[MikesS430]

Ok, so i lost my mind and ordered a SDS C4 from Hong Kong (never thought i'd say that). DHL delivery shows it will be on my door step tomorrow. Now i can finally find out why my stupid airmatic warning is on. I looked at alot of older post but dont see anything more up to date. Can anyone tell me the low down on what to expect from these clones? I hear one post talk about you can do coding but you cant actually program/flash a ecu because if the device is online and connect to benz they will black list the device and then it's no better than i boat anchor. But others say they go online with no issues. Any tips or tricks to know? Anything i should do with it and anything to stay away from? I'm a mechanic and program american and asian cars several times a week so i have no worries about this obvious stuff and i am not scarred about developer mode. Im pretty much looking for the low down when it comes to capabilities since its a clone. Hope this makes sense.

Here's what i got. http://m.obd16shop.com/wholesale/mb...Ai-N7WoNe95n32EVw4p75y-PN1eqOzEQaAgR1EALw_wcB

 

[cowboyt]

First and foremost, you did the right thing.

It used to be that you could do your own offline coding. Unfortunately, M-B got "smart" and decided to take that away, probably because people figured out they could do it themselves. With recent STAR versions, you've got to download everything from their Web site, and that requires, naturally, an account with them at high dollar. I'll leave it to you to determine why they might've done that.

The version of STAR that comes with your setup will do code reading and some basic tweaks to the cars. For example, it should have no problem tweaking your speed limiter if you should so choose. Full developer mode should also be available. You just won't have offline programming with that newer version.

Supposedly, you can do full-blown offline programming with the November 2012 version of the software. From, I believe, the 2005 model years, M-B introduced yet another obstacle with at least some of their cars. It's called "SCN coding", and you need this code to "unlock" a computer module so that you can actually program it. That, too, has to be done at the dealer now, unless you've somehow cracked the code. Sigh....

Fortunately, my cars are pre-2005, so hopefully this SCN-silliness won't apply. Folks who have done it seem to be pretty tight-lipped about it, though, for some reason. Maybe they make money doing this as a service for people themselves?

 

[MikesS430]

The programing i'm not as worried about. Without getting to tech savy i have a J2534 passthru device which allows me to reflash ecu's for every make and model as long as i pay a subscription fee to the manufacturer ( usually less than $100 for 3 days of access - some more, some less). My biggest problem is that my Snap On Verus at work which cost $10,000 to buy and about $2500 a year to keep up to date is amazing on american and asian cars but sucks on most if not all german cars. Being a mechanic now a days is getting stupid expensive. My biggest reason for this purchase was my airmatic has gone haywire and Snap On dosent apparently know what airmatic is. And i'll be damned if my prize benz is going to the dealer or a local indy for them to give me some BS estimate that most likely will be misdiagnoised.

 

[cowboyt]

In that case, the STAR that you bought should serve you very well. It'll tell you everything about that car. I've diagnosed AIRmatic and ABC issues with mine. Just recently, I fixed a CEL that kept getting thrown due to a $70 purge control valve. Who knows what the stealership would've charged?

 

[Dave2302]

Hi,

Contact OBD 16 Shop, and see if they have facility to do the "Online" stuff on a pay as you go / per day basis
You will not need it on the early MY Cars :wink

Many Clone Suppliers do :wink

Your new machine should do offline Coding on the older cars, my 2014 SDS does :wink

If not get another HDD, maybe even a s/h laptop and load it up with the earlier software and keep it in case, I will not get rid of my 2014 system when I upgrade next year :wink

It is the later model Cars that need online facility for some of the more complex tasks.............

If you are "Software Savvy" you may need to get the EBay FDOK PIN Calculators Disc, sadly I'm a Software Numpty, I bought the Disc, but haven't worked out how to use it yet.......... Again your new Machine may well have these built in, these Chinese are devilishly clever buggers, and have all the answers to this.

I just haven't needed this yet, I'm only seeing latest @ 2010 / 2011 models ATM and haven't needed to go online once yet :wink

If all else fails try and strike up a decent relationship with a local Indie who has MB Subscription, or even an MB Parts man, and they will likely help you with the codes for a small consideration of beer tokens :devil

HTH,

Cheers Dave

 

[tusabes]

Many of the SDS menus are in German though, so even if your good at programming you'll also need to be goid in reading German or translating everyting using google translate

 

[cowboyt]

Dave, have you figured out how to bypass the need for SCN codes? My understanding is that you *have* to get those from M-B to unlock the module so you can program it.

 

[Dave2302]

Hi,

Sorry, gotta be brief, a lot to do before Sat, Mels Bro on death bed now, got to get them back down South Sat :frown

The only SDS Menu's I've ever seen in German are Developer Mode stuff :wink

These codes are not needed for everything, only certain modules, that's how I understand it.

