My mother has a 2000 ML320 with the Navigation system. We purchased a cd but we are not sure how to operate it. Nothing happens. After pressing the naviation buttons on the radio -- nothing. Does the cd go in the 6-disc changer in the rear of the vehicle? There is a cassette behind the screen. Is there something else needed to make the Navigation system operational?

 

Just because she has the color screen for the radio doesn't mean she has the nav unit itself installed into the head unit. Above the cassette (behind the screen) is the rack slot for the navigation unit, which has its cd slot for the map cd built into the nav unit that slides into the slot. If there is just a black fill slot cover over that area and no navigation unit with cd slot in it then she doesn't have the navigation portion of the system. The nav map cd goes into that unit, not the cd changer in the back. 2000 ML320's did not come with the nav section as standard equipment, although they did come with the standard mcs head unit with color screen and navigation buttons built into the faceplate so that you could upgrade easily to add this feature. ML-430's had the nav as standard I believe. You can find a navigation cd unit on ebay or probably other places online if you search. I think there was one on ebay this week actually and may still be there. You take out the dummy fill slot and it slides into its place, then you insert the nav cd into the unit and it will work. Not sure if the gps antenna is already built into the car or not. Someone else should know if it is and if there is anything else needed to make it operational. Hope this helps.

 

Actually it is still on ebay. Item number 8015504389. It appears to be up to $500 already with 17 bids, so not sure if you want to go that route. But that's what you will have to have to make it work if there is no unit installed above the cassette.

 

Thanks for the info. Now I know why it did not respond.

How can I check to find out if I need an antenna or not?

 

Yeah I don't know about the antenna part. You'd think they would be pre-wired with the antenna already in the roof antenna pod with the tele-aid and radio antennas, since they made it to be pretty simply dealer upgradeable, but I don't know if there is an antenna there or not. Try posting another message with a title like "Do I need an antenna when updating MCS to nav?" or something like that and see if anyone responds. Also try the mbworld.com forum.

 

From reading ebay ads, would appear that 2002 and up do not need a separate antenna added but 2001 and prior have to also add the GPS antenna to make it functional. So if you are going this route you will also need to find an antenna. There are suddenly several navigation cd units on ebay search "mercedes ml navigation" and you will see 3 or 4 of them. Of course if you are in a rural area such as Arkansas, the navigation unit only knows state and federal hiways so it isn't all that. My Lexus even knows driveway 911 names, but my ML can't get within 4 miles of my house. Hopefully they will get on the ball with city mapping before these vehicles themselves become so obsolete no-one will care if they have nav or not. If mapquest, yahoo, and toyota can get street maps, why can't Mercedes???? Disgusts me. Anyway, good luck with your nav project. Sounds like an easy install if you get the cd nav unit and the antenna.