Hello All, First off thanks in advance for any info you can provide me with this issue.

Several years ago the Main "radio unit / Command center" Not sure exactly what MB calls it, but the unit that has the CD/ AM/FM Satellite, etc.. controls in our vehicle died on us. Dealership says we have to buy a brand new unit and it has to be programmed with our vehicle's VIN to work with any of the other components in the vehicle and that each of those are all connected with an optical cable that is serialized with the vin number as well. This is so stupid in my honest opinion and has me fuming considering this replacement unit will cost over 4k to have replaced. Plus they want me to pay it all upfront since it has to be programmed at the factory which is said to make it unusable by any other vehicle. This sounds very scammy to me. The car radio shops in my area won't touch it for some of the same reasons. I'm reading that this is not true and I'm really confused. I had no problems upgrading my 2009 C300 a few years back.

What can I do? Is my only option really buying this thing from the factory which is 1/3 the price of the value of the vehicle? Any help you can provide will be very greatly appreciated. I'm at my wits end about this. I love the vehicle but without a radio and this BS about theft deterrent features has me fuming and very disappointed in MB sustainable design. Thanks

 

This won't help you, but for future reference (and those of us with older GLKs), the NTG4.0 head unit (in the GLK and lots of other MBs until 2012) doesn't require ANY programming - it doesn't even have a security "PIN" that's required. I did a video on ID'ing, sourcing and replacing the head unit - but again, it's for the NTG4.0 unit, not the NTG4.5 unit in your 2014... (won't post the link to prevent any confusion).

 

When you put a used radio in it will ask you for the anti-theft PIN. If you google NTG 4.5 anti theft PIN you can find plenty of services that will get this PIN for you for a few bucks.

The radios are programmed to the vehicle, but if you get one with the same part number as your old one most of the programming should be the same.

 

Do I find the part number for radio on the unit? Is that the best place to find out which one I have?

 

Yes it's on a sticker on top the unit.

 

There are some differences between the NTG4.0 and NTG4.5 units, but I think the process I used for ID'ing my head unit model number will be very similar. That saves you having to remove the unit to get the number (and on the 2013-up models, that's a LOT more work than the 2010-12 models).

 

Unfortunately my unit will not boot up at all. so I'm going to have to pull it out of the vehicle. At the moment I'm having trouble finding someone to help me with the anti-theft pin. I can't tell which ones are reputable.

 

Ebay has some listings, that would provide some buyer protection.