Yesterday, went for my B service. I had given them the service bulletin number you showed in your video. In Canada, it is a different number. They did not 're pin' the wires, they used a recent software update from MB. I was very doubtful it would work.... but it does, and the sound is fantastic. Seems that MB changed/inverted the audio outputs in the computer instead of physically changing the wires. Very happy.
I did the fix myself in less than 30 minutes. It’s fairly easy to swap the wires once you figure out how to get the connectors apart. There is a small tab on each connector that needs to be removed (it is easy to pry off, just don’t drop it down the hole where you rmoved the speaker. I covered the hole with a rag and some tape). Then you have to figure out how to get the wires out - i used a very small eyeglass repair screwdriver but a toothpick would probably work. There is a small tab on the wire that needs to be depressed to release so you can pull the wire out of the connector - note that you have to do this twice on each wire as there are two places the tab will catch. Push the tabs in, pull the wires out and put them in the opposite connectors. The sound is now fixed! Sounds great and the balance controls actually do something. It’s easier than it sounds.
We got our skylight/vent covers kit just before a 2 week trip. They are awesome and worth the expense. We traveled several days in the 90's, a couple near 100, and we were able to keep the entire coach reasonably cool by using just the dash a/c.
I recently had quotes from two different Sprinter dealers for the B service - both just over $1,000.00. I did the service myself, parts just under $200 (including premium German oil - Ravenol Motor Oil HLS 5W-30 Synthetic) and found the Sprinter (3500XD) to be relatively easy to work on. I will soon disconnect the front speaker and hopefully find that one of the two Denver, Colorado, Sprinter dealers will look up the service bulletin and then swap the correct wires for a "full fix".
We picked up our 2021 LTV Unity RL from the MB shop in Sanford, FL yesterday (7/22/22) after having Service B performed. Total P&L plus tax was $1,484. Yikes! Sure wish I’d seen this video about the speaker fix before taking it in, but will definitely be running it back over to have that done. Thanks so much for the info, Brandon! We’ll be appreciating it on our upcoming trip to NC. PS - We’re also loving our skylight covers! Thanks for making those available to us. They make a big difference!
Based on what was mentioned in the video and some of the comments, I gave this a shot. I swapped the two connectors. I had to first break off the alignment tabs on the connectors because they would not fit into the opposite slot. Put it all back together and fired it up. It is SO much better. The center speaker no longer completely drowns out the others. Still not as good as I would expect from Benz, but It'll do for now.
I broke the plastic harness connector that plugs on to the speaker.. found the replacement, easy. The metal pin that goes onto the actual speaker wire, impossible to find. Mercedes doesn’t know what I’m talking about. Any idea on how to find replacements?
I just did the speaker fix detailed in your video. Easy to do and worked perfectly! Thanks a million for sharing this, much appreciated. Next time I have it into the M-B dealer I will see if they can perform the "full fix". 2022 Airstream Interstate 24X on 2020 M-B Sprinter 3500XD.
Follow up to your center speaker fix. I quickly called my MB shop and made an appointment to fix the speaker armed with your information. They reconnected the center speaker, I disconnected it from the day I learned the fix, but despite your “L” number info they couldn’t fix it. They couldn’t find any crossed wires. They left the speaker connected so I promptly disconnected it. I was very disappointed. Now that I know the shop that fixed yours I will likely call and see if I can get them to provide the fix to my shop. Have you heard of anyone else with fix as a result of your video?
Yes, Mercedes if McKinney TX also fixed some. I think they are owned by the same company as my dealer, so def give them a call. So many people saying their dealer can’t find the fix.
I was at the MB dealer a weeks ago for inspection and oil change. They did not say any thing about the sound fix…. The dealer service told me no oil change until service A comes up or 2 years of use. I am at one year with 5k miles so all I got done was the inspection done after driving 94 miles to the closest dealer. I was beyond frustrated then and now hear they have a sound fix but I have to go back to the dealer to get that fix. 😤. Do they publish a DYI wire fix we can do at home? What is the fix I’d? If not. Btw I love the covers in my 21 UMB it keeps the temp no so fing hot. It is just 104 today in central tx.
