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Pioneer F90BT Installed in 2000 ML430!!! Thank you!

2459 Views 9 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  JanitorC7
Hi Guys - thanks to you guys I installed a Pioneer F90BT with the 2.0 firmware upgrade into my non fiber-optic 2000 ML430. I used the Metra 70-1784 harness. I took the 2 extra leads that came with it - put one in A01 for my VSS, one in A05 for my factory BOSE amp trigger.
I tried to use the RCA hookup method but was unsuccessful - I guess that's only for Fiber Optic systems? I just wired up my speaker outs from the head unit to the speaker in on the harness (colors do match up from the head unit to the metra harness). I took the extra 6 foot pink lead that came with the unit and grounded it to the fuse box on the passenger side, then took that up to the unit and hooked up the head unit ground, special bypass function, parking break ground and I was done. I used the Pioneer ADT-AV133 from Best Buy and it made the unit look like a professional installed it - which I am nowhere near. I mounted the GPS antenna at the top of my windshield on the inside near the rear view mirror and the microphone for built-in bluetooth right next to that. I will post some pictures soon but people say they can hear me loud and clear and can't tell the difference between me talking on my handset or on the integrated bluetooth.

If you need more install details I would be happy to provide them because the Pioneer F90BT is slightly different than the other avic models (D1,D1,Z2,Z3, etc). Here is a short review:

Overall the sound has been DRAMATICALLY improved. My mids and highs are MUCH clearer but my bass is slightly lower. My current setting are this:
SPA +1
Loudness Low
Bass Booster +1
Balance/Fad 2 clicks right 2 clicks rear
EQ POwerfull
HPF 125 Hz - as recommended by pioneer dealer and forum posts

Overall I like the unit and its functionality. I have only had it for a few days now but so far I love it. The navigation is super fast and the maps are very detailed. I live in central PA and it had roads on there that my MCS didn't even dream of showing. The 2D and 3D map settings are great - I like both. The DVD playback is great, the sound is awesome, the touchscreen is awesome... The bluetooth was unbelievably simple to integrate with my Blackberry - I had it connected and the phone book transferred in a matter of a minute or two. The sound quality of my phone is awesome... everything is awesome - now here are a few of my complaints:
1) I can't mute the b*tch talking while my NAV route is on. I can turn the voice volume all the way down, but it makes my audio (ipod,cd,etc) choppy. So whenever she is giving a direction she still talks and cuts out my audio - I just can't here her talking.
2) IPOD integration - don't get me wrong, it is fantastic but it lacks functionality. I have a 30GB ipod and it is full to the megabyte, literally I couldnt fit another song on it. So whenever I am going through an artist, I could select and artist and view their albums... but if I want to go back to the artists, it starts me over at letter A instead of taking me to the area I was viewing (artists that start with M or N for example), I kind of wish it would just take me back to where I was.
3) The brightness, compared to the MB MCS unit, its a bit dim during the daytime but I can deal with it. I have the brightness turned up the whole way I just wish it were a bit brighter during the day - and I even have my windows tinted at 20%.

Now I am off to play with wallpapers, hacks, and other fun tricks I found...

One thing to note about the F90BT. You can search high and low and you may not find how to bypass the security setting that doesn't allow you to change destination or watch dvds while driving. In order to do so you must ground the parking break... and then take the black/yellow wire for mute out of the RCA harness coming out of the head unit and put it in the empty spot on the bottom of of wires (empty space between two black wires coming out of RCA leads). This will bypass the F90BT security settings and will work free at all times.
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Thanks for the short heads up...I'm about to install the 900BT...so this should help :)
One thing to note about the F90BT. You can search high and low and you may not find how to bypass the security setting that doesn't allow you to change destination or watch dvds while driving. In order to do so you must ground the parking break... and then take the black/yellow wire for mute out of the RCA harness coming out of the head unit and put it in the empty spot on the bottom of of wires (empty space between two black wires coming out of RCA leads). This will bypass the F90BT security settings and will work free at all times.
Check out my post and look for the "Parking Brake ByPass"
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w163-m-class/1418841-diy-install-pioneer-avic-f900bt-03-a.html

Also, don't for get about ....
http://www.avic411.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=32

Will
wow j3cubcapt - nice way to post links to your posts on mine. Now everyone can go to yours for information, you are so awesome. What would this forum do without you? Is there anything you don't know?

Can you please pass us some more information and more links to your posts? Anytime I search for anything regarding a mercedes I want to find your posts... I think you have a minor case of "posting envy" if someone posts about a topic you already did, you have to link it back to yours for your satisfaction... i guess if you're into that - go for it man...

you cheeseball
P.S.

Oh and P.S. I didn't refer to your instructions once for my install... I used wolfgangs pinouts and other various posts, your instructions didn't help me one bit actually. I found it last week whenever I was doing the install and found your post useless to me. Poorly documented, poorly illustrated, just overall poorly done. Might want to work on your documentation skills there my friend... good luck
seems like j3 was just trying to post some more info for people who might pop into your thread. didn't seem like he was trying to thread jack ya.

no need to :bash:
hey guys the people who install avic near my neighborhood said that if they take out the original stereo unit of the mercedes the car wont turn on. therefore theyd have to rewire the original to the back of the car so that they could install an avic in the front and still have the car turn on. is this true? it sounds so strange no one has said this on the forums
hey guys the people who install avic near my neighborhood said that if they take out the original stereo unit of the mercedes the car wont turn on. therefore theyd have to rewire the original to the back of the car so that they could install an avic in the front and still have the car turn on. is this true? it sounds so strange no one has said this on the forums
sounds like they got their installation training from best buy. go to someplace else
thanks but can you at least tell me why they'd think this? I called another place called boston audio sound wich is pretty popular here and they said they may or may not have to do the rewiring and that id have to bring the car in for them to check out first. the reason why I haven't bought the car yet was particularly because I wanted to make sure this nav could or couldn't be installed in a c class and how the custom frame would look. but now with no certain answer I have no idea..
I would love to see pictures

I;m doing this install this weekend
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