Read your post regarding the possibility that the Sirius radio could be causing the problem. I have a Sirius line item in the audio menu, but I only subscribe to traffic, not radio service. The other day I had the sound cut out while the audio system wasn't playing. I had just ended a bluetooth phone call and answered another call that didn't come thru the sound system. The tech at my dealership said he suspects bluetooth, especially if bluetooth audio is used. I use BT audio all the time. Does everyone else? Furthermore, he told me that IF corporate ever agrees to replace the entire command system, they charge back the cost to the dealership. So naturally, the dealership doesn't want to pay for it. I've already provided my dealership with video, audio and documentation of the problems I've had, but it makes no difference to them or corporate. If they can't replicate it, they won't fix it. And if the Command System is that expensive (and they may be looking at a recall) it's not likely they would admit it if they did replicate the problems in the shop. I'm beginning to think Mercedes is simply a disreputable manufacturer.

 

Like you, I only do Sirius traffic. When the sound goes out, the Traffic label on that is normally at the bottom of the COMAND display is no longer there. Do you have the same thing?

 

I have had this issue as long as I had the car. It always has been that the sound, all sound in the car including warning chimes etc, go out. Then it comes back in 10 - 15 minutes but I have noticed that when it comes back I have a different NAVI display with less options in the menus and no traffic info at all. I tried to get to my dealer a couple of times so they could see it and check codes but each time it came back before I could get there.

Then, about a week ago I started my car in the morning and sound was out. I was on a trip in another town and a MB dealer happened to be just 2 miles away so I drove it there to show it at a MB dealer that all sound indeed is out. They saw it and also checked for codes but no codes were found.

When my next service is up I will demand my MB service to seriously look into this and look into the MB records as the place I took it to did the diagnostic report for it just to have it in my car's records for my own MB dealer to see thjis indeed happened.

If they say no I will open a case with MBUSA and I will take this all the way what ever it takes. This is a $71 000 car well under warranty with an issue that obviously many similar car owners have. I don't see they can get out of this one without fixing it, period!

 

so, i did get the "satellitle radio module" replaced, whatever it could be, since i read on another post, that having this piece replaced did solve his issue, two days later, the issue reoccurred. i am thinking of contacting mbusa, as my dealer is unwilling to move forward. i agree, that with such an expensive car, more should be done to get the problem fixed. so even with getting that part replaced, it still happens. i dont even know what else it could be.

 

I talked to my service advisor and he said that they'd seen this type of problem before and that it was probably the satellite module. I'm very disappointed to hear that it did not fix your problem. I won't be able to take my car in for a few weeks but will report back when I do.

 

Since my COMAND unit was replaced in May this year, I have experienced ZERO repeat issues! (Hope I didn't just jinx myself...).

Since then I have also updated the mapping data ...

 

Started the car, turned on the Command to Audio and there was nothing. In the display it read "Device Unavailable". I tried to see if it was the Sirius radio causing the issue, but, nothing worked. No AM/FM. no Nav, nothing. I drove to my destination in silence. After getting back in the car, all seemed to work fine and I haven't had a problem since.
Any ideas???
I have to go in for service in a few hundred miles and will mention it to SA.

 

When you say "non nav" you mean no voice guidance but nav itself was working?
If you subscribe to the nav traffic service did you notice if the Traffic menu was visible on the nav screen?
Were there any of the usual warning beeps when you started the car?
Was unusually hot where when this happened?
Any unusual Fringe/X-Files type activity?

If you answered yes to the above (OK, not the last one ) you have the same issue that we're discussing in this thread.
Until I read garygems' post from yesterday, I was convinced that it was the satellite radio unit (SDAR) that needed to be replaced. Now I'm not so sure.

Please report back on what the SA says. If they've seen enough cars with this, they'll immediately know what you're talking about. If not, be prepared for "we can't find any codes and it is working now so bring it back when it isn't working"

 

I do not subscribe to Sirius Traffic, so I doubt it could be that module. I do subscribe to Sirius radio and it was preselected when I started the car. As I mentioned a "Device Unavailable" displayed in the Command screen and nothing worked. There were no beeps, no noises at all. As I recall, it too was a very hot day where my car was parked. As soon as I go for service, I will bring back any info from the SA, if he has any.

