Sat Nav - APS30

[mr. shr]

Hi
Does anyone know how easy it is to install an APS30? I have a CLK 320 (W208) currently fitted with an Audio 10 CC. I've been told the APS30 will fit as a direct replacement for the Audio 10 unit. However, are there any wiring differences? Will I still be able to use my steering wheel controls? Do the sat nav instructions come up on the instrument cluster display or just the head unit alone?

Any help is appreceiated.

Thanks

Pullin Shah

 

[robertjary]

Hi,

I've upgraded the radio in my 2002 E class estate from the Audio 10 CD to Audio 30 APS. The Audio 30 APS is a plug in replacement. The steering wheel controls work just as with the Audio 10, but the instrument cluster needs to be programmed by the dealer to let the navigation instructions come up on the display - otherwise you only get the instructions on the head unit, togerther with spoken directions.
On my E class, I had to pick up the wheel sensor signal (in the front passenger sill) and connect it to connector A1 on the back of the Audio 30 APS. I've had a problem with the GPS aerial - my car has a metallised screen which attenuates the GPS signal. I could not receive any satellites using the Mercedes internal underdash antenna. At the moment I've got a reradiating antenna (RA4-45). Using this combination I receive mostly 7 to 8 satellites. I plan to replace the roof mounted phone antenna with a combined GSM/GPS antenna to tidy up the installation.

Regards, Robert

 

[mr. shr]

Robert,
Thanks for your reply.
I've spoken to a MB garage (who never fill me with much confidence) and they say that I need a signal from the wheel so the unit knows what speed the car's doing. Apparently the one currently connected to my Audio 10 isn't a reliable signal and thus I need to take the signal directly from the wheel. You say this signal is in the passenger footwell. Is it easy to access and identify. Can this be done by myself or is it a Dealership thing?
They said that I would be able to use my steering wheel controls but instructions wouldn't come up on the cluster screen. Is it difficult to configure?
Finally, they also mentioned that I'd need a signal from the reverse light!!! The guy said that I could probably get away with not using it, but can't really see why that would be needed!!!

Thanks for your help.

Pullin Shah

 

[mr. shr]

Robert,
Thanks for your reply.
I've spoken to a MB garage (who never fill me with much confidence) and they say that I need a signal from the wheel so the unit knows what speed the car's doing. Apparently the one currently connected to my Audio 10 isn't a reliable signal and thus I need to take the signal directly from the wheel. You say this signal is in the passenger footwell. Is it easy to access and identify. Can this be done by myself or is it a Dealership thing?
They said that I would be able to use my steering wheel controls but instructions wouldn't come up on the cluster screen. Is it difficult to configure?
Finally, they also mentioned that I'd need a signal from the reverse light!!! The guy said that I could probably get away with not using it, but can't really see why that would be needed!!!

Thanks for your help.

Pullin Shah

 

[Arnie]

Hello,

I've replaced an Audio-10 CD on an SL with an Audio-30-APS.

The speed signal nromally connected to the Audio-10 for volume control (GAL) works very well and a pulse signal from the wheel (ABS) sensors is NOT essential.

The reversing signal, again, is not required uless you go in reverse for long distances, which may then momentarily confuse the APS-30.

Just Plug and Play. The APS-30 will work just fine and is really amazingly accurate with the existing wiring.

You will, of couse, need to find a location for the GPS antenna. The normal one has a 2m cable and you can probably hide it under the dash, infont of the windscreen (pointing-up).

If you buy a new APS-30, then no problem. However, if buying on ebay (about £300-£400) or s/h bear in mind that:

1.) if you want the in-dash display to work as well as the radio panel display, you will need a CAN-bus version.
The CAN-Bus is only available on latest model numbers, which are BE4715 and BE4716 for the standatrd DIN-fit units and BE4717 and BE4718 for the rounded-fascia units (new C-class etc.)

2.) The units are made by Becker and similar Becker versions (Traffic Pro, BE4720, BE4725 etc) can now be had for a lot less (new~£600) than the APS-30. They have, however slightly different menu functions (more gimmicks) than the APS units and so the navigation CD's, because they also contain operating-system software, are not compatible between Mercedes Becker/OEM and Becker consumer units. The Becker consumer units do not have a compatible CAN bus so you cannot have the dash display.

3.) The in-dash diplay unit will need to be re-programmed to display the APS navigation information.


