Can my 2000 e55 be upgraded for bt, dealer says no!

[Ryan c230]

I've been doing some research on the message boards and would like to use the Command phone systen in my 00 E55 with blue tooth. There is no cradle or anything installed, but I understand it is prewired. I went to the dealer and they told me that my 2000 e55 is prewired for startac and that It cannot be upgraded to the V60 cradle and PSE and bt puck. Only 2001 models and up are compatible to be upgraded for blue tooth with the command system.

Am I wrong? I am under the impression that all I need to do is get a V60 phone cradle, a new PSE, and the puck, install it and I am good to go for blue tooth. Any adivce is appreciated. Thank you in advance.....

[CalifSLK]

Here are a few 3rd party installations.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r171...sfree-slk.html
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r171...-controls.html

[Diesel Benz]

Third party would always be an option but you seem to be from USA and then you should have a BT option.

Have you looked at the info from AWS? Perhaps you should call them, at least they list MY 2000 E-class supported:
Welcome to AWS for Mercedes-Benz

[Skylaw]

Ryan c230

The short answer is, I believe you are entirely correct in your understanding, and your dealer is wrong.

There is conflict in compatibility information on the AWS site. If you check the larger rectangular (blue) "My vehicle compatibility" box the chart (with red check marks) indicates no compatibility for any MB Bluetooth configuration. Perhaps your dealer is referring to this or to similar information.

If you select the "Vehicle Phone Compatibility" button above the blue box referenced above, you get another chart, with boxes you select. Checking the box for your '00 E-Class gets you a page that indicates compatibility with the V60 Bluetooth puck. The information for your car also indicates you need a dual-sensing PSE (that's the Autosense) and a V60 cradle.

I cannot explain the discrepancy.

The phone bulletin for your car on Paul Dick's website (Phone Bulletins) shows that the 2000 E sedan would have been equipped with the StarTac PSE (if hands free equipment was installed), part numbers Q 6 82 0460 / Q 6 82 9460. The difference in the parts is a firmware update, I believe; the boxes were externally the same, and used the same connectors. The connectors for those boxes are the same ones used by the Autosense PSE, and should work just fine with it.

After installing the PSE and cradle, you will need to have your system version coded for the hands free phone, since it never had one.

I do not believe the E55 differed from the sedan in its handsfree installation.

The only thing that could throw the equation off is if your car was very early production and wired for older analog equipment; to the best of my understanding, however, the old analog PSEs were used with hard-wired cellular handsets, and not with portable handsets such as the StarTac. The wiring connectors for the old analog boxes were very different from those on the StarTac and later PSEs (in fact, the whole box was very different). Because your dealer has said your car is prewired for a StarTac (I hope he checked the actual connections), putting in an Autosense PSE, a V60s cradle (the newer one used in the '03-'04 E-Class), and a V60 puck, plus version coding the fiber optics controller, should get you set for Bluetooth.

All you need then is a compatible phone. AWS lists "approved" phones, providers, and firmware (those that work as they should with MB BT), but many individual contributors have reported varying degrees of success with other "non-approved" phones or firmware. You need not buy your "approved" phone from AWS.

It sounds as if you have already seen the post at http://www.benzworld.org/forums/audi...luetooth.html;; posts 1,2,5 and 6 are particularly relevant to your car.