[Skylaw]

Thanks for all of that information and a great thread, Ex-Fed - it is referenced in the Encyclopedia, and also in the W215 forum, since it applies to that model as well.

This thread has been kept closed while Ex-Fed built it, so that the reference information could be kept together. It is now open.

One additional thought - the original Mercedes Sirius/XM antenna was a separate one, initially mounted atop the middle of the trunk - not the most attractive location, and it required a hole in the middle of the trunk lid. Much the way Ex-Fed has described the substitute for his malfunctioning GPS antenna, 3rd party alternatives exist for the Sirius/XM antenna. Some may be mounted on the rear parcel shelf, as Ex-Fed did; others have had success going through the firewall and mounting the antenna in the A/C intake plenum in front of the windshield.

 

[Skylaw]

Traced leads as far as I could - hers's what I found

Well, well. Only two weeks ago, I was eating turkey for Thanksgiving. Now it is time to eat crow. The original post in this slot contained incorrect information; I have seriously revised it to make it more accurate. In one of the posts below, Bullethead_D observes that I had identified (in a now-deleted photo) the Audio Gateway as the Tele-Aid Control Module; he is absolutely correct. While his comment at post #12 below will not make sense following these revisions, his observation was entirely correct for the original post that he referenced.

Bottom line (so you won't have to wade through this): Although the block diagram in Ex-Fed’s post above was labeled (in the WIS) for cars having D2B fiber busses, I believe it is also correct and applicable to cars having the MOST bus. Indeed, the plug-in or antenna-coupled cell phones will use both the Shark Fin antenna and the rear bumper antenna, and the antenna in use at a given time is controller by the Tele-Aid Control Module. Here is why.

Trying to get to the bottom of the question of where the center console antenna connects, and whether the signal from the center console is sent via the shark fin antenna, I pulled my back seat out, and also opened up the equipment bay on the left side of the trunk (photo below), to trace antenna leads.

NOTE: My car is an '05; an '06 with the optional cell phone harness will be the same. However, see the phone bulletins at http://home.earthlink.net/~phdwebsite/phone_bulletins.htm for the equipment bay configuration for earlier models.

The Tele-Aid Control Module is indeed under the passenger side of the rear seat bench, next to the rear SAM (first photo). Note the two coax antenna leads coming from the module, plus one of what seems to be a "sharkfin lead" (shown on Ex-Fed's photos at post 15 below). According to the block diagram, I would expect 3 antenna connections to the Tele-Aid Control Module, and that seems to be the case. The coax leads loop around the module and enter cable harnesses that that are firmly attached to the rear bench support structure (foreground of the first photo), and seem to go in opposite directions (left and right) – that makes it difficult to trace them exactly, without detaching the harnesses and ripping open the tape. Sorry, folks, I just wasn’t going to go that far! Because I did not remove the module, I could not verify exactly which harness each lead went into, and therefore, where it ultimately went in the trunk. And, it it is still no fun to pull up the molded noise barrier insulation, either.

Also making things difficult is that the antenna lead from the center console appears to go into the rear seat area and along the back door opening, then into the trunk. It does not go quite that directly. It enters one of those harnesses under the back seat support structure, so I found the exact routing difficult to trace for the same reason as the leads from the Tele-Aid Control Module.

In the trunk, there are two coax leads that cross the trunk under the parcel shelf. In the photo below, these are labeled “B” and “C.” Lead “B” connects to a short lead "A" that goes directly to the rear bumper antenna. Lead “C” goes through a grommet in the left rear wheel well and I believe into the rear seat area. I could not determine its final terminus, but my guess is that it goes to the Tele-Aid Control Module.

Removing the platform containing the CDC, the nav reader, the MHI controller and the antenna switch, and also removing the linear compensator and its bracket, reveals the tangle of leads and harnesses in the third photo, below.

Again, lead “B” connects to lead “A”, which goes directly to the rear bumper antenna (Lead “A” is labeled in two locations, because it is hard to see in the photo). The connector for lead A and lead B is behind the uppermost hole for mounting the Linear Compensator bracket.