See:
For general intro to MB radio/Nav options and other links:
http://www.whnet.com/4x4/radios.html

For details on Speed-Signal connections for most MB models:
http://www.delta-autotronics.com/Speedsensors.htm

For installation and set-up details (APS-30 is very similar to Becker BE4720):
http://www.becker.de/beckerCC21/www_root/documents/gps_antenne_1397_850_4720_Einbauanl_CD5_0.pdf

 

[mr. shr]

I've now got my APS30 unit installed and working. I'm most impressed with its accuracy.

With regards to the speed pulse/speed dependant volume (GAL) signal:

My car was factory fitted with an Audio 10 CC unit and did not have the signal wired in. (Goes to chamber 1 on connector block A)

I had to wire this cable through myself (with a great deal of help from people on this forum, so thanks to all that helped).

I tried to operate the APS30 system without the speed pulse signal connected and it didn't work. The unit kept saying that I was still on the road I started the journey, suggesting that it hadn't realised I'd moved.

I guess the speed signal tells the unit that the car is in motion and so the APS30 continually re-calculates its location based on how much distance the car has covered since it's last instruction. I think this calculation and the signal received from the satellites co-ordinate with one another to maintain accuracy, pin-pointing the car's exact location. From what I can gather, these APS units (and all in-car sat nav devices) are very intelligent.

Anyway, once I'd connected the speed pulse, it worked fine.

 

[guydewdney]

regarding the display-

http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7781

 

[web-rover]

Fitting speed sensor to your CLK

Hi Mr Shr
I'm also fitting an APS 30 to my CLK, model 2001, so I'm hoping you might have some tips. Where did you pick up the speed sensor lead in the end? I'm at the same stage as you, with the unit thinking I haven't moved away from home, no matter where I go, in spite of it showing it has between 3 and 5 satelites fixed. I know there must be a Gala lead because my old Audio 10 used to get louder as the car went faster, but either it's to the wrong pin or it isn't working. Which pin should the speed sensor lead go to, and on what plug?

Also, did you have any problems getting in to the setup menu? I must be dumb but I haven't been able to get into it despite following the instructions of going into destination input and pressing 2+7 together. I've tried this on two different machines.

 

[mr. shr]

Web-rover,
Is there currently a wire going into A1?

Like yours, my old Audio 10 unit automatically increased the volume as I accelerated and so initially, I assumed that I would not need to wire anything through.

However, it turns out that this increasing volume has nothing to do with the speed pulse. My car DID NOT have a cable going to A1 but the volume would still increase with speed. Still not sure how that worked but anyway.

I found the speed pulse in pillar A. You need to remove the passenger sill and seal in order to access the cables. You need to expose the trunking that houses all the cables that run along the passenger side of the car. Lift the lid to the trunking at pillar A and look for a light blue connector block. This is a ten pin connector (two rows of five). Not all of these cables are used. On mine, four cables were coming into the block and only three were coming out.
I believe this block is called the VSS and I think that stands for Vehicle Speed Sensor. Anyway, you should see that two of the four input cables are green with something. On mine, there was a green with black cable and a green with violet cable. If memory serves me correctly, the green with black is connected to the pulse counter on the front driver's wheel and the green with violet comes from the front passenger wheel.
The green with violet didn't have a cable coming out of the other end of the block so I decided to use that.

I ended up buying the correct contact pins from MB and inserted that into the VSS block so it was a nice tidy job. Then, obviously connect this to A1 on the back of the APS30 unit.

Hope this helps some.

Let us know how you get on.

shr

 

[web-rover]

Speed sensor and setup

Mr Shr
Thanks for the incredibly detailed response - this is really helpful. No, I've not got any wire to A1 either, so I'm going to have a go at finding and wiring the speed sensor tonight.

Any calibration tips for the CLK? For example, what angle and speed settings did you put in?

Also, did you find the guidance voice rather quiet. Any tips on how to increase the volume? I think I've already increased it on the setup menu, but I'd be hard pressed to hear it above 40mph.

 

[mr. shr]

I didn't enter any calibration details onto my unit, as wouldn't really know what to change. I just slotted the unit in, and away I go.

As for increasing the announcement volume, do the following:

Either wait for an announcement or press the LH knob so as to repeat the last announcenment.
Then, while she's speaking, increase the volume via the RH knob or the sterring wheel controls. You have to increase the volume WHILE she's talking, not before or after.

And if you still can't hear her, close the roof!!!!! :lol:

 

[web-rover]

Speed sensor

Thanks for the tip - volume sorted. Now for the speed sensor problem.

Have just taken a look in the passenger footwell at the base of the A-pillar and there wasn't a blue 10 pin connector as you described. There are about 10 different connectors, with the biggest one having 8 pins.

Do you have a CLK230 compressor? I've just found the document mentioned earlier at http://www.delta-autotronics.com/Speedsensors.htm So now I'm looking for a green/white lead.

