DIfferent iPod controls?

[Big Barry]

In my 2006 S500 I had an auxiliary lead in the glove compartment with an iPod compatible connection. This allowed me to use the COMAND/steering wheel controls to shuffle songs and see artist names and song titles.

In my (new to me) 2008 S63 I have an iPod connection in the lower centre console box,. The connection only displays as "AUX" on the centre dial and I have no steering wheel control over shuffle let alone any further track information.

Any tweak? Anything I should have done which I probably haven't?

Thanks in anticipation - I have also posted this in the AMG forum in case you should think you're seeing double.

Barry

Reply

 

[AndySlade]

I would think if you can see artist names and song titles, that you also have a Mercedes or aftermarket iPod interface installed in your older car. In your newer car, the lead will likely only be a phono lead into the Mercedes head unit I believe.

Depending on where you are based, I strongly suggest you give @Alfie at Comandonline a call.

http://www.comandonline.co.uk

 

[Blobcat]

In my 2006 S500 I had an auxiliary lead in the glove compartment with an iPod compatible connection. This allowed me to use the COMAND/steering wheel controls to shuffle songs and see artist names and song titles.

In my (new to me) 2008 S63 I have an iPod connection in the lower centre console box,. The connection only displays as "AUX" on the centre dial and I have no steering wheel control over shuffle let alone any further track information.

Any tweak? Anything I should have done which I probably haven't?

Thanks in anticipation - I have also posted this in the AMG forum in case you should think you're seeing double.

Barry

Reply

My '09 Comand shows the artist and song title on the head unit and I can go up and down with the controls so yours should do something similar - Does the iPod display change when you plug it in? (it should show the Mercedes logo)

Duplicate thread removed, as there's no need to post the same question multiple times

 

[Botus]

In my 2006 S500 I had an auxiliary lead in the glove compartment with an iPod compatible connection. This allowed me to use the COMAND/steering wheel controls to shuffle songs and see artist names and song titles.

In my (new to me) 2008 S63 I have an iPod connection in the lower centre console box,. The connection only displays as "AUX" on the centre dial and I have no steering wheel control over shuffle let alone any further track information.

Are both cars a W221 S class built from very late 2005 to 2012? if yes, then they SHOULD both have the same comand unit. An NTG3.0

But there could be differences - by 2008 a mini face lift played about with battery size, count and placement and its possible you get phono connection aux sockets (red white RCA inputs) in the glove box as std. But I don't think you can see anything anywhere.... just a connection and the car's normal vol control.

The description you give of a basket case interface on the 2006 car, was an optional extra box of muddled fun that gave a bodge on view on the instrument cluster and control via the steering wheel buttons for an old 30 pin iPod

Note the iPod add on was broken on release and stops night vision of the original rear view camera functioning. And was much quieter than the other noise sources. They did a very rare fix hardware and main loom change (I have both), it does make night vision come back to life and it is far louder and has more cluster options to do stuff with the ipod, but it seems more glitchy in operation.

These days a bodge on extra sorts all the issues and ought to be considered https://www.joyeauto.com/product/wj...apple-carplay-airplay-android-auto-interface/

by late 2009 (2010 build) a facelift brought a new comand system NTG 3.5. It looks the same but is a later version, with 7 digit post code, real built in BT phone connection, and a normal user interface for comand AUX on the real screen and navigable by the comand knob (COU in merc speak - for central operating unit)
however the joy of the better system is short lived, the harddrive dies all day long, and they stopped updating the Maps in 2015 (but oddly did mapping to 2019 for the earlier system)

As we are going all in, the facelift cars had an option of "split view", so passengers can watch a movie whilst the driver can't see it. It is all hardware, different loom & screen and software and or comand unit differences.

none of them support music streaming - there was a rare Mercedes bodge on for NTG3.5 but it never worked.... you can plug a viseeo tune to air into the old 30 pin ipod connector (all the old steering wheel control / track navigation works) and even stream music off the internet.... this is mine BT streaming South African radio in the UK on a NTG3.0 system



ipod 2 later box



early faulty ipod ones




Entering Diagnostic Mode:
Plug in your iPod, select AUX input and select the Audio iPod display on the cluster.

Now hold down the 'telephone hangup' and 'down arrow' buttons for about 8 seconds. The display will change to the diagnostic display and show the software version of the iPod controller
After a few seconds it will change to show the hardware version
If you have the ipod2 later bug fixed interface, after a few seconds it will switch to showing the current volume setting.
If you have now press the up arrow the volume setting will increase and the display will change to show the higher volume setting
Pressing the down arrow will set it back to the low volume settings.
If you don't touch any buttons for a few seconds the system will then switch back to the normal audio display.







.

