I am provably stupid. (1 Viewer)

[GWAYGWAY]

I have a diesel smart car that is running in safe mode only , so I have checked it out at home,, no faults found. Took it to a MB specialist and he hooked up the MB Star reader to it and it had a gearbox code. Nothing else shows. I have fitted a new gearbox speed sensor so the should be alright no.. However the 3000 rpm dead, rev limit is still there. I read all I can, and have had it in my workshop for a few days stripped of all the bits that get in the way, All the usual culprits faults are checked out OK nothing found, all the sensors seem to work.
AH HA! says me, so I go on line and download a massive workshop manual for all the models aince the year they came out. Trouble is that Mercedes have an copyright lock on it, so it came with another download of a program to open it, called 'Virtual box' My big trouble is that I am so stupid that I cannot understand what the hell I am supposed to do with it, I look at all those pages of instruction that to me look like they are upside down chinese figures written on Serbo croat translated to Armenian?????????????? WTF do I do I cannot understand what they mean. They are actually written in English but I DO NOT UNDERSTAND A BLOODY BIT OF IT, other than open it. I realise modern life is all computors but I am too old and stupid to know what they or it does or mean. Good job I am not near Beachy Head. Are we all destined to be subject to these bloody machines.

 

[MikeD]

Yes - I think that is the answer.

Even the makers don't understand they own vehicles nowadays.

 

[pappajohn]

Has the fault code been CLEARED since fitting the speed sensor?

Not all codes self clear when the fault is rectified and need a visit with a cheque book to the dealers.

Apart from that.... The code may point to the speed sensor but it doesn't follow its definately that causing the problem, it could be something else withing that system like a wire shorting to earth or maybe broken.
I had an ABS code on the O/S rear wheel. Said ABS sensor faulty. Fitted a new sensor, fault still there. Took a while to find the ABS reluctor ring around the hub had rotted away and fallen apart. Hub stripped, new ring fitted, rebuilt, fault gone.

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[tonyidle]

I have a diesel smart car that is running in safe mode only , so I have checked it out at home,, no faults found. Took it to a MB specialist and he hooked up the MB Star reader to it and it had a gearbox code. Nothing else shows. I have fitted a new gearbox speed sensor so the should be alright no.. However the 3000 rpm dead, rev limit is still there. I read all I can, and have had it in my workshop for a few days stripped of all the bits that get in the way, All the usual culprits faults are checked out OK nothing found, all the sensors seem to work.
AH HA! says me, so I go on line and download a massive workshop manual for all the models aince the year they came out. Trouble is that Mercedes have an copyright lock on it, so it came with another download of a program to open it, called 'Virtual box' My big trouble is that I am so stupid that I cannot understand what the hell I am supposed to do with it, I look at all those pages of instruction that to me look like they are upside down chinese figures written on Serbo croat translated to Armenian?????????????? WTF do I do I cannot understand what they mean. They are actually written in English but I DO NOT UNDERSTAND A BLOODY BIT OF IT, other than open it. I realise modern life is all computors but I am too old and stupid to know what they or it does or mean. Good job I am not near Beachy Head. Are we all destined to be subject to these bloody machines.

I have one of thosd manuals from a few years back & have just ordered a more recent one. I can't help with install detail but - the additional software is not to do with any 'lock' on the program. It is designed to allow your PC to run another operating system 'inside' the one you are using.

For example you may be using Windows 10 but the Merc manual may have been written to work with Windows XP. So you will need a piece of software (VirtualBox in this case) to allow your PC to run Windows XP hidden from W10 so it doesn't upset it. Once you have the Virtual Machine working and running Windows XP the Merc manual can be installed. Although I said "for example" it's quite likely that is what you'll have - my earlier Merc manual runs on an XP virtual machine under W10.

 

[peterc10]

You are not stupid, just tight.

Just get the dealer to sort it out.

 

[Steve and Denise]

Just go to the dealership they cannot fail as they just keep changing sensors till there are none left to change then the ecu then the wiring then the gearbox then the engine.
If that does not fix it then they’ll tell you the car is scrap and give you a huge bill,how else do you expect these dealerships to survive.

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[DL42846]

I had a similar problem with a MB Sprinter. Turned out it was the exhaust sensor. Didn't show up any any of the test.

 

[Sundowners]

Give Youtube a go. It’s surprising what you can find there. We visit there first if we can’t find the fault ourselves.

 

[River gypsys]

I have a diesel smart car that is running in safe mode only , so I have checked it out at home,, no faults found. Took it to a MB specialist and he hooked up the MB Star reader to it and it had a gearbox code. Nothing else shows. I have fitted a new gearbox speed sensor so the should be alright no.. However the 3000 rpm dead, rev limit is still there. I read all I can, and have had it in my workshop for a few days stripped of all the bits that get in the way, All the usual culprits faults are checked out OK nothing found, all the sensors seem to work.
AH HA! says me, so I go on line and download a massive workshop manual for all the models aince the year they came out. Trouble is that Mercedes have an copyright lock on it, so it came with another download of a program to open it, called 'Virtual box' My big trouble is that I am so stupid that I cannot understand what the hell I am supposed to do with it, I look at all those pages of instruction that to me look like they are upside down chinese figures written on Serbo croat translated to Armenian?????????????? WTF do I do I cannot understand what they mean. They are actually written in English but I DO NOT UNDERSTAND A BLOODY BIT OF IT, other than open it. I realise modern life is all computors but I am too old and stupid to know what they or it does or mean. Good job I am not near Beachy Head. Are we all destined to be subject to these bloody machines.

We know exactly what you mean ,it might as well say blahblahblah, good luck with your quest

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[Emmit]

I know this is of no help to you at all, but the answer is,

42.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

You are not stupid, just tight.

Just get the dealer to sort it out.

Good idea but there are none near me that deal with those cars.. The star reader should give all the faults but none on the engine side at all.. I have fitted new sensors and all the likely suspects are done, but the damn thing still revs to 3028 rpm according to my MB computor.
Trouble with dealer is that when they cannot find a reason ,they go at all the sensors like I have and you end with a bill of more than the car is worth especialy as it still cannot rev. It will be something stupid as every now and then it chimes in a goes properly until the nexy gearchange. Wish I had never seen it.. P,S the Mercedes Benz hourly rate works our just under my weekly pension so it will not be going to one.

 

[Steve and Denise]

We had a Smart car it was fun for a while but if it went wrong I would have scrapped it working on them is a ball ache and as you say no way go to the Merc dealers as I said in my early post they change everything at your cost.

Best thing get it going and get rid there are a lot of better alternatives.

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[davejen]

Put a match to it and claim off your insurance, that'l fix it!!
Cheers, Dave

 

[GWAYGWAY]

I will overcome.

 

[tacr2man]

It may be a sensor in the gearbox that relates to change speed synchronization that operates to stop hard changes , but thats just a guess not had anything to do with "Smart" cars .
Sometimes (frequently) technicians make things that are too smart for them to really understand .

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