Dashboard frame is what the AC Unit attaches to with 2 10mm Nut from the bolts protruding from its front. I have the wrap laying over those and punched a hole through it (as well as aluminum tape on both sides as well as every single edge throughout the car!) and both sides were overlapped in the front, so it was very tight fit. Too tight, in fact, as the Frame tucks up close under the front edge of the Middle Vents and I wasn’t able to get those bolts to go through the frame! So after a few cuts followed by more Tape, I was able to get the seams of each side of the Jackets (right and left) to line up on the front side without a bulge finally mounted correctly! Backside of AC Unit wrapped with Heatwave Pro! That Rubber Seal on the left was new, but the OEM Tape had lost its grip, and I couldn’t exactly remove it from the seal, so I first tried Monster Double sided Tape, but that was a bust! It didn’t stick to the Plastic! So I applied some of the 3M Super 90 Spray Glue I used for all CCF edges of the Wrap and the Melamine Foam layers in each door panel and that did the job! You just have to apply it to something like wax paper first and then spread. This is one of the Heatwave Pro “Jackets” I made to wrap around the AC Unit. Driver Side view of the Back Side of A/C Unit. That is the Seal surrounding the Tubes which go thru the firewall which I had a problem getting to seat correctly against the firewall. This is the Center Section of the Dashboard Frame and it is those lower 2 bolts that one must get attached first before attaching the sides in order to get the A/C Unit high enough! Making sure the A/c unit is mounted to the frame by those 2 10mm Nuts first is key (at least it is considering all the Heatwave Pro I have making it such a tight fit) rather than just getting it in position up against the firewall and then trying to push it into place by tightening up bolts right and left side, not feasible! That hole with the purple dot to the left of my finger is where one of the 2 protruding Frame Mount 10mm Bolts extend from the AC Unit (as can be seen in the pic just behind the frame). Moreover, you can see the Radio Connector (Non-Standard) with its (4 pin-wires) and 2 Fiber Optic Wires at the base of the Frame. It doesn’t have a locking tabs on the side like the CD & Nav Most Connectors have. Its locking tab is on its Top (long) end?
The reason for this post, however was to try to get the part number for the MOST Loop Connector for the OEM Radio Player. I had not realized that I could not remove the Headliner without first opening up the Sunroof, as evidently there is a clip fastening the front section in place I was unaware of! I have 3/4 of the Windshield Cut Out But without the loop connector I can’t get into STAR/Xentry. I know I can just reattach the Radio, however, I still want to be able to keep the LOOP Open once I’m done so as to possibly maintain power to the GPS/Radio Antenna (I know if it doesn’t receive a signal to turn on that I may have to splice into a Switch Power 8Amp? to the Driver side rear C-Pillar power unit) as well as anything else I might not think of? And until I clear each of those systems in Star/Xentry without the LOOP Connector, I cannot Power up Xentry as thier appears to be a Fault during the connection process which I am attributing to the MOST Loop being broken, as well as all the other connectors is the dash! So, for now I’ll just reattach the OEM Radio to hopefully be able to get into Star/Xentry and then be able to open the Sunroof from there?
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
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