I know this topic has come up several times but Becker Autosound has an update page on their website and after a few e-mails back & forth I am still unable to determine if any of the units at this link http://www.beckerautosound.com/upgrade.html would be able to replace my Becker 1432 currently in MY 1993. Even after telling The guy that answers the e-mails that I have a 1993 500e he has so far asked the following;What amps do I have in the car? (I don't know)Do you have the active bass system 1 black amp in the trunk? (i think so)He claims that any of these units are plug & play. I'm a little skeptical given his apparent lack of knowledge on the system in the 93. If any one can shed light on this please let me know.
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Factory Stereo Upgrade for a 93
- Thread starter 500e500toronto
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I'd suggest give them a call. They seem to work better that route vs emails. Had similar experience with them some time ago but doubts were resolved after a call.
They are knowledgeable, sales and repair are not the only thing that happens at that NJ office. So does the development and testing for a number of products of harman becker company. The nav systems are one.
They are knowledgeable, sales and repair are not the only thing that happens at that NJ office. So does the development and testing for a number of products of harman becker company. The nav systems are one.
The answer is "no". The newer units will replace a 1492 only. I'm not sure who you are talking to but you are correct, they should know this stuff like the back of their hand.
There are no newer head units I know of that will directly replace a 1432, period.
I would LOVE to be proved wrong though!!! Really!!
I talked about my experience here:
http://www.500eboard.com/forums/sho...2-without-rewiring-ANYTHING&p=51567#post51567
http://www.500eboard.com/forums/sho...2-without-rewiring-ANYTHING&p=51567#post51567
I saw your write up & it clears up a lot of questions I had. It's strange your 92 has the 10 disc set up & my 93 (9/92) has the 6 disc changer. I had the CD player rebuilt by a guy in NJ a few years ago and it has worked great.
This thread is old, but the original radio in my 1992 500E has partly quit working; seems the left channel is out, happened suddenly last evening. I dimly recall some discussion about these but not the details. I like the car a great deal and drive it as often as I can. Would the best course be to 1) get the original Becker repaired? 2) buy a modern Becker from the folks in NJ? (I did this for another MB and it is a very good radio, but wasn't cheap) 3) install an aftermarket radio of another brand- I know modern radios are better but they won't match the 500E's dashboard and will make it look cheesy, which I'd rather not do, unless someone knows of a modern radio that DOES look like it belongs there.
Thanks in advance for any help. This really is a very helpful forum and I am grateful for any assistance on this.
Thanks in advance for any help. This really is a very helpful forum and I am grateful for any assistance on this.
Yes. Have them repair it & install an aux input dongle compatible with whatever modern gizmo you may also carry tunes on.
On a '93, the understanding is that anything else (Head Unit-wise) will require a complete rewiring which I'm sure you don't want to go thru.
Greetings, Doc! I always enjoy your comments on BaT. I completely agree with DerFuror, and your own intuitions on this. Few things are more jarring than looking in a nice MB and seeing a disco horror movie "infotainment system". I'd get my original components repaired (or exchanged if time is of the essence), and have them add in an aux jack or whatever else you may want. They will often help with some DIY diagnosis if you are so inclined, and the repair and exchange unit prices are very reasonable, IMO. As shown above, go to www.beckerautosound.com for contact info.
I would have much preferred my ‘93’s system to have been an unmolested original, but never had the opportunity. A word of advice to those seeking to "upgrade" the sound system...if outsourcing the job, choose the installer wisely & watch them like a hawk.
While recently going thru my car’s PO documentation again, I discovered that the “upgraded” sound system in the car was actually done by a “professional” outfit which still is in business. The “upgrade” was done in 2005 by Audio Images of Burlingame, CA…evidently by some uncaring retart. Coarse deck screws held in the door speakers. Busted-up interior panel plastic clips. Some rear deck metal was hacked open. Piss-poor insulation of componentry. Ground loops. Original wiring as stated above. All for $1050.00.
Definitely woulda been worth a law suit punctuated with a very solid straight punch in the moron’s mouth.
My ‘93’s current system rocks, but it took a lot of effort for me to undo that outfit's vandalism & re-do it right.
While recently going thru my car’s PO documentation again, I discovered that the “upgraded” sound system in the car was actually done by a “professional” outfit which still is in business. The “upgrade” was done in 2005 by Audio Images of Burlingame, CA…evidently by some uncaring retart. Coarse deck screws held in the door speakers. Busted-up interior panel plastic clips. Some rear deck metal was hacked open. Piss-poor insulation of componentry. Ground loops. Original wiring as stated above. All for $1050.00.
Definitely woulda been worth a law suit punctuated with a very solid straight punch in the moron’s mouth.
My ‘93’s current system rocks, but it took a lot of effort for me to undo that outfit's vandalism & re-do it right.
