Ah I remember you...Did you figure out the problem with the suspension and the headrest?
You have actually caught me at a good time regarding your comand issue because I have opened mine completely to possibly repair the DVD changer lens as it won't read any discs. I have done a lot of comand testing with mine as well as a 2nd unit that I ordered used from ebay as a backup which happens to have another issue.
This is what I've learned from my troubleshooting and hopefully you can rule-out some questions you might have yourself.
The comand unit has a system saved in a hard drive. The hard drive can actually be swapped to a different comand between 07-09 (AKA COMAND NTG 3.0 .Years 2010+ have a COMAND NTG 3.5 and won't work as the comand unit itself is completely different)
The hard drive is a 20~30GB toshiba laptop hard drive (2.5").
The unit can be upgraded to the latest firmware (not maps) and will fix some bugs as well as enabled the 'VIDEO' button next to NAVI as well as live traffic with birds eye view.
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When i removed the comand unit for repair, i had to drive the car without the unit in the car for a few days.
Obseravatiion was:
NO COMAND - you can't see anything in the screen,
- You can't control seat lumbar or massage, change songs etc. via comand
- Climate Control WORKS when using the buttons on the dash
- Rear Sunshade goes UP and Down without comand plugged
DIFFERENT COMAND UNIT- (installed one from a different car 07-09)
- it will load Navigation and pickup position
- it will load time from previous car
- A.C and Climate work COMAND Center Dongle
- Everything works except seats
**If previous car didn't have massage seats, your won't run massage seats. Seats might need to be readjusted.
**If previous car has an option your car doesn't have, that option won't work at all.
--Bringing this up because it appears some people think that No COMAND communication means nothing works in the car unless the unit is plugged. That is not true.
It actually controls only the HVAC, AUDIO, NAVIGATION and phone.
Everything else works without COMAND including your suspension - Raise up and down with the button.
Sunshade also goes up and down without any issues.
This would rule out the idea that comand not working means suspension control module not communicating per say.
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Related to your issue - The GPS not receiving a signal after iPOD plugin (I also have the IPOD plug) it is very possible the GPS BLUE antenna wire came loose. I would pull the COMAND out (super easy to do with the right start screw driver) and check the cables.
I WOULD 100% remove the iPOD unit out located behind the comand unit..assuming we're talking about the ipod interface.
I think you might have moved the iPOD cables around or pulled them that it might have disconnected the GPS Antenna wire.
The other thing that crosses my mind is intermediate LOSS of POWER.
I just replaced my trunk battery on my 07 and car had similar symptoms prior.
I would start the car and could not raise my car. Press the RAISE button and nothing.
Turn off the car and turn it back on, everything back to normal.
Also the clock would roll back sometimes at random.
The radio would also restart when i would get in the car as if the power cut out.
I tested the battery and it held power at 12V for only 1 minute then it would drop at 10.
After the battery replacement, the car lost all the weird symptoms.
It was a difficult problem to diagnose because when the car starts, it uses a different battery and once it starts, it automatically charges the battery in the trunk which in return, acts as if it's in good working order.
Check
1- Cables behind the COMAND unit
2- trunk battery (if you have a decent
Enjoy my small projects that turn into never ending life time events