Carsoft SRS/Airbag reset instructions
07-05-2013, 10:22 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Classic Mini Turbo
Carsoft SRS/Airbag reset instructions
Decided to post this up because I couldn't find much information on working with carsoft. For those of you who have tried working with carsoft, the install process is not exactly straightforward and the user interface leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully these tips might help some of you.
The SRS light recently came on after a heavy rainstorm. I now know that some water got into the trunk and shorted out one of the rear seatbelt sensors. Unfortunately, the SRS light does not go out after the problem is fixed and cannot be reset with a generic scan tool. My options were to bring the car to a dealer or an independent shop and spend time and money (somewhere between $45 and $100) to read and clear the code. The alternative was to give carsoft a shot for similar cash but also get a useful tool to keep.
For starters, make sure you buy the correct multiplexer and OBD adapter. For approximately $100, the correct multiplexer will have a RS323 cable that connects from your computer to the multiplexer, then a 30+ pin serial connector to the OBD2 port. I bought the wrong multiplexer from ebay (about $65 shipped) that had two RS323 ports on the multiplexer. This is the dead giveaway. You need the 30+ pins. I opened the $65 OBD connector and found there were only 3 wires. The $100 OBD connector had 14 of the 16 pins wired.
So this is the order of operations I performed to successfully scan and clear my SRS light:
SCAN:
1- Assemble the scanner. Connect the RS232 cable and OBD2 connector.
2- Turn on the computer
3- Connect the scanner's RS232 cable to the computer
4- Turn on the ignition. The lights on the dash and the navigation should boot.
5- Connect the scanner to the car via the OBD2 connector
6- Launch the carsoft software
8- Change the interface to be OBD 16 pin specific
9- Go to the digital scan for error codes. Select the Airbag option.
10- Wait and the fault code and information should show up. If this doesnt work, or claims the module does not exist, close the carsoft software, disconnect the scanner from the OBD port, pull the key from the ignition and start again from #4.
Clear the code:
11- Close the carsoft software, disconnect the scanner from the OBD port, pull the key from the ignition
12- Turn on the ignition. The lights on the dash and the navigation should boot.
13- Connect the scanner to the car via the OBD2 connector
14- Launch the carsoft software
15- Change the interface to be OBD 16 pin specific
16- Go to the digital error clearing menu. Select the airbag option.
17- Wait for it to "build communication to module" etc.
18- A window will pop up asking you to turn the ignition off and back on again. DO NOT PRESS OK YET.
19- Turn off the ignition, no need to pull the key out. Wait 10 seconds and turn on the ignition again.
20- Go back to the computer and press the OK. Your SRS/Malfunction code should now be cleared.
The multiplexer and software was a bit unreliable at times with poor error handling. The code reading part usually takes about 2 minutes. The code clearing procedures took approximately 5 minutes. Sometimes the process would hang while still showing a moving progress bar. If you're ever waiting over 5 minutes, you should cancel the process, Close the carsoft software, disconnect the scanner from the OBD port, pull the key from the ignition and start over again.
The SRS light recently came on after a heavy rainstorm. I now know that some water got into the trunk and shorted out one of the rear seatbelt sensors. Unfortunately, the SRS light does not go out after the problem is fixed and cannot be reset with a generic scan tool. My options were to bring the car to a dealer or an independent shop and spend time and money (somewhere between $45 and $100) to read and clear the code. The alternative was to give carsoft a shot for similar cash but also get a useful tool to keep.
For starters, make sure you buy the correct multiplexer and OBD adapter. For approximately $100, the correct multiplexer will have a RS323 cable that connects from your computer to the multiplexer, then a 30+ pin serial connector to the OBD2 port. I bought the wrong multiplexer from ebay (about $65 shipped) that had two RS323 ports on the multiplexer. This is the dead giveaway. You need the 30+ pins. I opened the $65 OBD connector and found there were only 3 wires. The $100 OBD connector had 14 of the 16 pins wired.
So this is the order of operations I performed to successfully scan and clear my SRS light:
SCAN:
1- Assemble the scanner. Connect the RS232 cable and OBD2 connector.
2- Turn on the computer
3- Connect the scanner's RS232 cable to the computer
4- Turn on the ignition. The lights on the dash and the navigation should boot.
5- Connect the scanner to the car via the OBD2 connector
6- Launch the carsoft software
8- Change the interface to be OBD 16 pin specific
9- Go to the digital scan for error codes. Select the Airbag option.
10- Wait and the fault code and information should show up. If this doesnt work, or claims the module does not exist, close the carsoft software, disconnect the scanner from the OBD port, pull the key from the ignition and start again from #4.
Clear the code:
11- Close the carsoft software, disconnect the scanner from the OBD port, pull the key from the ignition
12- Turn on the ignition. The lights on the dash and the navigation should boot.
13- Connect the scanner to the car via the OBD2 connector
14- Launch the carsoft software
15- Change the interface to be OBD 16 pin specific
16- Go to the digital error clearing menu. Select the airbag option.
17- Wait for it to "build communication to module" etc.
18- A window will pop up asking you to turn the ignition off and back on again. DO NOT PRESS OK YET.
19- Turn off the ignition, no need to pull the key out. Wait 10 seconds and turn on the ignition again.
20- Go back to the computer and press the OK. Your SRS/Malfunction code should now be cleared.
The multiplexer and software was a bit unreliable at times with poor error handling. The code reading part usually takes about 2 minutes. The code clearing procedures took approximately 5 minutes. Sometimes the process would hang while still showing a moving progress bar. If you're ever waiting over 5 minutes, you should cancel the process, Close the carsoft software, disconnect the scanner from the OBD port, pull the key from the ignition and start over again.
07-06-2013, 11:40 AM
#3
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Classic Mini Turbo
i bought mine off ebay. It shipped from China.
It is NOT the star system, it is Carsoft, made by a 3rd party from what I understand, not a MB product. The install instructions are not intuitive and the software can be considered difficult to use. Make sure you or someone you know is computer savvy
This is the exact multiplexer I bought that works if you follow the instructions I posted.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MB-Carsoft-7-4-Multiplexer-B1551-B-4-/300902508020?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item460f2fe5f4&vxp=mtr
It is NOT the star system, it is Carsoft, made by a 3rd party from what I understand, not a MB product. The install instructions are not intuitive and the software can be considered difficult to use. Make sure you or someone you know is computer savvy
This is the exact multiplexer I bought that works if you follow the instructions I posted.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MB-Carsoft-7-4-Multiplexer-B1551-B-4-/300902508020?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item460f2fe5f4&vxp=mtr
07-06-2013, 11:25 PM
#5
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Classic Mini Turbo
