TemjinX2

i think its best that information like that isn't posted on a open forum. Then any idiot can just google how to steal a w203.

TemjinX2

reminds me of the story of that bank robber that got caught because he tried to buy a ferrari all in cash.

W203E35

Very True

acr2001

I don't think it would be as easy as fooling the front SAM because there are multiple units that do what I would call "security checks" before allowing the car to start.

acr2001

I agree with you that no specific details should be posted. But the general idea of how it's done being made public wouldn't likely help any would-be thieves. And the pros already seem to have the info.

slammer111

^ I'd be willing to bet it's with stolen OEM equipment from the MB plant, ie the devices that program the keys and ECUs.

Glyn M Ruck

+1 - I don't think we will give anything away. Those that really want to know already know - for the rest of us we can work out how to better protect our cars. We can always get the Mods to delete this thread so it doesn't stand as a permanent testiment to C Class theft.

I live in a country where vehicle theft is a major scourge. My car is fitted with a Tracker to achieve reasonable insurance rates. MBSA claims that our version of the antitheft system which locks the transmission et al is a more sophisticated unit than that fitted in ROW & that the only way to steal the car without a key is to pick it up & dump it on a flatbed or similar - this is subject to debate. Our traffic police just pick up cars with a fancy truck with forks that go under the car & lift it onto the back of the truck.

First they have to get the hood open - I guess this is easy. The ECU is mounted in the apparatus box on a 240 against the RHS firewall. It is my understanding that the ECU & TCU are VIN locked - If one unplugs the ECU the whole affair shuts down & requires to be re-adapted. If you do an engine swap in SA you need a developers access to STAR DAS to achieve this. The next question is how to get past the EIS (top of the control pyramid) key handshake? I'm open to ideas.

Sounds to me like someone has inside MB access - I guess this is no surprise.

Glyn M Ruck

Thank you - the average American would not understand this. They have a different value system & don't begin to understand how many months salary it takes to buy a Benz C Class in these markets - and Thailand & Indonesia & Vietnam & China etc.

mleskovar

Re-adapted to what? The ECU? If you change out the ECU and have a key coded to match that ECU then the handshake takes place and the system is booted. I believe the VIN only designates what code set is registered for that ECU. Of course I'm guessing.

Glyn M Ruck

Readapted to the TCU & EIS. It is my understanding that you can't unplug & replug the same ECU without re-adaption being required. I'm all ears however. I think Benz are purposely murky on these issues.

mleskovar

Hmmm....I thought people remove and send out their ECUs for 'tuning' and just plug it back in when returned. Thinking more on the theft at hand....maybe the thief didn't know the W204 is basically a refreshed W203, or even the differences in the years or types of the W203. His method should work just as well on a C300. No?


And they should be.

Glyn M Ruck

Yeah - I'm just commenting on what I've been told by MBSA & they are adamant that our units are different & more difficult to break than ROW.

If it applies to a 203 it should apply to a 204. I'm told that there are some minor mechanical differences between key EIS interface on the 204 but not electronic or handshake.

acr2001

The way I understand it (and I'm fairly certain of this) many of the control units are "married" by the VIN number and their SCN numbers. If any one part within this trusted area is swapped out for another, recoding MUST be done before they will talk and before the car will start. To do the recoding you need the SDS computer, and technically you need to get new SCN codes from the secure MB server. The thing is, I think SCN coding can be done without the secure server if you have an SDS computer with developer mode. I still don't see how this could all be done in 10 minutes. Maybe closer to an hour. They had to have information about this car before they approached.

Glyn M Ruck

This is certainly logical and does not conflict with anything I have been told within the reason of interpretation.

FrankW

even tho I don't know how they did it, but I honestly don't think it can be that hard. after all there's that one company already managed to program the smartkey to remote start new MBs.

Glyn M Ruck

Frank - Do they modify the EIS to make that thing work?

