Ipod Integration

[wivenhoe]

I have a new CLK and everything I have read tells me that I should have a CDC 'jack' in the glovebox but I can't find it ! If I press the CDC button twice I get an 'Activated' message on the console so it thinks something is there - any advice would be welcomed as I do not want to pay £ 400+ to a stealer to fix a kit.

 

[Casanunder]

It's a shame that you don't live in the US. Over there they have adaptors for their iPods called iTrips. They plug into the top of the iPod using the headphone socket and broadcast the music over a low-power FM frequency with a range of 10 feet or so. Then they just tune the radio into the iTrip.

Unfortunately for us in the UK, it is legal to buy and own one, but you are not allowed to use it. So of course, I am not recommending it, just making you aware.

 

[jberks]

I'm not certain they fitted an aux socket as standard though you can buy and fit them. This will give audo but not dash control of the ipod which is what the full integration kit provides. There are after market options too such as the Dennison Ice Link.

 

[beezer60]

The jack is an aux-in socket into which you can plug (using an adapter such as the Sik Ram Din sold by www.everythingipod.co.uk) the line-out audio from an ipod. If your car is wired up you will find the socket on the front left hand side of the glovebox.

Sounds like yours is not wired up, in which case you should be able to see or feel a circle shape in the glovebox which pops out when pressed, ready to receive the jack.

The aux-in wiring harness is Part Number 203 540 61 07 in the US, and 210 440 50 05 in Europe. Costs about £20 and looks like this:
http://forums.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=81978&page=1&pp=10

It feeds audio from your iPod (or other player with a line/headphone out) to your head unit. It will not show track details on your instrument panel or provide control of the iPod from your steering wheel. For that clever stuff you need a Dension Ice>Link which, for a Merc, costs £200.

 

[blassberg]

Sounds like yours is not wired up

One of the many versions of the story I got from MB was the jack was only standard on Comand-equipped cars

 

[Blum]

Very confused

I have ordered a C220cdi Sport Edition (automatic) as a replacement company car, due for delivery late Feb early March. As I have to pay the cost of all extras I thought (Thats dangerous to start with) that I would have the iPod integration kit fitted after delivery.
Mercedes - Bishops Stortford UK tell me

“We can fit an iPod kit but
I – The steering wheel controls wont work with it
II – The display won’t show what’s playing
III – The iPod will not charge whilst in place.”
So other than that it’s ok!

Surely not the truth, is it true, is integration that difficult? Has whoever they used fitted the kit wrongly?
New member Hi guys, TIA.

 

[Blum]

Very confused

I have ordered a C220cdi Sport Edition (automatic) as a replacement company car, due for delivery late Feb early March. As I have to pay the cost of all extras I thought (Thats dangerous to start with) that I would have the iPod integration kit fitted after delivery.
Mercedes - Bishops Stortford UK tell me

“We can fit an iPod kit but
I – The steering wheel controls wont work with it
II – The display won’t show what’s playing
III – The iPod will not charge whilst in place.”
So other than that it’s ok!

Surely not the truth, is it true, is integration that difficult? Has whoever they used fitted the kit wrongly?
New member Hi guys, TIA.

 

[Ramius]

Hi All

iTrips are available in the UK and can be ordered via www.apple.com from the USA if easier.

I dont have an iTrip but hear many good things.

 

[Lacy]

I have the new iTrip LCD. One of the benefits is that you can easily change frequency using the knob on the side. They are great bits of kit but they are no replacement for a direct connection. There is a very small but (in quiet passages) perceptible 'hiss' in the background. The frequency response, while good, is not as good as direct connection and stereo seperation is somewhat limited.......but, as I say, if you have no alternative, they're great!

Sound quality is supposedly better if you take the audio signal from the connector at the bottom of the iPod rather than the headphone socket. To that end, I bought a Belkin (I think) car charger lead for about £20 which also has an audio output socket built in which I intend to canibalise and build my own ipod to stereo lead which will contain audio out from the ipod and also a 12v supply to the ipod from a 12v switched supply......

well, that's the plan anyway......until I blow my iPod up.......

 

[blassberg]

“We can fit an iPod kit but
I – The steering wheel controls wont work with it
II – The display won’t show what’s playing
III – The iPod will not charge whilst in place.”
So other than that it’s ok!

Surely not the truth, is it true, is integration that difficult?

I - mine do
II - mine does
III - mine does
IV - what are they on?

 

[ronin47th]

The part Number you want is

B67824213

Comes to £155 with VAT, has two leads and a middle box. As long as you can get to the rear of the Head unit your Nan could connect it

 

[beezer60]

The part Number you want is

B67824213

Comes to £155 with VAT, has two leads and a middle box. As long as you can get to the rear of the Head unit your Nan could connect it

What radio did you fit it to?Is it really plug-and-play - no OBC reset required?

 

[blassberg]

plug and play on 05 Audio 20 onwards

 

[beezer60]

plug and play on 05 Audio 20 onwards

Ah. No good for my 2003 w203 then.

 

[blassberg]

don't know actually - it's plug and play now but can maybe be upgraded if an earlier model??

 

[beezer60]

it's plug and play now but can maybe be upgraded if an earlier model??

It would be nice if that happened, but I think once a car model comes off the assembly line its usually history. MB has moved on from D2B to MOST which is a different CANBUS protocol. For owners of D2B cars there is only the aftermarket, which, in the case of iPod integration, means Dension and your average (i.e. incompetent when it comes to fibre optics) ICE installer.

 

[Blum]

Ist it really that simple, just plug into the back of the radio and feed to the glove box or wherever? Please see MB response below
"the parts kit price is part number b67824213 £ 145.71 plus VAT
labour charge for fitting £ 98.00 plus VAT
Total inclusive of VAT £ 286.35
please contact me with your preferred booking dates, we have the parts available at the moment .
regards
IAN HILL Service Manager
Mercedes-Benz of Bishop's Stortford"

 

[jberks]

1 hour is as low as they go and that includes putting it in the workshops and having a coffee. I suspect the actual time, as the tech will have done this many times before, will be around 20 mins.

 

[Steve_sos]

Thanks for the part number, I just purchased a new C220 CDI with Audio20 I was also given the bad mouth speech about the IPod connection. I ordered the Part by the part number and surprise surprise they had stock at head office. I ask my local dealer to fit it and I got a long story so I took the kit and my car to a Car Audio fitment centre. It’s not quite as easy as it sounds to install the kit but after figuring out the fibre link it works like a dream.

I wish MB would educate their dealers. This kit works like a dream and so well designed. If you have a C Class with the new Audio20 and an IPod I would strongly advise getting the kit. I upgraded and replaced all my speakers at the same time and it beats the HK upgrade by a mile and it only cost me ZAR3200 (GBP290).

Thanks again for the Part number

Steve
Johannesburg
South Africa

 

[ronin47th]

Thanks for the part number, I just purchased a new C220 CDI with Audio20 I was also given the bad mouth speech about the IPod connection. I ordered the Part by the part number and surprise surprise they had stock at head office. I ask my local dealer to fit it and I got a long story so I took the kit and my car to a Car Audio fitment centre. It’s not quite as easy as it sounds to install the kit but after figuring out the fibre link it works like a dream.

I wish MB would educate their dealers. This kit works like a dream and so well designed. If you have a C Class with the new Audio20 and an IPod I would strongly advise getting the kit. I upgraded and replaced all my speakers at the same time and it beats the HK upgrade by a mile and it only cost me ZAR3200 (GBP290).

Thanks again for the Part number

Steve
Johannesburg
South Africa

No probs !