COMAND Retrofit

[jazzenator]

hi guys

I am trying to get my e class retrofitted with a comand system. I have been qoutrd £1700ish for the whole job. The unit is going to be a two year old refurbished job. The whole thing comes with a 12 month warranty. They will hold onto my audio 20.

Does this seem a reasonable amount or am I letting myself into trouble.

Please left me know

Furthermore. I have been asked to provide my chassis number if I want to proceed. Is this reasonable.

Thanks

 

[Blobcat]

I would check with Alfie at Comand.co.uk they didn't used to be able to undertake W211 Comand fits however I think they now can. They do discounts for forum members and their feedback is very good.

 

[jberks]

its reasonable - on the upper side but not madly so. But why would you spend that much on a satnav unit when a £120 tomtom does the job just as well?
Command is nice but i can think of better things to spend 2 grand on.

 

[whitenemesis]

Personal choice?

We are all different and that's what makes this all so much more interesting

 

[jazzenator]

its reasonable - on the upper side but not madly so. But why would you spend that much on a satnav unit when a £120 tomtom does the job just as well?
Command is nice but i can think of better things to spend 2 grand on.

can you think of anyone cheaper?
As per the COMAND. It is like this. Why do we drive mercs when a fiesta will do just the same?

For me, I have always wanted built in SatNav in the car. People kind of expect that of a Merc/BMW.
Perhaps it might help shift the car when I want to sell it later on.

Thanks

 

[jazzenator]

Personal choice?

We are all different and that's what makes this all so much more interesting

Point well put. However, I have been thinking along the lines of 'jberks' post. I ahve asked myself that question many times.
For me, If I want something, I am like a spoilt kid, I am not satisfied until I get it.

 

[whitenemesis]

jberks is quite correct in what he says though. Tom Tom will do just as good a job as COMAND (perhaps better), but For me it's just not what I would expect to see in a prestige car (that has the option of an integrated unit, that does for more in the car than just sat nav)

Personal choice

 

[jazzenator]

I would check with Alfie at Comand.co.uk they didn't used to be able to undertake W211 Comand fits however I think they now can. They do discounts for forum members and their feedback is very good.

Thanks have enquired.

 

[jberks]

As you say - each to their own. I'd like a command unit (I had one in a loan car and liked it) - just not prepared to pay that much for it. Maybe £400 but no more. Then as you say, many won't pay what it takes to get a merc and are happy with Ford and friends.

Do be aware that with your car, chances are you'll need an audio gateway. They are built into the Audio20 cd unit so unless you have a tape player you will probably need one. These are around £400 for the parts from memory and fit in the boot. (Not that I looked into getting a command myself at all ...) , Plus to get the best out of it, you really need a separate dvd player in the boot too.
I seem to remember Alfie saying they're a lot of work to install too, so make sure that this is included in the quote.

I've got a factory dvd satnav in the landrover - it's nice - its just that when I was away the other weekend we decided to find a castle to visit for the afternoon. I had downloaded various POIs to the tomtom months ago so was able to fire it up and see what was nearby. Had I taken the landrover instead of the merc, I'd have left the tomtom at home and been stuffed as a consequence (well sorted for finding a landrover dealer if I'd needed one though). That, plus things like traffic camera databases etc makes me question the value of unmodifyable satnav systems. Additionally you won't get more that a couple of hundred back when you come to sell so it never makes economic sense.

That said, I'm not telling you anything you haven't already considered so if you're still determined - hell, you only live once .......enjoy it.

 

[jazzenator]

As you say - each to their own. I'd like a command unit (I had one in a loan car and liked it) - just not prepared to pay that much for it. Maybe £400 but no more. Then as you say, many won't pay what it takes to get a merc and are happy with Ford and friends.

Do be aware that with your car, chances are you'll need an audio gateway. They are built into the Audio20 cd unit so unless you have a tape player you will probably need one. These are around £400 for the parts from memory and fit in the boot. (Not that I looked into getting a command myself at all ...) , Plus to get the best out of it, you really need a separate dvd player in the boot too.
I seem to remember Alfie saying they're a lot of work to install too, so make sure that this is included in the quote.

I've got a factory dvd satnav in the landrover - it's nice - its just that when I was away the other weekend we decided to find a castle to visit for the afternoon. I had downloaded various POIs to the tomtom months ago so was able to fire it up and see what was nearby. Had I taken the landrover instead of the merc, I'd have left the tomtom at home and been stuffed as a consequence (well sorted for finding a landrover dealer if I'd needed one though). That, plus things like traffic camera databases etc makes me question the value of unmodifyable satnav systems. Additionally you won't get more that a couple of hundred back when you come to sell so it never makes economic sense.

That said, I'm not telling you anything you haven't already considered so if you're still determined - hell, you only live once .......enjoy it.

Thanks for the time you have taken to answer this. The price I have been qouted includes all parts and labour.
I understand that the DVD drive is actually built into the unit and is behind the swivelling main display, am I mistaken about this?
Plus what exactly does the audio gateway do and if it is present in the Audio 20, why then can't I get my ipod connected to it without dealers telling me that I require a COMAND before that happens?
Thanks

 

[Blobcat]

Thanks for the time you have taken to answer this. The price I have been qouted includes all parts and labour.
I understand that the DVD drive is actually built into the unit and is behind the swivelling main display, am I mistaken about this?
Plus what exactly does the audio gateway do and if it is present in the Audio 20, why then can't I get my ipod connected to it without dealers telling me that I require a COMAND before that happens?
Thanks

With the W211 Comand system the DVD drive for the satnav is in the boot on the PAX side. There is also a DVD Video player built into the top of the Comand system. I've had the same movie in mine for nearly a year and still only watched the first 15 minutes of it :???:.
I have a 6 CD changer sat below the Comand system in the hidden storage unit.
I'm a little concerned by your comment that the Comand has a swivelling display I do wonder if it is a Mercedes unit or an aftermarket one. I ask as a Viano I was looking at was described as having Comand with a swivelling display. In reality it was a very nice Kenwood head unit with Sat Nav, it wasn't however a Comand unit. The Mercedes Comand doesn't have a swivelling display.

