Has anyone replaced their Zenec head unit? (1 Viewer)

[Speve]

I want to take out my Zenec Head unit which has never performed well since new and was wondering if this has been done successfully? As I tried a Pioneer head unit and could not get the three cameras to work with the same quality pictures as the Zenec?
Also very difficult to work out where and what to connect to what as Hymers have a Schaudt radio Adaptor RD 01 management box that everything connected to the head unit runs through.
I would be interested in finding a head unit that is compatible with that?
thanks in advance for any reply’s

 

[Brains]

Ohhh
March Hare Another member for the "Zenec Replacement Club"
Will watch this thread with interest.

I have a 2018 Hymer MLT570's with the Zenec head unit
(Will consider exchange for a chocolate teapot)

We have ruled out the Kenwood DNR992RVS
Excellent bit of kit, but it sits proud of the Zenec 'hole' and so would get knocked.

We are now looking at the Alpine Halo9
Which looks a better fit in the hole and seems to do most of what is required.

I've not yet ruled out the Pioneer AVIC-Z8330DAB-C
Which also ticks a lot of boxes, but I need some real life experience info

What other compatible units are there out there ?

Basically I don't want to spend a load of money on something that is not much better then the Zenec.

I'm also thinking that once we have found the replacement unit, we get the same company/fitters to do them all, at the same time. Anywhere South east England considered!

 

[Brains]

Wizz
You might be interested

 

[Wizz]

Thanks Brains for tagging me in.
Is this the same as Mercedes MBUX, which is what’s in mine?
I shall follow this thread with interest
I can’t say that I have a problem with ours however.
Maybe that’s because to date I have only actually utilised about 10% of it…
Thanks once again.

 

[Detnor]

Another member of this club. Zenec told me there new software download would fix my unit. BUT as it was supplied with an 8GB memory card, it needs a 16GB card, but no they can't supply a replacement....

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[Brains]

Thanks Brains for tagging me in.
Is this the same as Mercedes MBUX, which is what’s in mine?
I shall follow this thread with interest
I can’t say that I have a problem with ours however.
Maybe that’s because to date I have only actually utilised about 10% of it…
Thanks once again.

Wizz
Very interesting that you have a different head unit model to mine.
What year is your van ?
I'd not heard of MBUX before now.
Does you MBUX unit have a specific model number so I can look it up

I suspect Mercedes/Hymer may have got so many negative reports on the Zenec unit, that they changed them.
It looks like the MBUX units are specifically made for Mercedes and maybe the Zenec units were a cheap fill in whilst they waited for the MBUX units to become available, as they seem to only be introduced in 2020.

I will now have to find out if the MBUX unit can be fitted in place of the Zenec.

 

[Brains]

Another member of this club. Zenec told me there new software download would fix my unit. BUT as it was supplied with an 8GB memory card, it needs a 16GB card, but no they can't supply a replacement....

FYI

I found the same thing, I tried to upgrade the memory card size, as you can only fit about 3 countries on the card at a time.

For 'security' reasons the memory card can not be swapped or exchanged or upgraded.
Should you loose or damage the original memory card, the Zenec unit becomes a doorstop.

The cheap Chinese software really is not fit for purpose.
Every Zenec unit will need to be replaced within the next couple of years (or just buy a stick on GPS and a hope the radio feature keeps working)

 

[Wizz]

Wizz
Very interesting that you have a different head unit model to mine.
What year is your van ?
I'd not heard of MBUX before now.
Does you MBUX unit have a specific model number so I can look it up

I suspect Mercedes/Hymer may have got so many negative reports on the Zenec unit, that they changed them.
It looks like the MBUX units are specifically made for Mercedes and maybe the Zenec units were a cheap fill in whilst they waited for the MBUX units to become available, as they seem to only be introduced in 2020.

I will now have to find out if the MBUX unit can be fitted in place of the Zenec.

Our ML T570 is a 2020 model. It was a new unregistered in stock van, not one we ordered or specced up ourselves, but it had quite a few extras on it, including the 'MBUX' multimedia system which was a factory optional extra at £3170, Ouch!.
I'm not sure of the exact model but I can look later if I haven't already put you off?

 

[Abacist]

Niesmann & Bischoff also fit Zenec kit so I wouldn't say its a cheapo solution!

 

[Speve]

Niesmann & Bischoff also fit Zenec kit so I wouldn't say its a cheapo solution!

No you are correct however I’ve had nothing but problems with ours Brains mentioned Pioneer I have tried an AVH-Z3200DAB however it was unable to give the quality picture on my cameras and would not connect through the Schaudt Rad 01 adaptor also there is a DSP to connect and in the end I took out the DSP as it had a fault and refitted the Zenec without it which does work but obviously has some missing applications now? The head unit is far to complicated for my head and trying to get any info out of Hymer is like finding hens teeth.

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[Speve]

I will now have to find out if the MBUX unit can be fitted in place of the Zenec

I will be very interested to hear if it can? Maybe MBUX merc perhaps FBUX for Fiat?

 

[Speve]

I suspect Mercedes/Hymer may have got so many negative reports on the Zenec unit, that they changed them.
It looks like the MBUX units are specifically made for Mercedes and maybe the Zenec units were a cheap fill in whilst they waited for the MBUX units to become available, as they seem to only be introduced in 2020.

It’s just like the Hymer Headlight harness? Hymer will not accept responsibility for faulty equipment and expect buyers to fork out huge amounts of cash for replacements.