This is hard to believe. I'm not insane and these issues are not in my mind.

The service advisor called me today to say he could not duplicate my many COMAND/MI issues, particularly as they relate to the iPod. He suggested I disconnect the iPod and not use it.

Are you kidding me?

I was also told they are opening a case with MB and that there is ONE person on the West Coast who can help with this issue and that I am going to be placed into a queue. I was told it could take weeks to hear back.

I am asking the dealership to give me an appropriate reduction in the monthly lease rate of the car. I am essentially paying for a Multimedia PKG that is very faulty and doesn't work right half the time.

So far, I haven't heard back from the dealership.

If I don't hear back, I won't be picking the car back up and I'll stop making my payments.

If my credit goes to hell, at least I will be right...the principle is on my side.

Sorry to hear you are having such issues but take a big breath, reconsider your last two statements because it's not worth it, you will be the one in the end who only looses.

If I was you I would set-up an appointment imediately with the dealership manager (to be in person) and relay directly your concerns, what has been going on and what the service adviser had told you and just say this just is not exceptable! and ask how are you going to rectify and when.

This would be a wise starting point, make sure to document everything including dates, person whom you speak with. Do follow ups with emails and gets actual dates of promisses made, if they are keeping your car for any time have them provide you with a loaner.

Best of LUCK! :Beer:

 

Thanks for the good advice. Believe me, the dealership GM and I have been on speaking terms for several weeks now. The dealership paid the 2nd month of my lease, because of all the problems I have had. They've given me free gas, they've given me free MB merchandise. The GM has even offered to buy me a new iPod, to test it out.

They are trying, which is good.

We will see what happens from here. They have started a case for me with MB. I will at least hang onto the car for a few days more.

But yeah, this has been a nightmare.

Whoever designed COMAND should be shot.

 

Thanks for the good advice. Believe me, the dealership GM and I have been on speaking terms for several weeks now. The dealership paid the 2nd month of my lease, because of all the problems I have had. They've given me free gas, they've given me free MB merchandise. The GM has even offered to buy me a new iPod, to test it out.

They are trying, which is good.

We will see what happens from here. They have started a case for me with MB. I will at least hang onto the car for a few days more.

But yeah, this has been a nightmare.

Whoever designed COMAND should be shot.

Hi, okay so at least they are doing something which is a good sign. Have you kept a diary of the events, dates and whom you have spoken with? If not while you still recall I would sugest you write them down.

When we have issues with no matter what it may be it's never fun.

If it was me and from what you have mentioned above I would be now taking it to the next stage and that's setting up a meeting to meet with the GM's boss. I would sugest you be calm and proffessional and have all your facts at hand but at the same time be firm and ask when are they going to rectify the issues at hand (have them commit to an actual time frame) and if they can't rectify by this specific time frame and/or they keep occuring what are they going to do. I would suggest that you recommend you would like a brand new replacement of same. I would leave the car in question in their hands but I would either want a replacement of same or similar or have them pay the leasing payments, by doing this you are now putting presure on them to get this rectified and or replaced A.S.A.P. Most dealerships have demo cars and or a pre-owned section, if they don't have a SLK look at a SL for example.

Best of luck! :rb

 

I echo the same as DEV 7 and I would inquire if they have something more definite in terms of being placed in a line awaiting resolution by the West Cost expert.

 

My question would be: did they use your iPod to diagnose your problems?

 

Yes, I left my iPod in the car. They said they couldn't duplicate the issues.

Not surprised. I have driven my car for 1200 miles. They tested it for what....3 or 4 miles? 10 minutes? The problems are intermittent but they happen a few times a day.

 

OK; I’d be looking for an interface problem, like connections plugs, cables … anything that can be affected by motion.

 

I sure hope the Service Dept. knows that.

Many of these problems occur at start-up of the car....especially getting the error messages like, "No Device Connected", when the iPod is clearly connected. It's like it can't recognize the iPod sometimes when COMAND is starting up.

Anyway, we'll see what the West Coast savior has to say....lol.

 

I'd take them up on the new iPod, would not be surprised at all if that solves it....

 

Definately good advice, get the new Ipod. For two reasons.

I´ve seen similar problems in connecting an Ipods to a PC. Changing to a different Ipod could help.

As a general note, looks like they are taking the problem serious. Hopefully you get it solved as well.

 

Well, if it helps, I've used my 32gb iPod Touch (1st gen), iPhone 3gs, Iphone 4, and iPod Video (original 60gb) on my COMAND 2.5 w/MI with none of the problems you have had.

I'm currently running on the 06/09 updates for both the HU and the MI.


EDITED : I'll poke Adam - I *think* he may have been using an iPod Classic...

 

Thanks J....appreciate it.

Incidentally, my SLK is a 2011 350....so I assume my COMAND is 2.5 also, right?

I have no idea what software I am running (whether 06/09 or something else). I was just told by the Service Advisor that I have the most up-to-date software/firmware upgrade.

I like the iPod touch, but the reason I bought the new Classic is because of its huge capacity....160GB. I have a lot of music!

