This will only work on '05 and higher cars with the MOST. I think some '04's as well. Anything older and you are better off swapping out head units of using a cassette adapter. I have this on my '05 with the H/K and it sounds great. easy install, did it in about 20mins, following a DIY in the mbworld.org I too used 3 FM modulators, from a cheapie to an expensive MOnster cable one, both sould like shit if u ask me, VERY crappy sound if you ask me. and i didnt have the $$$ to pay the dealer $700+ for the ipod integration kit+labor. so this was a nice comprimise, for $40 its not bad. i even added a Scoche RF wireless remote, and i just hide my ipod in my center consle, and control tracks, volume, pause/on/off with the remote attached to my door handrest. i dont have pics with me here since im at work, but you can check it out at mbworld.org and look for the thread about AUX input.
First let thank painkiller for posting an excellent guide. Anyway, when I went to order an AUX cable for the Audio APS50 on my 2005 W203 C220, the seller told me that it was not possible to install a AUX cable for the Audio APS50 (Aux was only allowed on the APS20 systems????), so I then told him that my car was equipped with the white adapter as shown in the guide and further told that there was indeed a AUX button on the radio itself. At this point he called some technician at Mercedes which only confirmed what I was told earlier: AUX not possible with the APS50, however possible with the APS20 radio. OK, I went home made a makeshift cable to see if this was true or not, and after installing this makeshift cable thru the adapter, connecting it to an mp3 player, and selecting the AUX button on the radio to my amazement it worked (heard music playing). My question now is; could there be some kind of bug which may harm my radio and/or AUX device if I were to install this AUX cable using the original Mercedes cable? Why else would Mercedes state that it is not possible to install an AUX for the APS50? Also, I ordered the original Aux Cable from Mercedes (costs 20 euros) hoping that it works, so I was wondering why this one cost more? Something about rental cars not having the right cable???? Many Thanks in advance.
Please keep in mind that this is only a temporary solution (made it quickly to see if I could get it to work) as I will use the original cable from Mercedes.
The colors are as follow: On the adapter there are 2 Black cable which are the negative leads for Right and Left input, and the other two colors are used for the positive leads for right and left input. On the RCA cable, when spliced, the outer cable is negative and the inner cable is positve, so in other words match the black cable found on the adapter with the outer cable of the RCA cable, and the other color with the inner cable. When finished insert the cable from the back side to make good contact with the adapter. Very simple.
An update on my question: It seems that there are 2 types of APS50: NGT1 (used in E-Class, CLS and SLK) and the APS50 NGT2 (used in C-class, A-class, ...)
The NGT2 devices do have an AUX, the NGT1 not according to another forum, so perhaps the person at mercedes who told me that the APS50 did not have AUX functions did not know this little fact (should have though).
Anyone can give us the electric schema of this cable?
I'd like to make my own to have a male jack (to connect directly to the ipod)
thanks
Why not just use a male to male micro stereo plug? They're usually used to connect stereo speakers to a computer and cost around $5 at Best Buy. In fact, I was just there the other day and I had them install my aftermarket Sirius unit (a black Brix Streamer GT replay that matches the cars interior extremely well) between the cupholder and shifter using the OEM aux input and a male to male stereo cable. They hardwired in the power, ran the antenna to the right side of the dash (it now sits just below that MB dude's signature on the windshield), and ran a 6 foot male to male adapter to the aux input in the glove box (I had them do the OEM install so that I could swap it out at a later date if needed for an MP3 player in the glovebox or whatever else comes down the pike). The way its set up now I could, theoretically, just unplug the sirius unit and plug in any device that had a headphone jack where the plug comes out of my center console. The whole thing cost $80 to install and the work was warranteed. Additionally, when I sell the car, they will take everything out for free.
While I was there, I also had them install cigarette lighter style 12v inputs inside the center armrest and the trunk so that I can charge my cellphone and my 12v powered bluetooth GPS unit respectively without having to leave open the ashtray or the rear seat 12v plug. This was free but only because they initially wired my sirus unit wrong and fried it. No problem though, because the unit was under warrenty, I just have to wait a while until they send me another one. That being said, if you do end up wanting to do the same install I did, I would recommend that you make sure the installer knows which wire is the ground and which is the power on the Brix made sirius unit, because on these "older" style units, the cable colors from the ground and the power are "reversed" as compared to the newer ones.
BTW, the best place I found to buy the aux input was from Duval Motorcars - they sell it for $26 + shipping (which for me was an additional $7).
Total cost was: $33 for the Aux cable (Duval motors), $60 for the Sirius unit (totallywireless.net), $4 for the male-male stereo micro plug (eBay), $12 for a 25ft cigarette lighter extension (much longer than I needed and shorter ones are cheaper - from an RV store), and $80 for the install (which for me included the two 12v inputs installed for free with an extra cigarette lighter port thown in gratis because they screwed up). Grand total = $177
BTW, if anyone wants to see pics of my final install, just pm me and I send them to you (once I get my sirius unit back that is).
This is really interesting. OK let me ask you this... I have a MOST system in my 2001 E-430. Let's say I don't want to mess around with adding an aux input this way, and would prefer putting in a whole new radio with an aux in. Can get a COMMAND radio and replace the one I have with it? How much are COMMAND radios?
Linear Mode
