2000 Ml320 Mcs
 

HI all,

I am looking for a way to use my mcs in europe. We tried to contact MBUSA via email but no response. We tried to contact the mb customer care centre here in europe but they tell me that i can't can't use it because gps works on different frequencies in europe but i am not buying that, i know better. We tried to explain to our local MB dealer but they didn't understand either. We gave them a little course in GPS (GLOBAL positioning system).

The local even sent us to a store around the corner. Our experience with MB is that they have horrible service. Sometimes when you think it can't go worse..

But the deal is that navtech says they don't produce EU cd for that system and alpina also says no. The MCS is WAY better then the EU gps system. The screen is brighter clearer and easier to use.

So if anyone can point us in some direction that we haven't tried or know someone with the same problem (wich i think there are) to help us.

greets...

Is the GPS actually receiving the GPS satellite info and displaying your lat/long? If that seems to be in order, then I would assume you are correct in assuming you just need a cd-rom based nav disc.
What do they use for a nav system in Europe? The 220 chassis cars here have COMAND, although the discs are Bosch instead of Siemens and I understand are not interchangeable. You could possible check with Siemens to see if they know.
The ML's sold in Europe have no MCS Nav available? Or don't they even have MCS?

Gilly

The GPS is working perfectly, Altitude, longtitude and latitude numbers are all perfect so the system is working correctly.


Yes the eu cars are sold with the comand system from bosch and yes these cd's are not interchangable. We have tried alot of different cd's, from teleatlas to Carin to Alpina nav cd's. Alle without luck.

But, correct me if i am wrong, the US MCS is build by Alpine right?

And the MCS is not avaible in EU sold cars. SO..

Yes, I believe they are Alpine.
Here is Navtechs web site for European products, other than that I don't have much to offer:
http://www.navtech.com/vehicle/enduser_eu.html

Gilly

Yes thanks, but we already checked that out. I even got someone on the phone from Navtech EU but he couldn't help me either.

But at what point could i inquire at siemens? What does siemens have to do with de MSC?

But does anyone know the modelnr. of the MCS/alpine unit?

This could be a reference to check with alpine for EU maps.

I happen to have a ML500 here, with nav of course. The disc does say"2001 Alpine Electronics, Inc" on it, so I must be mistaken on the Siemens connection. I may be thinking of the 98-99 add-on nav system (pod type).
If you are fluent in German, you can go to the Navtech EU site and make an inquiry about the disc/discs you need. I saw the different discs available for Europe, and none seemed to mention Mercedes or Alpine..........http://www.navtech.com/UserOrdersServlet?action=listNavigators&continentId=EU
I am not sure of the model number of the MCS unit.
I've tried a couple emails to Navtech for you, I'll report if I hear anything solid.

Gilly

I checked out the siemens thing and that was the pod indeed..

I sent some mail around aswell so i hope to get some answers.. I am guessing this unit is not Classified in some way.. But it seems to be hard to get SOME answers..

I even maild Customer Care US but no reply yet ont hat mail.

I can only wait..

Then one thing i do like to mention is that i just luv the M. I have have 3 cars at the moment, Golf 4 TDI, C240 and the M but god that one is the best.. To bad that the GPS isn't working...

Here is a reply I got back already from Navtech EU:



Gilly

But wouldn't it be possible that alpine uses the same system in a Merc build unit and a alpine commercial build unit? Than the cd's would be interchangable.right?

This really is going beyond my training, so to speak. My inclination would be to believe what Navtech says. Maybe when you are there you can meet someone with a CD-ROM based system and try it quick, I doubt any harm would come to either the disc or the MCS unit. Other than that, you can try buying a few discs just to try them out, sounds expensive to me. I noticed there were no Mercedes discs mentioned at all, i believe MB sells the other types of discs themselves, and Navtech handles the ones for the M class. I've never tried putting a COMAND disc into an MCS unit, it would be interesting to see if it would at least provide a map, if not guidance. Sorry I'm not much help on this subject.

Gilly

Well the part where we try different type/brands of discs has pasdt us. We tried almost everything. Teleatlas, becker, Alpine, Bosch, Carin and these cover almost the market.

It seems that mercedes has made some choices and one of them was to only use and sell the MCS in the US continent.

We keep getting at the point that a new MCS would be the best solution. But we like this one. And maybe we could sell it so that it could be used by someone in the US.

Thanks for all your help. I am still not giving up. We have gone beyond the point to find out what structure the CD is made of to maybe make our own EU cd. According to Navtech all their cd's are based on the SDAL standard and that is somewhat opensource so never say never..hehe

thanx Gilly

(Koen Broumels The Netherlands)

OK, so I thanked Navtech in Europe for at least responding to my question, and I got this in reply:

Dear Mr. Gillitzer,

You might want to try to contact Alpine. If you are not able to find a contact within Alpine, we can try to find one for you. Alpine normally produces after market navigation systems (not factory fitted), so it could be possible that European CDs/DVDs will be compatible.

Please let us know if you need any help..

