mitaka

OK I did it and it works! These directions pertain to vehicles with TeleAid.

You can get either a complete COMMAND unit or just the DVD Drive/Brain and attach it to your existing COMMAND unit. You can find either fora about 400-600 on eBay. I bought only the DVD drive this way you DO NOT NEED TO GO TO THE DEALER FOR CODING. Remove head unit by prying the AC control unit under your command. You will see two torx screws holding the COMMAND in place. Remove them and slide the metal brackets all the way down. You may need to push down hard on them. Carefully detach wiring harness in the back of the COMMAND and the two antennas. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BLUE loose antenna wire at this point. Remove the dummy top on your existing unit (5 little screws) and just attach the new DVD. It is that simple. Reattach wiring in the back of COMMAND, also make sure you plug in the loose BLUE antenna wire to the back of newly attached drive. Push back unit gently and test. Insert Nav DVD and make sure new unit is alive.


The biggest problem on the R Class is getting to the Tele Aid Box. It is located right under your feet on the rear driver side. To gain access to the antenna wires is a real pain and if you don't feel comfortable dealer will charge you about $280 for that job alone. You need to remove the rear plastic trim right by the door and (2nd row) seat. Remove gently the four plastic coverings to expose the big TORX bolts holding the seat. Be careful not to break the plastic covers. You need to slightly stretch them sideways and then pull them Backwards. THE REAR SEAT HAS AN AIRBAG IN IT so I was very nervous not to do something stupid. Once I removed all 4 bolts I tipped the seat towards the middle of the vehicle and put it on top of an old box. I DID NOT DISCONNECT any airbag wires. Then move front seat all the way forward. Remove only the rear two bolts holding the front driver seat. This will allow you to lift the carpet enough to gain access. Then the real hard part of the job is removing the foot panel under the carpet. It is held by 5 plastic screws. 3 are easy to get to and REMOVE but 2 are right under the front driver seat. Stick your head under the carpet and loosen them DO NOT REMOVE them. This will allow you to lift the panel slightly from the back and then pul it backwards. Then you will see the MOTOROLA box and wires. The extra antenna wire was hidden so badly on my car that it took me more than an hour trying to find it. It was hidden under a black plastic wire box in the furthest front/passenger corner of the cavity. At this point detach the two connected antennas by gently removing the plastic clip. (SAVE IT YOU WILL NEED IT) The thick antenna wire plugs in to the single end of the Splitter part# B 6 7 82 3111. It is a one way plug so you cannot make a mistake. Reattach the plastic clip but this time between the wire and the splitter. Then the other thiner end you just disconnected plugs into the black end of the splitter. The "new" loose end plugs in to the red end of the splitter. Test and make sure your head unit is obtaining GPS position. Go to Nav and then press compass see if you are getting a position... and you are done. $600 for parts including the DVD disc. About 2-3 hours of labor. Pictures to follow

AsianR350

Hat off to you.

ste

Great post, this is just what I was looking for. I was checking under the back seat this afternoon, not knowing what to do with the carpet, not easy as the M class. I'm buying a Whole COMAND for my GPS upgrade, because I'd like to get a backup camera input at same time. So they are two in one project for me, still in the phase of gathering all the parts. So do I have to buy that splitter from dealer? ($60?) or I can get it from radioshask? and I will need to go to dealer for coding afterward?

am_beagle

Congrats, Mitaka.



You can connect your new COMAND head unit with a separate GPS antenna hidden under the hood's black air intake. Then run the wire from there to the HU. That will save you time, efforts and maybe a risk of activating the passenger seat airbag.
I have that one genuine COMAND GPS antenna when I bought the unit from Europe, if you like it, PM me.

ste

Shall we disconnect the battery while doing the install? to prevent the airbag accident. Only if it is easy to access the batter under the seat, need to cut carpet ... ?

mitaka

I see you are in Northern NJ. Splitter is $33 at Prestige MB in Paramus, and $34 at Globe in Fairfield. Get OEM you want to make sure it will work and the black plastic clip probably won't fit a RadioShack unit.

AsianR350

Hi mitaka,

I would love to have OEM Nav installed in my 2008 R350.

I live in Warrington, PA and less than 2 hrs driving from where you live.
Can you install it and I will pay you the labor?

BTW, Please tell me where to buy (Ebay)and what model should I get?

