TV, DVD and PC Installation into S Class W220

[barry jones]

Hello all.... not sure if this is the right section but I am just starting off with my install into the S Class of headrest screens, DVD and PC so that my little lad and wife can be occupied during this years road trip to Nice!

We are going Hull Rotterdam, Strasbourg, Geneva, Turin and Nice so a fair bit of road to cover.

My old Scorpio was all kitted out with screens etc. and I have been planning to do the S Class for a while now and finally got hold of all the bits to fit a nice new system but using genuine head rests and parts from my old Scorpio system to make it as factory fitted looking as possible.

I'll take a few pics if anyone is interested as I know this sort of thing usually appeals to some people!

Baz

 

[television]

I will be pleased to hear how this goes Baz please keep the thread alive

 

[welwynnick]

Baz, I'm interested to hear how you get on for some obvisous reasons.

Is your car a facelift model - I understand the aux video interface is diffreent to early ones?

Does it already have TV - I think this simplifies installation?

BR, Nick

 

[mr. shr]

I'd be interested in seeing the result of this.

Did you say the rear screens sit in the head rests?
I thought the rear screen option on a W220 was only available as a single screen that sits between the two front seats.

 

[television]

Baz, I'm interested to hear how you get on for some obvisous reasons.

Is your car a facelift model - I understand the aux video interface is diffreent to early ones?

Does it already have TV - I think this simplifies installation?

BR, Nick

When cars do not have a TV installed it does make other things hard to install due to the Antenna splitting and amplifying

 

[welwynnick]

When cars do not have a TV installed it does make other things hard to install due to the Antenna splitting and amplifying

Thanks.

At the risk of sounding too naive, does that mean you can't simply fit a TV tuner to get that functionality?

Cheers, Nick

 

[television]

Though the antenna is the same one that is used for the radio, it needs a splitter (diplexer) and an amp.

It needs an amp as the cars are wired in 50 ohm coax and signals will not pass along it without an amp. in fact the reverse would be true. There are after market items on Ebay from time to time.

There are boxes on the market that trick the Comand 2 in thinking that it has a TV

 

[welwynnick]

Thanks again Malcolm. My last W220 did have a TV, and it seemed easiest to use that to connect the DVD. I've had TV in three cars (Merc, BMW, Lexus) and in each the reception was marginal. DVD is really useful for the kids though, and thats what I really want to do, so if there's a way to connect a video source directly, that might save an expensive TV tuner that I don't really need. I seem to remember that I could select the DVD using the Aux input - I presume I would simply select TV with a direct connection.

Nick

 

[television]

What is the year of your 220 please

 

[welwynnick]

My 220 is a Nov 1999 S500 with the original 4:3 COMAND system - is that COMAND 1/2?

 

[television]

Comand 2.5 Take a look on Ebay to see if the have the adapters for this circa £100

 

[barry jones]

OK,

Finally got round to doing a few photos of the installation I have been doing for a few weekends on and off!!

First job was to install the electric rear and heated seats into the S Class... I have this thing about cars; if there is something mine doesn't have, I have to acquire it and fit it but it has to look as factory finished as possible.

I got a set of seats from a 2005 LWB and then managed to get hold of the wiring loom and control box from a scrapper. Tyhe only looms I now need are the ones from the control box to the seat motors so if anyone can supply a part number I would be grateful!! as part of the purchase, I also got all of the switches etc. but I had to buy the new door trim panels (which were unusual as they are the SWB ones with cutoutds for the seat switches) I also had to find another SWB with electric rear seats and get the VIN number so the local MB dealer could track down the part numbers for the bits I needed... Nice one Warrington Parts Department!!

Here are the finished door pics...

The next job was the DVD screens in the rear headrests..... as part of our holidays this year, we are off on a road trip; Hull to Zebrugge to Strasbourg, Geneva, Turin, Monaco and then 2 weeks in Nice before heading home via Paris. My little lad has always had rear screens etc. as I had them in my Scorpio; however this time I wanted the full install with TV and DVD so I started a few weeks ago. I used a set of VEBA screens and a VEBA DVD player as the plug assembly fits in the tube of the S Class headrests.

Once the headrest is marked out and the leather is cut and removed from the required areas, the exposed tube has to be drilled and slotted to accept theplug from the screen. once this passes through the tube and then out the end, the screen holder is carefully installed into the headrest and trimmed to look as factory as possible. Of course, as the S Class has electric headrests, the blue plastic raise/lower assembly also has to be carefully drilled to allow the cable to pass through and keep the facility!

Wires are run from the upgraded rear left boot trim panel (as this allows the install of a DVD and CD changer but was only fitted to the 2004 models I believe....

The wiring is passed through the cable ducts and up into the seats where it is dressed and clipped to allow seat movement. Next, the headrest is fitted, the cable passed through the hole in the headrest motor assemby and the wiring plugged in...

The advantage of using the VEBA screens and DVD player is that all of the IR sound and the one remote all work in harmony!! The IR sound works happily with the Ford headphones and the remote supplied with the DVD player also has the functionality to operate the headrest screens too!!

Once the other one is done, a good clean is required!!

More to follow if anyone is interested including how to retrofit factory parking sensors!!

Apologies if I tend to waffle a little!

 

[television]

Thanks for a great post Barry, so pleased you have finished it

 

[barry jones]

Not quite finished Malcolm; I have to do the other headrest yet so I'll take a few pictures of the cutting out process!!

One thing, do you happen to have a part number for the loom from the control box under the rear seats to the seat motors? I can't seem to find it anywhere. The looms should only be a metre or so in length

Thanks

Baz

 

[television]

Not quite finished Malcolm; I have to do the other headrest yet so I'll take a few pictures of the cutting out process!!

One thing, do you happen to have a part number for the loom from the control box under the rear seats to the seat motors? I can't seem to find it anywhere. The looms should only be a metre or so in length

Thanks

Baz

That's hard to check on but I will look tonight when machine C is turned on

 

[television]

There are these

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GA=722.618&CT=F&cat=66H&SID=82&SGR=497&SGN=25

 

[trickys320]

Hi Barry,

Very nice!! I have bought a DVD system with replacement headrest units with monitor built in but not got the same look as the original headrests of my w220.

Did you mount the monitors in the original headrests your self? If so was it difficult as I want to use the monitors I have, but am weary of cutting the leather on the back of the OEM headrests incase all goes wrong!!

Thanks.

Tricky

 

[Jerry-]

The wiring is passed through the cable ducts and up into the seats where it is dressed and clipped to allow seat movement.

May I ask a silly question as newbe here. Where are these cable ducts? Is there a description somewhere? I need to run audio cables from the left side of the boot (audio-In of analog TV) to both the front and back seats to connect the Ipods of my passengers.

Thanks

 

[television]

The ducts run down both sides of the car and the seats need to come out to access them

 

[whitenemesis]

Not on all models ...