Another 'Phone question...

[crusty]

Hi everyone.

I am a newbie and seek your individual or collective wisdom. Have just purchased a E320 CDI Avantgarde Est (Jan 04 - poverty spec) which, by reading these posts seems not to have any telephone equipment or pre-wiring. (No COMMAND but other buttons pressed come up with 'No Phone' mesage). I should be grateful for top tips as to how to install (or rather, have insatalled) a suitable subsitute. Manufacturer/fitting specialists etc? Have looked at 'kits' etc on the web and have found the 'command on line shop' but am not sure regarding compatibility with audio 20 system etc. Grateful for a steer. I can only find only two providers/fitters on the web (Braybrookes and Command) but this may just be me...

Also I have only recent documentation with this car and would be happy to hear from anyone who could point me in the direction of a 2004 owners handbook!

Many thanks in advance.

 

[whitenemesis]

Handbook is easy, try the dealer, not as expensive as you might think (~£7ish)

COMAND ltd can be thoroughly recommended. Their technical director has a very informative website here where you can read all about phones, compatability, COMAND etc, etc

 

[jberks]

As above - Alfie at Command is a good guy so if you want to go down that route you should talk to him. AFAIK if you have an audio 20 casette player then command is simple but if you have a cd player its a lot more expensive as the AGW is built into the head unit (you need an agw for command plus wiring which bangs up the price a lot).
Not sure why you want command though, or prewire. Yes they're nice but to be perfectly honest they're no better than after market systems and in terms of accuracy etc I've yet to find any inbuilt sat nav that works as well as a tomtom. To update command DVD it's a £200 dvd - you can get an entire new tomtom for less than that with updates a fraction of that price. It all depends on how much you use satnav. Personally once a month would be a lot so its no hassle to pull the tomtom out - though if you're on the road every day it may pay for itself.
The phone prewire is nce (I have one) and it's nice to use the phone buttons on the stereo but bang for buck, after market kits like parrott are a much better bet. The can be virutally invisible and some models even allow you to use the wheel controls.

 

[crusty]

Whitenemesis and Jberks,

Thanks for this. I have been quoted circa £1100 (from Command) for proper merc phone retro fit. Although feels a little steep, i can't find anything better at the moment but have yet to investigate the 'Parrot' alternative.

I shall get to my nearest dealer for a 04 owner handbook and also see if they have any history prior on their database prior to '06, after which everything seems to be comprehensively documented.

 

[television]

Whitenemesis and Jberks,

Thanks for this. I have been quoted circa £1100 (from Command) for proper merc phone retro fit. Although feels a little steep, i can't find anything better at the moment but have yet to investigate the 'Parrot' alternative.

I shall get to my nearest dealer for a 04 owner handbook and also see if they have any history prior on their database prior to '06, after which everything seems to be comprehensively documented.

Take your VIN number with you when you order the book

 

[moosehead]

I would thoroughly recommend the Parrot. It cost me £200 all in and was professionally fitted. It also supports the address book for 4 (or maybe 5) phones, has voice recognition, mutes and plays back through stereo, etc. I believe they now have option that supports steering wheel contols.

 

[c200russ]

the parrott ck 3100 is the best deal on the market at the moment but does not surport full functions on some of the newer phones (symbian 60) but the kit its self is great i used to fit these for a living and out of the 200 or 300 i fitted i never had one go faulty on me i have one in one of my other cars

regards

 

[crusty]

Thanks all.

I have been offered the u/m (from: avrmobiles.co.uk) for circa £130 and having researched this on various sites, it seems the least worst option. Unless there are any comments from you guys - either pos or neg, then I am tempted to have this installed. Any views?


THB Bury CarTalk & Curv Charging Cradle
• T-Bar Aerial Antenna
• Stereo mute - Sound through car stereo speakers
• No Holes Mounting Bracket
• Installation at your home or work place
• 12 months warranty - covering parts, labour & call out fees

Happy motoring

Crusty

 

[crusty]

I would thoroughly recommend the Parrot. It cost me £200 all in and was professionally fitted. It also supports the address book for 4 (or maybe 5) phones, has voice recognition, mutes and plays back through stereo, etc. I believe they now have option that supports steering wheel contols.

Thought that I would give you all a summary update of my Halfords experience to date:

Having considered the adivce regarding a Parrot solution, I selected the MK6100 and got it booked in (having ordered appropriate cables). On the day of fitting, it defeated the technician. He admitted that it was "beyond his experiece/capabilities". I then took my E320 to another huge store in Chippenham. It took a further 2 weeks (and 3 cancelled appointments) before I was informed that the MK6100 had been "withdrawn". I then agreed for the 3000 to be installed with additional wiring to the steering wheel controls. Additional parts were eventually ordered. On the day of fitting, whilst on my way to the store, I received a call saying that the parts (which had just arrived) had some bare "optical cables" and thus was impossible to fit (these cables not having any connectors).

I just thought that other readers may wish to read this brief summary in order to draw thier own conclusions regarding 'free fitting' claims and the subsequent limitations upon this assertion by Halfords.

I am now back to the start-line in trying to source a bluetooth kit which can also be wired to the Steering wheel/Audio 20 (single CD) loom!

Any more ideas? I really do not want something dangling from a visor or sticking out of the power socket. Just a more elegant and reasonable (£2 -300 ish) solution is all I am after...

Any takers?

 

[jberks]

I'm pretty sure that the Parrott system can be properly installed, but it's not surprising that Halfords were defeated by the E320. I had one of their guys tell me that the cheap plastic pull up ariel I was holding was an electric one. Their guys are aren't going to be experts. I dare say they can stick a tomtom on someone's windscreen or swap one ISO stereo for another but this type of work requires experience and knowldge of what is now a complex subject. Otherwise they'll look at the wires, not recognise one and panic. same in all professions, no substitute for experience.

The choice has always been between the parrott and the Nokia kit but the parrott is the better one, especially if you want steering controls. There are other more complex solutions ( I recently read about a box that allowed all sorts of interfaces to run off the car nework) but I'd find a proper ICE/parrott installer and have a chat.

E.g. http://www.avrmobiles.co.uk/car_kit_installation_engineer_profiles.html

 

[crusty]

Jberks, friends,

Just thought I would round off this little 2 month saga with a final update.

A couple of days agao I had avrmobiles install a Parrot CK3100 bluetooth set. It was professionally done (over 3.5 hours!) with the display screen set in what used to be the ashtray and can thus be concealed when the car is unattended. It can now also be operated from steering wheel controls. Job done!

However:

- The first avrmobile 'technician' arrived late (me having waited 8 days for this appointment) and declared on arrival that "I have never done one of these before" and "has anyone sent any instructions for me" and that 1.5 hours "was not going to be long enough".

- He was turned around very sharpish and following a call to Darren I was assured that this sub-contractor was, with immediate effect, no longer on their books. The system was eventually fitted the next day but with the cautionary words from this Merc experienced guy that it was a 50/50 chance that the wiring to the steering wheel contols would work on the 320! Guess I was just lucky then?

This has been an expensive, time consuming and deeply frustrating experience. Still - mustn't grumble...! for an eye watering £280 I now have an elegant solution to my comms problems.

Thanks for all your opinions/advice. Hope my experience may be of use to others. Good luck.

Crusty