Is your car a Mercedes Benz W221 or C216? If so, you have a device called Comand NTG3.5 on board. This piece of equipment, which offers great functionality, unfortunately likes to fail for various reasons. Why do so few companies undertake the repair of these Comands? The answer is simple and it is not about a special test environment at all (although that is important too), but about knowledge of the design and repair methods of these navigation systems. By servicing Harman Becker main units, we have gained the experience needed to offer such services — to successfully bring them back to life, whatever the problem. That is why today we have prepared for you a summary — 5 typical faults in Comand NTG3.5
What most often fails in the Comand from the S-Class or CLS?
In pre-facelift versions, the manufacturer fitted the main unit, commonly known as NTG3. This model also tends to fail. We’ve gathered the typical faults of older units in one place — in the article NTG3 navigation freezes on the logo or resets on startup.
Comand NTG3.5 was fitted after 2009 in the facelifted Mercedes W221 / C216.
How can you quickly confirm that your navigation system is Comand NTG3.5?
On the side label with the part numbers, under “Model.:” you will find e.g. BE 9031. Examples of other versions, depending on the market the car was intended for:
- NTG3.5 BE 9027 – A 221 900 88 03 (single DVD drive, ECE navigation version, BE9027)
- NTG3.5 BE 9028 – A 221 900 61 03 (DVD changer, ECE version, BE9028)
- NTG3.5 BE 9031 – A 221 900 89 03 (DVD changer, ECE navigation versions, BE9031)
- NTG3.5 BE 9032 – A 221 900 89 01 (BE9032)
- NTG3.5 BE 9033 – DVD changer, Japan navigation version, BE9033
Although this system is rather unreliable, the good news is that it can be repaired by OEMatic. So what tends to fail most often?
-
Comand NTG3.5 does not switch on at all.
-
Comand NTG3.5 resets from time to time.
-
No sound – the radio tuner does not work.
-
Fault in the CD/DVD drive or 6 CD/DVD changer.
-
Problems with activating the navigation function.
1. Comand NTG3.5 does not switch on at all.
This model is coded to the car using the chassis number. That means if you do not want to repair your original unit and buy another used one, you need to factor in extra costs. There is no way around purchasing the activation codes (anti theft and navigation function) and entering them into the unit with suitable diagnostic equipment. Without this procedure, the unit will be useless.
95% of Comand NTG3.5 units repaired by our service do not need any additional coding. This is important because a unit refurbished in this way is ready to use straight away. Simply fit it back into the car and enjoy a working system again. You will not have to incur any extra costs to add the navigation system to the car.
2. Comand NTG3.5 resets from time to time.
This fault is particularly annoying because you only see the menu for a few dozen seconds. After that, there is a characteristic reset, meaning the system switches off and back on again. What causes Comand to work only briefly? There is no single answer, but the fact that we have the right test environment and repair procedures means we can refurbish damaged Comands in a short time.
3. No sound – the radio tuner does not work.
A little explanation is needed here. We are talking about silence in the speakers, but the tuner is in the amplifier, not in the Comand. So why mention it? Because we want you to know what causes the lack of audio. Radio faults, crackling and sound anomalies are caused in 99% of cases by a damaged Logic7 amplifier in the boot. We repair such modules by refurbishing them; this is described in detail in the article Broken Logic7 amplifier in your Mercedes? We’ll fix it!
4. Faults of the CD/DVD drive or 6 CD/DVD changer.
The situation where Comand accepts a disc, shows the number of tracks, but does not play music (and the amplifier is working) is very common. At this point, resetting it, replacing the laser or the software will not help. The drive needs repairing, and the unit will regain its ability to play audio discs.
5. Problems with activating the navigation function.
If, after selecting NAVI, you only see a screen with the navigation loading, the disc is probably damaged. If your Comand is missing this data carrier, we can fit another one and activate the navigation function.
The 5 typical faults listed above certainly do not cover the whole subject of repairing NTG3.5. If your unit has other faults, we are happy to take it in for service — we will verify the problem during the assessment stage.