That’s crazy! Very frustrating to drive all that way. You have to tell the service advisor to look for it, as they won’t be privy. That number I give in the video is the LI number to give them
Steer clear of Albuquerque Mercedes for service. Dropped off for B service the day before the scheduled appointment so they’d have it first thing the following day. Told them I’d come back the day after the appointment so they’d have an entire day to take care of it, do not rush it. Went back to pick it up and it had not been touched. Service manager apologized (kinda) and I told him keep it all day and I’d pick it up the next day. Less than two hours later he called and said it was ready. I find it hard to believe that all that the B service includes was performed. I think they changed the oil/oil filter and reset the oil maintenance counter and nothing more. Can’t prove it but one indication that they may have skipped a few checks was my TPMS showed that all 6 tires were not up to correct PSI. I literally filled the tires to correct PSI in the Mercedes parking lot with my air compressor. I didn’t go in to complain because I was pretty pissed and knew it wouldn’t have gone well. I did leave a detailed review and someone called me a few days later to apologize and covered the cost of the additional hotel night. The Mercedes service manager, in my opinion, is incompetent. I’ve had great experiences elsewhere over the past two years.
Thank you very Much for sharing this information !! Would you be so kind as to sharing the service code as written up so I can take mine in without getting into a long conversation with service people? Thank you again
Just had the Mercedes dealer fix the center speaker issue. Bulletin LI82.85-N-071147. Center does is back on and not overpowering. It seems wires got crossed in production.
Do you know if this is for MB sprinters with a standard stereo instead of th mbux system? Our standard stereo sound is horrible and has to be cranked up to 3/4 to be able to hear it.
One other thing.... You may have already covered it in an earlier video about letting others start chatting with you while you're going through your setup or break down - how it throws you out of sync. I had already seen//heard it on other forums but I allowed it to happen to me on one trip. A fellow camper began talking to my wife at the dump station as we were leaving but dragged me into their conversation before I had finished all of my steps. I had to start over to avoid forgetting important steps. Mile Of Smile!!
You're correct, Brandon. What our LTV dealer did was pull the center speaker wires. I'm having the proper speaker remedy and torsion bar recall work done together next week.
I took 2019 3500 Sprinter / 2022 Winnebago Boldt to the MB Dealership to have the radio fixed as per your video. The service manager watched your video. MB found the LI 82.85-N-071147 and switched the two wire connections. The radio still sounds exactly the same. They switched the two wires on the center speaker. Are these the two wires that need to be switched? SM told me they did what was recommended and it can not be corrected any further and that the vehicle was never made for rear speaker and the two in the doors are just tweeters. I also pointed out the Balance control does not work and the Fader Front to Back Option does not show up. Is the MB dealership pushing me off because they can't figure it out? What to do? I just disconnected one (purple & gray) of the two sets of wires from the center speaker. It sounds much better and now the balance works, but not the fader front to back. So again, did they switch the wrong two wires? If not, what's my next step. HELP and thank you...
Curious if the Boldt has different entertainment layout. It’s a real Van where the LTV is a cut a way chassis. My door speakers are real speakers and I can feel the air from bass on my leg. So I assume your tech doesn’t know what he’s doing, so maybe another service center?
Can you provide the full TSB ? I can only find one with the headline discussion and no details that you are reading. My dealer says just unplug the center speaker since TSB adjustment makes NO difference... I want to show him the full TSB.. Thanks
That LI number is the only info I have. Had lots of reports that dealers are still clueless, and lots that get it fixed. Hopefully more info to clueless dealers coming soon.
My Mercedes service said they are not responsible and they do not do the fix…..they said it was not part of the chassis!! I asked who would i need to deal with and she said she had no idea!!!!🤯
Ask a different advisor or go to a different MB dealer and let them know that LI number i give in video. That is a Mercedes issue and someone more knowledgeable will know what to do.
@@Pagosa Hi Brandon, My MB dealer looked up the service bulletin number you mentioned in the video, but claims it only says they are waiting on a software fix from MB. Nothing about crossed wires. Would it be possible to get the name of the MB dealer you went to in TX or a contact person at your dealership that I could refer my local dealer to for consultation?
If Mercedes is aware of the issue and had a fix for it at the time this video was published, how come they still produce them with that issue in 2023/2024. I picked up my Unity in February. 2024 model on 2023 chassis, and the sound was horrible. Your middle speaker fix made it ok. So, Mercedes would rather keep fixing the issue than fix the production? I don't get it.
Dali Llama is a great name, kudos to you and thanks for watching the 9 minutes and 17 seconds. Needs to be over 8 minutes for TH-cam to rank you, so appreciate you watching!
Doing some research because when we called our local MB dealer to schedule apt for recall issue and mentioned we wanted to have stereo issue resolved he said they would run the diagnostic first. I said I have the LI number and this is a known problem - he wasn't sold (and I am not impressed with their over the phone service). My research has found Brandon's LI number (82.85-N-071147) is correct, and it's now version 6, dated 7/19/2022 with "the fix". There are actually 4 wires that need to be moved. There is a youtube video that shows some of the fix with good comments on what needs to be done -th-cam.com/video/p4KJKdlroFQ/w-d-xo.html. Thanks Brandon for all your great advice!
