Does anyone know how/if I can update the Comand firmware without a trip to the dealer? I've searched extensively, but there is so little useful information available.


I have a 2010 coupe (I know, wrong forum technically, but there are barely any people in the C207 forum). I'm hoping to get Bluetooth audio streaming working. I enabled it in the engineering menu, but am experiencing connection issues. My understanding is that a firmware update will fix this.

I called around to a few dealers, and it seems like it's a total gamble as to how much it will cost (if they can even do it). They basically say that it's an hourly fee, and they don't know how long it could take. I don't want to spend $265/hr on labor, especially because I don't even know if the issue will be fixed.

 

An alternative solution that I used to use in my 2008 A4, I would hook up the aux to a bluetooth receiver, and connected my phone to the receiver. There's a bit more wires and steps involved, but it has the same outcome as you're looking for.

 

Thanks for the reply. There are modules available for older Mercedes (including the Comand NTG4.0 system found in the 2010-2013 C207 models), which connect to the factory screen and nicely integrate Android Auto and Apple Carplay into the factory system. Not sure if this is what you were referring to, or if you were referring to a bluetooth-only connection device.

In any case, if I can just update the existing Comand software to stream music, that'd be way easier. But given the sparse information and uncertainty regarding a Comand firmware update, I might have to go the module route.

 

I have a 2010 E550 sedan and here is a word of warning.

I had the update done for getting the BT streaming to work. I had this done for the 2011 E350 that I first had so I knew it can be done, but it did not go that easily for the 550.

Everything worked fine first but I started having problems with the radio going mute. Sometimes it happened while driving, sometimes radio was dead at start of the car. The problem was that when I shut the car off and re-start, the radio came back and the dealer service never saw the problem and did not know what to fix.

This went on for many months until one morning when I started the car radio was mute and I happened to be just a couple blocks from a mercedes dealer. I drove it to them and made sure not to turn the car off and explained what is going on. This happened 400+ miles from my own dealer so they did not fix it as it would have taken time to troubleshoot and I did not have that much time to wait, but I had the problem recorded by another MB dealer that relayed seeing the problem and obviously convinced my own dealer that there really is a problem in the radio and it started with the upgrade that was done to the COMAND system.

With all this I then dropped my car off at my own dealer for a week and they got it fixed.

The problem was with the updated COMAND software that they had to revert back one revision, i.e., they needed to use the second newest update for my car. I got the streaming working and it works really well. Update also improved sound, especially the BASS is amazing good compared to what it originally was.

All this work was done under extended warranty but without it you might have impossible situation to get it fixed if the update that you would have to pay for to start with would bring the problem I had.

I would get a BT receiver that connects to the AUX in the car. I use such thing in my 2012 S550, which does not come with BT streaming though it is two years newer car.

 

Hmmm, food for thought for sure and thanks for the heads-up. Yeah, I want to avoid the dealer if possible. The few dealers I've called around here seem to have little clue what I'm even asking about when I call. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence, particularly if I'm paying $265/hr and they refuse to estimate how long it would even take. And then if they screw if up (as in your case), I'd have to argue with them to get it fixed. I agree with you, it's not worth the effort at the dealer.

I'd be willing to try it on my own though (and then resort to the dealer if I messed it up). Unfortunately, information seems to be very sparse about how to do it. I think you can buy firmware update CD's from the dealer, but I have no idea which one to buy or the procedure to install the firmware.

 

Contact BenzNinja. They may be able to help but you would need to byt the XENTRY system to do it, I guess…

 

I'll give that a whirl, thank you!

Edit: I contacted BenzNinja and they (he?) weren't interested in assisting. I stated that I am perfectly willing to pay for what I need, learn what I need to, etc., but BenzNinja was not interested. I don't really know what BenzNinja is; it seems to be a technical resource for service providers? In any event, BenzNinja didn't end up being a resource in this matter.

 

Thanks Arrie for your input . You confirmed why I always shy away from upgrading those things for fear of messing things up because we are talking about a complex car not 1950's cars which everything was so simple to do compared to today's modern cars