phatisfy

Interesting!! Please post pics when you get a chance.

egauster

Interesting! From your profile it looks like you have an 08... Both Phat and I have 07s and we both had the telematics update done at the dealer. Perhaps something in that update is interfering with the unit??

skrontz

You have to pardon my skepticism, but a new forum member who registered just to express his satisfaction with the device that did not work for two senior members looks a tad suspicious.

danodano

Good catch. A little shady. Maybe a moderator could tell us if its the same IP address?

latigombz

Hi guys, here are the pictures of the installation, I took them with my cell phone, but at least is something. today I also installed the after market 2011 style LED tail light set that I got from ebay, just plug and play. I just got my S class and I'll post pictures after I detailed since is raining like crazy here in LA for the last 2 weeks. let me know if you have questions. my car is 2008 (04/2008)

phatisfy

Any way you can get better quality pics? I just want to see if the same blue plug is used as shown in the instructions,and what me and Eric used.

latigombz

Yes, I can do that. the pictures I posted was when I found the LED blinking in the module (step 5 in the manual). I drove the car like that to tested, but after that I used the plugs from step 6. I'll open my panel again and take higher resolution pictures. I hope it helps.

phatisfy

In the second pic.. Can you tell me how are the red/black wires are hooked up? Look like you plug one wire in each slot?

latigombz

yes it was one in each slot, to avoid short circuits since they were not in the wiring harness, like the picture in step 5 of the manual.
but here are the pictures after I found the LED blinking and using the wiring harness.

phatisfy

Thanks for the pic. I noticed you used a different blue plug from me and Eric? I have also tried the same plug you used,but did not get a blinking led light? I was only getting the led blinking light from a different plug?

egauster

Yes... Different plug used. I didn't get a blinking light from that plug either. Clearly a difference with the '07 and '08...

latigombz

Probably, at first I used the same plug you guys used based on your pictures, but I got a constant green light. then I went to the plug close to the edge and I got the blinking LED.

Ahmedito

Well, I was looking for something cheaper then mid city one but this seems not good for 07. Please keep us updated guys

phatisfy

The unit seem to be good for the 08" and up? The 07"s is missing an update...that's what I was told by the company?

vdubpower

great so this will get those already distracted drivers even more distracted

ronin1099

I just bought my S550 (08) and sorry if this question was already answered, does this unit void the warranty at all?

Somebody mentioned mid city also do by-pass, would their unit install void a warranty and what is the cost difference?

ronin1099

question to Ahmedito, this red leather interior, is this your vehicle? If yes, was it aftermarket or it came like this?

egauster

This is intended for passenger use only... Of course, if the driver can't manage to keep their eyes off a video, and on the road, they should re think driving a car! Goes for cell phone, texting and playing with NAV and the radio too...


Dont mind the Darwin effect to thin out the dummies in the population, but its sad when distracted drivers (morons) ruin the day of a bystander, passenger or other driver....

vdubpower

the w221 is a ridicuoulsy distracting car regardless, i guess all cars with all these stupid IDrive type cpu systems are like that....
having all S classes of the past 25 yrs, my 500sel by far is the easiest to drive.......sure it doesnt have navi or massaging seats, which are great in the new one but i find myself always eyeing the screen just to deal with radio to nav and back to AC or whatever

Ahmedito

That is my brother's W221, Designo edition special order on red interior from the factory.

egauster

I think the lesson to all drivers is to know your vehicle inside and out before doing a lot of extended driving. A 747 airliner would be ridiculously distracting to any pilot not familiar with its systems. A good pilot will use those systems to his benefit and stay focused regardless of the complexities!

I personally LOVE the "idrive" system and find myself MORE distracted without it when I switch cars to my wife's ML... Also, I can keep hands on the wheel and eyes on the road with the voice control system, for example. I practiced, explored the features and now they are second nature.

Mercedes and other car manufacturers spend billions of dollars collectively on human factors engineering developing systems that are more intuitive when the driver is familiar with them and practiced.

Im sure the adaptive cruise control, lane departure, voice control and modern interior controls have saved a lot of lives. A driver can be distracted in any car for any reason. Best to work on the "computer" most often at fault in an accident-- the driver!!

vdubpower

there adding features that are making drivers more lazy, or maybe features for lazy drivers...i should say

i recently drove a brand new 750Li, very nice car, basically all the same features a mercs has....the dealer noted the auto handbrake button....press it at a red light and u dont have to hold the foot brake down......good lord...probably made for lazy americans...lol..

rob13572468

Hey guys, i had a couple pm's from forum members asking if this module was similar or a clone of our module... It is not...

Our module uses a completely different technology that is very stable and mature. We have had it running in the W221's since the first vehicles hit the shores here. There has only been one vehicle firmware change back in 2008 that ever required changing our module firmware (this was the change from the external camera module in 2007 models to internal camera support for 2008). since then even when the 2010 models came with new commands our modules have worked flawlessly.

There is a reason for this: we test... *alot*... if you have seen our videos on youtube, you can see how many mercedes vehicles we work on because that is all we focus on. Also we dont test on *your* car... if there is ever an issue with one of our products you can bet we will get a vehicle within a day so that we can do the testing to resolve the problem. We are the *only* company in the world that does this and our reputation speaks for itself...

I dont comment on our competitors products... what I can say is that we build the best products in the market, we do this because we love the mercedes brand (we are mercedes owners too) and we choose to focus on just this because we want to be the best at what we do... BTW did i mention that all of our products are made in the USA... always have been...

phatisfy

Thats good info there! Now it would be nice if you could offer our member's some discount on your products.

soldier2304

It doesnt work with 08 C63? Anything for that yet?