To get the Pin Codes, you need a disc of Calculators, I've got one but I haven't sussed out yet, EBay sells the disc, as in my post above, or someone with online subscription will help out.

Some SDS sellers will do a Pay As You Go for access to their server to do these functions, the outfit in UK that I'm going to buy my update machine from do this.

Cheers Dave

 

[MikesS430]

Alright, got my chinese product. Seams to work exactly like it should. I managed to go into the instrument cluster and turn teleaid from oresent to not present and now i dont get that stupid teleaid warning.......already worth its weight in gold for that alone.

The only 2 issues i see is they sent me the charger for the laptop thats for overseas plug and not usa wall outlets, no biggie....the other issue is EPC &WIS have a quick link in the desktop that when clicked on go to an official benz website but it needs a user name and password......um, i guess i dont get that feature in my stolen software?

Xentry/DAS seam easy to navigate and im sure with time i will be fast with it.

Im an idiot and didnt write down the code for my airmatic issue but it said it was a pressure issue between the pump and the valve block. While playing around the pump did sound a little.....umm.....past its prime. But as i have said in previous post the car NEVER drops even after several days of sitting so hopefully a new pump will cure it.

Anybody know of any good videos to watch that may give me some training on this device?

 

[pinkster]

Mike that is not an official website, it is a server login for your laptop to use the offline EPC. the username is "admin" and the password I think is "start" for a fresh install. Might be "12345" let me know if it works or not I'll get back to you with some help.
On the desktop you should have "Xentry" and a simulation Xentry. Start the Sim Xentry and just play with it, no need to have the MUX plugged in. This is a great way to learn the system and just what it can do.

The EPC database should be installed and the laptop for you so you will just need to setup a user account for yourself. The WIS will be opened from inside Xentry with one of the buttons on the left side, also when running Xentry you will find a link to the right section in WIS for whatever you are working with.

Enjoy and there is more help if needed in the W220 encycopedia, or just ask here if you need more.

 

[wallyp]

On my system, "admin" and "12345" work.

 

[Dave2302]

Mike that is not an official website, it is a server login for your laptop to use the offline EPC. the username is "admin" and the password I think is "start" for a fresh install. Might be "12345" let me know if it works or not I'll get back to you with some help.
On the desktop you should have "Xentry" and a simulation Xentry. Start the Sim Xentry and just play with it, no need to have the MUX plugged in. This is a great way to learn the system and just what it can do.

The EPC database should be installed and the laptop for you so you will just need to setup a user account for yourself. The WIS will be opened from inside Xentry with one of the buttons on the left side, also when running Xentry you will find a link to the right section in WIS for whatever you are working with.

Enjoy and there is more help if needed in the W220 encycopedia, or just ask here if you need more.

Hi,

For WIS / ASRA / EPC :-

admin is user name
12345 is p/w

To clarify what Dean said re MUX, it needs to be plugged into Laptop, but not Car for Demo / Training mode, well it does on mine anyway :wink

HTH,

Cheers Dave

 

[MikesS430]

Ok, thanks guys....thats user and password worked.

Do you guys have internet hooked up though? I hear rumors about you cant connect because MB will blacklist tour software. Any truth?

 

[pinkster]

No I don't use the internet with mine. You can if you change a setting, if you do use it for internet without making the change the system will need new access key strings. As for the mux not sure what will happen if anything.

 

[wallyp]

I have very carefully kept my system off of the internet. There are occasional complaints from the system after it tries unsuccessfully to call home, but no ill effects ever noted.

 

[Dave2302]

Hi,

I have actually removed the wireless card from mine :grin

This was after my own quite expensive "Land Rover" clone bricked itself when some "knob" in my old bosses workshop clicked the google icon and tried to get his email on it :frown

(Not me btw) :grin

Cheers dave

 

[cowboyt]

One has to be very careful about connectivity to the Internet. I'd heard that this software likes to "phone home", and I'm not going to let it do that. Since I use the C3 MUX, there's no reason for my laptop to need any sort of TCP/IP connectivity to anything.

 

[wallyp]

And, since the computer operating system for DAS/STAR is almost always XP, and Microsoft killed XP support a long time ago, the computer has no need to call home either.

 

[MikesS430]

Mine is windows 7 ultimate. I did log on to the internet not knowing any better. I have since turned the wifi back off. But no difference in the way everything works.

 

[Dave2302]

Hi,

Yes, I think the Chinese Whiz Kids have sorted the Software in such a way that it can go on the Internet, but not near an MB Server.

After all, they have installed "Team Viewer", so they can help with after sales service if needed :wink

Cheers Dave