Another parallel experience that we've had, Derf. I was able to buy my first 500E affordably (barely) because it had been completely hacked for an audio system! All 4 door panels and associated hardware, hat shelf, complete audio wiring harnesses, every Becker component. If it wasn't for the fact that I do not charge myself labor, and have the ability to scrounge parts, it would have been completely financially impossible. And, yes, the damage these screwgun vandals do to the wiring of these multi piece systems is heartbreaking, especially since this so often happens just because somebody wanted to play an Ipod through it, and/or some economically repairable item broke. Then, when they called a parts department somewhere they were told that the chassis, head unit, whatever costs $1800.00, or that it's no longer available...
Thanks to all! also for the shout-out on BaT, which I enjoy watching and occasionally making comments in. I'll call Becker and send them the radio.
At the time these cars were made, they had a lot of good stuff in them. And I've always hated what an aftermarket radio looks like in a vintage MB. Years ago, I was lucky enough to find a modern Blaupunkt to put in my 1985 300CD- that one's quite old and still working fine, knock wood. AND it looks like it came in there, which is unusual.
I did move the fader around, but no luck. I don't think that's where the money is, unfortunately.
At the time these cars were made, they had a lot of good stuff in them. And I've always hated what an aftermarket radio looks like in a vintage MB. Years ago, I was lucky enough to find a modern Blaupunkt to put in my 1985 300CD- that one's quite old and still working fine, knock wood. AND it looks like it came in there, which is unusual.
I did move the fader around, but no luck. I don't think that's where the money is, unfortunately.
The 1432 from my '93 is currently up at Becker for R&R. Head unit, both amps, and trunk unit. Sent it last Monday. Was driving along hunky dory when POP.... no more muzak. All I had was weird digital type beeps when I would press any button. Ah well. Going to have the aux input mod done too.
Found an interesting thing when pulling the head unit. Took center console storage compartment out to be able to take the wooden center section with switches out, to take the ashtray out, to take the head unit out, but I digress. So I lifted the center section with switches and found that the fader switch had a bent pin on it which never went in the socket. I'm sure I'm the first one to lift this piece out of the car. What had happened is that there is a very small plastic fork type mounting plug on the bottom of that fader switch which stabs into the female socket. The tip of that plastic thing had broken off and fallen into the female socket, blocking the one pin's access and bending the pin when the center section was installed. Now I know why the fader never worked right!
Rgds,
Chris
Found an interesting thing when pulling the head unit. Took center console storage compartment out to be able to take the wooden center section with switches out, to take the ashtray out, to take the head unit out, but I digress. So I lifted the center section with switches and found that the fader switch had a bent pin on it which never went in the socket. I'm sure I'm the first one to lift this piece out of the car. What had happened is that there is a very small plastic fork type mounting plug on the bottom of that fader switch which stabs into the female socket. The tip of that plastic thing had broken off and fallen into the female socket, blocking the one pin's access and bending the pin when the center section was installed. Now I know why the fader never worked right!
Rgds,
Chris
Chris, I am getting ready to send my radio to Becker. Have they given you a quote yet? If so, I am wondering about how much it will be to get the whole system R&R'd.
The headliner in my car just fell down, so I may have to choose which one happens first...
The headliner in my car just fell down, so I may have to choose which one happens first...
When you guys refer to new head units, how new?
Which models did Becker put in the newer head units that will fit 1492.
I am assuming that the newer units that replace these 1492 units can replace the units that were oem in the 1995-1997 c280's?
Which models did Becker put in the newer head units that will fit 1492.
I am assuming that the newer units that replace these 1492 units can replace the units that were oem in the 1995-1997 c280's?
Hollybrook, no quote yet, was expecting it yesterday but not received. I will post the damage here when I know. I'm expecting $3-400 total, but that's just a guess.
Any of the TrafficPro style will work in place of a 1492 but that is only for 94-95 W124's in USA (and, 86-90 models, with an adapter harness, IIRC). This is for W124 only - not sure about other chassis. I know the early 210's can also use the TrafficPros as plug+play.
However: all 1991-1993 models have a 1432 head unit and there's no upgrade path. This applies to any chassis that came with a 1432 head unit.
Sure, and so will any other DIN head unit, but you need to completely re-wire the entire system.
1492's have plug+play upgrade options. 1432's do not.
GSXR. Only the 94/95 w124's? I thought the w202's would be able to be upgraded. I was under the impression that a 1995 w124 head unit was the same as a 95 w202?
Sorry - I was referring to 124 chassis only. I updated my previous post. Some newer chassis can also be easily upgraded, like the early W210. It is very likely that the W202 can be upgraded easily, as I think they came with the 1492-style head units. I've never owned a 202 chassis so I'm not 100% positive.
