MERCEDES AUDIO 10

[EDMB500]

Guys

The head unit in my newly picked up E500 is a tape player with boot mounted multi disc unit. I’ve put a picture below.

The unit identifies as Mercedes-Benz Audio 10. Can someone enlighten me if this is a Becker unit?

I have the card with serial and code etc and would like to get it running. There seems to be an intermittent power issue to it. For the first time it came on today asking for the code (which I couldn’t yet figure which buttons to press to correctly enter it - I need to find a manual) - ive only been out about 5 times in the car so I need to remove the unit and see if there is a simple fix to the power issue

all good fun, thanks

 

[Efraim]

Hi, I don't have personal experience about this device but based on this site your radio is Becker.
Mercedes Audio 10 BE3100 CC Becker Kassette Original Autoradio
For Becker it is possible to order code from them. The address can be found somewhere in there homepage.

 

[Ntrepid]

This is a radio from a later MB. I had one of these in my SLK32 AMG.


Robert

 

[gerryvz]

Yes, those radios were used from around 1998 through 2001 or 2002.

 

[EDMB500]

Ah. Ok. Thank you all, as always. Shame it’s not period correct. I’ll have to make a plan

 

[Jlaa]

Yes, those radios were used from around 1998 through 2001 or 2002.

Yeah - that "Audio 10" radio has too many curves to be a Sacco-era radio. Its not rectilinear enough. Have to stay with the tyranny of straight lines!

 

[Efraim]

The car radiostore: Homepage | Königs Klassik-Radios
and W124 department: MB 124, 1986-93 | Königs Klassik-Radios

 

[EDMB500]

So I pulled the radio to find the serial number to find that the sticker has been destroyed but I have a Becker card which came with the car which I am hoping is correct for this head unit

update to this - I found the following website

www.radio-code.lt

Free and instant car radio code retrieval tools.

www.radio-code.lt

it’s given me a code 51513 based on the serial on the card but it appears you cannot enter the digit 5 with this particular head unit so I am guessing this card and unit do not match.

thanks again everyone

 

[EDMB500]

This is the boot mounted disc changer presently which I cannot get to eject (not sure if because head unit code issue) and the other connectors

if this head unit doesn’t work out I’ll need to figure a replacement so we have some tunes

Apart from ensuring the wiring connectors fit the new head unit, are there any other issues to be aware of?

is the flashing red light on the front of the head unit just for the unit itself - not indication of a wider immobiliser or such ?

 

[LWB250]

This as all later head units use the standard DIN connectors, one for the speaker and power, the second for the CD changer. The flashing red light is an indicator that the theft protection is operational. It is for the radio only.

The CD changer should eject as long as it has power available, which it gets from the radio, I believe. If not, there is a separate four pin connector going to it that provides power.

As this was never the stock radio for your car, I'm wondering if the radio code card isn't for the original Becker radio and not this one...

 

[EDMB500]

This as all later head units use the standard DIN connectors, one for the speaker and power, the second for the CD changer. The flashing red light is an indicator that the theft protection is operational. It is for the radio only.

The CD changer should eject as long as it has power available, which it gets from the radio, I believe. If not, there is a separate four pin connector going to it that provides power.

As this was never the stock radio for your car, I'm wondering if the radio code card isn't for the original Becker radio and not this one...

yes that could very well be the case. Unfortunately with the unreadable stereo serial sticker I think I’m beating a dead horse

thank you for your help and info, really appreciated

 

[EDMB500]

So the VIN report states

253 Radio MB Exquisit Japan
810 Sound System

 

[EDMB500]

Guys, revisiting this as never made further progress last time

Looking around the car it has the two trunk mounted amps and the connections as pictured earlier.

Tracing the wires, the single connector with the brown, blue, yellow wires is the one for the CD changer, and the double connector is the one for the amplifiers/speakers

In the single CD changer connector there are two thick brown wires - in the trunk, only one of these goes to the CD changer connection, the other seems to goes to one of the amps - anyone know if these are power?

There is also a single heavy brown wire from the double connector.

So at the head unit I have three heavy brown wires but in trunk only two - it’s possible the third goes to the other amp but I can’t see under it

Basically I’m trying to find a head unit that will hopefully power the two trunk mounted amps, I don’t need the CD changer

 

[Jlaa]

Guys, revisiting this as never made further progress last time

Looking around the car it has the two trunk mounted amps and the connections as pictured earlier.

Tracing the wires, the single connector with the brown, blue, yellow wires is the one for the CD changer, and the double connector is the one for the amplifiers/speakers

In the single CD changer connector there are two thick brown wires - in the trunk, only one of these goes to the CD changer connection, the other seems to goes to one of the amps - anyone know if these are power?

There is also a single heavy brown wire from the double connector.

So at the head unit I have three heavy brown wires but in trunk only two - it’s possible the third goes to the other amp but I can’t see under it

Basically I’m trying to find a head unit that will hopefully power the two trunk mounted amps, I don’t need the CD changer

When you enter your VIN in the EPC, what headunit is shown as coming with your car?

 

[EDMB500]

When you enter your VIN in the EPC, what headunit is shown as coming with your car?

It only states

253 - RADIO MB - EXQUISIT - JAPAN

And

810 - SOUND SYSTEM

Not really sure if that helps much? I used an online MBEPC, which is maybe not as detailed as what you guys who actually know what you are doing use

 

[gsxr]

Pretty sure if you have Sound System, you can use any head unit with 1492-style connectors (including Traffic Pro etc).