 

[Big Barry]

My '09 Comand shows the artist and song title on the head unit and I can go up and down with the controls so yours should do something similar - Does the iPod display change when you plug it in? (it should show the Mercedes logo)

Duplicate thread removed, as there's no need to post the same question multiple times

Thanks for that. The iPod display does not change to the Mercedes logo - it did on the S500

Herewith the arrangement:

 

[Big Barry]

Are both cars a W221 S class built from very late 2005 to 2012? if yes, then they SHOULD both have the same comand unit. An NTG3.0

But there could be differences - by 2008 a mini face lift played about with battery size, count and placement and its possible you get phono connection aux sockets (red white RCA inputs) in the glove box as std. But I don't think you can see anything anywhere.... just a connection and the car's normal vol control.

The description you give of a basket case interface on the 2006 car, was an optional extra box of muddled fun that gave a bodge on view on the instrument cluster and control via the steering wheel buttons for an old 30 pin iPod

Note the iPod add on was broken on release and stops night vision of the original rear view camera functioning. And was much quieter than the other noise sources. They did a very rare fix hardware and main loom change (I have both), it does make night vision come back to life and it is far louder but its also much more glitchy in operation.

These days a bodge on extra sorts all the issues and ought to be considered https://www.joyeauto.com/product/wj...apple-carplay-airplay-android-auto-interface/

by late 2009 (2010 build) a facelift brought a new comand system NTG 3.5. It looks the same but is a later version, with 7 digit post code, real built in BT phone connection, and a normal user interface for comand AUX on the real screen and navigable by the comand knob (COU in merc speak - for central operating unit)
however the joy of the better system is short lived, the harddrive dies all day long, and they stopped updating the Maps in 2015 (but oddly did mapping to 2019 for the earlier system)

As we are going all in, the facelift cars had an option of "split view", so passengers can watch a movie whilst the driver can't see it. It is all hardware, different loom & screen and software and or comand unit differences.

none of them support music streaming - there was a rare Mercedes bodge on for NTG3.5 but it never worked.... you can plug a viseeo tune to air into the old 30 pin ipod connector (all the old steering wheel control / track navigation works) and even stream music off the internet.... this is mine BT streaming South African radio in the UK on a NTG3.0 system

View attachment 71978

ipod 2 later box

View attachment 71979

early faulty ipod ones

View attachment 71980


.

Thank you - very interesting read. Essentially I have my music, random play as well and my night vision so I can't moan too much. Just a little surprised that there isn't a consistent level of auxiliary gizmos in cars of a similar vintage.

 

[Big Barry]

I would think if you can see artist names and song titles, that you also have a Mercedes or aftermarket iPod interface installed in your older car. In your newer car, the lead will likely only be a phono lead into the Mercedes head unit I believe.

Depending on where you are based, I strongly suggest you give @Alfie at Comandonline a call.

http://www.comandonline.co.uk

Just got my Bluetooth adaptor from them - excellent service so I will ask for their advice on this issue as well.

 

[Botus]

there's a quick check to see if you have a real ipod interface

Entering Diagnostic Mode:
Plug in your iPod, select AUX input and select the Audio iPod display on the cluster.

Now hold down the 'telephone hangup' and 'down arrow' buttons for about 8 seconds. The display will change to the diagnostic display and show the software version of the iPod controller
After a few seconds it will change to show the hardware version
If you have the ipod2 later bug fixed interface, after a few seconds it will switch to showing the current volume setting.
If you have now press the up arrow the volume setting will increase and the display will change to show the higher volume setting:
Pressing the down arrow will set it back to the low volume settings.
If you don't touch any buttons for a few seconds the system will then switch back to the normal audio display.

 

[mioba]

Looks very aftermatket whereas the MB media interface kit gives all the functionality you had previous

 

[Blobcat]

Thanks for that. The iPod display does not change to the Mercedes logo - it did on the S500

Herewith the arrangement:

Looks like the iPod isn’t recognising the connection. The cable looks damaged in the first picture as it goes into the centre console

 

[Botus]

Looks very aftermarket whereas the MB media interface kit gives all the functionality you had previous

I think so too, hence a quick check for the diagnostic menu (it works on either box - obviously different info is displayed). I'm guessing its something we haven't seen before basically an ipod cable connection to the aux in rather than the interface with features. So I guess it won't charge either...

 

[Big Barry]

Thank you all for your responses.

The investigation into the diagnostics didn't work, However, I have an iPod that plays random songs and charges - I just can't shuffle from the steering wheel or have any track information displayed.

The connection cable is slightly damaged but this doesn't seem to affect the sound connection at least.

The attached show that (1) all I get on the dash display is AUX and nothing changes this; and (2) the AUX in the centre display is not highlighted, which might suggest that the arrangement I have in my centre console is some form of bodging.

Barrry

 

[Botus]

random, is choice on the iPod, its interesting it charges