PS - we just got back from a 9 week cross country trip (11 national parks) and love our skylight and vent covers. Also love our lithionics battery and soft-start (we installed ourselves after watching the video you did with Sandy - it gave us the confidence that we could do it). Thanks!!
I have a 2022 sprinter and it is so disappointing that a 80k vehicle has such a bad audio system. My 20year old base model tacoma has a better sound system
Disconnecting just sucks.. There is better solution for this. Just design passive crossover with induction and capacitor and make the ugly mid range frequencies to disappear.
We gave the fix number to our dealer in Georgetown, TX, and unfortunately that didn’t fix it. Would you be able to share your dealer’s info so we can make an appointment up there to get ours fixed? You can pm me if that would be better. 2022 UnityRL
Yesterday, went for my B service. I had given them the service bulletin number you showed in your video. In Canada, it is a different number. They did not 're pin' the wires, they used a recent software update from MB. I was very doubtful it would work.... but it does, and the sound is fantastic. Seems that MB changed/inverted the audio outputs in the computer instead of physically changing the wires.
Very happy.
That’s great news! So crazy took them this long
I did the fix myself in less than 30 minutes. It’s fairly easy to swap the wires once you figure out how to get the connectors apart. There is a small tab on each connector that needs to be removed (it is easy to pry off, just don’t drop it down the hole where you rmoved the speaker. I covered the hole with a rag and some tape). Then you have to figure out how to get the wires out - i used a very small eyeglass repair screwdriver but a toothpick would probably work. There is a small tab on the wire that needs to be depressed to release so you can pull the wire out of the connector - note that you have to do this twice on each wire as there are two places the tab will catch. Push the tabs in, pull the wires out and put them in the opposite connectors. The sound is now fixed! Sounds great and the balance controls actually do something. It’s easier than it sounds.
Finally! Thank you for explaining how to remove the wires from the connectors. This video just tells you to take it to dealer. 🙄
Nice!
@@TW---hey! Where do i find the cables that needs to be swapped? Is it the two in the center speaker?
We got our skylight/vent covers kit just before a 2 week trip. They are awesome and worth the expense. We traveled several days in the 90's, a couple near 100, and we were able to keep the entire coach reasonably cool by using just the dash a/c.
That is awesome! It helps so much for sure, don't leave home without them
I recently had quotes from two different Sprinter dealers for the B service - both just over $1,000.00. I did the service myself, parts just under $200 (including premium German oil - Ravenol Motor Oil HLS 5W-30 Synthetic) and found the Sprinter (3500XD) to be relatively easy to work on. I will soon disconnect the front speaker and hopefully find that one of the two Denver, Colorado, Sprinter dealers will look up the service bulletin and then swap the correct wires for a "full fix".
That's great. Good job on saving the $$$
WTH what an easy fix
We picked up our 2021 LTV Unity RL from the MB shop in Sanford, FL yesterday (7/22/22) after having Service B performed. Total P&L plus tax was $1,484. Yikes! Sure wish I’d seen this video about the speaker fix before taking it in, but will definitely be running it back over to have that done. Thanks so much for the info, Brandon! We’ll be appreciating it on our upcoming trip to NC. PS - We’re also loving our skylight covers! Thanks for making those available to us. They make a big difference!
So glad you like the skylight covers, and sorry you have to run back over there to get the speaker fix, but it's worth it!
I recently went to the same dealership and informed them about the speaker. They didn't do it right so now i have to go back. I
Based on what was mentioned in the video and some of the comments, I gave this a shot. I swapped the two connectors. I had to first break off the alignment tabs on the connectors because they would not fit into the opposite slot. Put it all back together and fired it up. It is SO much better. The center speaker no longer completely drowns out the others. Still not as good as I would expect from Benz, but It'll do for now.
Awesome, making it acceptable was my goal!
I broke the plastic harness connector that plugs on to the speaker.. found the replacement, easy. The metal pin that goes onto the actual speaker wire, impossible to find. Mercedes doesn’t know what I’m talking about. Any idea on how to find replacements?
I just did the speaker fix detailed in your video. Easy to do and worked perfectly! Thanks a million for sharing this, much appreciated. Next time I have it into the M-B dealer I will see if they can perform the "full fix". 2022 Airstream Interstate 24X on 2020 M-B Sprinter 3500XD.
That's great!
