My sweet hubby just bought me a beautiful black/ash 2006 S430 with a sports package. I named her "Erica" - but today I went to our cell phone carrier Alltel and they said they cannot provide coverage on this V600 (Motorola, MB) phone. Then I called mbusa and the tech guy there told me that only Cingular could provide coverage on the V600 phone (Cingular doesnt have a good signal in our area). Then, this evening I saw on several postings that the V600 phone had been discontinued by Cingular.

So, what am I going to do for a cell phone for my beautiful newish car "Erica" without spending a fortune on an entirely new phone system??? The 2002 I previously had was equipped with a phone that could not be upgraded at all! I thought the 2006 would have a modern phone system! Is Mercedes USA full of phone idiots?

Does anyone know this: if I actually do spring for the money to upgrade the entire phone system (I guess this is the Bluetooth thing), will I be able to use any phone and Alltell as a carrier (we live on an island near Charleston and Alltel has the best signal for us). I would really like to use my own phone and just plug it into the cradle when I get in the car. That way I dont have to pay for 2 phones.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

eslamberson
eslamberson@msn.com
Johns Island, SC

 

Welcome to the forum. There is a way. If you get a "blue tooth puck" from Mercedes Benz ($300 +/-) and get an "Alltell" phone that is blue tooth...you've got it made ...I think. Do a search on this subject on this forum. There has been much discussion about this phone thing...good luck.

 

Check out this site:http://parrotkits.com/steeringwheel.html

or this site:http://web.mac.com/terrywhite/iWeb/t...22037BB78.html

or this forum:http://www.bluecarkit.com/forum/

There are many alternatives.

Let us know how you make out.

I am installing the Parrot CK3000 in my 2002 S430 $250.00 installed.
I would like to have the Argos solution but not for 800.00 plus.

 

Mark,
In looking at the Parrot site it appears that they don't cover ANY S class cars...what have you found?

 

The 2006 has the MHI (multi-handset interface) phone system. The system uses interchangeable cradles, sold by a MB business partner. All you need is another cradle to use a different phone. They are available at

http://www.wireless4mb.com/

You have to use a cradle/phone combination that is certified and supports your preferred network. There are several docked cradles (with the advantages of using the car's antenna and amplifer and charging the phone's battery), a Bluetooth cradle (which works with several listed phones and has the advantage of letting you leave the phone in your purse) or a new "hybrid" cradle that allows both for either the RAZR or SLVR phones.

I don't know why you would explore third-party solutions when you have the factory MHI system.

 

I agree completely with whoover's recommendation. You already have a considerable amount of money invested in the MB MHI phone system - no need to let that go to waste.

You can buy a different plug-in cradle and phone from AWS - but that can to be expensive. In many cases, Mercedes developed its own proprietary firmware for the MB branded plug-in phones (the only ones that work), the cost of which is amortized over a relatively small number of phones. Since Mercedes isn't a service provider, it cannot recoup the cost in the monthly charge for service - the MB branded phones that work with the MHI cradle are therefore expensive. For example, my MB branded Motorola V710 was $525 - plus the cost of the cradle (although it is a Bluetooth phone, I bought it before the BT option became available).

However now you can also buy a Bluetooth puck or RAZR V3 cradle/BT combo from AWS and use a number of phones. Then, you do NOT have to buy the phone from AWS, and it does not have to be a Mercedes branded phone. The MB Bluetooth puck works well with many phones, as listed on the AWS site you were given a link to; and there is now a plug-in cradle for the RAZR V3.

The important factors are getting a compatible phone (again, you do NOT need to buy from AWS), that has approved (read: compatible, tested) firmware loaded. The same phone may not be compatible with all firmware. AWS can tell you the approved firmware versions for a particular phone and service provider. In fact, they will insist that you have both before they'll ship the Bluetooth equipment to you, in many cases.

The BT solution will cost between $325 and $400, depending on which option you choose; and you can get many compatible phones heavily discounted through a service provider (I have seen V3s for $49 recently).

You can read more on this at http://www.benzworld.org/forums/show...26#post2222126 if you want to know the whys and wherefores - and also see some field test results with the RAZR cradle/BT combo.

If the coverage in your area is not strong, be wary of using Bluetooth only. The infrared tint in your car's windows reduces the signal between the phone and the cell tower. The best option is either a plug-in phone (skipping Bluetooth altogether) or alternatively buying the RAZR V3 Bluetooth cradle - or the AWS Bluetooth puck used together with a cradle offered by SmoothTalker for a number of different phones (http://www.smoothtalker.com/products...index_mot.php). All of those solutions connect the phone to the car's external antenna and increase signal strength (connectivity). All of them use the equipment you already have, and integrate with the COMAND system. The SmoothTalker system makes it less expensive if you want to change the type of your phone in the future.

 

Even though Cingular may have discontinued the phone they should still be able to provide you with service, these cars have phones with dedicated phones the orignal owner would have ordered with Cingular service. So call them back

 

What did you read that makes you think the Parrot won't work?

They don't make a steering wheel harness for the S class. However, you can still have the parrot I'm going to get the (ck3000 Evolution) to connect to the stereo and mute functionality. It is a very economical solution $250 installed.

With this solution anyone that drives your car (like my wife) just gets in the car and it will auto work with the Parrot. Dont even have to take phone out of her pocketbook.....lol

 

Do you have any pics of your install?

 

I only wanted to post that I just came back from having the Bluetooth Puck installed and interfaced with my new Alltel Razr V3 phone (Alltel owed me an upgrade anyway). It is an awesome combination!! I just get in the car and the phone (in my purse) is active with the Erica's phone system, even my phone book is installed. How cool is THAT? Now I am inputting the voice phone numbers so Erica can call everyone. I gave the old phone to our 16 yr old to get prepaid service from Cingular.

Anyway, this is a certainly a beautiful car!

Any suggestions on what kind of tires to get when I replace the current ones (that came with it and have about 20 thousand more miles on it). I have always used Michelin, but maybe there are others that would better suit this car? Should they be wider?

Thanks

eslamberson

 

I will post after next weekend.

 

There are many posts and opinions concerning tires, but nothing I have seen beats the advice given by Luke at the Tire Rack. The Tire Rack is a forum sponsor, and has an absolutely tremendous website concerning tires and rims. Click on the advertisers link, at the top of the page. Spend a little time there, you'll like it.

There is even a forum on tires, etc. on the main page of MBWorld, hosted by The Tire Rack; but I found the tools on their website to be a faster way to get questions anwered. You can e-mail Luke either through the website, or through the forum page (click on his screen name).

 

I really want to use my hands free system that comes with the car(a 2001 S430). I currently have nextel bluetooth phones. I can switch to sprint for free and get new phones. Does anyone know if I buy the mbz v60 adapter will any bluetooth phone from sprint work? I called my mbz dealer and he said any bluetooth will work, I called a auto cellphone, stero shop and the lady went out to her mbz and tried a sprint blue tooth phone (a motoola razor model), and she called me back and said it worked no problem. I called AWS, and they said it may work and it may not? Whats the truth? Help!!!

 

It may work and it may not.

The only certified phones for the Bluetooth puck are Verizon, Cingular and T-Mobile versions. That means Sprint versions have not been tested and if you have problems nobody will help you. The phones may be the same model, but the software levels they run determine everything from what features will work (phone list downloading, SMS display, etc., etc.) to voice quality. You may find that it pairs and seems to work, but people complain you sound like you're underwater. You can try it, but you assume the risk.