w221 radio cut off problem

[alex_78]

first hi to everybody on forum

im new (almost) happy owner of w221 s350 2011

i just have this car for slightly over a week (private purchase so can't deal with seller about fault)

i was driving it few short trips in last few days most at day and motorway

tonite i was driving around city for couple hours with headlights/ aircon on etc
on some point radio cut off no sound then on display instead of list of radio station i have "device unavailable"

when i try use sat nav it works but is no sound, once i load cd or mp3 disc it read it load track list but no respond when i try to play track (looks like system stop it coz timer of track is on 0 position)

i tried reset command from command menu - no luck

also i make soft reset by hold "eject" button for 10 second and system reboot
mercedes screen show up then go to audio and again "device unavailable" - no luck again

i check it by my obd reader but no luck no codes at all

i don't know to much about past of car im not sure where to start looking for reason?

it was a bit weird coz it stops just like that.

i was reading it can be battery in boot?
or take off and put back on one of the fuses to clear memory?
or headunit fault but from my (im it technican) it looks like some sort of bug
system starts,boot ok, hard drive works (can be heard if is quiet in car engine off) it looks like it need hard reset etc

i'm hoping maybe someone can advise me something maybe someone had something like this coz i think it can be easy fix instead of going straight to MB garage and pay fortune? also i read few stories on other forum that MB dealership replace most parts in command and problems stay like before (but different problems than mine)

thanks in advance for your time and help

 

[Botus]

a few things to check before you start unbolting stuff...

With the Sat Nav on! make sure when a direction instruction comes in you have the volume loud enough to hear. You can only turn it up as she speaks, if that's set silent and a route is in the system, you would get lots of nothings.

Also I guess a traffic reports could be set the same... there are no menus for traffic or sat nav vol level, (everyone here will state its a great idea, but to me it pure and simple software errors in the original design)

If you are listening via DAB (says on the speedo cluster) ? Make sure you retune as the world changed in Feb 2016 and old channels will be weak. Also worth understanding Mercedes DAB antenna's in general are some of the worst possible and on an S class cost about £700. With a stock antenna its quite likely to drop out all the time.

Fortunately when my DAB drops out it does it very calmly with no squeaks or pops and comes back in gently (this part is well executed). The Comand screen also takes out any white text as it drops out when in the night menus and it displays a message but I forget what it is. Sound and text come back with the signal.

I'm running an £18 bodge antenna and it works far better than my neighbours year old SLK where the DAB is totally unusable. Mine hardly drops out, although the Berks and Hants multiplex puts out less power than a damp candle and basically doesn't function. London or the BBC ones are perfect.

If you are having drop out on FM and or every toy that should puts out sound, that's not normal and points to antenna or an amp issue. I would expect zero chance this improves by playing with disconnecting the batteries.


Note these are designed to go wrong, (giving the sort of fault you are describing) .... its an integral part of the in car toys so can't be swapped out for aftermarket kit

https://www.bba-reman.com/gb/catalogue/detailedproduct.aspx?detailedproduct=2481

 

[alexanderfoti]

If you are having drop out on FM and or every toy that should puts out sound, that's not normal and points to antenna or an amp issue. I would expect zero chance this improves by playing with disconnecting the batteries.



https://www.bba-reman.com/gb/catalogue/detailedproduct.aspx?detailedproduct=2481

+1 if you have Harmon Kardon

 

[alex_78]

thanks for your reply

i don't have sound in navigation
also once load cd i see track list but can't start play
when choose radio is "device unavailable" and no option for further settings

the way how that happen was weird radio just cut off few second later above msg shows instead of list of station

im not sure i have dab radio i think is just normal fm

so far no progress

i was reading a lot on web and i bet is one of this 2 problems:

1 firmware need to be updated/ fixed

2 this unit from your link give up

i go to MB tomorrow for diagnosis

do you know how much this company from your link charge for this unit and is they send it back coded to your car so it will be plug and play? also how reliable they are after fix?

thanks in advance for reply

 

[alex_78]

i just spoke to them (bba reman) and at least i know it can be fixed (i checked my part number with them)

so tomorrow i will find out what is wrong in merc garage then i let you know maybe someone can use this info in future

thanks again

 

[Alfie]

Its the tuner/amp. Common issue. Seen it many times.

 

[Botus]

thanks for your reply


do you know how much this company from your link charge for this unit and is they send it back coded to your car so it will be plug and play? also how reliable they are after fix?

if television was here he'd say sent it to a place in Bulgaria to get it fixed. Its quite rare to find people who know what to do.
They are very silly money new I think >£2k so I'd expect at least £350 to repair at BBA, give them a ring. And if you post it get insurance on the item, you won't want this to go missing !!!

I don't think it needs coding, the rest of the brains are in other elements of the car... But I'd still be happier to get one's own fixed, I wouldn't go for an ebay special, it'll either be broken or break 5 seconds after you fit it

 

[alex_78]

thanks for your reply Alfie

it can be tuner/amp however the most of tuner/amp failure is in older cars 2005-2006 (according to different websites)
my car is late 2011 even part number is different etc

but we will see tomorrow

i really hope is software coz is so boring drive in quiet car

 

[alex_78]

hi

small update

after some time at dealer i was told my software is ok and they need to make further checks which can be few hours but results is not guaranteed

so i took my chance and i ill post sound gateway from boot tomorrow to BBA and hopefully i get my sound back

i was advised by guy from MB that it can be also problem with fiberoptic cable but everything looks very much like sound gateway

thanks to all for your input

after merc garage i visit my friend garage and snapon don't found anything but other reader i forgot name found code D101 which looks like gateway again

so hopefully it will be fine otherwise i need to go back to dealer but that will be big £££

once again thanks for your posts and i will let you know once i get it back

 

[Botus]

good luck,

when I used BBA they were good. They have been taken over recently but I don't know much about it. I would have thought was a management thing rather than some corporate monster took them over.

