Comand Retrofit Installers

[Guest kepiting1sg]

Dear All,

It was me who brought these 2 Comand Installers to this forum and be our site sponsors. i.e camber53 & ricric_lo

It's purely for the benefits of our members and personally I've no part of their businesses.

In the past, to retrofit Comand is a "dream" cos CnC do not do retrofit even if U want to pay for this >$12,000 option after getting your ride.

We have resort to organize GB from oversea installers.

Whether these units are new, refurbished or used!

IMHO I can tell U non of the units are new.

In previous quotations from COMAND ON-LINE - A new set of Comand NTG4 with parts is >S$6,000 before shipping.

A new set is one set that's not assigned to any vehicle chassis number or VIN.

We might be worry becos of Comand anti-theft feature that if not properly installed, the unit will "self locked" and becomes a "brick"

We might be worry the set might break down as it's used.

I guess we should ask the installers for a period of waranty to be fair to us as consumers.

The next Q, some may ask - can the retrofit installers do SCN coding i.e your car comes with a database based on your VIN in MB computer servers. It's rewriting your birth cert information.

eg. your car VIN indicates your car comes with Audio 20, now U retrofit Comand and want to change the data base on your car.

The straight answer is NO!

The guys here are not MB authorized dealer and they do not have the password to VEDOK (MB Software system) to do the SCN coding.

CnC will not want to do this for you too!

If U are eg. living in Australia, they have more than 10 authorize MB dealers.

Dealer A do not want to retrofit & SCN code, dealer B will do it cos of competition.

Can someone with Star Diagnostic Software with "hacked passwords" gets into Vedok? - IIRC No! The DAS linked the MB Dealer IP address before login in.

There's another Q too!

Can I buy the used Comand over eBay and get the installers here to instal for me.

1. If the installer want to why not but I dun think so. It's a business and they want to make some profits too.

2. Why they want to make the profits and not let U buy yourself becos the Comand from eBay can be meant for different countries. The Comand from USA, Japan & Europe are different totally in their system. U buy the wrong one, it can be locked and becomes a "brick" or it can be from a wrong region thus wrong set, or U might end up with a faulty unit

They sell U, they ensure U got the right one and they have to make sure it work.

3, When I sell my ride, can I reverse the system i.e take out the Comand and put in my previous Audio 20. The answer is yes! U might have to pay the installer cost for the work.

I done that for my W212 to revert back to Audio 20 as I've traded in my ride to CnC.

4. How about future map updates?

Probably with the high price of Comand as an option, the take up rates in the Far East mkt looks rather small. A map update DVD in the US or Europe cost a couple hundred of $$$ whereas when TeleAtlas made a map for Far East - The DVD is a few $K$.

The installer has to pay for the Map updates!

W204 SEA maps and W212 SEA maps are diff. DVD

NTG 2.5 and NTG 4 are also different map DVDs.

So installer need to buy more than 1 DVD for the map updates.

The more people retrofit Comand, the cheaper should be the map updates.

The installers should also "charge not too much" as a service to their customers base!

5. How about installing after market Multi Media Interface and for W204 with bigger LCD screen.

Current market prices are as good as retrofitting Comand.

I had both Comand NTG 4 & after mkt MMI on my W212.

I had the best of both worlds but the MMI sulks cos there was an inteference in the video cable from the after mkt MMI to the LCD screen.

want to know more abt Vedok, FDok DAS, WIS or Bedok.......hahahaha!

http://www.jcrecordings.com/forums?func=view&catid=3&id=6389

If U got Qs that U think I can help you to make decisions, pls pm me and I will try my best to answer them for U!

So guys! End of the day

"caveat emptor" Buyers beware - U go with your eyes open

Just like any site sponsor on this forum!

So if anything goes wrong, pls dun come back here and KPKB!

Everyone want cheep cheep goode goode!

This world in reality hard to find free lunch!!!!

"Scare dun mod!" "Mod dun scare!"

I walk the talk!

My last 3 new rides, the 1st week I send them to installers/workshops for retrofitting which comprises of "tearing the vehicle apart!" Multi-Media Interface, Command, Cruise Control Retrofit,

ECU map reflash, Fiscon BT retrofit, AMG steering with paddle shifts, Xenon, etc.

I've made plans for my coming new ride.

Necessary parts and components are all here!!!!

[Guest jtang]

Where's the damn "like" box for me to click???

SUPER LIKE AH!

Hope I didn't stir up a hornet's nest with my retrofited Comand thread.

[Guest chiaster]

good stuff, unker... you have my support! :thumb:

[Guest kevin]

Tried searching the internet but still don't understand about the VEDOK or SCN coding.

I am seriously thinking of retrofitting UCI to my W212 Audio 20 from C&C. (This is the best solution I can find so far to avoid messy cables running out of the glovebox.) What would be potential problems?

1. It might void the warranty on the Audio 20?

2. When I send in for C&C servicing, without the VEDOK/SCN coding will C&C likely screw up something? Eg. update the firmware or settings so the UCI stops working?

