Jezza

Guys, in need of some help regarding satnav in my '99 S430.

What would i need in order to retrofit a 16:9 unit from a later car into mine? I am very familiar with how the BMW nav systems work and which units are required but with mercedes i cannot see any separate systems anywhere?

Can i take this to mean that the head unit contains all of the relevent tuners and sat nav computers?

All in all, assuming a standard 4:3 nav system, what is required in order to install the 16:9 unit?

Really appreciate any help

whoover

There is a widescreen unit that was used only in 2003 that you could manage to retrofit. It wouldn't be trivial, but it wouldn't be impossible. If you search for 2003 widescreen COMAND you can probably find some references.

The big improvement came in 2004. DVD nav replaced the earlier CD nav (which continues through the 2003 widescreen unit). There are many other improvements in 2004 as well. Really the only improvement in 2003 was the wider screen.

The 2004 head unit is not compatible with the fiber optic system in your car. Replacing a 2003 or earlier COMAND with a 2004 or later involves replacing way more components that you probably would consider.

Jezza

Much clearer after a decent search around. A user called SUNILP has posted that he has actually performed the upgrade, but said he would post back with details.

I am also unclear on what's included in the actual headunit, are the tuners anc computers contained within this? ie, will a 2003 16:9 unit work with TV out of the box (my current unit just says "no tv" if i select TV).

SUNILP - if you are reading could you possibly knock up a quick requirements list for the cd based D2B 2003 unit retrofit along with some details of whats actually involved?

whoover

No, you'll need a UK 2003 head unit, of course, plus a PAL TV tuner that gets mounted in the trunk. Plus antenna and some more cabling.

You'll also need new nav CDs for areas you wish to have covered. Your old unit most likely uses an early version nav CD that is not compatible with the 2003. This has nothing to do with currency of the maps and points of interest.

Jezza

Thanks for the info, the cd's/dvd's are all over usenet for all versions so that shouldn't be an issue. The whole of the Uk fits on one CD anyhow which is nice, no cd swapping over here thank god as i imagine you guys have to with such a vast area to cover.

Thanks again

whoover

For sure. The DVD nav is such an improvement on a long road trip here. With my 2001, approaching some state borders looked like you were driving off the end of the earth. Fumbling with the CD and programming the next waypoint seems so primitive now (no offense). I can get a single GPS route from California to New York on my Blackberry today, much less my COMAND. But we're slaves to advancing technology.

Jezza

I guess we just don't see how useful the dvd based system is then over here, as i say even on my 4:3 CD based system i happily use it to drive the length of the country with no interruptions at all. The only thing which frustrates me slightly is the way its so slow to calculate the route, and the way it doesnt accept postal code input's requiring the user to input the town, street name, and number. Again delays the input and calculation time and is not as accurate

whoover

Yes, the calculation speed is much improved on the MOST unit. If you miss a turn, accidentally or intentionally, the new route is computed as soon as you're past the intersection. The biggest difference in the DVD contents is the size of the POI database. It seems to have every restaurant, gas station, cash machine, ... It has orders of magnitude more than the CD.

Beyond that, the interface is vastly improved. This is dramatically so if you have voice activation. I can set a destination by voice quite easily, with no dramatics. It understands most city names the first time. If pronunciation bears little resemblance to spelling (useful in Wales, I would think) you spell the first few letters by voice instead. You spell street names and dictate address numbers. Much better than fumbling.

On the other hand, the year after mine has realtime traffic alerts and a number of neat new features. That's progress for you.

Skylaw

Sunil Patel is highly knowledgeable, a wonderful source - but is located in Houston, Texas. A source closer to you is Steve Krabbenborg, in the Netherlands; and he does travel to do installations. Contact him if you wish at Steve@mbenznl.com; his sister Wanda, Big Sis, may answer for him; she is also very knowledgeable.

Air-Force-1

Call Bill Hammett on 01255 814731 or 07929003647

Clacton on Sea

Bill does all the MB retrofits for MB in SE England

Or try

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mercedes-COMAN...6.c0.m14.l1318

Or
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mercedes-COMAN...6.c0.m14.l1318

Or
Call Mitesh ( Leicester) on 07711 540045 8am - Midnight

www.mercedescomand.com

info@mercedescomand.com

SCLASS1

hi i wondered how you were getting on with your upgrade to wide screen , as i have the same early one and wanted to upgrade to the wide screen 2003+ , but it has one less connection on the back of the unit .

benzmodz

The old 2.5 has an EXTERNAL connection from the radio tuner to the navigation drive.

The newer 16:9 version has an INTERNAL connection like a COMAND 2.0 does.

Therefore those wires are not needed. Additionally the other pins need to be moved around in order for the correct connections to be made on C1 and C2.

SCLASS1

do you know which pins need to be moved for c1 and c2 ?

Jezza

My plans are on hold for the moment as i am just completing on a house purchase, the house also needs loads of work. Car has fallen in priority for the moment! If anyone does complete this upgrade i am sure many here would appreciate a step by step