In playing around with all the new-fangled goodies in our recently acquired 2000 E320 Wagon, I hooked up the integrated phone - it was sitting disconnected in the storage compartment when the vehicle was purchased.

I understand these analog phones will cease to work in February. However, I couldn't help but try to dial out on the thing, just to see what kind of response I would get. Lo and behold...called my house, and my wife answered - the phone appears to be activated.

Now...not being one to hose the guy I bought it from, I called him up to let him know the service was still activated, and apologize for my single phone call. However, he insisted he had not activated any phone service, and had not been charged for anything in the previous 3+ years he owned the car. He says he never used the phone - had his own employer-provided phone, and that's all he ever used.

So, dumb question time. Was cell service included with these cars when sold? I can't imagine that would be the case, but I also can't imagine somebody would have been paying the bill for years, and never using the phone.

Kinda' sounds like something my wife would do!!!

In the W210 I just purchased, I tried the onboard Timeport phone and got a message from Verizon saying that the phone 'could not be authorized' - maybe you got lucky with your phone service?

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Steven Harrison

1993 300E2.8 - 196K
2001 E320 4MATIC - 86K

My 94 E500 has a factory installed phone in the armrest. I kind of like it, even though you can't make a call on it. Is it possible to get these analog relics to work now?

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I never go far without a little Big Star

1994 E500 199/Gray 82k
84 300D (Salty) Orient Red/Palomino 141k
88 300CE (Ersatzhammer) 904/Java 163k -- Turbo Technics twin turbo kit, AMG Gen I body kit, Sportline steering box and steering wheel, Sportline/Eibach /Bilstein Sport/500E suspension, Quaife LSD in 210 mm diff case, Silver Arrow brakes.
88 300CE Brabus 3.6 199 on Black 44k

Back in 2002 the FCC mandated that analogue mobile phone networks be switched off in 2008 so they could resell that portion of the EM spectrum. The chances of getting an old analogue phone authorised to work before the transmitters are turned off are probably nil.

There are retrofit kits to convert W210's to the newer digital networks (both the on board phone, and the Tele Aid phone), not sure about the W124's - it might be cheaper to just buy a hands free bluetooth kit and mount it on the dash.

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Steven Harrison

1993 300E2.8 - 196K
2001 E320 4MATIC - 86K

I talked to a guy in a PA car pimping place who told me that there is available an analog-digital converter which would make the phone work, but it costs $1200. That's not what I would call an option.

__________________
I never go far without a little Big Star

1994 E500 199/Gray 82k
84 300D (Salty) Orient Red/Palomino 141k
88 300CE (Ersatzhammer) 904/Java 163k -- Turbo Technics twin turbo kit, AMG Gen I body kit, Sportline steering box and steering wheel, Sportline/Eibach /Bilstein Sport/500E suspension, Quaife LSD in 210 mm diff case, Silver Arrow brakes.
88 300CE Brabus 3.6 199 on Black 44k

$1200 does seem a bit spendy for the Timeport upgrade, but it's about the right amount for a Tele Aid update. My dealer quoted me $1500 for the digital update to Tele Aid, and that included a lifetime subscription.

I think I can update the Timeport in my car to a V60 bluetooth module for under $800, probably much less if I already have the correct PSE (it hasn't stopped raining long enough for me to go out and take a look yet).

__________________
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Steven Harrison

1993 300E2.8 - 196K
2001 E320 4MATIC - 86K

Well someone activated the phone, and it has to be a Mercedes specific phone, not just any Startac, or Timeport. the next issue is that it is probably analog and those systems will shut town early to mid this year. This also will include all analog Tel Aid.
Tel Aid can be upgraded http://www.mbusa.com/care/client-care/teleaid.do
The phone maybe http://www.wireless4mb.com/

Digging this one up from the archives...

Still have an old integrated Startac, and don't want to pay for an upgrade? I just wrote up the following - got mine activated and working again in my 2000 W210, didn't cost a thing. Works as good as the day it was delivered.

If you've a dual mode Startac that is CDMA (originally provisioned on Verizon), the process should work. TDMA - sorry, you still need the expensive upgrade.