Navigation Technologies Customer Service Centre
PO Box 501
7300 AM APELDOORN
THE NETHERLANDS
International Toll Free Number: 00800 18 23 53 22
Local Toll Free Number Germany: 0800 181 6065
Local Toll Free Number France: 0800 914 478
Local Toll Free Number Italy: 800 781 145
Telephone Number: +31 555 384 245
Fax Number: +31 555 433 947

-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Gillitzer
Sent: 05 February 2003 20:05
To: NavTech Customer Service, Europe
Subject: Re:


Thanks so much for the reply. It is good to get an informed answer, even though it is not what I had hoped to hear.
Dan Gillitzer
----- Original Message -----
From: NavTech Customer Service, Europe
To: 'Daniel Gillitzer'
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 8:22 AM
Subject: RE:


Dear Mr Gillitzer,

At this moment we do not have a European compatible disc available for your us navigation system.
The several navigationsystems in Europe and the USA are not compatible so you are not able for using these available CD-s in your system.

kind regards,

Navigation Technologies
Customer Service Centre
PO Box 501
7300 AM Apeldoorn
The Netherlands
International Toll Free Number: 00800 18 23 53 22
Local Toll Free Number Germany: 0800 181 6065
Local Toll Free Number France: 0800 914 478
Local Toll Free Number Italy: 800 781 145
Telephone Number: +31 555 384 245
Fax Number: +31 555 433 947

-----Original Message-----



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gilly

Koen and Dan,

here's another option, plug and play...

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2402361255&category=21646

Wolfgang

Koen:
As I posted on another thread, I just installed a DVD Nav unit (just available) in a 2000 ML. I wonder if you'd be interested in swapping to this system if a EU Nav disc is available for this set-up? Not saying there is, but.........

Gilly

Do you have any info on the DVD system?

pictures of a installed sys?

By the way this came back from MBUSA:

It installs and looks the same as the CD-ROM based nav system.

Gilly

Then the only problem would be to check if there are any EU maps sold for it like you said.

Do you have anymore info on it then i could check/search for info..

About all I know is that it's still an Alpine system, the disc still says Alpine on it.

Gilly

Maybe there is someone that could take a picture of it?
I'll try to see if alpine will help me..

This is the last correspondence that i got from mbusa:

Gilly,

do you think i can figure out what alpine parts are used if i can pull the mcs from the car?

I am not giving up yet..

BTW, does the dvd also say that it is made by navtech?

Navtech is primarily the provider of the "core" gps information on the disc. I know they do produce the discs, but i don't believe they make any of the GPS units. That's still Alpine. Both the CD and DVD units are Alpine.
I don't see where taking out the MCS unit will assist in any way.
I don't know if you have exhausted the possiblities as far as contacting Alpine directly, I thought you were going to try that route next.
I also wonder if you've tried contacting anyone in regards to a Euro DVD based map that will work in the DVD nav unit.

Another wild theory you can consider also:
When you insert the disc, you get an image of an ML on the screen. WHAT IF the ONLY difference between any of these discs is just the image that is portrayed when the unit is started up? Maybe the core information is the same and you'll have a map just fine, but when you turn it on, they'll be a picture of say a Volvo or something, and maybe a few other things, like no MB dealers listed in the "places of interest", etc. Maybe the differences are subtle things like that, but it'll help you navigate just fine say from one city to the next, etc. I'm not a GPS expert, but just a thought. Maybe I should try putting a S class disc in an ML and see if my theory pans out. Never tried it.

Gilly

I got a reply to my question to alpine:
I replied to them that MBUSA keeps sending me that i have to go to my local MB dealer but they somehow keep forgetting that i am in the EU and they don't know anything about the MCS and i can't call a 1-800 from EU.

Try a EU disc from another manufacturer for your area as I outlined in my previous post, this is all I have to offer at this point.
My idea, as I stated, is that possibly the differences are very minor. Maybe someone you know has a nav setup in their vehicla and will let you try theirs. One thing I'm not clear on, even after all these posts, is does your MCS have the Nav unit installed, or do you need to buy the Nav kit?

Gilly

I have the nav working and all.

We usd it for 1,5 year when we were in the states. We even got map cd 1 and 2.. We drove from Seattle to LA and back and from Seattle to NY.(then shipped it)

We tried about all the different types of cd's. Teleatlas, Alpine (other system), becker.

But that is all obvious that these don't work. I work with computers daily and the format that they use for the other nav cd's is totally different then they used on the M-class mcs. I never tried one from a S or E MCS.

It is like this, like they guy from navtech posted in your reply: So i am hoping that someone reads the posts and has opend the MCS unit sometime before. OR after.. And knows what parts alpine used for the internal works.

That would give me a lead on where to find a possible map cd.

But on the other hand i would like to show the people here that somehow the mail towards MBUSA doesn't work. They always try to show you the way to the local dealer.

By the way i have another question,

we have the motorola startac with carkit and all connected to the mcs. Does anyone know any specs on that carkit?

would it be possible to connect a EU (GSM standard) StarTac to this carkit?

My question is: does the carkit amplify the signal OR does the carkit amplify the signal at a certain frequency?