TemjinX2

Glyn,

you can unplug the ecu and plug it back in without a re-adaptation at least on the US models. I've personally done it myself for tuning purposes and a bunch of other c32 members have already without any problems.

You need readaptation if your installing a new tcu via star.

mleskovar

I'm guessing anyone with good programming skills and hardware knowledge, an interface, a spare ECU, and patience can do it. The interface and ECU are expensive but easy to get. 'Marrying' or 'adaptation' of the parts is nothing more than the ECU recognizing that particular unit/FRU as being part of the system. Under normal conditions the ECU is coded to accept only a specific code combination provided by a key. Either reprogram the spare ECU to accept 'any', 'none required', or a key you provide. That ECU becomes the thief's key. Once again, my guess. I don't have any inside or extra knowledge not available to anyone. The techs sure know more about it than I do. Hacking is what it is.

acr2001

This isn't the same. The smartkey starter requires your key to "learn from" before it will ever start your car. It plugs into the EIS (in line with it i think) but only works after it learns your key so that it can replicate it.

acr2001

Sure you can unplug the ECU and plug it back in, it still has the proper codes stored on it for your vehicle. But if me and you had the *exact* same C32, same model year, same options, etc. And we swapped our ECUs neither of our cars would even attempt to start.

Glyn M Ruck

Yep Mike - this might be one of the SA version differences.

mleskovar

So does that mean you have to readapt the ECU when your batteries go dead in SA? I think your SA is blowing smoke and the only real difference between our cars is yours has the steering wheel on the wrong side

Glyn M Ruck

No - but that could be an issue of non volatile vs. volatile memory.

Moviela & I have had a discussion in this regard. MBSA openly advertises the SA version of the anti theft system. They would not get away with this if not true. Our ASA would be down on them like a tonne of bricks. It's too easy to check & BMW & Audi would be quick to lodge a complaint. Even the Tracker guys (which is sold as something else in the US) say our system is different. The differences might well be in the firmware.

mleskovar

You're saying physically disconnecting the card reprograms or drops the memory? Interesting.

Now I'm curious. I looked but couldn't find the thread....please give me a pointer. If SA does this for all their automobiles it has to be a pain for the manufacturers to do business there. I could see add on security being country specific but not re-engineering to meet a relatively small demand market.

Glyn M Ruck

It was a long time back. I can't remember whether we did it on forum or by PM. He was looking at the hardware side & said he doubted any differences there. But in that discussion he also said there was no backup battery for the alarm siren in the RHS front wheelarch - There most definitely is on SA models & it's a serviceable item. (I think American models are the same in this regard however) I think he just made a mistake.

If the system is different as MBSA advertise I have little doubt that the local engineering team in East London did the grunt work in coordination with our German friends. A lot of troubleshooting & minor reengineering is done here. e.g. SA did the entire W203 anti squeak & rattle rework. So much of the endurance testing happens here & Namibia that we have quite a competent team of people here. (This was also Jurgen Schrempp's pet operation). As do all the manufacturers with plants here. Toyota has a whole army of development engineers here. An SA Toyota can be very different from it's overseas counterpart. They reengineer them for local conditions right down to ride height - spring rates & dampers, clutches - even transaxles. They went as far is engineering the 2 litre engine & drivetrain into the Camry here from the MR. The car had a 2.2 litre in it everywhere else in the world. This was done to meet a level of company car requirements that limited reps to max 2 litre cars. We put 6 cylinder engines into Toyota Stalion's in SA with a longer nose. 4 Cyl in ROW. We changed the nose on the VW golf in this market & developed a decent aircon for VW. We reengineered all the underpinnings on the Honda Civic for more severe markets & increased suspension travel - and so it goes on. We also have higher than normal local content in vehicles built here because it was the decree of our Dept of Trade under the control of the erstwhile Dr Lawrence McCrystal. Heavy tax penalties made sure it happened. That's why if you buy a Behr radiator for your 203 in the US it's made here for instance. These are not CKD plants in SA. The local content in most vehicles approaches 50% by weight.