JimY, that is GREAT info about the 1432 setup (1991-1993). I am trying to figure out how to upgrade the deck my 1993 300D, and my initial research was indicating that I might need to run new wires to front & rear speakers, plus an antenna lead from the trunk to the new radio. Your post confirmed all that - thanks! What I was not sure of was the door speaker setup. Do you know which wire colors are used for this? Also, can you tell me which page(s) in the ETM have the correct schematics? There are several different schematics shown and I still can't figure out which one is applicable to my 1993.
Jeff (and others), if you want to upgrade a 1492 (1994/95), or most any other 1981-1990 Becker... there is a drop-in AM/FM/CD replacement available from Becker, complete with a wiring harness adapter - total plug & play. Only downside is the cost, about $450 or so brand new. A photo is at
this link. It can accept an iPod (and cell phone) input, which is cool. The Porsche CDR-220 is nearly identical, available for ~$200 or so on eBay... only problem is the CDR-220 display angle is on-adjustable, so it's a little hard to read the display. One nice thing is that the speed-senstive volume is adjustable, and can be switched off if desired.
For installing an aftermarket radio in a 1994/95 model that originally came with a 1492, you can buy an aftermarket harness that plugs into the factory female connector, so you don't need to cut any of the factory wires... this allows easy re-installation of the stock deck, if you sell the car in the future, etc. Most decent stereo shops should be able to source this cable (?), or you can get one on eBay (like
this, for example).
BTW, here is a link to the various years/models of Becker radios. Click on your year/model, and the next menu will tell you what wiring harness, amps, upgrade options, etc are available:
http://www.beckerautosound.com/mercedes_year_model.html
