Can this be done?

[ashwaads]

Hi,

I'm new the MB experience - I bought a 1999 CLK 430 (W203 is that right?)about 6 months ago and have been looking at some mods to make this car feel more like mine. I've read quite abit about the "Comand " system and hoped someone could give me some info about it. If it turns out to be worth having can you but these from anywhere (secondhand of course)?

rgds
Ash

 

[marnix]

Hi,
the CLK 99 model is a W208.
The only problem is that there is no speed signal at the radio. It has to be traced back in the passenger footwell
The speed pulse can be found on the small connector of the ETS black box (usual position in the engine compartment) at pin n°3 wire colour Black/Green. The signal can be found also inside the car in the loom plastic compartment under the passenger carpet, wire Black/Green diam. 1mm.
There are a some companies retro-fitting these systems.
See links
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4578904448
http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZincar123QQhtZ-1

 

[ashwaads]

Thanks for the advice -Looks expensive!

 

[jberks]

ok - contentious comment coming up.
When I chose my new car, I deliberately didn't go for one with command. There were 2 candidates on offer and I rejected them both, partially on the basis that command was installed. I chose a younger motor with fancy alloys for the same price instead. Yes I know people love the system and it does look great I agree, but in practical terms, I struggle to see the point.
Its a radio/stereo but no better than an audio 10 or 50 and from my experience a lot trickier to operate.
Its a cool funky looking sat nav but in practical terms, its less useful than a tom tom or navman (or has someone come up with a gatso file or BP station listing for command?) and if you want to update the maps, you are looking at a lot of money for a new DVD, if and when they get around to releasing one or chancing it and getting a dodgy one from Ebay.
If/When it packs in and stops reading dvds or loses its gps interface, or the mrs catches the screen with her diamond ring, you are looking at over £1k to fix it, assuming you can find someone to touch it. Plus, without it, you have nothing, no stereo, gps, phone etc. (See http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=14214 - I rest my case...)
It can play dvds (the new one can anyway) but only when you are stationary, when personally I have better things to do than sit in the car watching movies, though I guess if you're a Chauffer it could be handy.

I have the Audio20 with prewired phone and for those once every 2 month occasions where I don't know where I'm going, I have a tomtom. It doesn't look as cool admittedly and the tomtom may not be as inch perfect, but its actually more useful in terms of available downloads, has never got me lost, and is a hell of a lot cheaper to keep up to date- and if it breaks, there are lots of people who fix them, or I'll just bin it and buy a new one.

Queue torrent of abuse ......

 

[dogsbody]

Can this be done

You post seems very sensible to me. Another punter had a C200 which had done 27K miles and the comand system packed up, probably due to a duff connection - quoted £2.5K to fix it.
I cannot see how a decent radio/cd player (Say £400) a built in phone system (say £200) and a SAT Nav system say £500 is worth £2.5k for the wiring to make it work!

 

[television]

I have had my Navman 6 months. for the best part you do not need to see the screen as the little lady tells me where to go (no comments please) The command !st and 2nd genaration are too low to be able to see the screen and road at the same time, at top of dash height I have no problem. OK one hardly ever needs to see the screen but at complicated junctions it is nice to see the road layout. I have hard wired the power supply so no cables over dash and the advantage apart from larger screen over the Tomtom are that it is only 28mm thick and I can leave it on and put out of sight into the top locker on a SL when parked, also I can use it in my other cars. The camara data base has changed my driving, in all I put it up with the best buys in my life along with my House, SL and wife number 5.

Malcolm

 

[Ironhead]

Navman

I have had my Navman 6 months. for the best part you do not need to see the screen as the little lady tells me where to go (no comments please) The command !st and 2nd genaration are too low to be able to see the screen and road at the same time, at top of dash height I have no problem. OK one hardly ever needs to see the screen but at complicated junctions it is nice to see the road layout. I have hard wired the power supply so no cables over dash and the advantage apart from larger screen over the Tomtom are that it is only 28mm thick and I can leave it on and put out of sight into the top locker on a SL when parked, also I can use it in my other cars. The camara data base has changed my driving, in all I put it up with the best buys in my life along with my House, SL and wife number 5.

Malcolm

Hi, I have a Navman iCN630 (about a year or so old).
Do you know if I can download the camera database from the internet and somehow load it onto the Navman?
John

 

[television]

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/uksafetycameras.php

Hello John
The site above has all the free download info. if you run into any problems, let me know. When you are editing, make sure that you do it in notepad and not Excel.
there are four types, Gatso,Specs, mobile and one other, take them all.
To be practical set the warning to 500 meters on the Navman.
On this system it does also tell of camaras on the other side of the road, you can ignore them.
Before you load them do an update on your Navman maps

Regards Malcolm