I’m the new owner of a 2008 S550 4MATIC. After lots of research and kissing frogs, I found one with 125 K miles and believe it could go 100K more without becoming a money pit. The PO was a MB mechanic who owns his own shop. In the last 15 months / 1000 miles, virtually every typical common issue for a W221 has been done/replaced with invoices for parts. This includes the biggies like motor/trans mounts, oil filter housing, and so much more, including a transmission rebuild from a separate shop with a 2 yr warranty. It also has Arnott air struts on all four corners and a new air compressor. These were from the PO before him. This all happened during COVID, supply chain issues over two years. It was to be his own car, but family issues (baby came along) and he sold it to me.

Having owned a dozen Audi A8s it is up a few notches in ride, quality and “posh”. Eventually, I’ll stop reaching for the shifter that is not on the console. It runs and drives great, but I have some Audio / Telematics questions.

After a comfortable 1500 mile trip last week, a current NAV would be nice but it’s not available. Michigan (my state) just passed a “no hand-held” law ($250 fine). I knew NAV wasn't current but seemed in synch with Google maps for the first 100 miles. I put too much faith in it and went 100 miles out of my way. Google maps on my phone guided me the rest of the way but the bigger screen would have been better for my old eyes, especially having to hold it in my hand, closer to see it while watching for cops.

This brings me to my phone / Bluetooth. My Android phone connects, makes / receives calls using car audio and works great. However, it also connects to my hearing aids and gets confused between my aides or car. My first actual question for you smart guys deals with making a call hands free. I can say, “hey Google, call home, etc”. This works, but I have to “wake it up” by touching the fingerprint thing. Now, my phone is in my hand and hopefully no cop is looking. From what I understand, pushing the button on the steering wheel should let me do a voice command to make a call and “wake up” my phone.

Perhaps it broken, or I'm not doing something right. Pushing the button on the wheel is supposed to make a tone or beep. It doesn't do anything. In the Vehicle / system menu there is a voice option to “individualize” my voice. This doesn't do anything either. Is it broken and needs the voice control module mentioned in other related posts? If I have a number in my contact and initiate call from the command screen, does it also wake up my phone? Is there a secret word to individualize my voice?

Along those lines, I put CDs in the changer but it won't recognize them. It tries to load as DVD Video and displays “wrong format”. Is this inability to recognize a CD related to what might be wrong with my voice command module? There is a cable in the glove box with what looks like an old Apple type thing plugged in it, but I don't know what it would do. I tried selecting “AUX” but it didn't do anything. Is Maybe I should just subscribe to Syrius radio.

Probably I rambled too much but maybe someone can address any of this stuff.

Of note, this is my second Benz. I paid $35. for the first and added a picture to the picture page.

 

USA has too many roads... they gave up with map updates in 2015 (aka map data based on roads as was in 2014)
europe with 45 countries manages to have about 80k miles less roads (how?) and thus kept map updates going to 2019 (aka map data based on roads as was in 2018)

on the early cars - you get an NTG3.0 headunit (with a change late 2009) these later cars moved to NTG3.5 headunit that appears much the same to the casual user - there might be BT in your car - but if NOTHING is clipped into your centre console UHI socket - there's NO Bluetooth of use to you - its only to BT a handset in the back to the front... it will appear at times to have some functionally but you can't use the comand to connect a BT device successfully -

you can add a Merc or a Viseeo device to the UHI socket in place of a clip in phone to make BT calls only (NO Music streaming) - as an aside intriguingly studying an old android nasty headunit manual they state these cars as having NTG4 and NTG4.5 - which points toward why I need for my Viseeo BT puck set to NTG4 settings to work ....

its safest to leave the DVD player to do essential updates to maps, time fix and comand and not attempt to use to plays discs - its early and they hate fake discs

you can throw money at a mega wide screen androidy thing
or one of the add on boxes like joyauto and move to apple car play or android auto (plus Bluetooth for phone and streaming with less of a fight / online trash etc.)

https://www.joyeauto.com/wjme-smerce...auto-solution/