Changing Mercedes Handsfree Phone
 

Recently purchased a used 99clk320. It came with an old Mercedes analog phone that's connected to the radio for handfree operation through the speakers and a mic above the mirror, etc.

Does anyone know if its possible to get some type of adapter to use my StarTac phone as opposed to the old analog one that's in there? All the wiring is in place for the old phone, its just not in service anymore.

BTW, this is a great posting board, i've learned a lot. Thanks all! :D

THANK YOU, Thank You, thank you! You did not ask how to REMOVE the phone. It has amazed me that people want to just rip out one of these phones and cut the wires.

In about 20 years, some enthusiast will come across a '99 CLK and be all excited because it still has the factory phone.

I'm sorry that I don't know how to adapt a digital phone. If I had the schematics and pinouts for the Startac cradle and for the analog phone, I'll bet I could fabricate an adapter that would plug in so that you could later retrofit the factory phone without wrecking it.

Any decent electronics person could accomplish this given the schematics, adapter and connector.

Good luck,

Check and see if it has the fiber optic cable system in the trunk (r/r, runs near the rear fuse box) if it does you can get a star tac kit, install it and version code the audio system. Keep in mind the handset programming of the MB startac is different than the "off the shelf" generic version, odds are you'll have to get the phone kit with a handset and if thats the case I'd opt for the v-60.


Joe

not sure if it help..

try this

http://www.benzworld.org/publications/pub.asp?id=85

Thanks guys.
I guess i'm just a dreamer...

I was hoping that since the wiring is already present for the old Benz phone, I could just clip an adapter on the plug that currently goes into the analog phone, into my current cell phone.

Guess the only option is to pull out wires and redo the entire handfree system.

The mercedes once is quite cool as it integrates into your car's speakers, and the mic is built into the mirror.

oh well... Too bad...

This is what I was talking about...
http://www.logosunlimited.co.uk/clear_callleads.htm
(Thanks for the link h_shek)

Inside the car's storage compartment between the two front seats, there's a little jack inside with a lead that comes up to connect to the analog phone.

I'm thinking that maybe I can just buy a lead at the website pops into the little rj-45(??) jack in the storage compartment on one end, and a clip that fits a StarTac/Timeport on the other end, and be good to go.

Has anyone tried this? I don't know squat about wiring and schematics so I don't know if i'm being ridiculous.

Thanks!

I doubt it will work. I am not from the states but I believe the Star Tac you refering works on the traditional Analogue wave length.... The new Nokia works on GSM wither 900, 1800 or 1900. I think the states uses 1900.

Its a completely different thing. With the old analogue system, each phone has a CODE which the dealer (phone dealer) program them in. I think its called EMI or something. Its history I am trying to recall here.

This CODE is supplied by the tel co and is in sequence with the actual telephone number. What the dealer does is that they get the CODE and the corrosponding telephone number and program them to any analogue mobile phone.

In the GSM days, this CODE is replaced by the SIM card which has an embeded IMSI number.

Security is enhanced since you must have the SIM card encoded with the correct IMSI whereas in the old days, dealer can just program the phones... see the picture.

Bottom line, u must replace the brain which cointrol the power and everything