Follow up to your center speaker fix. I quickly called my MB shop and made an appointment to fix the speaker armed with your information. They reconnected the center speaker, I disconnected it from the day I learned the fix, but despite your “L” number info they couldn’t fix it. They couldn’t find any crossed wires. They left the speaker connected so I promptly disconnected it. I was very disappointed. Now that I know the shop that fixed yours I will likely call and see if I can get them to provide the fix to my shop. Have you heard of anyone else with fix as a result of your video?
Yes, Mercedes if McKinney TX also fixed some. I think they are owned by the same company as my dealer, so def give them a call. So many people saying their dealer can’t find the fix.
I was at the MB dealer a weeks ago for inspection and oil change. They did not say any thing about the sound fix…. The dealer service told me no oil change until service A comes up or 2 years of use. I am at one year with 5k miles so all I got done was the inspection done after driving 94 miles to the closest dealer. I was beyond frustrated then and now hear they have a sound fix but I have to go back to the dealer to get that fix. 😤. Do they publish a DYI wire fix we can do at home? What is the fix I’d? If not. Btw I love the covers in my 21 UMB it keeps the temp no so fing hot. It is just 104 today in central tx.
That’s crazy! Very frustrating to drive all that way. You have to tell the service advisor to look for it, as they won’t be privy. That number I give in the video is the LI number to give them
Steer clear of Albuquerque Mercedes for service. Dropped off for B service the day before the scheduled appointment so they’d have it first thing the following day. Told them I’d come back the day after the appointment so they’d have an entire day to take care of it, do not rush it. Went back to pick it up and it had not been touched. Service manager apologized (kinda) and I told him keep it all day and I’d pick it up the next day. Less than two hours later he called and said it was ready. I find it hard to believe that all that the B service includes was performed. I think they changed the oil/oil filter and reset the oil maintenance counter and nothing more. Can’t prove it but one indication that they may have skipped a few checks was my TPMS showed that all 6 tires were not up to correct PSI. I literally filled the tires to correct PSI in the Mercedes parking lot with my air compressor. I didn’t go in to complain because I was pretty pissed and knew it wouldn’t have gone well. I did leave a detailed review and someone called me a few days later to apologize and covered the cost of the additional hotel night. The Mercedes service manager, in my opinion, is incompetent. I’ve had great experiences elsewhere over the past two years.
That’s crazy
Thank you very Much for sharing this information !!
Would you be so kind as to sharing the service code as written up so I can take mine in without getting into a long conversation with service people?
Thank you again
Hi, glad it helped. The service code is in the video. I apologize, as I'm not near my sheet it was written, but you can get it off the video.
@@Pagosa I saw it and got the code thanks Again
Just had the Mercedes dealer fix the center speaker issue. Bulletin LI82.85-N-071147. Center does is back on and not overpowering. It seems wires got crossed in production.
Fantastic!
Do you know if this is for MB sprinters with a standard stereo instead of th mbux system? Our standard stereo sound is horrible and has to be cranked up to 3/4 to be able to hear it.
It’s the 2019 and later sprinter chassis that has this issue, not sure if standard or Mbux is exclusive to issue
Our dealership did the fix before we arrived to take delivery in November 2021.
That was prob the wire fix, take it to your MB dealer to get the actual remedy done. Just came out last week.
@@Pagosa Thanks. I'm due for the 5K oil change you mentioned, so I'll ask about while there.
One other thing.... You may have already covered it in an earlier video about letting others start chatting with you while you're going through your setup or break down - how it throws you out of sync. I had already seen//heard it on other forums but I allowed it to happen to me on one trip. A fellow camper began talking to my wife at the dump station as we were leaving but dragged me into their conversation before I had finished all of my steps. I had to start over to avoid forgetting important steps.
Mile Of Smile!!
You're correct, Brandon. What our LTV dealer did was pull the center speaker wires. I'm having the proper speaker remedy and torsion bar recall work done together next week.
Mercedes dealer in Salem OR charges $900.00 for A and $2300.00 for B
That's a lot. My dealer is much less than that here in Dallas.
I took 2019 3500 Sprinter / 2022 Winnebago Boldt to the MB Dealership to have the radio fixed as per your video. The service manager watched your video. MB found the LI 82.85-N-071147 and switched the two wire connections. The radio still sounds exactly the same. They switched the two wires on the center speaker. Are these the two wires that need to be switched?
SM told me they did what was recommended and it can not be corrected any further and that the vehicle was never made for rear speaker and the two in the doors are just tweeters. I also pointed out the Balance control does not work and the Fader Front to Back Option does not show up. Is the MB dealership pushing me off because they can't figure it out? What to do?
I just disconnected one (purple & gray) of the two sets of wires from the center speaker. It sounds much better and now the balance works, but not the fader front to back.
