W221 S class software issues

[Jumpingjackflash]

Hello

I recently bought a W221 S500. Mechanically so far all good but it has a couple of software issues that are driving me nuts. I can not connect Bluetooth, The time and date do not save and air con is showing off? Any advice or ideas how to fix this?

Also is retrofitting DAB a possibility?

Thanks

[Dog Star]

Jumpingjackflash said:

Hello

I recently bought a W221 S500. Mechanically so far all good but it has a couple of software issues that are driving me nuts. I can not connect Bluetooth, The time and date do not save and air con is showing off? Any advice or ideas how to fix this?

Also is retrofitting DAB a possibility?

Thanks

I don't know how old your car is, but if it has one of those multimedia interface sockets in the armrest or in the glovebox you can get a thing called a Tune2Air with the UMI plug - stick this in yer plug and you're good to go with the bluetooth coming through on the aux channel.

[Jumpingjackflash]

I will check the glovebox but I have a Bluetooth Module that looks like it belongs to Star Trek in the centre armrest.

[StephenP]

You don't mention the age of the car however the time and date issue is well known in one of the COMAND unit versions for the S and CL (NTG 3.0}. My 2007 CL63 had the same issue and it's down to an issue with it not being able to interpret the GPS data correctly.

Mercedes did nothing about it however a very resourceful chap wrote a patch for the software, that you burn to CD and get the COMAND unit to load in. I did it on mine Andy ie worked fine, although I think the patch comes with the usual warnings of 'can kill your unit' , etc.

Take a look here :
https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w221/760659-pro...

Read through the thread just to make sure your unit will work with the fix and not any warnings, etc.

Re Bluetooth, my car has an adapter in the top of the centre console arm rest. If you're missing it, you may find one on ebay. I've got the official MB one and the aftermarket Viseeo mb-4, the latter being much more stable and reliable.

For bluetooth audio streaming, I use a cheap Bluetooth dongle that is connected to the AUX input in the glovebox - my car has the phone connectors, one for video and two for audio. I had a 12v cigarette lighter-style power socket fitted inside the glovebox to provide the power via a plug in USB power adapter.

[StephenP]

Jumpingjackflash said:

I will check the glovebox but I have a Bluetooth Module that looks like it belongs to Star Trek in the centre armrest.

I'm guessing this one?


This is the official MB SLR SAP V2 unit. I've got one of the in my collection of adapters but it won't work with my Galaxy S20 - IIRC my phone (or SIM) doesn't seem to support SAP properly and so it appears to connect via Bluetooth but fails to function. This might be the issue you are having too. SAP is SIM Access Profile and it allows your SIM to be shared with second device, the SAP phone module that's plugged in to the car.

Alternatively you might have the Mercedes HFP module:


This is the unit I mentioned in my other post, that connects and works but is a bit flakey. Sometimes the phone won't dial or answer correctly and the phonebook and call log often fail to load.

The unit I use now is the Viseeo MB-4:


This works pretty much flawlessly with my car and handset, but can't comment on compatability with other phones.

Edited by StephenP on Monday 5th September 01:21

[anonymous-user]

On the subject of crap software in the W221, one day your drivers window might stop working and what it needs is a door module software update.

Happened to my 2007 S600 and I was dreading tearing down the door for a regulator or motor, turned out an update from a friends legit STAR system had it going again!