installing CD in 84 300TD - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

hhasheville · #1 10-14-2006, 05:39 PM

I am new to the Mercedes world - just bought an 84 300TD3 and want to
install a CD player. Any advice - I want it cheap/easy. Does it really take an audio expect to do it? Best Buy said they can't & go to an audio house and Circuit City said "maybe"on the phone.

ImBroke · #2 10-15-2006, 07:53 AM

They probably don't have wiring diagrams for it. Nothing extremely difficult about installing it, but it's not the easiest thing either. To do an ok job, you'll want to bypass the factory fader. If you do that, make sure you hook up the front left, and right rear, or you'll lose the stereo effect. The TD uses only one set of wires going to the front and back set of speakers, instead of the standard two. Don't know why, but they do. You'll have to splice into the cigar lighter for constant 12V. There are a bunch of posts about it on here, read on and you'll be enlightened by people that know more than I.

I would run all new speaker wires and use all four channels out of the new CD deck.

Noeljb · #3 10-17-2006, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hhasheville

I am new to the Mercedes world - just bought an 84 300TD3 and want to
install a CD player. Any advice - I want it cheap/easy. Does it really take an audio expect to do it?

www.crutchfield.com Reasonable and easy. Their web site will tell you which units will fit your car, and there might be a wiring "dog bone" (an adapter to convert from your cars stereo wiring to the radio / cd player you have selected).

If you need a new bezel so your selected unit will fit perfectly they'll have that too. Very good, very friendly. I have used them for the last six or eight installs I've done. One was a Blaupunkt for my dad's 450SL, and the next will be for mine.

lkchris · #4 10-18-2006, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImBroke

The TD uses only one set of wires going to the front and back set of speakers, instead of the standard two. Don't know why, but they do.

"Why" is because the old radios are 2-channel and all the new ones are 4-channel.

al76slc · #5 10-18-2006, 12:40 PM

For what it's worth, to make things easier for me, I was thinking of using a universal CD changer which wires into the antenna lead and is tuned through the FM radio. It means you don't change the existing head unit, and you can probably get done for $100-150.

Not the best sound, but it may be the easiest way to go.

Kynetx · #6 10-24-2006, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImBroke

They probably don't have wiring diagrams for it. Nothing extremely difficult about installing it, but it's not the easiest thing either. To do an ok job, you'll want to bypass the factory fader. If you do that, make sure you hook up the front left, and right rear, or you'll lose the stereo effect. The TD uses only one set of wires going to the front and back set of speakers, instead of the standard two. Don't know why, but they do. You'll have to splice into the cigar lighter for constant 12V. There are a bunch of posts about it on here, read on and you'll be enlightened by people that know more than I.

I would run all new speaker wires and use all four channels out of the new CD deck.

Hmm. My Benz won't give a constant (it's switched by the ignition) 12V from the cigar lighter. I had to run a separate 18-AWG from the battery. Not that I mind. I really would rather have discrete wiring for audio stuff anyway.