 

If you can get it down to only the iPod issue, I'm not sure I'd return it. Of course, I'm hoping they fix that for you too.

I tend to use Sirius, despite it's poor sound quality, I like the surprise of what's next and new content.

I like the Classic though too. I have one in mine, it just doesn't get used much, and I don't have multimedia. It works fine though. Its display (the iPod) doesn't work anymore, so the SLK is perfect for it, as it's the only way to be able to change songs on the iPod, use the SLK's controls. ha-ha!!! A $55k+ display for an iPod.

 

LOL.

I wish it were as simple as knowing that the SLK has a problem with the iPod Classic, but if that were the case....we'd definitely know about it by now. I have no idea why the Multimedia Interface has been such a pain.

I agree, I like Sirius too. Over the years, it has introduced me to some great music and gotten me interested in artists I might never have heard otherwise. Also wish the sound quality was not so flat and lifeless, but the variety of the content almost makes up for it.

As for my COMAND/iPod interface issues, I could probably live with some of the quirks, like album info occasionally disappearing from the screen in the middle of a song...but the COMAND screen going black and the SAT radio switching to iPod all on its own, that's stuff that's driving me crazy. And it seems to be a different issue every time.

I just can't believe, that for everything that's been happening, they can't come up with a fix....just based on the descriptions I've been giving them. I've sent the service advisor dozens of emails, describing in detail the problems I've had.

Who knows....maybe this dealership is just garbage.

***By the way, I want to thank everyone for their kind messages and support. The people on this forum are fantastic...kind, knowledgeable, and patient, with my many questions. If YOU all ran Mercedes Benz, there'd be no issues. ***

 

Also, the dealership GM wanted to buy me an iPod Shuffle, to test on the car just to make sure the issue is not with all iPods. However, if the Shuffle works, he will just say, "the problem is with your iPod, not the SLK."

I probably need to get him to buy me another iPod Classic, right? That way, if it also fails, we can say it's the SLK's fault...the SLK doesn't like Classics, etc. And it should be fixed.

If I buy a different kind of iPod (like the Shuffle), it will be too easy for the GM to blame my iPod for the problems and the car will NEVER get fixed. It will be a convenient excuse for him to blame my iPod and not the TYPE of iPod. Or the SLK.

On the other hand, if Classic #2 DOES work, we can both rest assured that the problem was with my iPod (which I highly doubt).

Win, win.

Except the GM has to fork over $250.

 

Just wanting to throw another thought out there; it may be possible you have a one or more corrupted tracks or files on your iPod that a causing the system to glitch out.

If you can try and recall what track was playing when the glitch occurs it may be worth checking that file on a computer.

 

So I'm curious now - but unfortunately stuck in the office. Gonna try this on the way home...

Way I see it in my head, you either have a bad MI or a bad iPod. I don't think your COMAND head is bad, or you'd have problems with navigation and all sorts of other things. Caveat here, unless you have HK, prolly the only things on your MOST ring are the TeleAide/mBrace module and the MI...

I'm thinking that for whatever reason your iPod is losing connectivity from the MI. I'm going to try plugging in my touch, starting a song, and then physically unplugging it. I **think** it swaps back to the "last" audio input, and doesn't blank the screen or otherwise freak out the COMAND / MI, but I honestly don't think I've ever actually unplugged it whilst it's playing before....

I'm sure your guys have checked to see if there are stored errors on the MOST ring or with the MOST config. It's pretty good about storing "lost communication with DEVICE xxxx" sort of messages..

I also don't buy into the "it's a rare, unique to the SLK problem". The HU and MI base technology are shared across half the current models, so troubleshoot one is no different from troubleshooting another. eg the MI in your SLK is the same as the MI in the E Class, or the C class, for example.

 

I think he wants to try the iPod shuffle because it's dirt cheap. During the holidays, someone gave me a bottle of cologne that came with a free shuffle. haha. That's how cheap they are.

Do NOT let him get you a shuffle. They don't have a dock connector, so it would be pointless, right?? They have a plug to USB cable.

He should get you a $149 8GB Nano at the minimum. It still has a dock connector.

Honestly, if he would get you a Nano and it played fine, I'd be happy. You can always then replace your Classic at some point. The classic isn't likely to outlive your SLK anyway, so eventually you would have replaced the classic. I doubt it would be a specific to classic problem. The iPods should look the same to things they are plugged into, thats how they can be so compatible with devices. Even an iPhone looks pretty much like an iPod to most devices when plugged in.

Amazon has good return policies (and 30 days) and even Apple I think got rid of restocking fee at physical stores (ask though, and only 14 days) if you just want to get something yourself to test out and be able to return it, if it doesn't fix it.

If another iPod did somehow fix it, I'd be happy with THAT problem at least. That might fix the Sirius from switching to iPod, if the connection is hit and miss.

I think it's probably a bit of a long shot that the ipod is to blame, but it's probably worth testing out quickly just because it would be such an easy fix.

