hotel_calif

My 2002 SL500 is wired for a phone, but what cell phones will work with this car? Can anyone point me to some documentation?

Thanks!

Black129

I have the same feature on my car an it uses a Motorola startac. You have to purchase the phone from Mercedes and they are CDMA phones and not GSM based. I believe that my dealer told me they only have phones that are either sprint or verizon.

hotel_calif

Thanks, Black129. Would you say the phone is worth the cost? I would think one could not use the phone with top down as there would be too much wind noise. My SL isn't all that quiet even with the top up. Do you use your phone much?

RUCKDR

I don't mean this to be factious, but how about a plain old cell phone. Our choice.
Later,

tiggerfink

A V60S CDMA Verizon phone if your car is wired with d2b. I just got one installed today. The new GSM works will only work in 2005 SL and newer, because the new SLs have the MOST system in them.

hotel_calif

I have a plain old cell phone, and I think it is probably as useful (or more) as the MB phone that works with the SL500. But I am curious if others have the same opinion. The concept of using a cell phone hands-free in the car is a good one, but I doubt a 2 year old phone will do what I am expecting.

tiggerfink

You can have the latest Motorola cell phone working with your car. But you will need to purchase a MB cell phone kit. You can purchase the kit with out the MB phone. Go to the like below and see what non MB phones that can work in your car. The cell phone voice quality was awesome through the car system at 80mphs with the top up on my 2004 SL500.

I think it is a good investment because of the Voice Control System. I was able to dial folks, change radio stations, CDs and tracks with voice commands. It is a great safety feature because you do not have to press buttons while you are driving, just use voice commands. You can only get the Voice Command System if you have the MB phone kit install

www.mikbox.com

scorchie

Again, you can get the voice control system installed regardless of if you have an MB phone system or not. Some dealers won't do it; just go to another dealer or install it yourself. It works fine.

-s-

tiggerfink

The phone works great with the top down. I was driving around 50 mphs and wife could hear me like a land line.

awiner

That depends on what PSE you have. Early 2002 models had the Timeport PSE. Later in the 2002 production a dual sense PSE was introduced that supportsthe Timeport and V60.... You would have to look at your PSE and check the model # (Or color of the label) to know what one you have.

The dual sense PSE has a blue stick and the Timeport only PSE has a white sticker.

hotel_calif

Hi Tigger:

I'll have to try going slower. At 65 mph on the freeway with the top down, my passenger could could hardly hear me! Does the R230 have the microphone near the rear view mirror like the R129?

Thanks,

Will

hotel_calif

Does PSE = Phone Support Equipment? Where is it located? I checked my owners manual, searched for PSE on this board and mbusa, but no luck. The plate on my driver's door shows a build date of 3/2001 (is this really a 2002 car?). There is no sticker that I can find in the center console where the phone cradle is located.

Thanks, Will

tiggerfink

PSE means portable support electronics. The R230 has a noise-canceling microphone in the rear view mirror area.

Go here more phone information on your car.

http://www.mikbox.com/order/

http://home.earthlink.net/~phdwebsit..._bulletins.htm

tiggerfink

Are your windows up? I have no problem talking with my wife in my SLK 320 or SL500 going about 70 on the interstate with the windows up. It’s a different story with my windows down.

hotel_calif

I was able to find the PSE in my trunk (thanks Tigger and Adam), and it has a white label so I am stuck with Timeport unless I am ready to replace the PSE or purchase the MikBox to perform translation.

With the windows down at 65 mph, the roar is deafening, and I could barely talk to or hear my passenger even when shouting. I tried rolling up the windows and flipping up the roll bar with the mesh. This helped reduce noise, but we still had to shout to hear each other. With the soft top up, we could converse in a normal tone of voice.

tiggerfink

The MB V60S for Verizion is over 500 bucks and the new PSE is about 600 bucks. That does not include dealer installation. You may also have to purchase a new cradle. Since you already have the PSE in your car, you would be better off on getting the mikbox and have it work with the non-MB phones. The complete kit from Mikbox is about 300 bucks but you can use most Motorola phones. Verizon will give you a free phone every 2 years, like a V60S. I just paid over 500 bucks for a Mercedes V60S.

ChrisB

If you are raising the roll bar to engage the mesh wind screen ... in my experience, you are only getting about 30% of the wind blocking effectiveness. Wind still howels down behind the mesh and into the car between the 2 seats.

The wind blocker is a hinged two leaf device. If installed correctly and to get full wind blocking ... leave the roll bar down and swivel up the upper most mesh leaf into a vertical position.

This produces a 90 degree open leaf structure that provides a vertical block just behind the head rests and at the same time a horizontal block at the back of the set for the full roll bar plan area.

We always drive with the windows up at anything over say 10 mph in anything more than stop and go grid lock traffic. The wind mesh leaf goes up at anything more than say 20 mph. We are a bit sencitive to the wind.

I'm sure you will be talking in normal tones with your passenger up to well over highway speed limits.

Please advise if this works.

tiggerfink

The wind block is great. It reduces the wind and noise. I forgot to mention that we have the wind blocker up while driving on the interstate.

hotel_calif

Hi ChrisB & Tigger:

You are absolutely right about the wind block. I had been raising the roll bar and this doesn't do much to reduce wind noise/buffet. But when used correctly (by opening the leaf), it is very effective at reducing noise. I finally got to test this during a few hours of sunshine between the rain storms we've been having lately. With the windows up and wind block opened, my wife and I could talk in normal tones and didn't even need our hats. By contrast, when driving with the roll bar up, our hats were almost ready to fly off our heads.

Raising the leaf also makes it easier to see through, since you have to look through only one piece of fabric. When I had the roll bar up, the two pieces of fabric on the closed wind block were almost impossible to see through.

Attached is a photo of my wind block deployed correctly. Somehow, I missed all this when reading the manual. Thanks for setting me straight.

Will

ChrisB

I'm glad to hear that you got the wind blocker to work for you.

Still happy with the decision to go for the SL rather than the E Class?

Who drive more you or your wife?

Bruce SEA 993

I read through this thread and was thinking, all I want is +12V so I can keep my regular cell phone in the bin and have the charger in there and not in the cigarette lighter in front of the shifter.

Anyone sort the wiring out for the phone to use just the +12V for accessories?

Cheers

hotel_calif

Hi Chris:

I'm very happy with purchasing the SL over the E class. I wasn't sure if I would like a convertible, but I've been driving with the top down every weekend it hasn't rained. The pano hardtop is sitting on a pad in the garage. I'm still the main driver, but my son has driven the SL and enjoyed it. My wife says she will give it a try one day.