 

[EDMB500]

Pretty sure if you have Sound System, you can use any head unit with 1492-style connectors (including Traffic Pro etc).

Sorry to be dense Dave. Basically if I find a head unit with the same connections as I photographed above, we should be good to go?

I’m guessing the amps in the trunk might be an issue - they seem to be powered by these same connections rather than RCAs outs like I am used to from previous systems.

I read something about speaker level outputs or inputs but have no idea what this refers to so need to do some reading.

The car is not a daily, I just thought it would be nice to have some tunes if it didn’t require an obscene amount of dicking about.

 

[gsxr]

Yes, if the connectors are what's shown in post #9, a head unit with the same connections should work fine. Be careful with some Conti/VDO as the constant +12v and switched +12v are swapped, so if you happen to use one of those head units, the wires should be swapped in the plastic connector housing. Becker / harmon-kardon units don't need the wires swapped.

The trunk amps receive speaker-level inputs from the head units using the rectangle connectors from factory or aftermarket HU's, as shown below. No RCA connectors are present in the factory wiring.

 

[EDMB500]

Yes, if the connectors are what's shown in post #9, a head unit with the same connections should work fine. Be careful with some Conti/VDO as the constant +12v and switched +12v are swapped, so if you happen to use one of those head units, the wires should be swapped in the plastic connector housing. Becker / harmon-kardon units don't need the wires swapped.

The trunk amps receive speaker-level inputs from the head units using the rectangle connectors from factory or aftermarket HU's, as shown below. No RCA connectors are present in the factory wiring.

View attachment 142354

Thanks Dave. Yes those are my existing connections.

I am reading through some of your old posts and you mention a ‘powered’ head unit. Do you simply mean a head unit with an internal amp e.g. 4 x 45W?

Been a while since I’ve had any need to think about in car audio. I used to do it for fun on mine and mates cars as a teenager when time wasn’t an issue. At that time I just did custom separate installs from scratch so these high level inputs are new to me - it was all RCA based with separate multiple amps to drive the various subs and speakers, EQs, cross overs etc. The head unit internal amp was never a consideration. The cars used to bounce down the road as there was more power in the audio than the engine.

 

[gsxr]

I am reading through some of your old posts and you mention a ‘powered’ head unit. Do you simply mean a head unit with an internal amp e.g. 4 x 45W?

Yes - exactly correct. Powered head units have an amplifier and can drive speakers directly. The Mercedes Sound System is funky because it uses a powered head unit to power... a power amplifier. This is not a normal thing in the car audio world. I don't know why MB / Becker designed it this way.

Aftermarket non-powered head units have RCA outputs that need to go to an external power amplifier, which then drives the speakers.

Been a while since I’ve had any need to think about in car audio. I used to do it for fun on mine and mates cars as a teenager when time wasn’t an issue. At that time I just did custom separate installs from scratch so these high level inputs are new to me - it was all RCA based with separate multiple amps to drive the various subs and speakers, EQs, cross overs etc. The head unit internal amp was never a consideration. The cars used to bounce down the road as there was more power in the audio than the engine.

Yep, that is the normal car-audio setup. RCA cables with line-level, low-voltage signal to a power amp. The head unit internal amp was kind of a waste as it was rarely used. Really high-end HU's (like the Nakamichi CD700) had no internal power, hence the term "non-powered" head unit.

 

[EDMB500]

Nice one Dave. Really appreciate your help there.

The whole using a powered head unit to drive a powered amp was throwing me as it seemed so illogical that I guessed I was missing something.

Thanks for pointing to the VDO head units, look pretty sweet.

 

[LWB250]

Similar situation in the same vintage Bose factory systems, such as the one the W140s used. The input to the amplifier is a high level input, so it needs a strong signal to drive it. Using aftermarket head units you either need a "powered" one or one that has 4V pre-amp outputs, otherwise you'll never get any volume out of the system.

The Continental head units are nice and reasonably priced with a modern feature set like Bluetooth and auxiliary inputs. They also look period correct. I've used them a number of times as Becker replacements in W126s and they look like OE radios.

Dan

 

[EDMB500]

Similar situation in the same vintage Bose factory systems, such as the one the W140s used. The input to the amplifier is a high level input, so it needs a strong signal to drive it. Using aftermarket head units you either need a "powered" one or one that has 4V pre-amp outputs, otherwise you'll never get any volume out of the system.

The Continental head units are nice and reasonably priced with a modern feature set like Bluetooth and auxiliary inputs. They also look period correct. I've used them a number of times as Becker replacements in W126s and they look like OE radios.

Dan

Nice one Dan. That’s good to know. The simple Continental/VDO TR7412UB-OR looks decent and is around £110 which seems very reasonable.

In other minor developments, I’ve managed to get the code for the non original Becker head unit. I found a forum that helped me almost immediately - Digital Kaos. I’ve spent hours trying online decoding sites etc with no luck to this point. So now I at least know this head unit works, as do the installed speakers and amps, but the radio antenna does not power - it’s the original Hirschmann unit - so need to do some investigating. Also the 12 disc CD changer isn’t working - power is going to it but it’s not doing anything - so I’ll have to look at that also. Would be good to get this system running even if the head unit isn’t correct for now - I came across a Bluetooth cassette adapter which I’ll give a go.