There are three coax leads, labeled 1, 2 and 3, coming from a harness that also carries copper wire power components to the bay. Lead 1 is labeled “Antenne” and goes to the “Antenna” connection on the antenna switch. According to the Phone Bulletin for the ’05, this is the “main antenna lead.” Lead 2, labeled “Handy” (a term Germans use for cell phone) goes from the harness to the Linear Compensator. Lead 3 is labeled “LCT” and according to the phone bulletin, is the Tele-Aid lead; it connects directly to the “LCT” port on the antenna switch.

Lead 4 has only a Tyco manufacturer’s label, and is a short lead connecting the Linear Compensator output (from lead 2, labeled "Handy") to the antenna switch “Booster” port. In essence it is a continuation of Lead 2, carrying an amplified signal. Because it is somewhat difficult to make out in the photo, Lead 4 is labeled twice.

Thus, essentially, all three of the coax leads coming from the harness behind the MHI control unit and linear compensator connect to the antenna switch.

Although I was not able to positively trace the other terminus of each lead (which would have answered the question definitively, with no guessing), from what I can see, the installation is likely consistent with Ex-Fed’s block diagram. One would expect to see three antenna connections at the Tele-Aid Control module, and they are present. The coax leads in the trunk to the rear bumper antenna, to the linear compensator, and to the antenna switch are all present and in accordance with the phone bulletin (though the linear compensator and antenna switch are not depicted on the block diagram). While it bugs me not to be able to see where each lead physically connects, my old back is just too sore for me to tear out all of the existing, factory-installed wire harnesses under the back seat, to see - especially for a system that is experiencing no malfunctions!! But I have seen enough to conclude that a cell phone having an antenna plug in its cradle (e.g. StarTac, TimePort, V60 or V710), or one that is being used in one of the ”hybrid” Bluetooth cradles that had an antenna coupler (e.g., RAZR), could utilize the Shark Fin antenna or the rear bumper antenna; the Tele-Aid system does so as well, and the Tele-Aid Control Module controls the antenna that is used.

In North America cell phones that do not use a coupler or a cradle rely only on their own internal antennas, only.

The WIS does reference other documents that apply to cars equipped with Keyless Go, Remote Heater, Digital Audio Broadcasts (Germany), Remote Start (Germany), and COMAND options (both U.S. and Euro) that could result in some differences from the bock diagram in the first post. However, they should be the same regarding cellular phone and GPS systems.

In addition, there are several reasons why one might route the console antenna lead direct to the rear bumper antenna. 1) An owner installed the system, did not subscribe to Tele-Aid, and going straight to the linear compensator (bypassing both tele-Aid and the antenna switch) was the easiest way to do it; 2) Tele-Aid had failed or given trouble indications (very common in analog-only systems after the North American analog cellular network was disabled several years ago), and was disabled using DAS. That would have disabled both the shark fin and bumper antennas. In this case, a tech may well have re-done the connections straight to the linear compensator to keep the portable cell function working. There could be other reasons, but those are two that stand out.

 

[Skylaw]

Wally,

The shark fin antenna for cell phones is a passive antenna - that is, it is not powered (in contrast to the GPS antenna). Therefore you should be able to make the switch. I don't know if it will give you better reception - the bumper antenna signal is boosted by the linear compensator. There is a possibility it is the stronger signal.

 

[Skylaw]

Bullethead_D,

Thanks for your offer - PM sent!

As one can tell from a reading, without pulling the equipment in the lower part of the bay, I had to surmise some things. I'll try to go into it again today (should have some more time) and this time pull that stuff to verify connections and also part numbers that I could not see yesterday. If I'm wrong, I'l correct the post - thanks for your observations!

I believe I am correct on the VCM though - it is located where the phone bulletin says to put it. Perhaps I have used a misleading term - it is behind the aluminum panel that the amp is located on; it is NOT behind the plastic vent panel for the bay. I hope that resolves it. I'll know more when I get into it hands-on.