It's easy enough to compare the connectors on the rear of the head units, the non-upgradable 1432's have unique connectors which don't match anything else. Pics on my website are here.
Maui, just in case you don't already know about them, check the additional sound adjustment settings available in the menu boxes below your normal "bass, treble, etc." screen. That Bose branded set up in the R230 was actually a pretty good system.
Just to clarify, '94 and newer 124s have single piece radio chassis and therefore much more conventional wiring. As such they are light years easier to perform radio conversions on. In fact, that pretty much applies to all USA version MBs...
I understand about getting the head unit, the part you look at, out of the dash. But where's the second unit? Note that I have not talked with Becker yet, but their web site isn't too clear on this. I hope to do better on the phone tomorrow.
It's funny what was said above about old ears. I have nice vintage tube electronics for my home system, but I don't do much listening at home any more. Like many of us, I think, many years ago my hifi system was probably the most important thing I owned. That's a long time ago. Now I just listen to whatever's in the car, as long as it will play CDs and get "Car Talk' on Saturday mornings..... and two of my cars don't have radios at all. Of course they're too loud to make any use of one.
It's funny what was said above about old ears. I have nice vintage tube electronics for my home system, but I don't do much listening at home any more. Like many of us, I think, many years ago my hifi system was probably the most important thing I owned. That's a long time ago. Now I just listen to whatever's in the car, as long as it will play CDs and get "Car Talk' on Saturday mornings..... and two of my cars don't have radios at all. Of course they're too loud to make any use of one.
Jim,
Pull the trunk liner out on the passenger side. You will see 2 x amps and behind them is the trunk unit, all mounted to the trunk structure with a sort of triangular bracket. It's obvious when you see them. The connectors on the amps have a quick release fitting - hard to describe but you push the part which is ridged and it lifts the connector out of the amp, on a sort of ramp.
Rgds,
Chris
Pull the trunk liner out on the passenger side. You will see 2 x amps and behind them is the trunk unit, all mounted to the trunk structure with a sort of triangular bracket. It's obvious when you see them. The connectors on the amps have a quick release fitting - hard to describe but you push the part which is ridged and it lifts the connector out of the amp, on a sort of ramp.
Rgds,
Chris
Jim.
I experienced the the same thing as you, but it was not the head unit but it was an amp. GVZ sent me a new one and it has worked well since.
While they are $1k new, I'll gladly send you a spare gratis. I pull them at junk yards and they are cheap. It is worth a try. Email me if interested at my username @gmail.com.
I experienced the the same thing as you, but it was not the head unit but it was an amp. GVZ sent me a new one and it has worked well since.
While they are $1k new, I'll gladly send you a spare gratis. I pull them at junk yards and they are cheap. It is worth a try. Email me if interested at my username @gmail.com.
I did the major surgery on my '92 500E. Just bit the bullet. I'm not so hasty on the '06 S55. I think for that one, an Audison sound processor, a couple amps and speaker upgrades should do the trick. I don't want to trade the COMAND for aftermarket, which is greatly coloring my choice. Others here seem to have found more workable solutions for the '92 and '93 500E. I just did a complete re-wire and kept all the museum audio bits for the next "purist" who wants analog instead of digital. But if you want that original look, I'm sure a Becker R&R will be just fine. You'll be missing Bass, but the cabin speakers are actually tough to improve upon. I've tried, and in retrospect, it was barely worth the money. Probably wasn't worth the time, but it's done now. Hope this helps.
Cheers,
maw
On the subject of the amps: They are the 2 squareish shaped devices with metal housings hanging there in plain sight on the inner C-pillar brackets behind the right side trunk lining. They are nearly down to the trunk floor level. They are identical and as you may guess, one is for the left channel speakers and the other is for the right. To rule them out or isolate one of them as the culprit, you can exchange them for a test. If your fault moves, then simply disconnect one to identify the individual perp. I've had a few of these done at Becker in just the last year.
Blessings on you for being one of the only people to admit that it may not have been worth it on the 500E...
Indeed, a minimalist approach will serve your S55 best. The factory system is already decent, so it is best modified with some careful "additions" in the manner you described, as opposed to a complete re-do.
I have, and have had a bunch of that stuff too, and I finally got to find it more of an impediment to actually enjoying music, which is possibly the only thing I love more than cars, at least among the things I love that can't love me back. Here's a most interesting perspective on the "audiophile". Over the years, I've found that I agree with almost every idea he has in there. Btw, this author has publicly expressed hid love for the E5E, so he can't be wrong about too much...
http://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/audiophile.htm
I'm kinda starting off wanting to just revamp the stock Becker for a '92. Just to make sure I'm doing the right thing: send the 1432 & tuner to Becker in NJ and replace factory speakers? What about the amps? Should those be shipped to Becker too? Where is the best source for factory speakers? My system works sometimes and does a lot of popping and channels randomly cut out. Any advice is appreciated. Can anyone do this type of replacement for speakers and removal and instal of the components? I don't want the wrong person to make the stock system worse. Thanks!
