When I just turned on the deck, and while the antenna is extending, static sound will come from the speakers, and/or when I change CDs, or change from CD to Tape to Radio...

What should I look for and how it can be fixed?? Thnx....

Andy Kuo

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<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>1992 Mercedes-Benz 400SE
<LI>Moonstone Grey/Black Leather
<LI>Blue/Red Headlights
<LI>Xenon-Look Foglights
</UL>

ICQ#26950002

This sounds to me like electrical interference. Have you changed your head unit recently? Or added a new electrical compenent to the car? If you did, you'd need to add a noise reducer on the electrical system of the radio.

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WEB Site : http://www.adamou.dpn.ch
A.S.C. 1999
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Actually, I still have the stock deck unit, and everything on this car is stock. What else may cause this kind of interference??

As for the deck, I am thinking about changing it, since almost half of the light bulbs in the deck are burned out. Which deck would you recommand??

Thnx in advance...
Andy Kuo


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<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>1992 Mercedes-Benz 400SE
<LI>Moonstone Grey/Black Leather
<LI>Blue/Red Headlights
<LI>Xenon-Look Foglights
</UL>

ICQ#26950002

These electrical interferences are usually very difficult to locate but they usually come always from the same places...
Did you always hear this noise before? Or this was the first time?
Tings that can make such interferences are GSM phone installations and a bad (don't know the name in english) the element that recharges the battery and gives electricity to the car when the engine is running.
Another possibility is that as you are telling me, many lights on your head unit are dead. Maybe the head unit suffered of a short circuit and the electrical noise reducer in the unit died as it is not normal that lights die in a head unit (unless it is 25 years old...).
As for head unit replacement, the choice is big. First of all you need to choose what type of music you like to listen to. Then the style (look) of the device, the options you can get (cd changer, minidisc changer...)
I would suggest you, if you are listening to Techno and other electrical music to go for a Pioneer or Clarion head unit. If you want to listen to country, classic and other type of music, go for an Alpine head unit (best but expensive).
Whatever head unit you choose, I would suggest you to get it with a tape player and have a cd or minidisc changer in the trunk.
Hope this helps

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WEB Site : http://www.adamou.dpn.ch
A.S.C. 1999
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J. Ko,

I had several experiences with head units and realized that when you play a cd, you usually listen to 3 or 4 songs on it and then switch to another one. You need space in your vehicle where you can store all the CDs. When you have a CD changer, you can have 12 CDs in it (depends on the charger, some will do 6 or 10 like JVC and Sony) and that will save a lot of space and is much more confortable to use. For the head unit I simply suggest a tape player or even better a minidisc player one, it is always welcome...

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WEB Site : http://www.adamou.dpn.ch
A.S.C. 1999
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The reason to get a CD head unit is so that you can manually change a CD if you want to. You still can have a 6,12 Cd changer in the trunk.

The static comes from a faulty amp. (I have replaced a hundred). The amps were pure and good when built, but they had some faulty electrolytic capacitors inside. I would replace it with an aftermkt 6 channel with good cooling qualities.

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Benzmac:
1981 280GE SWB
1987 16V
ASE CERTIFIED MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN
SERVICE MANAGER FOR 14 BAY FACILITY
MERCEDES SPECIALIST 8 YRS
PARTNER IN MERCEDESSHOP.COM

Adamou,

Thnx for the tips. I heard the noise for a while now, but though it was the antenna. But then, I noticed it does it also when I am changing CDs to CDs and/or switch from radio to tape, to CD.

I think I may go for CD unit, since I played tapes 5 times on factory deck since new...heheh, that's right!! 5 times in 7 years...

I listen to alot of Rap/Dance...so, which would be better??

Kenwood, Pioneer, Alphine, Sony, Clarion, or Rockford??

Jason,

One of my friend is working in a shop on Logheed Hwy. I forget what's the name(I belive it's called Audio/Video. It's right beside Acura on Logheed Hwy, across the street of Auto Trader HQ) for it. I will dig it out ASAP...

The costs for the installation may not be the cheapest, but it's life-time warrantied, and best work I have seen....

Happy Motoring...

akry,

Is your cd changer connected to the head unit with a fibre optic cable?
If it is I think that the only head unit that will be compatible with your cd changer (which will still need an adapter) is the Alpine one. All the others I know of don't use this type of data transfert. (Sony did two units with such Fiber optic inputs).
Benzmac refers to an amp, I didn't know that there was an amp in the W140 class Check the ground connection in that case, usually when the amp's ground is connected to the body of the car or is not connected to a pure ground (like direct connection to the battery or the radio's electrical system), these electrical interferences come from there, check it out.
Hope this helps

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WEB Site : http://www.adamou.dpn.ch
A.S.C. 1999
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You're almost spot on there Adamou... *BUT*

If all the components have a bad ground, you're ok. You get ground problems when one component in the audio chain has a good ground, and one has a bad ground.

The solution is to ground EVERYTHING (head unit included) to a single ground point. (a reasonable ground on the chassis or direct to the battery) This is called star earthing.

Doing things this way should eliminate all static and alternator whine. Probably...

Brian


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Brian Drought
1991 300CE
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~drought/
ICQ: 2180069

oops, just reread my post.

I meant to add 'but a good ground on all components is obiously better than a bad ground'

Different grounds on components creates a potential difference (voltage) between them... This then gets amplified and either acts as an arial (I've heard systems so bad they can pick up longwave thru the chassis!) *or* they pick up electrical noise from spark wires or alternator, or electrical 'mush' from computers etc.

Phew, thats clearer now.

Bri



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Brian Drought
1991 300CE
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~drought/
ICQ: 2180069

Adamou,

Well, I don't know if the changer is connected using fiber optic wire. The changer I have is the stock, dealer-installed 10disc changer(I belive it's sony). I think, MB changed the chager to 6-disc later on.

Thnx for all the tips....
Andy Kuo


------------------
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>1992 Mercedes-Benz 400SE
<LI>Moonstone Grey/Black Leather
<LI>Blue/Red Headlights
<LI>Xenon-Look Foglights
</UL>

ICQ#26950002

Your disk player is not fiber optic it was started in 1998-9. It is the old din technology. That tech is good though. The only problem in the 140's I have seen is in the amp!

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Benzmac:
1981 280GE SWB
1987 16V
ASE CERTIFIED MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN
SERVICE MANAGER FOR 14 BAY FACILITY
MERCEDES SPECIALIST 8 YRS
PARTNER IN MERCEDESSHOP.COM

I have the impression that the quality of the components in the new MBs are getting worse and worse.
I realize that the car is getting more and more complex, but I've heard so many problems with the w140s that I wouldn't change for any money my 560SEC.

Akry : go for an Alpine head unit (if you have the money), you won't be disapointed. As for the connection, any dealer will be able to connect it to your cd changer.

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WEB Site : http://www.adamou.dpn.ch
A.S.C. 1999
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