KevinL

I will pick up my ML350 on Monday. It appears stock but truth be told I got little info from the dealer as to what options it has and has not. It is black with tan leather has a 6 disk cd and the screen in the center console, but I am told no NAV system. My question is, what would it take to add NAV and is it worth it? Anyone have a screen shot of what the NAV looks like (What level of street detail).

My reading on the phone integration is that my LG is out of luck... oh well. If I upgrade to a newer Motorola do I have a chance?

Can the Command screen be a TV, and if so play video CDs or something with a Navigation screen?


BTW, My first post here..I have been browsing this board for a while as I shopped for an ML. That post your ML pics section can motivate you to spend money on upgrades....

Thanks

Kevin

mercedestech1

Your vehicle is fitted with what MB calls an MCS unit. Not a comand unit.(its basically the same thing but made by a different mfg than the comand unit) The navigation processor is installed on the backside of the MCS unit. In my opinion if you have the $$$ to install it-definetly do so. Once you drive a car with nav on roads that your not familiar with-you wouldn't have it any other way.As for the TV-no,but you may be able to play DVD video with modification to the existing MCS unit or replacing it with a euro unit. Search the forum.The phone integration-save your money. MB phone systems in my opinion are overpriced and very unreliable.

rcltrh

Buy an MCS Nav drive and disk off ebay (get the DVD drive and DVD map if you want to spend a little extra - the CD drive and regional CD's are cheaper but they are supposed to quit updating the MCS Cd's at some point). Also get a set of radio removal keys. Anyway, simple install - 10 minutes tops, then a trip to MB to have the activate it on the computer. Your 03 should already have the antennas and such installed. Search on here for the exact install instructions. Easy to find and easy to do.

KevinL

Thank you very much.

So what level of detail does this maps have? Can you zoom in and out? does it have double wide streets and Landmarks etc?.

KevinL

Forgot to ask... what are the headlights? Halogen? Xenon?

What upgrades/improvements would you recomend?

rcltrh

Well, the 2004.1 data version maps are very detailed and have good points of interest (business names and such) for searching as well as addresses. You can zoom in and out nicely. It does differentiate between divided highways and shows thicker lines for wider streets. Not so sure on landmarks but parks and such are marked on the map. If I lived in an area that actually had landmarks I might be able to tell you for sure. I do know that any maps prior to the 2004.1 versions suck big time and do not even have many city streets. So if you are going to do this yourself, make sure you dont buy any MCS maps prior to 2004.1 version. You must also buy the MCS (ML) versions, not COMAND versions. Make sure the picture on the DVD is the ML or else it will not work.

KevinL

Thanks again


Any idea what a Nav and DVD should cost

rcltrh

On ebay you can get the drive for around $700-$800 and about $100 for a 2004.1 map dvd. I just did a search and the only drive on ebay right now is the CD version with no bids (newly listed) but a starting price of $500. They will get that for it with ease. The cd versions go between $550 and $650 typically. A couple days ago there were 2 DVD units for sale though.

KevinL

I just bookmarked the search.....

Is their issues with the teleaid and installing a nav? I am unsure if I have it but was told it was there in the short rundown of features...

rcltrh

That I don't know. There have been teleaid issues all along, not sure about nav specific ones. I did some more looking on ebay, and for the one listed there for $500 that I previously mentioned as CD, the guy says in one question/answer that it is the DVD version, but if you read all his questions and answers it makes me wonder if he even knows what he has. He needs to photograph the part number/id label and post it. If it is a part # BN5210 then it is the DVD version which uses 1 dvd for the entire North America, whereas #BN5110 is the CD version which uses 10 cd's for North America. Truthfully the CD version works fine if you stay in your one region most of the time, but they are saying that in the future they may quit providing updates. They do have a 2004.1 CD map set though which gives really good details just like the DVD 2004.1 version. You might do the ask a seller a question thing and ask him for the part number. He had said he wanted $550 in one question, and if it is indeed the DVD verion for $550 than it's a steal. Your vehicle should already have the antenna. Not sure if you would need the splitter thing or if it is just plug and play (once you have dealer add it to your AAM computer).

rcltrh

I have neglected to ask, but you do have the color screen MCS unit with the "NAV" and telephone buttons right? Just missing the actual nav drive unit...

