When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
2020 Mercedes Benz E63s 4-Matic W213. Sorry for such a long post! I am having serious issues after trying to reverse an MBUX Retrofit. My car originally came with the big display on dash. However, it did not have touchscreen functionality. I found a Chinese company that was selling the upgrade for touchscreen on radio side only. I ordered it for like 6k. They did not send any install instructions at all. I instead had to do the install through WhatsApp and text messaging 3 years ago. Due to the retrofit causing other functionality problems, i decided to reverse back to OEM Hardware. This included head unit, amplifier, rear view mirror, CPU under carpet on drivers side near feet, the piece in the center console that has the knob, and misc. wire changes as well as programming from the remote people. This is where the problems lie. At this time I have no display on dash, no head unit at all and some broken connectors behind head unit. I took it to Mercedes Dealer and they replaced the CPU for like 3k as they could not get it to start or communicate at all with programming hardware. They were going to set the programming back to factory but now they couldn't communicate through the head unit with the big black plug only attached. Not sure where the other wires go as the colored connectors are broke off. Now they tell me the head unit is bad as they cant communicate through it. I bought the same exact model head unit used/tested and Benzninja still cant see head unit or display cluster on dash at all. I'm not sure where the problem is but the only thing i was unable to reverse is they had me change some pins under the carpet on the passenger side and I have no clue which ones I changed/added/removed! BenzNinja told me this is the canbus and that's the whole problem. Can anyone help me determine why I have no Head Unit or Cluster Display on dash? Which wires needed changed for this retrofit to work? I'm 99% sure it was in the purple section in photo. Any help wourl be GREATLY appreciated as my baby is a lemon right now.
Last edited by johnnyd34; Apr 5, 2026 at 07:05 PM.
Your baby is not a lemon. You took a working unit, put a bunch of Chinese crap in it, used it, caused a bunch of problems, and you are reverting back to stock. This is 100 percent self inflicted. I would think about taking it too a high end audio shop to see what they say honestly.
You might have to find someone in your area with a W213 and open up their car to let you see their wiring harnesses for reference. I assume you have WIS already, have you checked WIS for pin schematic? I know it's in there for other wiring harnesses, just not sure about CAN BUS. Start with either a donor car or the WIS for pin layout. This will be a tedious job for you, but not difficult. Just take your time and check overy connection in the area for proper or loose wiring. You should lightly pull on each wire in that area to be sure the pins is properly seated in the connector. I had some slight corrosion or something in a speaker wire connected to the amp. It cleared up when I sprayed both sided with CRC contact cleaner.
You have your work cut out for you, unless you can remember the actual wires you changed when you first modified your car.
Your baby is not a lemon. You took a working unit, put a bunch of Chinese crap in it, used it, caused a bunch of problems, and you are reverting back to stock. This is 100 percent self inflicted. I would think about taking it too a high end audio shop to see what they say honestly.
New Member Needing Help
