Vrodman

Here's the deal with the da*n CD changer. About two years ago it started having trouble finding all of the disks in the magazine and slowly got worse until it gave some BS message on the head unit "Magazine Empty" and no longer worked at all. I tried a different magazine and different disks with no luck. I tried reseting the changer by discionnecting it overnight with no luck. I finally bought a replacement unit for about $150 on Ebay that worked for about a year. But now it is giving me the same BS "Empty Magazine" message and not working. The CD changer error also even showed up in a recent OBDII reading for a MAF check.

Anyone ever see this before? Any fixes for this? Or do I need to buy a THIRD unit? Radio kinda sucks! I'd like to get back to the better sound soon.

Thanks

C43AMG

I currently have the same problem.I'm waiting on the Bose Media System to become available to replace the stock system.

SleepersRock

I recommend an Ipod and an auxillary cable. Way better than the changer, plus you can listen to everything you have.

Vrodman

I found the auxiliary cable once a few months back online. As I recall it plugged in between the CD changer and the CD changer optical cable? Is that right? Wouldn't I then need to run an extension from there (trunk area) through the car to drivers area somewhere? As I recall that adapter/cable was also fairly pricey. Can you recommend a cost-effective adapter/cable and how to best set it up?

Thanks.

SleepersRock

Not quite...The auxillary cable jack is actually on the left inside the glove box. It can be hard to see so get a flash light. Buy an auxillary cable (with the yellow highlight on the plug ends) from Radio Shack for $10 bucks or less.

Plug one end into the jack in glove box, let the wire hang down, the close the glove box. Plug Ipod into other end. Select Aux from the COMMAND menu, adjust the bass and treble all the way up to +10 (must be done each time you start the car, annoying really). Enjoy!

Vrodman

Thanks Sleepers, I looked inside my glove box and didn't find any connector(s). Mine is a 2000. Is yours 2000? Did you mean it is actually inside the box toward the left? Cuz I looked long and hard and found nothing. Thanks.

Yacht Master

Vrodman,
You may not have command, the plug in the glove compartment comes with command only.

Have you tried OmeysHomeys DIY repair on CD player?

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...air-guide.html

Vrodman

Yacht Master, You are absolutely correct. I got an early 2000 just before the W210 started coming with Nav/command. I'll certainly check out the site you gave. I found a couple of other posts on fixing stuck worm-drive gears and faulty limit switches in the changer. I just haven't gotten around to trying it yet. I do know that someone (as I mentioned above) makes a cable Y adapter that connects between the changer and the changer's connector that has aux stereo (rca) connectors. I'm just not wild about running a wire from the trunk to the front of the car.

Nice car BTW. I've been tempted on more than one occasion to trade up to the newer supercharged model. 350+ Hp just doesn't seem that fast anymore!!

SleepersRock

+1

Tacjam

The way W211's are dropping in price.....I would keep you're W210 for 2 more years....when the W212 comes out, I'm willing to bet W211's will be in the low 20's. You can find them all day in 30's now.

Jim

Yacht Master

I looked all over for a solution to the I-Pod in a non-command W210
FM modulator-first place in the sucks department.
Milkbox adapter takes place of CD-Mucho $$$$
Dension 500 takes place of CD-Mucho $$$$
http://www.ipodcarkitdirect.co.uk/Ca...2B_fiber_optic
Few more
http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_s...l/MB_IPOD.html
Rehash
http://www.logjamelectronics.com/diceimbd2b.html
There is one other that plugs in between the head unit and the amp but has no balance, bass or treble adjustment.

What I did was used a cassette adapter, cut a relief in the radio so that the cassette door would shut and the radio would slide back in to its mount with out pinching the wire coming out of the cassette adapter. The wire was routed around the back of the head unit and plugged in to a home made adapter. I also added a Sat radio, the one I used is an XM Express and it fit in the ash tray compartment, taped power from lighter and ran the antenna to the top of the dash. I plugged the sat radios audio out to my home made adapter and now I have I-Pod and Sat Radio. I put the I Pod jack in the cubby above the ash tray and when tape is selected on the head unit it plays the sat Radio and if I plug in the Pod it switches to the play the I pod.
I pod $300
Sat radio $ 72
Sat sub $150
Parts $ 25

$547.00 about the same cost as just the other adapters.

Next project mount for I Pod and or I Touch so passenger can watch movies.

Vrodman

Hey Yacht Master,

You are absolutely right about the FM modulators! That was money thrown ou the window. I'm actually not wild about the cassette solution either. They tend to lose frequency bandwidth (highs and lows).

Here is probably the best solution I've found for non-command center applications if you are willing to give up CD changer. As you will see in the link below it is $295 and plugs into the back of the head unit where the CD D2B would normally go. It looks like you need to connect DC power to this converter but that's it. After you install this you will have a true auxiliary input with left and right rca stereo jacks. You can then use any number of adapter cables to connect Mp3 player, iPod, etc. You will also be able to control treble, bass, and everything just as you could with the CD changer before.

Check it out and let me know what you think. I haven't actually pulled the trigger on this project yet. Still upgrading the car's phone system and gotta fix that darn AC!

http://www.autotoys.com/x/product.php?productid=4671

Cheers

Yacht Master

As many CD changers that have gone bad this is definitely an option, I think the dealer sells the CD changer for $500+ This looks like the most cost effective CD changer to I Pod etc out now. Then the limiting factor is bit rate more so than connection quality, much better. I would say if you can't repair your CD changer (DIY) Then make the move. On second thought even if the CD dose work you could sell it (or both CD changers) on ebay.