You don't have an iPhone or another dock connector iPod to test out already yourself?

Good luck! I sure hope this gets sorted for you, so you can enjoy the great to drive SLK!

 

Thanks guys. Yeah, I convinced him to splurge for the Classic. But he wants me to only put 50 songs on there, as opposed to the thousands I have on my 1st Classic. He seems to think the # of songs has something to do with it? Strange.

BIZARRE INCIDENT TODAY: Was driving to lunch, listening to the HD Radio. Out of the blue, the volume went WAY up and at the exact same time, the windshield wipers came on and would not stop. I had to manually shut them off. There was not a drop of rain or water on the windshield and perfectly sunny outside.

Doesn't this seem more like an electrical issue? I am fairly certain COMAND has nothing to do with the windshield wipers.

Also, during their testing this week, I was told they got a "Low Voltage" fault code result. Nothing was done, however....for some reason. No idea what this voltage was referring to, but it's clear that my dealership doesn't know what the hell they're doing.

 

Since yours is a 2011, I don't suspect you have this problem, but on my 2006 SLK 350 the wiring harness in the trunk SHORTED to the body after continuous flexing caused the wiring harness to fray, etc. That caused weird electrical malfunctions. MFD said lights were out that weren't etc. It sure sounds to me like something electrical has been zapped.

 

Yes, I'd think that....but according to the stellar Service Dept. here in Fresno, there is nothing wrong.

Ridiculous.

 

Sounds like you got a partial lemon unfortunately (partial as in the car isn't completely FUBAR ).

Id try taking it to a difference service department/dealership.

 

Yeah, the car drives well but the electronics are completely mental. And now it sounds like maybe the electrical system is, as well.

Unfortunately, the nearest big-city dealership is about 250 miles away.

 

Also, by any chance....does anyone know how to do a hard reboot of COMAND? (other than disconnecting the car's battery)

 

Sometimes problems of this nature are next to impossible to diagnose, especially when they are intermittent. It appears that the dealership is doing it's best. I had a similarly pesky problem with the satelite radio receiver that was eventually solved, the credit of the dealership. Good luck.

 

has this problem been resolved? if not I may have an explanation for what is making the radio act up.....

 

I'm just going to write what I think is happening here....as I don't know if the problem has been resolved.....short of returning the car.
First off, I have seen this happen in Porsches...so, I'm responding with some prior experience . I also add i-pod , bluetooth devices to these cars for a living ,which is why I have gone through this nightmare already.
So, is it the radio's fault?....sort of...is it the i-pod's fault?....sort of....is the problem between the front seat and the steering wheel?....sort of....

Here's the explanation I was given by my tech support folks years ago when I also had a customer with a Cayenne having all kinds of similar issues....and intermittently...

First off , both MB and Porsche use fibre optics to link all the components of the audio system together ie: cd changer, i-pods, bluetooth's ,navigation,sattelite, etc. It's all very slick and tends to work flawlessly ...until you throw something in the mix that doesn't let it...your i-pod.

Here's why, (and since you mentioned you have an I-pod classic and not an i-phone, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you left your device plugged in 24-7 to the i-pod cable in the car)as you turn on the car, the radio begins it's power up sequence,in doing so ,it activates the fiber-optics system and does a diagnostic run through as it were to see what all is plugged into it. Sort of a roll call if you wish. Typically the first device in the chain is the one closest to it.The i-pod interface.As the radio looks for the devices, that i-pod interface is busy synching up your i-pod which you left plugged into it and can't properly respond to the radio. Unfortunately , all the devices say "i'm here!" once. So, if the radio gets hung up waiting for the i-pod device to answer...it may not "see" the other devices in the rest of the chain.And the radio only checks for them all once. This results in some very interesting glitches.

Solution: don't have the i-pod plugged in when starting the car.

Sorry for long explanation....

 

<SNIP>

Solution: don't have the i-pod plugged in when starting the car.

Sorry for long explanation....

MOST in the MB world is a non-contentious bus, the AGW has a stored configuration of devices, and then queries "unknown" devices on the bus after the last wakeup signal is sent. Short answer, I've never seen a problem other than this one, and I never remove the iPod (an original Touch and an original "Video") from either of my cars.

 

What's an I pod? Does it add HP or torque? Does it make the brakes work better? Does it improve fuel economy?

 

Hi Uk-c200,

I have to agree that you shouldn't have to unplug your devices for the MOST system to work...it was only a suggestion....if that's what I had to do to preserve my sanity and stop visiting the dealer....imagine this being out of warranty? I shudder...
While this is definitely not a normal situation, I have seen it happen twice.Perhaps it's because it was an add-on device and not factory installed?....or, maybe because they were Porsches'...??? lol

 

LOL - I like the "It's a P-Car" reason best! Seriously - not a clue. I've loads of friends with various flavors of MB's and BMW's, and I think for the most part, all of us have an iPod we just leave in the car all the time and never have a problem.

I really wish the iPod had a "time in use" clock like most mobile phones do - I'd love to know how many hours of listening are on my original iPod Video!