NOTE: My car is an '05. An '06 will be the same. However, the VCM location and other equipment bay configurations will be different in earlier models. See http://home.earthlink.net/~phdwebsite/phone_bulletins.htm

 

[Skylaw]

@ all
Before starting further investigation - Skylaw has a car delivered 10-14-2004 with code 359 "TELEAID LOW COST USA WITH CELL PHONE PREINST. UPCI" and CODE 530 "COMAND DVD APS USA WITH NAVIGATION". Code 813 (or other for USA) "LINGUATRONIC=voice control" and 388 MOBILE PHONE UHI are absent.

Do you think that pe82.95-u-2101-99sl and pe82.70-u-2101-99sk are the right documents?

Actually, my car has linguatronic and Mobile phone (MHI - not UHI) installed. Always has.

 

[Skylaw]

I can't say, Bullethead_D. The MHI and voice control were on the window sticker when I bought it, and they were installed. I bought the car from a dealer as a repo about 6 months after its first sale new, to a corporate officer. It had under 5,000 miles on it. It did not have the phone cradle or a handset - I had to buy those extra. But it did have the MHI contact plate, and the rest of the MHI system, as well as voice control (linguatronic) already installed. Ordinarily when those items are ordered, they are installed by an MB Preparation Center at the Port of Entry into the U.S. The installation in my car does match up to the phone bulletin, http://home.earthlink.net/~phdwebsite/phone_bulletins.htm

So when and where they were installed I cannot say - but it was before I bought it, and it looks like the POE prep center installation.

 

[Skylaw]

There are instructions how to retrofit linguatronic in a W220. The module for the voice control system is ever placed under the rear seat. But the instructions allways show an exception "not for code 494 (US Version)". With each car here in Germany comes a service booklet with a special datacard. All codes are printed on this card (see picture). If e.g. a car is missing 813 (Linguatronic) and MB retrofits this device, a new card including the new code will be printed. After reading this the MB mechanic is aware of the presence of this retrofitted device. Maybe this is different in USA.

In conclusion with your statement I guess that the European Equipment does not fullfill the rules of FCC or an other institution responsible for high frequences (or monitoring something ;-)). The car comes only with the electric harness and is prepared for a local retrofit by MBUSA with different devices. MBUSA generates the according documents (seen in your link). The question is - are there documents in WIS for this retrofit by MBUSA or are there additional documents only available from MBUSA? On the other hand for many options the electric diagramms refer to code 494.

I can't say regarding the paperwork on my car's equipment, and chasing it further is a dead end. However, my linguatronic (Voice Control) module is installed exactly where the phone bulletin for my car says to put it - on the back side of the aluminum bracket for the Bose amplifier, in the left electronics equipment bay in the trunk - http://phdwebsite.powerpulse.cc/Phone Install Bulletins/2005 S.pdf figures 9-11. I did not say linguatronic was under the rear seat; the Tele-Aid Control Module is. The Audio Gateway, which you correctly identified earlier, is on the opposite side of the amp, in its own bracket. The photo below is from Figure 9 of the phone bulletin, with some additional labeling.

NOTE: My car is an '05. An '06 will be the same. However, the VCM location and other equipment bay configurations will be different in earlier models. See http://home.earthlink.net/~phdwebsite/phone_bulletins.htm

I also don't know the differences in electronics between the Euro UHI and the North American MHI systems - but I do know the differ, and they use different codes in the MB documentation. Thanks for trying to run it down, but it may be taking us off-track.

 

[Skylaw]

GPS Antenna Replacement

Ex-Fed has added a new thread on replacing the GPS antenna, http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w220-s-class/2000609-less-than-20-usd-gps-antenna.html

I'd add it to the Encyclopedia as a separate entry, but I am up against character limits; that will have to wait until I reorganize some things.

 

[Skylaw]

And welcome to the forum, cilek - thanks for your comments.

 

[Skylaw]

It is likely that one need not remove the entire headliner to get to the amplifiers - so door removal is likely unnecessary.