THANK YOU.

mitaka

AsianR350,

I am not a mechanic and would feel really uncomfortable working on someone else's car. I am lucky that my mod went smoothly but I would feel horrible if something went wrong while working on your car. If you'd like you can drive to me on a weekend and I can help you but you do the work. No need to pay me. I enjoy doing stuff like that. It is more fun when you do it yourself. As far as parts go do an eBay search for DVD navigation drive. I bought new DVD drive and it came with the Navigation disk form seller: euro-customs. The guy ships new OEM parts form CA ad Japan. Good seller.

mitaka

A couple of practical hints:
1. Removing the torx screw holding the front child seat bracket will give you more room. I didn't do it but things would have been easier.
2. Make sure the car is very warm when removing the carpet. In cold weather the bottom of the carpet gets extremely stiff making it impossible to work. Run the heat at 80 bottom vents only to get the carpet to be flexible.
3. There is a special bracket welded to the foot well. Make sure you secure the splitter by pushing it in place otherwise it will be loose and make noise while driving.

AsianR350

Mitaka,

BTW, How did your run the GPS antenna splitter cable to the Head Unit?

Thanks again ,

mitaka

It is pre wired. The cable is loose on both ends. That's what makes the install so easy.

AsianR350

Cool

Thank you so much.

Euro (ebay) has one for $655.00.

mitaka

Yeah,
Ask for free shipping and since they include the disk it is a decent deal. Their drives are brand new.

mitaka

Asian R350,
How did you hard wire your Passport X8500?

AsianR350

I used telephone wire with one end stripped and soldered to cigarette plug which I plugged on the right side socket (passenger side).
I placed the radar detector on the upper left of rear mirror using velco tape. I ran the wire along the top ceiling next to the windshield down to the cigarette plug.

You can wire directly to the center console cigarette plug (Remove center console is needed)

When time is permited, I will solder wire directly to the cigarette socket.

On my 2007 Acura RL, I spliced the wire to the fuse block and use same radar detector for both vehicles.

silverspecial

This is my next project, thanks for the info...I had no idea about the work needed around the teleaid box, I thought it was just plug and play from the head unit. You've already saved me cash and heartache. Cheers!

ukrmers

Hello! I just bought the dvd head unit. Do I need to buy splitter only, or GPS antenna as well?

AsianR350

U need to buy GPS splitter only.

ukrmers

Thank You! My GPS works perfect!!!
Now I want to install CD changer. But I can't find fiber optic connector labeled CDC. Somebody know if it prewired already?!

AsianR350

mitaka,

Thanks for the tips how to Retrofit GPS Navigation.

I finally installed a brand new 2008 DVD Drive and 2008 Navigation DVD that I paid $614.00 ship included from the same seller who you bought yours. ($60.00 Splitter Antenna from my local MB Stealer). I took me less than 2 hours labor for every thing ; It worked great and look cleaner compare with my TOM TOM GPS.

Note: I removed air bag fuse#61 in the spare tire area prior to loose the seat.

Here is the pic.

waveterrorist

so i bought a dvd based nav for my 05 W209
the radio unit has 2 connectors, i assume one for antenna and one for cd changer?
the nav unit has a third input which i am assuming is for the GPS antenna.

i find the stuff in alot of these posts confusing...

is there a pre-wired antenna ready to hook in and if so where would it be hiding?
or do i have to get an external unit to stick behind the cd changer in the glove box>

mitaka

Wrong Forum. This is a NAVI retrofit for R class 2006 to 2008.

michael3158030

This is great ! I'm sorry I'm new here, hope this is about mercedes nav system for R-350?

bamwo

wow, that's pretty cool, how much is it? I just found this model: http://www.cars-electronics.com/2-di...dvd_p1511.html installation is the same?

blackfatlover

Hi Mikata, I just bought a 2008 R-350. I replace the previous Comand without navi drive with a Comand with navi. I purchase a 2013 map DVD, but I have no GPS signal. I came to conclusion that the GPS antenna is not connected. I came across your wonderful description of a complete installation. I am not sure to be able to reach (by myself) the tele-aid box. I have # questions:1/ I live in Newark, NJ. Would you help me if I drive to your place ? 2/ Since I haven't subscribe for Tele Aid, do I still need to buy a splitter, or can we just unplug the Tele-Aid, and plug the the GPS antenna ? 3/ Can I connect a rear view camera in the same process of connecting the GPS antenna ? Thank you for your help. (This is my 1st Mercedes)