CK3100 Vs COMAND

[Rotor]

Hi, I currently have a 2003 E 320cdi Avantgard saloon (W211). Has lots of goodies, panoramic, Audio 50 sat nav, CD changer, phone (Nokia 6310i), heated seats, parktronic, 4 zone aircon blah blah . I got it virtually new (pre-registered). At the time I was really looking for an estate, but was too impatient. Am now looking at changing to a second hand 320 cdi estate (53/04), and there are two that look promising; one has COMAND but no tel :sad: , the other has tel but an Audio 20 so no GPS:sad: .

I was about to go for the COMAND car and fit a Parrot 3100, but have just been told that it won't work, due to the fibre optic mute? The mech was suggesting it could only be routed to a separate speaker, and not through the radio, and therefore no mute facility etc . Can anyone confirm that??

The other car, wired for tel, does not have a Nav System. Although "she who must be obeyed" uses a TomTom, I agree with other contributers that it does not look right in a nice E Class.

if the mech is correct about the COMAND conflict, then the answer may be to get a different telephone solution. I quite like the way my current system is hidden away, and charges automatically. I don't think I would be too keen on the tel sitting on display in a holder, as this just spoils the lines of the interior.

Grateful for any lights of wisdom that can be shone in my direction..... particularly any other bluetooth options that might be able to be wired into the car.

Thanks

Rotor

 

[jberks]

I can't comment on whether a mute feed would work though I imagine there will be a conversion kit available. There normally is for these things.

You could always have a command fitted to the new car, especially if you already have one in your current car, simply swap it all over. There are various firms that will do this and the difference in value for a car with or without command is minimal and a lot less than the cost of buying one, hence your trade in value shouldn't drop by much.
Depending on which car you like, it should also be simple enough for someone to swap the tel pre-wire over if you go for the command equipped car.

Of course you do not have to have the fitted cradle as such and could have a pure bluetooth kit such as the parrot or the Nokia, then just keep the phone in your pocket and keep a 12v charger for when you need one.

 

[Rotor]

Thanks for that, although I am a bit confused. In all the threads I have read on tels, they seem to say that retro fitting a tels wiring loom is a: very difficult, and b: very expensive? The same seems to be true for chaning a CD based Audio 20 to a COMAND. If you are saying either is a reasonably simple replacement job, then this could be a simple solution. I am getting the replacement car from a stealer, who is also going to take my old one, so it may be possible to wangle some arrangement if either process is not that difficult.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

one of the members on here fits COMAND.

www.COMAND.co.uk i think.

might be of use.

 

[Rotor]

Slinky, thanks, I've dropped him a line. However, his web site seems not to include the latest E CLass (W211). I seem to remember in a previous link, that it uses a different system, and requires wires and a boot box of some kind. Anyway, I'll wait for his reply, but thanks for the suggestion.

Rotor

 

[Alfie]

one of the members on here fits COMAND.

www.COMAND.co.uk i think.

might be of use.

Thanks for the referral.

Retro fitting COMAND to a W211 is a massive job unless you already have the audio gateway fitted in the boot. There is a lot of wiring, a lot of dismantling and its expensive. By far the cheapest way to get DVD comand fitted in a W211 is to specify it when ordering the car! We (http://www.comand.co.uk) dont offer retro fitting for W211's for this very reason. There are companies that will do it but it will cost at least £2,000 . PM me if you want a contact who can do it for you.

 

[Rotor]

Ah, I feared you might say so. Is it the same for the Audio 50 retro fit?

If so, and if the Parrot 3100 can't go through the speakers, then I may be left with one of those tacky "stick it in the cigar lighter" jobby. Still, at least it's only £50!!

Grateful for any views from anyone who has fitted, or tried to fit, a 3100 to a W211....

Depressed of Edinburgh!

 

[jberks]

I take Alfie's point - he is the expert - and I fully agree, fitting command to a non command equipped 211 is financially unviable - hence I have an Audio20 with UHI phone, and a tomtom. However, my point was that you already have the parts, they're just in your existing car. All you need, theoretically, is someone who knows how to transplant them.
Alfie - surely this would make a massive difference to the cost - just labour theoretically?
also, it may be worth having a chat with these guys - if only for options
http://www.braybrooks.co.uk/merc.htm

 

[Rotor]

Thanks guys, all useful stuff. A final question - is it just as difficult changing an Audio 20 to an Audio 50?

As I am trading in using a Merc Stealer, I don't imagine they would be that interested in making the trade in less attractive, and as it will be a straight swop, it will be virtually impossible to take my stuff out of the current car, and do a swop with the new car, without getting them to do it!!

So, after much thought, although I was initially leaning towards the COMAND car, I am beginning to go for the newer car without COMAND and go down the Tom Tom route - and even though the newer car is already fitted for a Nokia phone the Tom Tom will allow me to get a phone that was designed THIS century and will be useful on hols with the odd hire car.

There was quite a lot of useful info on the sister site (MB Club Forums - hope this is not heresy!!) about the non-compatability of the CK 3100 and the COMAND fibreoptic. So TomTom looks like the simple solution - I'll just have to live with the wee box sitting on the dash!

Thanks again for all your responses - it did help make up my mind.

:grin:

Rotor

 

[steve.link]

I have COMAND but no phone wiring on my W211.

I fitted a Nokia car kit with out any problems. You can't route it through the car speakers but the COMAND does have a mute connection which cuts the car audio when the phone rings. It is a yellow wire that runs from the boot (on the AGW I think) to the cable tray under the N/S front door kick plate. Simply conect this to the mute input from the phone kit and it all works perfectly. You can also get a special bracket that fits on the side of the center consol to mount the handset. - No holes left in the car when you need to remove it!

 

[Rotor]

Steve,
many thanks, very useful info . whilst my Nokia 6310i is fine, and is working well, there comes a time when something a little newer, with a camera, ring tones etc becomes attractive. So I will probably go for a more discrete solution, which can take any bluetooth link but thanks for the info on the yellow mute wire. I may yet return to the CK 3100 with a separate speaker.

For Alfie,
I understand retro fitting the COMAND with all the wires and stuff going back to the boot, will be a nightmare. Is it also a nightmare converting to an Audio 50. I have the Audio 50 in my current car, and it works fine, so I don't necessarily need COMAND.

Rotor

 

[Pepperami]

I have just had the standard radio removed from my 53 plate C220 and a comand unit installed. Bought from comand.co.uk and fitted by their approved installer in Poole, Dorset. They done such a good job, I went back a week later to have a parrot 3100 fitted. It uses the car speakers and cuts the radio and sat nav to mute when in use. It even displays on the screen that the telephone is being used, although it does not use the full build in radio telephone options.