Mercedes began using the analog/digital StarTac in MY ‘00, succeeding it with the TimePort in MY ’01. The Portable Support Electronics Equipment (PSE) was similar between the two, with the TimePort offering caller ID. During MY ’02, and for ’03, the TimePort was replaced by the Autosense PSE, which could be used with either the TimePort or the V60, by installing the proper cradle. Cars equipped with the D2B fiber optic bus continued to use the Autosense PSE into MY ’04.
The StarTac, TimePort, and V60 PSEs (including Autosense) required Mercedes-branded cell phones that had firmware developed specifically to integrate with the COMAND or other audio system through the fiber optic network. As a result, these phones were very expensive; and identical phones not supplied by Mercedes would simply be turned off by the system if plugged in.
There are two approaches to solving this: Upgrade to a V60S phone configuration, or install a MikBox. MIK is no longer developing the MikBox, but is still selling existing inventory.
The V60 Cradle Eliminator solution:
Before deciding to use a plug-in phone, you may want to consider going to a straight Bluetooth option, as discussed at post #3 below. There are advantages to a plug-in phone over Bluetooth: 1) Most important, direct connection to you car's external antenna - important if you travel in areas of poor reception. 2) Sometimes, better integration with your car's head unit. The disadvantage is, being limited to very expensive older Mercedes-branded phones that use only Mercedes proprietary firmware. The proprietary firmware was necessary for proper integration, which increased the phone's cost. That said, here are the plug-in solutions.
The V60S Cradle Solution
If a straight Bluetooth solution will not work for you because signal strength using only the phone's antenna from inside the car is not good where you drive, the following solutions allow connection to the car's external antenna for better reception.
The short version of this upgrade path is that you will replace the PSE with an Autosense version (if you don’t already have one), and then install the Mercedes V60 cradle kit (not an aftermarket cradle) for your car. Then, add the V60S (Verizon only) phone - see AWS (Welcome to AWS for Mercedes-Benz). Older V60 phones than the V60S cannot be used; they are not E911 compliant and will not be accepted by any U.S. service provider.
The first step when upgrading is to check the equipment you already have, including the Portable Support Electronics (PSE) and the phone cradle. If you purchased a preowned car, prior owners may have made changes. The most important part of the upgrade is the PSE. The PSE part numbers are as follows: StarTac PSE has part numbers Q 682 0460 or 9460, SYN 0234 A or B; the TimePort PSE has Q 682 0648 or 9648 (I don't know its SYN); and an Autosense has numbers Q 682 0754, SYN 9266A or B. The straight V60 PSE had numbers Q 682 0845, or 0886, SYN 9266B. The "Q" numbers may also show "BQ" (BQ 682 etc.) Since MB often upgrades equipment midstream in a production year, the best way to determine what you have is to take it out and look at it, per the phone bulletins. If you have a StarTac or Timeport PSE, you will have to replace your PSE with either the “Autosense” version or with a new "Universal PSE," PN Q682 097 ($208). If your later-production '02 or '03 model already has an Autosense PSE (Q 682 0754, SYN 9266A or B) you may continue to use it.
You will need a V60 cradle, but there are several approaches. The newest cradle, part # BQ 682 0925 (thanks, BigMel), was made for the V60S phone. The V60S phone was larger than other V60 models, and required a larger cradle. Contributors have reported that in some cases, use of the older cradles caused poor contact with the V60 puck, resulting in echo and sometimes dropped calls.
However, the '04 V60S cradle is made with FAKRA connectors that do not fit the connectors in the '00-'02 models. Mercedes has begun supplying adapters with that kit, so if you have one of those models, be sure to get one that has them.
The other kits for the '03 and '04 models (in most cases this is part number Q 682 0724; but please check the phone bulletins on Paul H. Dick’s site, Phone Bulletins) may also work. If your car did not have a phone system installed, you may also need fuses, brackets, and other miscellaneous small items - you will need the kit, not just the cradle, because it contains the holder necessary for the cradle.