Is there any way of checking a cable is for a speed sensor other than just connecting it to pin 1 and praying?

 

[mr. shr]

I have a CLK320 (W208) from year 2000.

Have you found a green with white cable then? The descriptions I gave before are accurate for my car. It seems yours are slightly different.

If you can find this green with white cable then personally I would try a test to make sure. I don't advise guessing at this as, in my opinion, a mistake could be very dangerous. (Thinking more along the lines of damaging the ABS, BAS and ESP systems, not the APS30. These electronic driving aids have prooved outstanding at times and perhaps saved my life from the stupid idiot drivers that get behind the wheel of a motor vehichle, shut their eyes and then put their foot down!!!)

Anyway, to test for the signal I jacked the car up so that the wheel I was testing was elevated.
Then, I connected a volt meter to the cable I'm testing.
Now turn the elevated wheel very slowly by hand and watch the response on the volt meter. You are looking to see if the display on the meter toggles between 0V and 12V (i.e. pulsing).

It's difficult to see if using a digital meter but you should still get an idea that it's changing state.

Does that help?

shr

 

[web-rover]

Found speed sensor

Took a second look for the speed sensor lead last weekend after seeing some pictures on another answer on this forum.

This time I pulled up the carpet in the passenger footwell and delved deeper and there it was: the blue 8 pin connector. It doesn't seem to be with most of the other connectors at the foot of the A pillar but was lying further down. There were two leads - green/black and green/white, neither of which had a wire at the other end of the connector. I connected the green/black lead to pin 1 of the A connector on the APS 30 and wayhey... it works.

I've still got to find some proper additional pins to go into the empty slots on the radio connector. My MB dealer hasn't got any yet.

So thank you everyone for your contributions to getting this working.

 

[mr. shr]

Nice one. Glad you got it working. But why do you need to fill all the blank chambers in connector block A? I have a couple of blanks in mine and it all works fine.

Which version of the software are you running?

 

[web-rover]

Empty slots

I just needed pins to go into slots 1 and 3 (1 is speed sensor as you know, 3 is phone muting) of plug A. There weren't any pins in those slots and I currently have the wires pushed in carefully to make contact - not ideal but seems to work.

I'm presently running version 5.1 of the software. What makes you ask?

 

[c4791p]

USA Compatibility

Hi,

I've upgraded the radio in my 2002 E class estate from the Audio 10 CD to Audio 30 APS. The Audio 30 APS is a plug in replacement. The steering wheel controls work just as with the Audio 10, but the instrument cluster needs to be programmed by the dealer to let the navigation instructions come up on the display - otherwise you only get the instructions on the head unit, togerther with spoken directions.
On my E class, I had to pick up the wheel sensor signal (in the front passenger sill) and connect it to connector A1 on the back of the Audio 30 APS. I've had a problem with the GPS aerial - my car has a metallised screen which attenuates the GPS signal. I could not receive any satellites using the Mercedes internal underdash antenna. At the moment I've got a reradiating antenna (RA4-45). Using this combination I receive mostly 7 to 8 satellites. I plan to replace the roof mounted phone antenna with a combined GSM/GPS antenna to tidy up the installation.

Regards, Robert

Good morning.

Having had to select a 2004 C320S (W203) from a California dealer outside my home state of Nevada because our one and only MBZ dealer was uncooperative, we had to settle on one with no Navigation system installed.

Personally, since I do little over the road long distance driving, can't quite justify retrofitting my car with the entire US NAV system. The APS30 would neatly replace the little wasted cargo tray which sits beneath the radio/cassette unit installed by the factory and give me all the capability I want, without a lot of unnecessary electronics to go bad.

However, does anyone know if the APS30 will actually work in the USA and if it will, are NAV CD/DVDs available for it?

Appreciate everyone's thoughts/comments.

Chuck Parker
Las Vegas

 

[mr. shr]

Ah, so Web-rover you have a phone fitted too. Does the mute work?

I'm just wondering what the latest version of the software is and if anyone knows of anywhere it can be downloaded from?

 

[web-rover]

Phone muting

Yes
A Nokia car kit fitted. Not the MB version. The mute lead, yellow, goes to pin 3 of plug A. Works fine. Though I have to say I'm wondering if I should have connected it or if I should just use the mute button. As it stands, if someone calls at a critical point I can't hear the sat nav announcements until I end the call.

The software depends on what map disk you have as it comes with it. If you upgrade your maps you'll get a new software update the first time you load them.

 

[mr. shr]

Do you know where to get the most up to date map disc from. I.e. can it be downloaded anywhere?