Carole Wright

Hi All, I am FINALLY the proud owner of my first Mercedes! WOW I love this vehicle even more than I ever thought I would! It came with the factory AM/FM Radio/Cassete player/6-disc CD changer like apparently many others of its vintage. I managed to find an entire navigation **DVD** in-dash radio unit from a 2005 ML500 on eBay for...$400!!!!! Yes, both vehicles used the exact same COMMAND MCS unit, so hopefully it will be a simple exchange . After it is installed, will I need to have a dealer program it? It comes with the code, but I have read something about "location coding" or something to that effect???

Oh, and I have just reprogrammed my remote unlock myself, my big accomplishment for the day! The person I bought the car from told me it was broken and would need to be replaced for like $200.

I love the internet ALMOST as much as I love my Mercedes!

TIA!

vmystikilv

WELCOME DUDE. I love these trucks too. I have the CD Nav and have been contemplating with the idea of getting the dvd system , but, if there is nothing more than street updates and not graphical than I prob not going to do it. POST PICS!!!!

gsfent

Hi. I did something similar.

I upgraded my 2002 CD system to a 2003 DVD system. It is truely plug and play. Takes about 2 minutes, just need a tool ( or make one) to unlock the old one and slide it out.

The ONLY operational difference I can find is subtle. The light dimming feature for night driving doesn't work very well, so the display is a little brighter than you might like. If you do a search, there is a work around by using a resisitor. More trouble than it was worth to me.

Regards,
Jerry

eLemnt | 0ne

I have a 2002 ML 320 and it looks like the nav unit, but there's no slot to load any CDs or DVDs.

Can I buy this and plug it in?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-MERCEDES...item19cd004b2c

What else do I need? Also, how do I go about adding an AUX input? I would like to use my iPhone to play music.

Thanks!

Carole Wright

I would be REALLY careful buying a "Mercedes Navigation Radio" on eBay. MOST of them are actually "navigation ready", but like your current unit, have no physical nav drive. I don't think many resellers know the difference. If you DO manage to find one WITH the drive in place, it is probably a CD drive, which to my understanding can no longer be updated.

I always asked the seller to send me a picture of the unit WITH THE DOOR OPEN, so I could see the slot, if present.

I didn't want to waste money upgrading to CD, it had to be DVD. I looked at every single unit on eBay that came up, and when one appeared to have the drive, I would casually ask the seller if it took DVD's or CD's. When one seller replied that it took "one DVD", I IMMEDIATELY hit "But It Now" as at $400 I didn't think it would last long.

Installing was a breeze...it took me longer to find two steak knives of the correct size, than anything else! . You will need to locate and unroll the square connector cable from the bundle inside the dash and plug it in to the nav unit. I've heard that you will also need to have a MB dealer "flash" the car's software so that it recognizes the new "hardware". Mine did not need this flash, when I think about it, the dealer already flashed it when working on another issue (really long "My MB dealer's service department just may be idiots" story here, so I'll skip it").

Anyway, good luck, I sure am having fun with mine!!

Carole Wright

OK, here are a few pics. Please keep in mind that they were shot with a cell phone, hand-held, and no flash because it made glare spots and ruined the pics. I never had the CD version, so I don't know if the graphics are any improved with the DVD version? I personally like the navigation available on my HTC EVO much better, but it uses a lot of data, and I also seem to love to drive to places where there's no cell coverage...

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...3&l=c679d46115