Edhamo

I connect my phone easily to the car but it creates a static or whatever you can call it issue where it cuts off and on back and forth... anyone else has this issue?

Second issue is when I connect the car to the other bluetooth ( Media Interface Plus) and I get a call the car has a hard time switching back and forth to the call dialing connection bluetooth which causes me to be unable to speak on the phone.. unless i change the bluetooth selection on my phone manually.. any thoughts on how to install it properly? Or is it an issue that cant be fixed?

CBR Dude

The Media Interface Plus is the unit that it's the glove box? This allows you to Bluetooth the music and charge the phone and talk on the phone. It's the Mercedes crappy work around!


The Bluetooth in Mercedes is awful at best! Biggest disappointment I've ever seen. They came up with the Media Interface Plus. Which is awful engineering for such an expensive vehicle. The real Bluetooth is not available until the 2013 model year.


Bluetooth has two sides of it's interworking's: one for the music and the other for the voice. I'm not 100% sure of the protocol or the name, but for simple sake the Mercedes handles just the voice portion. The music portion requires the Media Interface Plus or the VISEEO in order for the system to handle both. I have the VISEEO. It works and doesn't work! They fight the entire time. If you are listening to the music it's OK, but if a call comes in or you place a call, this is where the entire deal takes a nose dive to epic fail! Static, dropped calls, ect... I've got the first version and borrowed the second verson of the VISEEO and both work the same. I thought with the new version some of that would be cleaned up, but no. Same issues.


I don't Bluetooth a lot, but my kids do and the grand kids do and tell me. Dad/Papa your car radio sucks! Mom's Kia works much better! So true!


So I only hook up the VISEEO when the kids are in the car to listen to their music.

Groundhog101

I had the exact same problem on my 09 GL550. Was under extended warranty and since the issue fell under electrical, it was covered. They had to replace the entire front unit. Out of pocket was about $80 bucks deductible. Had to push hard with the service folks that it was not acceptable to have static and is useless.

On the VISEEO, what i was able to figure out was that the since the reconnect feature built in seems to take control over the built in Bluetooth, you hear silence for a few seconds and then it comes back to life during a call. With the VISEEO disconnected i have perfect bluetooth reception with audio levels set at -1 for transmission and 0 for reception.

Have to wait for VISEOO to release a hardware update for the device. Reported it to them.

CBR Dude

VISEEO, sent me the update, but it did not install. Very quirky at best.

sacleonard

Spot-on assessment of the issue. Viseeo works well for music, but when there's a call, it completely interferes (static, gaps with silence, etc.), as described above.

I emailed them this morning and will report if I hear back from them. I have the new device (3000a) and have no idea how I'd download an update onto it.

CBR Dude

I had the VISEEO 2000 and still have. I borrowed the 3000A from a VW friend. The only difference was the way it hooked up to the pig tail in the glove box. Both had the same issues. Also if you toggled through the music the display would go into Chinese! Yep you're reading this correctly!


I've tried using a newer Benz adapter, an Audi and a VW with the lightning ends and none of them worked.


Here's the real kick in the teeth! When we have been on trips. The Family insists on using the Lexus as it too works great for Bluetoothing. Dad's Benz as the youngest daughter calls it is getto! OK then! The grand kids have not picked up on that yet, they are more interested in the video headrests for now!


Epic fail for something that cost so much money to begin with. My kids Honda CRV works spot on vs. this mess!


They have step by step directions on how to apply the new patch.

tmurphy25

Ok, Iphone 5 no issue, iPhone 6s Plus just would not finish the connection. So out of desperation I tried this.
Use code 0001 on both sides (iPhone will ask for code, and MB radio BT use 0001) and it connected!!!!
I reset the phone and the MB settings.
It worked for me, hopefully it will work for you.
Good luck.
Terry

CBR Dude

tmurphy25, that's a known issue. The auto manufactures can't keep up with the phone software. They all connect a bit differently. Even in my wife's 2017 fleet car that has car play it's real hookie on the pairing process. It want to use codes, yet it connected without the codes. Go figure comes to mind.

I'm going to throw Mercedes under the proverbial bus on this one. I've never seen such backwards engineering in my life. My kid's Honda 2010 CR-V does a better job than this piece of mechanical marvel hands down.

The bluetoothing of music is still a FUBAR! The VISEEO is a joke at an attempt to solve the issue at hand and aftermarket cables are a waste of time, they either are not reconized or fall apart after a few uses. Mostly don't work!

In the 2013 GL's they improved the process. When I'm done with the Benz there won't be another one. The entire vehicle is quirky at best. The only thing I can say is thank goodness I'm the second owner. I would have never paid the 97K for this. 60K was bad enough. I have 39K on it now and the mechanical gremlins are surfacing.

tmurphy25

Hi CBR,

The only thing that makes sense is that the European auto guys (MB/Audi/Porsche) were using a company called Kleer Semiconductor for wireless audio/data. The clarity of Kleer was a superior technology over the others at the time. (Automotive designs are 3-5 yrs behind consumer electronics), but, that being said, you should be able to upgrade the BT (low energy or 4.0 4.1 or 5 etc) and have them fully backwards compatible. A lot of OEM's in the US use a company called Parrot out of Paris. They treat it like hooking up a BT speaker. Clarity/Quality at the high end of vehicles is so affected by outside interferences (people, quality of cabin, weather), the goal is lost as the hook up is too cumbersome.

Last week I rented a ford mustang convertible in california near my office. I used the USB plug for power and it seamlessly attached phone to car. I was jealous..

CBR Dude

tmurphy25,

In talking to the MB dealer many many times there is no solution for the OEM to upgrade it or have a software patch applied. Even if I had a means to tether the phone via a cord I would be happy. I've tried just about every OEM cord made for the socket in the glove box. The last time I had the GL in they did apply a patch but it was not for the bluetooth.

I talking to the Lexus guru as my wife's personal vehicle is a Lexus, he basically said the same thing about the technology. By the time the vehicle goes to the retail market the software is out of date. Yes, there are updates, but most is very minimal to keep up with the phones.

I can of course go aftermarket and rip out the head unit completely, making my life somewhat easier. For what I use the music bluetooth for, I'll stick with the VISEEO.

I agree the new stuff you just plug the charger cord in and away you go. No fuss, no muss. The wife's fleet car works that way. Although the pairing process was hookie. It does a great job otherwise. I've thought about the brand she drives, but it's ranked subpar in every category of CR. She gets a new one every year. But when you're not paying for it it's another story.

Anyway, the GL is a very nice driving vehicle. So different than the Lexus. It's just the quirks are out weighing the good stuff.

JR-GL350

If you go aftermarket, this is the unit: Alpine X-800D. The rest is cheap Chinese crap.

On the market in EU only, and pricey. around $1800-

Jason B

That's very cool! Do they have the GL, or maybe some day?