Get some insurance with who ever you post it with....

 

[alex_78]

@Botus

did you use their service for courier from their website or you use another courier?

what value for insurance you declare?

 

[Alfie]

thanks for your reply Alfie

it can be tuner/amp however the most of tuner/amp failure is in older cars 2005-2006 (according to different websites)
my car is late 2011 even part number is different etc

but we will see tomorrow

i really hope is software coz is so boring drive in quiet car

Ive seen this very issue in loads of W221's from 2006 to 2012!

You should insure it for circa £1500 as thats what it will cost to get a refurbished one from Mercedes.

 

[Botus]

@Botus

did you use their service for courier from their website or you use another courier?

what value for insurance you declare?

just saw your location !

When I has a bit fixed I drove my Omega ABS unit down there so they could get on with repairing it and they posted it back for get who they used.

for ECU testing who did my Bike ABS unit, I used a royal mail thing with something like 1k insurance was £35 quid one way.

Makes u cry, but if it goes walk about you'll cry a hell of a lot more...

 

[growla666]

I had a similar problem on my S320 too. Mysteriously disappeared though??

 

[alex_78]

thanks to all of you for your help

big thanks to Alfie and Botus for expertise and BBA recommendation

i post my amp to BAA friday afternoon and they receive it monday morning i request premium fast service coz i was in rush with time and unit was send back to me yesterday (they found problem fix and send in back in one day)

amp just arrived by ups and i just finish fitting and everything works as should

thanks again for all your help i know i should go straight to BBA but i was hoping for quick software fix at dealer

now my amp is under BBA warranty which give me piece of mind

thanks again and i'm strongly recommend BBA for your needs very professional fast and i think reasonably priced service

have a good day

 

[Submariner1]

thanks to all of you for your help

big thanks to Alfie and Botus for expertise and BBA recommendation

i post my amp to BAA friday afternoon and they receive it monday morning i request premium fast service coz i was in rush with time and unit was send back to me yesterday (they found problem fix and send in back in one day)

amp just arrived by ups and i just finish fitting and everything works as should

thanks again for all your help i know i should go straight to BBA but i was hoping for quick software fix at dealer

now my amp is under BBA warranty which give me piece of mind

thanks again and i'm strongly recommend BBA for your needs very professional fast and i think reasonably priced service

have a good day

How much was it to repair?

 

[Botus]

nice,

if you want to keep spending money, see if you can get one of these.. and retrofit DAB

A221 900 0100

 

[alexanderfoti]

nice,

if you want to keep spending money, see if you can get one of these.. and retrofit DAB

A221 900 0100

How good is the onboard DAB? I have the Pure highway 300di, The reasoning behind it was that I could use it for Ipod control too, but I find it too fiddly. Its not that sensitive either on DAB.

 

[Botus]

How good is the onboard DAB? I have the Pure highway 300di, The reasoning behind it was that I could use it for Ipod control too, but I find it too fiddly. Its not that sensitive either on DAB.

sound quality is perfect, far better than I expected DAB to come out based on the fact its compressed garbage (with less than a 1/4 of the data of an FM channel)

the interface is obviously via command and or steering wheel, with very similar menu structure on screen to normal radio, and it does all the normal stuff when traffic / Sat Nav / Phone etc. come in just as any other toy does.

menus and favourites work just fine... there is NO radio text or song / station info (other than the Station name) the only clunky part is when swapping between the many multiplexes..

So for BBC twiddle the knob and every station is there almost instantly... But unless you set favourites getting to other multiplexes is a phaff. With favourites set, press command knob down, this brings up the list of saved favourites, twiddle to scroll (can have up to 20 presets) and this lets you jump multiplexes BUT you get a lag of about 6 to to 9 seconds (I'm guessing that bit) as it hunts them down. Once on the new one its instant to jump about. Its a shame the 10 DAB stations worth bothering with aren't just on one multiplex and the other rubbish could just be forgotten.

Reception is very good and as I said if it loses signal rather than squeak and pop like someone is running a finger nail down a blackboard like my 335d did this quietly drops out and meanders back in when it finds a signal 2 seconds later... sometimes I don't even notices it dropped out.

 

[alex_78]

@Submariner1

price depends from fault

you need to send unit to them (insure just in case)

then they call you once they establish what is wrong
standard most common fault is £175+vat

then you need to organize shipping back or they can post to you by ups for £9 +vat

if is other fault or you need fast repair (one day instead of 3-5) is extra fee

if you call them with part number and briefly explain what is wrong they give you roughly price etc

hope that helps



@Botus

i don't think i go for it

i try to make it simple i listen some FM station and coverage is ok

i was missing bluetooth streaming music from my iphone but i sorted it

i was looking to buy media interface plus which enable bluetooth stream via multimedia port in glovebox but is almost none on ebay and dealer price is a bit crazy

so instead i go for one of bluetooth receiver from ebay but one which is powered from cigarette lighter socket coz i already had one with battery and is pointless
now i connect it via multimedia interface mini jack socket and i need to say im happy
music quality is great, control buttons works wo i don't need touch iphone
i bought cheap option for test (was looking to buy belkin) but so far i don't see reason to change it
check ebay item
222417694240

so at least for now im happy with my car audio