w221 s class 320 cdi sound system issues
 

Hello all, I have been facing some annoying problems with my car since i bought it used with 71,000 miles on the the clock. After 20 seconds of driving the sound will cut off, and the phone will activate even though i have turned it off. The stereo system is the stock spec with no harmon kardon amp or voice command system, as i removed the boot covers and did not locate one (despite there being a button on the steering wheel for voice command which is not working...) Everytime i reboot the system using the eject button, it will work for a few seconds and cut off again.. Radio does not work... cd does not work... aux does not work. Amplifier fan is running all the time with no over heating issues except a sudden stop when the audio turns off and the telephone activates on it own mind, then fan will start again in a milisecond! My question is: is there any possibility of putting a new car stereo unit (pioneer, sony, etc) in the storage compartment (passenger side) and add a new amplifier using the same speakers of the car. I am in Africa and reprograming of existing hardware is already difficult. Or... if someone knows a good solution of why the sound is turning off every few seconds.. cd tracks can not be seen... radio decides to show no stations, aux does not work.. and generally the whole damn system gets confused, i would really appreciate your help!!! Other issue i had was engine managment light was coming up all the time, and car went to limp mode... i sorted that out by flushing the DPF and changing the Differential pressure Valve on the back of the engine, under the heat resistence. No star diagnostistics needed to reset fault as DPF regenerates as you drive. Otherwise just came from a 1,800 klm drive from the victoria falls with no mechanical problems!!! Sorry actually the rear brake pads are finished, but no warning light has come up for brake pad change....
Thank you for your time!

Are you sure there has not been any water at the trunk? If the phone system is misbehaving, I would remove the phone control unit from the fibre ring and try if it makes any difference.

thanks for the reply, there is not indication of water in the trunk, and car is parked under shelter most of times. As for disconnecting the fiber optic cable of the phone, i tried removing it from amplifier with no change. i also removed the aerial amplifier power where there is two cables, one for the radio antenna and one for the phone.. that worked for a bit, and then things went back to the usual problems. Also the bluetooth system on the phone does not work... when i connect my phone on the command, it will show a lock next to the phone. As a result i am unable to use the command to call or receive calls on my phone, even though the phone has been paired.

I'd get the car to a MB shop with diagnostics and have them pull the fault codes. The system "looks" for components in the fiberoptic ring in a specific order. It can get flakey if it doesn't find what it's looking for in the order it expects to find it. 20 seconds is about how long it takes to boot up and poll the individual components, so it sounds to me like it's getting something it doesn't like somewhere in the chain and shutting down. A MB tech can flash the system and fix the sequencing for you, or identify the problematic component.

I believe the Harman Kardon system was stock in all 221's. Do you have a little Harman Kardon emblem on the lower interior front door panels?

Thanks Mike.
I am pretty sure its not a H/K amp as the size of mine is small. H/K amps are bigger judging the photos i have seen on the net. Today the audio was behaving well when i connected my phone on the aux imputs. I had audio for more then an hour, and then it cut off when phone tried to activate.... I am thinking of getting a new amp and chaning mine, maybe this could solve the problem? I understand that it would be better to take to an MB dealer, but i dont trust them here... i dont beleive they have had the right training to deal with the star diagnostics.

Post a photo of your amp and I'll compare it to mine. Take a shot too of the speaker grille on the front door. Sounds like the Bluetooth module is the thing causing the problems. I know where it lives on a W220 (under the left rear passenger seat) but not sure on a W221.

Thanks Mike, i will open the boot this afternoon, and take some photos for you. I will then post them here. Thanks for your time. Best Regards

The unit that has the fan is actually the AGW (audio gateway) which is in fact a Harman Becker Logic 7 amplifier/radio tuner and system controller model BE 7021. The fault in your car is the HU which is a Harman Becker model BE7011. The HU has lost its memory which is quite common. The problem can be fixed by reflashing the flash memory by a Harman Becker service centre. I suggest you get the AGW reflashed at the same time. Note that MB cannot fix this problem with their SDS system.

^^^What he said. :)

Remember that after repairs to the HU and AGW systems the MB dealer is still required to reconfigure the units with their SDS system. Many times after repairs the car does not recognise the HU and AGW, therefore a visit to the dealer maybe necessary.

I sometimes forget this, check the car batteries for proper voltage. the HU goes into "limp" mode when batteries are low in output.

Now thats what I call Knowing Ur Sh*t....Go Gapco!!!.....Wow thats Koenig style!

Hd

Thank you gapco!
I hope you are wrong because if thats the case... I am in real big problems! Reflashing the memory from the headunit by becker is an option i dont have, as there is no dealer here from becker... (zambia, africa).
If i got a used HU then it wont work because younsaid it has to programmed to my car... Things not looking good!
Only good thing is that now i can at least listen to sound for around thirty minutes before it turns off...