No there was no strange X-File activity but to be on the safe side that I wasn't dreaming, I did call Fox Mulder and asked Waaaassssuuuuup! He had no answers either.

 

my first post on MB World. Been lurking on here for some time. I stumbled on this thread a few days ago and it was exactly what I've looking for...

Got CPO E550 back in 12/11, did the engineering menu mod, enabled BT audio and that was when the "fun" started. To make a long story short, I get the device unavailable issue about once every couple of weeks. I filmed it with my iPhone and took it to my SA (couldn't duplicate). Got lucky a few weeks later when the malfunction occurred a couple miles from the dealer. Wound up getting a new comand a few weeks after that. Unfortunately, that's not the end of the story. I still have the issue. Not sure where to go from here (?lemon law) because I really like the car. Very interested to hear what other dealers are doing to "correct" the problem....

 

So not even the new COMAND module fixed it?!?

The technician at the place I took mine when it was mute and they did not find codes (yes, no codes when it is mute) said it could be the antenna module. This could very well be as if the antenna module goes out it probaby takes the satellite radio module out too resulting the "Device not available" message when sat radio is selected.

This would also explain why replacing the satellite radio component and now the whole COMAND module does not fix the issue if the old antenna module is left in place.

 

I'm not trying to cast doubt on your theory, but trying to add info that might help in finding a cure. I do not use Sirius for anything, and never set my comand to satellite. Mine has done the aforementioned twice, both when I have audio set to play the iPod in my glovebox. Even the cd player was not recognized. Neither of these requires the antenna afaik. I have used my car hundreds of times with the exact same configuration without this happening, but two times it has.

But I have done something exactly twice, both instances close in time (but not contemporaneous with) the outages. That was plugging my iPhone into the ashtray receptacle because it was low on juice. Yes, in my 2.5 years of ownership, I have done this only twice and the outage occurred soon after. Likewise, I have not used my car charger since the outages occurred (approx 2 months), and the outages have not returned. For the record, I use Verizon and the charging cable is Verizon-branded.

I am curious whether those with frequent outages also frequently charge their phones in the car.

I could provide a whole list of inconsistencies with how comand handles audio. It's absolutely insane and completely annoying for someone who has lots of electronic gear that "just works." I know MB is not on the bleeding edge of entertainment technology, but given their reputation and price, what they do have should "just work" too!

 

I just had the same problem with my 2011 GL350. There was no sound, but the NAVI was working (showing directions) - just no sound. Radio didn't work, etc.. I tried turning off the GL and restarting it and that didn't work. Then went to the gas station and restarted it and now it works! So this may be the same problem you guys are having on your E350's. I guess our vehicles share the same COMMAND system?

 

Hey guys, I'm back to the party. The "device unavailable" bug just hit me two days in a row. Maybe I jinxed myself by saying it was only happening biweekly. For the record, I have never charged my iPhone in the E. So I doubt that's playing a role in my situation anyway. I do use sirius sat and traffic. When my comand malfunctions, it will generally only last about 15-20 minutes. Then it will reload satellite channels and act as if nothing happened. Sometimes shutting the car down and restarting will work (50% success rate). The system reset is usually the best way to quickly get it back up and running (although that even failed once) but, who wants to reenter nav settings/destinations, channel presets and logic 7 prefs daily. I am starting to wonder if I should go into the engineering menu and deactivate BT audio (I haven't messed with the comand since it was replaced). Maybe there was a reason MB chose not to activate this feature until 2012 model year....

 

FastMoneyPlaya: Your issue sounds exactly like the problem I've been having on my E. Did your GL come with BT audio or did you perform the hack?

 

My system is completely stock - P2 package with Harmon Kardon

 

I asked the technician, who did not find any codes when my system was mute, that why would the antenna module make all audio mute and he said it is all connected in the same communication loop. Any part failing can cause multitude of issues.

