pjgraham86

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Hi there

I've had my 05 SLK350 for 10 days and love it. I'm gradually getting to know the features of the Comand/HK audio etc.

However, I have no idea what I need to do to use my phone. The car has phone pre-wiring but no cradle. The Comand booklet instructions on Bluetooth tell me how to get my phone (and my wife's) authorised and connected and even I managed that !! However, I assumed that having done that I would be able to operate the phones through the speakers/steering wheel controls without having the cradle installed and the phone in the cradle. On advice from a BMW 5 series owning mate of mine, I reckoned I only needed the cradle to charge the phone.

I clearly have got it wrong. I think I need to get a list of compatible phones (from MB website?), check mine is on it and bite the bullet and buy the cradle. Presumably my wife or I will need to change our phone or buy two cradles.

Can anyone confirm or set me straight ? Any contributions will be gratefully received as I clearly have much to learn !!

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Peter

mtiede

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If you don't have a cradle, how did you "managed that"? Maybe you DO have the cradle under the arm rest? To use the MB puck, you have to have a phone that supports HFP (Hands Free Protocol).

pjgraham86

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All I did was follow the on screen instructions after pressing "Serv" button on Comand then "Bluetooth". The phones' names came up on screen and once I entered a 4 digit code into both phones and the screen, they showed up as authorised and connected.

mtiede

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Sure sounds like you have the puck. Don't think that would happen otherwise. I think all the Bluetooth communication comes from the puck.

The puck is under the arm rest. Have you looked there? Remember that the arm rest opens 2 ways. One opens to the back and shows the storage area beneath. The other opens sideways and shows the phone puck area. That area contains a connector that the MB puck plugs into. So is there something in there?

What shows up when you press the Tel button on the Comand? Does the screen show the phone book in the top left corner? What happens when you press the button beside the phone book? Do you have signal strength indicators at the bottom right of the screen?

pjgraham86

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Thanks for your help - I'll check these questions out at home tonight.

Peter

DansSlk

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Ah whats happened is you have used the COMAND bluetooth its not the same system, you will need the cradle for your phone or a bluetooth puck to make/receive calls via bluetooth.

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pjgraham86

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Thanks Dan - I have come to the same conclusion based on what I've been told by colleagues who know about such things !!

I reckon I'll just get the cradle from local MB dealer - I believe it should be a simple "click into place" and go ?? In other words no need for MB labour charges !!

Peter

mtiede

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hmpf... First I've heard of the Comand having a Bluetooth separate from the phone. What does it do?

pjgraham86

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Phoned local dealer today - cradle is £150 incl VAT fitted. Probably worth it as my wife and I have the same phone.

Only downside (same for everyone) is that when we upgrade our phones there's a strong possibility that the cradle will no longer fit - more ££££'s for Nokia and Mercedes !!

P

DansSlk

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It lets you transfer business cards and so on at the time when Merc used a fixed phone.

It was on the first few MY's of the 171 then discontinued.

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mtiede

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Huh? The Bluetooth puck doesn't hold the phone. I keep my phone in my pocket. The Bluetooth connection is made automatically. I personally would not get one of the older, only works with one phone models.

Look here http://www.wireless4mb.com , if you haven't already.

mtiede

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I used my own advice and took a look around the wireless4mb site. Haven't done that for quite a while. I DO see that there are now some Bluetooth cradles that charge the phone. Personally, the ones I read about, I wouldn't get. I have the "plug it in the lighter" charger, if I want to charge it in the car. And the puck works with multiple handsets. Hmm... Maybe I will go back there and look around. Maybe they don't even have the one I got anymore.

I guess my knowledge is out of date. Hold as dubious anything I say about the Bluetooth modules

DansSlk

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I think we are talking about a standard cradle now mate based on the comments in post 9 about changing the phone.

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pjgraham86

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Yep that's right - I was referring to the standard cradle.

Thanks for input guys.

peter

mtiede

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After going to www.wireless4mb.com, there seem to be more choices now. There is, for instance, a Bluetooth cradle that holds a Razr and charges it and uses the car's antenna. But since it is Bluetooth, I assume you don't HAVE to plug the phone in it for it to work. It says it is MHI (Multi Handset Interface). They also still have the puck that doesn't hold the phone.