Command unit

[Robert Hill]

Hi guys, I have 2 x 2013 Mercedes s350cdi W221. Exactly the same age. Both have encountered the same problem over the last month. The command unit in one (black car) has stopped working completely, screen won’t switch on and yesterday the sound went on the other one (silver one) but satnav and all other things work but no volume. It’s not the actual command unit as they’ve been checked in another vehicle. All cables have been checked. I read somewhere that it may be something to do with the WiFi we use in the cars as they are used as Chauffeur vehicles. Really frustrating. Any suggestions would be great or if anyone else has encountered this problem. Thanks in advance.

 

[DaveE320CDI]

Hi Robert, Usually find its the Amplifier located in the left hand side of the boot! they pull soot in from the exhaust
by the cooling fan on the amp, and it covers the circuit board causing the amp to fail, sometimes can be cleaned using solvent that does not damage the board drying and see if it works, if not usually new amplifier £1200 i think
cheers Dave

 

[Robert Hill]

Hi Robert, Usually find its the Amplifier located in the left hand side of the boot! they pull soot in from the exhaust
by the cooling fan on the amp, and it covers the circuit board causing the amp to fail, sometimes can be cleaned using solvent that does not damage the board drying and see if it works, if not usually new amplifier £1200 i think
cheers Dave

 

[Robert Hill]

Ouch, let’s hope it’s an easy fix. Thanks for the reply Dave

 

[Botus]

menus and pictures but no sound is a dead or dying amp - none of the repairs seem to work... lots of posts about this out there

and here's the current one
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/index.php?threads/w211-harman-kardon-stereo-no-sound.172771/

as for not operating, that's rare and I have no idea

 

[Robert Hill]

menus and pictures but no sound is a dead or dying amp - none of the repairs seem to work... lots of posts about this out there

and here's the current one
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/index.php?threads/w211-harman-kardon-stereo-no-sound.172771/

as for not operating, that's rare and I have no idea

 

[Robert Hill]

Thanks Botus

 

[Botus]

on the NTG3.5 that's not working might as well go through basics. On earlier comand units was very common for the fuse to pop. And the fan to give up leading to overheating.

removal from a 221 is very simple... the main cover below the clock that folds out has 4 screws in each corner, you find by flipping out each ones captive cover that hinges 90 degrees, you'll get the cover folding shut on your torx driver but other than that, that's really easy. then the command has another 4 torx screws in each corner that stay captive and it just pulls forward (to the back of the car). Just make sure you do it all keeping a thick towel on top of the centre console trim.

Take a few pictures as it comes out to help you work out how to squash all the wires back in place. It should come forward 8 to 10 inches to let you unclip the wires. You can do it all with the battery connected but key off or keyless in the house

if its the unit that dead I'd write the reg on it and sent for repair (ensuring you keep for current maps / data / coded toy count)
if you don't think this is for you comandonline at lightwater (Bracknell) are experts on all thinks electrical comand related

….is there any noise or just no display ? the screen which I've never touched will be a more complex to get out (they are two totally separate components 18" from each other)

a dead hard drive (in the comand unit under the clock) is not swappable without a lot of support/expertise and few can do it.... secondhand a replacement comand unit is about 600 for the old NTG3 (no use to you) or 1000 for an NTG3.5 (which in turn is no good for pre facelift cars as the screen is different) and there were 1 disc or 6 disc versions

oh robbers... there's around 10 on ebay today, from 1300 to 2000 GBP (without the screen) you could ring but none listing a repair

ecu testing
actronics
bba reman

 

[Robert Hill]

on the NTG3.5 that's not working might as well go through basics. On earlier comand units was very common for the fuse to pop. And the fan to give up leading to overheating.

removal from a 221 is very simple... the main cover below the clock that folds out has 4 screws in each corner, you find by flipping out each ones captive cover that hinges 90 degrees, you'll get the cover folding shut on your torx driver but other than that, that's really easy. then the command has another 4 torx screws in each corner that stay captive and it just pulls forward (to the back of the car). Just make sure you do it all keeping a thick towel on top of the centre console trim.

Take a few pictures as it comes out to help you work out how to squash all the wires back in place. It should come forward 8 to 10 inches to let you unclip the wires. You can do it all with the battery connected but key off or keyless in the house

if its the unit that dead I'd write the reg on it and sent for repair (ensuring you keep for current maps / data / coded toy count)
if you don't think this is for you comandonline at lightwater (Bracknell) are experts on all thinks electrical comand related

….is there any noise or just no display ? the screen which I've never touched will be a more complex to get out (they are two totally separate components 18" from each other)

a dead hard drive (in the comand unit under the clock) is not swappable without a lot of support/expertise and few can do it.... secondhand a replacement comand unit is about 600 for the old NTG3 (no use to you) or 1000 for an NTG3.5 (which in turn is no good for pre facelift cars as the screen is different) and there were 1 disc or 6 disc versions

oh robbers... there's around 10 on ebay today, from 1300 to 2000 GBP (without the screen) you could ring but none listing a repair

ecu testing
actronics
bba reman

 

[Robert Hill]

Hi Botus, it’s not the unit as we have tried it in another age related s Class and it worked. The screen is blank, nothing showing or switching on in the car it belongs to so definitely something in the car. At first it was an intermittent rear camera fault then it all died. Have replaced the camera cable but still nothing. Really frustrating. The guy that’s been looking at it is a Mercedes specialist with all the correct software and he’s scratching his head too.

 

[DaveE320CDI]

Hi Robert, Has i said Matey go the Amplifier route get your guy to take the Amp out and take the cover off!
Very easy to do and not costing a arm and a leg before you start throwing money at it! clean the board with electrical cleaner either let dry or blow off with a air line then try it, cheers Dave

 

[Botus]

Dave, he has two cars two different faults.

on the one with no display, do you get any sound off the radio at all (you still didn't say) ? either way probably best to seek advice from comandonline

 

[Robert Hill]

Dave, he has two cars two different faults.

on the one with no display, do you get any sound off the radio at all (you still didn't say) ? either way probably best to seek advice from comandonline

 

[Robert Hill]

The unit in the Black S Class is dead, screen doesn’t turn on and no sound, started as an intermittent rear camera fault. Silver S Class screen works but no volume on radio, disc or nav. Says device unavailable when going from dab to fm. Very strange.

 

[Botus]

on the silver car the dead amp (AGW audio gateway) has the fm, am, sw tuner built in, DAB is a sperate module on the fibre optics so it might noticed when it swaps between the two. Usually the displays OK, the cd, tuner, phone and nav all working but not having any sound is a dead amp (which is a std feature of the unit)

on the black car, the camera isn't that exciting if you unplug it, I think everything else should work, you might have blown the brains out of something playing with a camera... or put in a PAL one that is confusing things, it needs to be NTSC rubbish and pins are not the same across all Mercedes vehicles, the pin out need swapping between an e class and a s class fitment... for the exact same camera

when you buy the e class camera you save £140 for the same part, but you must swap the pins