The factory speakers are hard to improve on, especially if you are keeping the factory electronics. If you're desiring to stay "factory", go to www.beckerautosound.com and talk to Ed Abel. They will be extremely helpful, and can usually talk you through some troubleshooting and/or upgrade concepts. Maybe someone local to you can make some shop recommendations for R+R work, etc. As I said, if you're staying factory, your speakers may well be ok. IMO, it mostly depends on how much sun exposure they have had over the years.
As a former (amateur) IASCA competitor, I have to agree. The stock system is darn good, especially considering when it was designed and built. You need awfully good ears to tell the difference with upgraded components. I have full Jehnert setups in two cars, and they are excellent, but the ROI is poor, if not terrible. In general I'd recommend adding an iPod input for the 1432 and maybe a pair of Rainbows in the dash. If you have a 1492 you're in luck... swap it out for a newer Becker CD player (i.e., TrafficPro style) which has an auxiliary input for iPod or other MP3 player. Adding some sort of subwoofer would make the most difference, but that gets a little tricky with 1432 systems.
I would say yes, send the 1432 in to have it rebuilt, and get the aux input upgrade. If you are getting popping and channels cutting out, I'd suspect one or more amps failing... may not hurt to swap them out (either with used, or get Becker to check them ou). For the factory speakers, if they sound ok, I'd leave them alone; or spring for Rainbows in the dash. Leave the stock rear speakers. For the record - I have had a couple of stock dash speakers fail where they would cut out intermittently. It's hard to determine if the amp or speaker is at fault, without swapping components as a test.
Ideally you'd get someone who is familiar with Mercedes, and how to remove the dash grilles, etc. Any competent shop should be able to handle this. At least you'd think so...
Damn! you weren't playing around!
Thanks for the tips. Unless something better comes along before I do it, I'll probably put some Rainbows in the dash. The most bang for the buck with the Becker Sound System (as the twin "silver amp" setup was known) is definitely in the front.
Its strange, but the 4 speaker system in my e420 (w/Becker 1492) is actually superior to the 6 speaker/1492 system in my E500. I don't know why; same head unit and amps it seems. The 500 is just much harsher to me, and th problem seems to come from the dash speakers. I have a tiny bit of tinnitus from years on stage volume as a musician (never mind the years operating my track loader w/o hearing protection), but its a clear and distinct difference. It will be interesting to see how the aftermarket system I'm currently installing in my 300CE compares (it had "nada" when I bought it). Sony MEXN5000BT head unit w 55 watts x 4; MB Quart Onyx speakers in the dash, and Rainbows in the rear......
I've never seen a V8 124 without door speakers.
I'm assuming that what you mean by 4 speakers since all sedans have dash and rear deck speakers.
My 93 400E with a 1432 has 6 speakers
Me neither. I thought all USA version .034 and .036 had the full twin separate amp sound system.
Bav, if you don't mind, shoot me your VIN on that E420 just so I can educate myself and 500Eboard on a possible deviant configuration. This conflicts with our "common knowledge" as I / we(?) thought all USA version .034 and .036 had the full twin separate amp sound system. Even if it had only the "Active Bass" enhancement instead of the full "Sound System", it would at least have front door woofers...
Ooopsie, late-night typo; should have been 6 & 6 (thx for correction). Might have been thrown by the 300ce's lack of door subs too. That car came with a weird little speaker grille in the trunk (although w NO speakers). I did a little research and found some of them out there have 2 10" speakers where the first aid kit went. Don't know if its factory or not, but that's where this grille fits (so I'll investigate more).....
That is correct. All USA-spec 034/036 have identical sound systems, for a given year (changed as of 1994 model year to 1492).
I'm assuming it's the 300CE that sounds different... the 034 and 036 should sound the same, unless one of them has components that aren't working right...
The factory never offered subs in the rear deck of the 124, but it was a popular aftermarket upgrade back in the day. A pair of 8's was most common, I believe. 10's would be a tight fit.
Quick question about the Rainbow dash speakers.....when I installed mine, they basically just dropped in the holes, the little spring clips around the perimeter of the speaker just provided a little resistance to hold them into the dash cutout.
Seems to me they should be in there a little more firmly? Did I miss something, or has that been the experience of others who have used the front dash rainbows?
Seems to me they should be in there a little more firmly? Did I miss something, or has that been the experience of others who have used the front dash rainbows?
Nope, that is how they should be... same spring clips as the factory speakers. No cutting, no drilling, no screws. As long as a previous owner/shop didn't enlarge the dash holes, they should fit quite snugly.
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