So again, did they switch the wrong two wires? If not, what's my next step. HELP and thank you...
Curious if the Boldt has different entertainment layout. It’s a real Van where the LTV is a cut a way chassis.
My door speakers are real speakers and I can feel the air from bass on my leg. So I assume your tech doesn’t know what he’s doing, so maybe another service center?
Can you provide the full TSB ? I can only find one with the headline discussion and no details that you are reading. My dealer says just unplug the center speaker since TSB adjustment makes NO difference... I want to show him the full TSB.. Thanks
That LI number is the only info I have. Had lots of reports that dealers are still clueless, and lots that get it fixed. Hopefully more info to clueless dealers coming soon.
do you know if the 2022 models still have this problem Mine built picking it up soon
Probably so. They just discovered the issue not long ago
My Mercedes service said they are not responsible and they do not do the fix…..they said it was not part of the chassis!! I asked who would i need to deal with and she said she had no idea!!!!🤯
Ask a different advisor or go to a different MB dealer and let them know that LI number i give in video. That is a Mercedes issue and someone more knowledgeable will know what to do.
Do you know which two wires are crossed? THX
Something with the MBUX and the Hermes systems. Give your Mercedes dealer the LI number in the video and they will fix
@@Pagosa Hi Brandon, My MB dealer looked up the service bulletin number you mentioned in the video, but claims it only says they are waiting on a software fix from MB. Nothing about crossed wires. Would it be possible to get the name of the MB dealer you went to in TX or a contact person at your dealership that I could refer my local dealer to for consultation?
@@LindaSmith-de8dp Sure, my service center is Mercedes of Grapevine and ask for the sprinter advisor
How do you know it’s crossed wires? TSB only discusses a software fix that doesn’t even exist yet.
Look into the Beat Box system.
It’s all fixed now and sounds great!
Do you have any idea yet on diy? The leisure dealer here in Sandy, oregon won’t work on it unless you purchased from them
The official fix would be a Mercedes Benz dealer. As far as the DIY solution, you can totally do it yourself.
I hope this works!
It does, enjoy!
If Mercedes is aware of the issue and had a fix for it at the time this video was published, how come they still produce them with that issue in 2023/2024. I picked up my Unity in February. 2024 model on 2023 chassis, and the sound was horrible. Your middle speaker fix made it ok.
So, Mercedes would rather keep fixing the issue than fix the production? I don't get it.
It's quite the conundrum.
$2400 Sevice B at the Mercedes in Redwood City
$2400, yikes.
9 minutes and 17 seconds to tell you to take your van to the dealership. LOL!
Solution: Swap the green and purple wires. Don't touch the gray wires.
Dali Llama is a great name, kudos to you and thanks for watching the 9 minutes and 17 seconds. Needs to be over 8 minutes for TH-cam to rank you, so appreciate you watching!
Are you referring to the wires on the center speaker?
Doing some research because when we called our local MB dealer to schedule apt for recall issue and mentioned we wanted to have stereo issue resolved he said they would run the diagnostic first. I said I have the LI number and this is a known problem - he wasn't sold (and I am not impressed with their over the phone service). My research has found Brandon's LI number (82.85-N-071147) is correct, and it's now version 6, dated 7/19/2022 with "the fix". There are actually 4 wires that need to be moved. There is a youtube video that shows some of the fix with good comments on what needs to be done -th-cam.com/video/p4KJKdlroFQ/w-d-xo.html.
Thanks Brandon for all your great advice!
PS - we just got back from a 9 week cross country trip (11 national parks) and love our skylight and vent covers. Also love our lithionics battery and soft-start (we installed ourselves after watching the video you did with Sandy - it gave us the confidence that we could do it). Thanks!!
That's awesome. So glad it's making your RVing that much better 😀
I have a 2022 sprinter and it is so disappointing that a 80k vehicle has such a bad audio system. My 20year old base model tacoma has a better sound system
It is unfortunate for sure
Ah come on now..... it is only 109 here today. :)
Enjoying 65 degree evenings currently 😎
@@Pagosa We are heading North in 10 days to get our of HELL. ;)
Disconnecting just sucks.. There is better solution for this. Just design passive crossover with induction and capacitor and make the ugly mid range frequencies to disappear.
This video is about the official fix for this issue, so if you take your Sprinter to a service center, they will fix the issue once and for all.
We gave the fix number to our dealer in Georgetown, TX, and unfortunately that didn’t fix it. Would you be able to share your dealer’s info so we can make an appointment up there to get ours fixed? You can pm me if that would be better. 2022 UnityRL
Bummer, Mercedes of Grapevine and another guy said he took his to MB of MKinney (also DFW area) and got a fix