Trying to upgrade from the 03 to the 04 COMAND. I already have the 04 COMAND and the DVD Drive that goes in the back. Need help with the wiring, obviously it's not plug and play. Does anyone have any part numbers I need for the FO cables and other wires I need? Thanks

 

Ooops. You just wasted your money my friend. 2003 w220 cars are D2B while 2004+ are MOST. Those components are NOT compatible in any way although they look the same. Whomever told you they would work either had no clue, or scammed you straight out.

It will literally cost you thousands to convert your car and you will have to change ALL of your Telemechanics. Someone has done this on another car somewhere, I think SUNMAN but he can tell you how many zillions you are going to spend doing it.

EDIT: I just realized you have a 2003 CL and not the W220 anymore. Sorry to say, the same rule applies. The CL went to MOST in 2004 as well.

 

am I right in thinking the 220 had 3 different Comand units,

the early 4:3 comand 2.0...

then the widescreen comand...

then the widescreen dvd comand...


is is possible to go from the widescreen cd comand to the widescreen dvd comand by swapping the units?

 

The W220 from '99 (MY'00) through MY '02 has the COMAND 2.5, narrow-screen CD-based, D2B fiber optics unit. To complicate it more, the early MY '00 (until November '99) were produced with "C" nav units, which used discs not compatible with the later "D" nav. The "C" nav CDs are no longer in production. The "D" nav CDs are still being updated. Changing out a "C" nav for a "D" nav is plug 'n play.

To answer the questions that usually follow this discussion, the latest (2009) update for the "D" nav is BQ 6 46 0248 at the time of this writing. The latest "C" nav set is 02/04 and the part number is BQ 6 46 019. https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...257-d-nav.html provides an easy way to tell which system you have.

The '03 model year introduced a wide-screen CD based COMAND, called COMAND MOPF. It also took the Audio Gateway (AGW) out of the COMAND unit itself, and made it separate. The COMAND MOPF is a D2B based system that also uses the "D" nav unit, and the same discs as the late '00 through '02.

The wide screen COMAND MOPF can be retrofitted to earlier cars, but you must also add the AGW, so it is not plug and play - but it can be done.

In MY '04 MB went to the MOST fiber optic bus, and a DVD-based nav system, the wide screen COMAND 2.0. D2B and MOST systems are not compatible. To change from D2B to MOST would require replacing all of the D2B fiber optics - the harnesses and everything on the bus (COMAND, amp, phone, voice control, nav, CDC - you name it). I know of one person who has done it in at least two cars (Sunilp on the forums), but it's about a $10,000 or better proposition. You're better off buying a newer car.

So as a practical matter you cannot go from the '03 widescreen COMAND MOPF to the widescreen DVD COMAND 2.0. You'd be trying to fit a MOST system to a D2B bus.

 

fantastic info thanks!

so in essence if I buy the 04 registered car im looking at and get an 09 nav cd and a viseeo bluetooth adapter to drop into the nokia slot in the armrest I should be able to navigate reasonably, and use my iphone for calls.

Presumably if i really want to listen to the ipod / control from steering wheel i can get a dension or equib but wont see track info?

 

I don't know about the viseo BT or Nokia slot (not familiar with them), but if you can get BT working, you can use an iPhone with the Gateway 500. If your car is an '03, you are correct - you won't see song titles (you will get a track number, but it may or may not be accurate depending on circumstances). However, the GW 500 provides an operating mode that lets you control music selection using the iPod (or iPhone) itself, while using the steering wheel controls for volume, and selecting the next or the preceding track. The MOST based unit will allow placing/receiving/ending a call while pausing the music and resuming it after the call - but I haven't tested that with a D2B unit.

The GW 500 also has a BT add-on unit, if you want to go that way.

 

Thanks for the detailed information Skylaw. That sucks for that part. I sold my S500 with aftermarket stereo equipment so ended up keeping my DVD COMAND and the DVD drive.

The 03 COMAND is garbage compared to the new ones, all the menus and everything is just like the ones form 00-02 I hate those ones so much can't stand them.

 

Hey I might be in he market for your NAV drive if you are selling it.Mine is taking a crap slowly. Is your Comand the Euro version or the US?