Original equipment plug-in systems and the MikBox each use the car’s external antenna, not the cell phone’s. MY ’00 cars were by and large equipped with single-band linear compensators and antenna switches. The linear compensator is a low-powered amplifier that makes up for signal loss in the system, and the antenna switch connects the Tele-Aid system to the car’s external antenna when it is in use. The linear compensator should be replaced with the dual-band version from the ’01 model year or later. The antenna switch need not be replaced; the analog Tele-Aid system is being discontinued this calendar year because the FCC has reallocated its frequencies. The antenna leads can be wired direct, bypassing the antenna switch. The car’s external antenna does not have to be replaced (no matter what the dealer says)!!!
Dual band linear compensators are available on e-Bay, periodically, for about $50-$75 (perhaps less). So are dual band antenna switches. Both are available from dealers as individual components (last time I checked, compensators were about $400 and antenna switches about $150 from my dealer). In most cases, the compensators and antenna switches are the same among different classes, with only the mounting bracket being different.
MY ’01 and later cars had dual band equipment installed in the first place, so no change is required. MBWorld contributor Vrodman has also informed is that his dealer says
linear compensators are no longer available from MB, and the recommendation is for owners to use a bluetooth solution instead. (Note: This is a problem only if you are upgrading a '00 or if you are installing a phone system for the first time).
The MikBox solution:
To overcome this problem, MIK Automotive (
The MikBox Mercedes Handsfree Solution) developed the MikBox for Motorola plug-in phones, which permits use of any modern non-MB branded Motorola plug-in phone (not a RAZR or other BT-only phone). It is a very simple and inexpensive add-on, and the phone will integrate with COMAND or your audio system very much the way your original MB branded phone did. See the tech pub on the installation in my '00 S500 at
Mercedes-Benz Forum - BenzWorld Publications - Tech MIK’s site lists the phones that his equipment supports and discusses the functions available.
Note: MIK has advised us that he is not producing new MikBoxes, but will continue to sell existing inventory. He has also advised that obtaining cradles for older phones has become problematic.
The MikBox is not a Bluetooth option. The advantage is you can change phones and service providers easily (you may need a new cradle for a new phone, but they aren't expensive). MIK supplies cradles to replace the StarTac, Timeport, and V60 cradles, modified for your MB jack and the antenna connection in your armrest, which your service provider probably would not. You can do the update in less than 15 minutes with a screwdriver.
You may have to change the linear compensator as discussed above. Because the analog Tele-Aid system originally installed in these cars can no longer be used, the antenna switch should be bypassed completely, and need not be replaced.
The phone bulletins on Paul H. Dick’s website,
Phone Bulletins contain installation instructions, diagrams, photographs, and part number listings. They tell you what kind of fiber optic bus your car has, cover installation of the voice control unit and CD changer, version coding of the fiber optic bus – and on the last page, provides the part numbers for PSEs, brackets, and cradle kits.
NOTE 1: Forum contributor MWAti has done a superb job documenting his installation of OE cell equipment from scratch, bringing a 2002 C-Class and a 2003 SLK to the V-60 configuration. His pdf file is a wonderful "How to" guide for these cars, with photos, installation instructions; and part numbers for the equipment. A really great job! See
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/audi...coupe-slk.html IMPORTANT: One must also be aware that the over-the-air update feature of some service providers can overwrite the Mercedes firmware, rendering the phone useless with the car when plugged in. The car will shut the phone down. This applies to Verizon's *228 Option 1 programming feature, for example (using *228 Option 2 updates roaming information, and does not have any ill effects on an MB branded phone).
The same applies if a firmware update is flashed to an MB branded phone in-store.
AWS can provide the proper code for activation of the phones to get past this problem, but you must first provide them with certain information.
The advantage of using a plug-in phone, instead of Bluetooth, is that one is assured of compatibility with the car's system; and the phone can be left in the car, and a second line used with a second phone that can be changed whenever desired, without compatibility worries. Using no-answer call forwarding on one of the phones assures that all calls are received.