 

[jazzenator]

With the W211 Comand system the DVD drive for the satnav is in the boot on the PAX side. There is also a DVD Video player built into the top of the Comand system. I've had the same movie in mine for nearly a year and still only watched the first 15 minutes of it :???:.
I have a 6 CD changer sat below the Comand system in the hidden storage unit.
I'm a little concerned by your comment that the Comand has a swivelling display I do wonder if it is a Mercedes unit or an aftermarket one. I ask as a Viano I was looking at was described as having Comand with a swivelling display. In reality it was a very nice Kenwood head unit with Sat Nav, it wasn't however a Comand unit. The Mercedes Comand doesn't have a swivelling display.

I have seen a couple of vids on Youtube of COMANd units and the screen slid down to reveal 2 drive slots.
Am I mistaken?

Thanks

 

[Blobcat]

I have seen a couple of vids on Youtube of COMANd units and the screen slid down to reveal 2 drive slots.
Am I mistaken?

Thanks

I've not seen one like that, although I'm always willing to be proved wrong. You can see what the late W211 Comand looks like by clicking on the link to my car in my signature.

 

[jberks]

The command unit has a built in dvd drive with a slot just above the screen (it doesn't swivel). This is fine for the most part but it does mean that you have to take out the satnav dvd if you want to play a movie and if you don't have a separate 6 cd changer you will need to remove it to play cds which is clearly very inconvenient.

The audio gateway is basically the amp. It's a bit cleverer as it is driven by the car's canbus network and handles audio for the phone, cd changer etc but in simple terms it's an amp. On the later audio 20's, pretty much around the time they switched from a tape player to a cd player, this was changed to be built directly into the head unit. On cars with the older audio 20, command or audio 30, this is a separate module mounted in the boot.

As far as the ipod interface is concerned, I believe they are half right. Audio 20's like yours and mine do not have the aux input. Later audio 20s do. I am not aware of any reason why you couldn't simply swap in a later audio 20 that does have this input. Alternatively, there are lots of after market ipod interfaces - Dennison being one of the more well known ones. Some take over from your cd changer but others will co-habit. The Merc ipod interface does work with Audio 20 but it may require a later one that ours.

 

[jazzenator]

I also got that impression from the manuals on this website

http://home.earthlink.net/~phdwebsite/comand_manual.htm
and this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNGZd8Xf7Hw
But on closer look this is a C class.

These are possibly american versions.

 

[jazzenator]

Hi Does anyone have any vids, pics or URLs of UK e class comand in operation. It would be most appreciated

Thanks

 

[whitenemesis]

I think the USA COMANDs used to have the swivelling display.

 

[TomTanderson]

The command unit has a built in dvd drive with a slot just above the screen (it doesn't swivel). This is fine for the most part but it does mean that you have to take out the satnav dvd if you want to play a movie and if you don't have a separate 6 cd changer you will need to remove it to play cds which is clearly very inconvenient.

Sorry to contradict but the Satnav DVD goes in its own dedicated DVD unit that is fitted in the boot. This and the Audio Gateway should be included in the price.

Audio 20's like yours and mine do not have the aux input. Later audio 20s do. I am not aware of any reason why you couldn't simply swap in a later audio 20 that does have this input. Alternatively, there are lots of after market ipod interfaces - Dennison being one of the more well known ones. Some take over from your cd changer but others will co-habit. The Merc ipod interface does work with Audio 20 but it may require a later one that ours.

No and no. I have a 2008 E280CDI that came with Audio 20 and there is no aux input and I don't believe that it is possible to add the MB Ipod interface to any Audio 20.

The Dension Gateway 500 is a good suggestion if you just want an Ipod interface but be aware that you won't get track titles displayed on the Audio 20, just track 1, track 2 etc.

I fitted a Gateway 500 and retrofitted a Comand head unit with AGW and satnav DVD but it is only a job for the technically/physically competent (and brave)!

 

[whitenemesis]

Audio 20 can take the MB ipod interface

http://www.mercupgrades.com/IPOD+Retrofit+in+A++B++C++CLK++ML++GL++R+Class-article-35.html

 

[TomTanderson]

Audio 20 can take the MB ipod interface

http://www.mercupgrades.com/IPOD+Retrofit+in+A++B++C++CLK++ML++GL++R+Class-article-35.html

That article doesn't mention the E class.

You can't order a MB Ipod interface with an Audio 20 as a factory install so I would be surprised if you can do it as a retrofit (the MB price list specifically says you need comand). I don't claim to be an expert but I haven't seen a single post from someone who has or has fitted a MB Ipod interface to an Audio 20 and I have read a lot of posts on the subject as it was something I was interested in doing.

[Edit] If you look at the price list on the same site you will see that the kit for the E-Class requires comand http://www.comandonline.co.uk/home.php?cat=249