 

so...I decide to take my car to the dealer 2 days ago since this issue happened 3 time a weeks now since Southern CA had been so hot last couple week. got a call today from SA and said its done. all they did was updating to the new software even tho they did the same sh*t 3 months ago. they said they got MB involve and this software is newer and MB say it should take care of the problem. I don't believe it but can't do anything else other than take the car home be **** and wait till it happen again and deal with it. it sucks that they have no idea how to fix it.

 

hi all, i may have a solution here!
so long story short.
about three weeks ago, I had given up with everything, and the "no sound" issue continued to occur. placing a call to my dealer, led to having my car driven to mb headquaters, i think, in montvale, nj. there my car was for over a week, until i got a call from the dealership, that the "dealer tech support" guys in montvale experienced my issue, thank god, as i thought they would think im crazy. they concluded, that the new mb comand software is not compatible with the older satellite radio module that was installed in my car. they then gave my dealer a new part number, for a much newer sat module, and it was ordered overnight, and replaced. it has now been almost 2 weeks, and i have not experienced the issue since, not even in the worst heat, as some thought it was heat related. so fixing the sat module with a newer part number did the trick. please remember that i did have my sat module replaced once, but not with the newer version. i guess i should have posted the part number in my post as well, but i dont have the paper work on me handy, its in the glove compartment! i can post back if it will help everyone though.

 

Very interesting! I've forwarded this thread to my local SA.

 

Thanks Gary for continuing to drill down on the resolution. I never did think this was heat related since this always happens to me coming out of a 'cool' Minnesota garage (happened yet again this morning with the garage temperature at 74 degrees). It does seem to be isolated to the 2010 model year Command systems -- haven't heard anyone with newer MYs report the same issues. I've experienced all the problems in this thread both with an active Sirius subscription (music, not traffic or weather) and continuing with an inactive subscription. So maybe the satellite module is indeed the culprit whether or not the subscription is active. Don't think anyone has drawn a connection whether these problems are only inflicted after one or more Command software updates (I've had the update that enables BT audio streaming in my 2010 E550).

I'll certainly be taking all this information to my dealer hoping to get this situation resolved for good. And not to pollute the thread with a new topic, but I've also had continuing issues with receiving HD broadcasts consistently. All 10 presets are tuned to HD broadcasting. Some days two of them are received (in HD, the remaining 8 in normal FM), later in the same day all ten are received in HD. It can fluctuate within the same day. And no, the explanation of being "in range" of a clean broadcast doesn't explain it. The car could be parked and the variability would still be experienced. Never really noticed this until I started listening to more HD broadcasting after killing the Sirius subscription. I can take this one to the Audio Forum if necessary, although I haven't seen anything on this topic anywhere.

But for the moment, thanks again Gary for sacrificing your car for many days and for giving MB the ability to actually replicate the problem in this thread. I think it will prove to be the solution for many of us.

 

This issue was slightly more complex then a hardware/software issue. When a dealer performs a telematics software update, every component on the MOST ring gets updated. It was determined that the older SDAR unit was not compatible with the newer SDAR software that is installed on the newer SDAR unit. This is why installing a new SDAR tuner resolves the issue. Please note that they have come out with a software fix for this now so SDAR tuner replacement is no longer needed. Basically there is a special update that just came out last week that after all telematics components are updated with the normal software, the SDAR is then flashed again with a special software. This is a quick fix and has proven to resolve the issue. If you already have the later SDAR unit then you will not experience this issue. This exact issue only applies to NTG 4.0 telematics systems.

 

Loud and clear by MBtech1098. thanks for the info. I think that's what they did on my car 2 days ago but who knows if it works or not. anyway i'll post it up if the problem happen again. since this software just come out couple weeks ago i think all of you guys should visit the dealer so it can be taken care of. and if there still any problem we should post it up here so we could share. thanks

 

Software just came out last week.

 

Seems like multiple fixes were employed, I think we may have to wait a little while to see what the results were.

I hope this happens to my car so I can try to switch to a NTG 4.5 COMAND HU