3....?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

[Guest kepiting1sg]

kevin wrote:

Tried searching the internet but still don't understand about the VEDOK or SCN coding.

I am seriously thinking of retrofitting UCI to my W212 Audio 20 from C&C. (This is the best solution I can find so far to avoid messy cables running out of the glovebox.) What would be potential problems?

1. It might void the warranty on the Audio 20?

2. When I send in for C&C servicing, without the VEDOK/SCN coding will C&C likely screw up something? Eg. update the firmware or settings so the UCI stops working?

3....?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

The SCN coding is just adding the additional feature information to your car original data base.

Eg. If U respray your car color, do U think U need to do SCN coding to your car data base to show a color change?

Adding UCI is an extra to your Audio 20 HU.

IMHO if there's a firmware update, it might not update the UCI except the Audio 20. And if they update the UCI, then it's a plus for U!

The last servicing for my W212 with COMAND NTG 4 retrofit & additional after mkt MMI loaded with extra Garmin GPS & Dig TV came out fine without any problem.

U might wanna check & confirm this issue with the 2 respective installers i.e

Camber53 or ricric_lo.

Or U might wanna try to check with CnC whether they do retrofit for UCI cos previously they did some iPod interface for some W204.

[Guest kevin]

So the SCN coding is to update MB's database and not some database in the car?

I asked my C&C SE many times and he said MB does not retrofit the UCI. He offered to retrofit the Ipod integration kit but I rejected because of the limitations of the display on the IC and that the controls are only on the steering wheel. (I think it is dangerous and too slow for the driver to change the song when the kids in the backseat are yelling!)

Gregory recommended I do not install the Ipod integration kit first because it might make installation of UCI difficult.

[Guest kepiting1sg]

kevin wrote:

So the SCN coding is to update MB's database and not some database in the car?

I asked my C&C SE many times and he said MB does not retrofit the UCI. He offered to retrofit the Ipod integration kit but I rejected because of the limitations of the display on the IC and that the controls are only on the steering wheel. (I think it is dangerous and too slow for the driver to change the song when the kids in the backseat are yelling!)

Gregory recommended I do not install the Ipod integration kit first because it might make installation of UCI difficult.

Yes! Correct - to update MB's database!

When U are retrofitting Comand or UCI, the coding on your car ECU will be coded by the installer who has the MB Developer Software.

Greg is right about not installing iPod Integration and IIRC CnC is charging about $1K for it.

Better to get Greg to do the UCI for U!

For that U have choice of iPod/iPhone, USB or Aux inputs with full controls on your Audio 20, Steering Wheel and songs appear on your Instrument Cluster.

[Guest esmond]

Holder of Short Term Visit Pass is not permitted to engage in any form of employment, business or occupation without a valid work pass issued under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (Cap. 91A).

This is one notes I see just now, when I visit the ICA website to extend my friend's short term visit pass. I suggest the admin here make sure the site sponsor here got the valid work pass to retrofit the local COMAND system to avoid any kind of trouble.

[Guest Cavell]

Yes it's true .. Holder of Short Term Visit Pass is not permitted to engage in any form of employment, business or occupation . They will get fine and send back .... Please beware ...

[nawaf.k]

Hi 

 I have c230 2009 with Audio 20 sound system 

i tried to upgrade the command to NTG 4 I bought the 7'' screen , screen cable A204 540 5706 (data cable between HU and display) , the navi radio NTG 4 and central air vent 

when i install it's working ,radio and cd player sound is good but 

the screen not opening 

i read your post about rewiring and i did this 

Just simple rewiring:

7 to 1

6 to 2

5 to 1

8 to 3

and still not opening

That's all.?

did i miss anything ?

i dont know where is the problem 

could you explain to me what i have to do 

thanx

   

 

[tscott]

Just thought I'd share my experience retrofitting my C207 at Elebest Pte Ltd by Max.

Called around a few installers and was on the fence about getting this done. Eventually, after a lengthy Q&A with Max, I decided to take the plunge and splurge a little as I was getting sick of Audio 20 and he was offering a good deal. I was quite particular because I wanted a local installer.

The whole process has been transparent and quite seamless. He answered every one of my queries honestly - before, during and after installation. Dropped my car off at 10am and picked it up at 4pm with NTG4.5 Comand Online installed. I wanted a reverse camera and that was included in my package too. His after sales support has been second to none as well - he has been able to answer any query by SMS directly.

I'd highly recommend Max from Elebest to anyone looking to upgrade their ICE. The gains I have experienced are well worth it. The audio system sounds so much better as compared to the basic Audio 20 system. Finally have BT audio which is just awesome. Only thing that is a drawback is the Online feature that does not work for me. Don't really care about that because I've read from everywhere that it is a really old outdated system.

Hope this is helpful to others thinking of upgrading! Check out the photos I've posted as well.

P.S. A new version of the maps was release a couple of days after installing my system. And he accorded me a complimentary upgrade. Very reasonable guy to deal with!

[seigedan]

Bro, possible to pm me how much you spent in total?