Also, back to your orig post, does your car actually have an older phone in it already (and thus has a PSE installed already) or were you just wanting to add all that to your MCS unit. If your ML has never had a phone before, then you have the have a PSE unit and all wiring harnesses and such to connect to your MCS unit, and if you want to use anything other than the old V60 or Timeport MB branded Motorola phones you have to buy a Mikbox and cradle to go between your newer non-MB Motorola phone and the PSE. Mine already had the old Motorola Timeport in it so I just did the Mikbox a couple months ago to make mine work with my new V635 phone.


And No, your MCS screen cannot be used for TV or DVDs even if you add the DVD based nav unit. There are some hacks out there I have read about to let you add video input into the head unit by taking it apart and doing some soldering, but just as-is it will not play nor allow inputs for video. You can play a cd in the nav unit though if you have the nav in it but aren't using the nav at the time and want to just pop in a cd instead, but if you have the changer already then you dont need to.

rcltrh

Kevin, do a search for "mercedes mcs" on ebay. There are now 2 DVD units for sale, one with a $700 buyitnow price and one for $900 buyitnow. The $700 unit's actually a good deal. The other one that I spoke of yesterday that was at $500 yesterday is already up to $610 today, is going off today in a couple hours. I emailed him and asked him the part number and found out it is a CD unit, not DVD. The $124.99 2004.1 DVD (that will also come up when you do the above search) that has a "submit best offer" might take $100. That's what I offered him back when I upgraded mine and he took it. I think he has several. Little did I know that the guy I bought my dvd unit from also sent me the same dvd so I didn;t need it and resold it on ebay and got my money back.

KevinL

Thanks for the info...

Mine does not have a phone currently and I think I will pass on that option... Nav is it for now.


I do appreciate the info. Regarding the CD version that went off at 510, was that not you? Same eBay ID as your ID here and both in AR. I ask because you refered to the auction in the third person? I also do appreciate the info regarding the DVD version as apposed to steering me towards the CD

rcltrh

Well, I did sell my old CD one a couple weeks ago for $510 - auction ended on Dec 12, but it was before you ever posted and before I did the search I posted about. The one I was referring to went for $610 and ended on Dec 25 and was by a 3teddybear seller id who also had the antennas and amplifiers and such in separate auctions. You will like the DVD version better if you do much traveling, plus people have said there are more POI's in the DVD version than the CD, but I can't verify that since I never use POI's.

KevinL

Well I took your advice and bought the one on eBay. He said it is comming with the 2005 dvd for 720 shipped. Sounds too good to be true...

rcltrh

Cool. Was it the one from wwwmbdoctor? He has a web site from which he also sells these units at a higher price. You got a good deal. Installation of the unit itself into the head unit is easy. Not sure what you will run into with the GPS antenna wire but this link has some info you might need in that regard. http://www.benzworld.org/publications/pub.asp?id=119 That post is for a complete install in a 98-99, so yours will already have most if not all of the wiring and antennas and such there already, but it gives some good info anyway. Basically its just pop out the MCS radio (you have the removal tools right?), remove the top 4 screws, remove the plastic fill plate, drop your new unit it, connect the big flat cable that is already there to the side of the unit and find the gray GPS antenna plug and put it into its receptacle, then put the top back on and slide the unit back into the hole. You will not use the smaller black plug on the rear of the unit. I was able to do mine without even unplugging the radio wiring so I didnt even have to re-enter the security code (I put a folded pillow over the shifter and rested the unit on the pillow until I put the dvd drive in).Then you will have to go by the MB dealer and have them modify your AAM computer to let it see it I think since you've never had a nav before.

KevinL

Thanks again

Yes I did buy it and he did say it comes with a 2005 dvd. Looking foward to it. I have to buy the keys... I will ask him if he has any otherwise its off to Mercedes.

Just got the car today....

2mbusa

If you bought the Nav DVD unit from MBDoctor, he will send you the official Mercedes installation guide for the unit. He also has the splitter if you need it. If you cannot get the instructions, I think I still have a copy I could send -- let me know.

rcltrh

Very cool. Let me know how it goes