hey guys, i'm new here and don't even own a benzi, but maybe you can help me out anyway. i'm installing an aftermarket stereo in my friends 97 e320 and was wondering if you can give me any tips before i get my hands dirty. i have only installed stereo's on north american cars which aren't fit together nearly as well so anything to watch out for or that most people have trouble with regarding dash/stereo removal? any special tools needed?

FWIW i have a good mechanical/electronic background i just like to make sure there is water in the pool before i dive in.

-steve

you'll need MB radio keys to get the head unit out. they slide into the two little slots on the lower corners of the unit and it just pops out. im pretty sure there is an amplifier that actually powers the speakers and the head unit is mearly the controller, so you'll need to run wires throughout the vehicle in order to hook up the speakers to the aftermarket unit.

thanks, i've seen the keys and am going to try to make some (if possible). do you know how the wood-grain center console is held in? i am thinking you can access bolts or something once the head unit is out.

do you know anything else regarding the stock system (ie # of amps, how they are connected, power handling of factory speakers?

thanks again,
steve

i believe the center wood should come out rather easy once the head unit and the ac unit are removed. be careful with it as they are prone to cracking under duress. as for factory specs, even with the bose (read Buy Other Sound Equiptment), the audio system is pretty much sub par. i recommend running new wires anyways as otherwise you'll overload the front end of the factory amp and it will have a high level of distortion. there is only one amp and i think its in the trunk next to where the cd changer would be in the left rear (please don't quote me on this one though). as for the keys, just go order some from the dealerships parts dept. they are not terribley expensive and will save you mucho time and frustration. good luck with the project.

i believe the center wood should come out rather easy once the head unit and the ac unit are removed. be careful with it as they are prone to cracking under duress. as for factory specs, even with the bose (read Buy Other Sound Equiptment), the audio system is pretty much sub par. i recommend running new wires anyways as otherwise you'll overload the front end of the factory amp and it will have a high level of distortion. there is only one amp and i think its in the trunk next to where the cd changer would be in the left rear (please don't quote me on this one though). as for the keys, just go order some from the dealerships parts dept. they are not terribley expensive and will save you mucho time and frustration. good luck with the project.


thanks. i only asked about the factory amp because he (my friend) will be using the factory component speakers for a while, wondering if its worth my time to wire the amp to the new deck???

-steve

it'll sound worse than if you wired the new unit directly to the speakers. the factory amp is not used to seeing a powered signal on the input side. it'll overload the front end and distort.

thanks again.