dido1986

Hi everybody,

I really wish I didn't have to bother you with the issue I've recently encountered, but right now I could really use some expert help. The car in question is a 2005 W220 S320 CDI 220.025.

Yesterday I got my indy to carry out a distronic retrofit using new parts as described by David Prokity in his famous youtube video. Since my mechanic has also got DAS with developer mode, we decided it would be a good idea to at least test the system by performing offline SCN coding for distronic before I visit the dealer for a data card update i.e. addition of code 219.

The diagnostic equipment recognized the presence of the radar control unit behind the front grille right away and warned that SCN coding was indeed required to make it work. No plug and play stuff, that was kind of clear beforehand. We ticked the distronic boxes in the instrument cluster, CGW, ESP and system diagnosis subsections and coded them. So far so good. But then, as we tried to do the same with the ECU we were greeted by an error message which stated something along the lines of "Error 85xx, unable to read data". The whole SCN code subsection for the ECU was unavailable, not even as read only data. Just a blank screen. Which was odd, since the ECU is definitely functioning properly, no DTCs, it has caused absolutely no problems whatsoever for the 3 years that I've owned the car. After a quick update of the ECU flash firmware with the latest available version, we got the same result.
My indy guessed that the ECU had probably been tampered with by tuners who had locked it afterwards. If that's really the case I would have never guessed that my car had undergone chip tuning at some point of its life. The previous owner certainly never mentioned anything and there is no such entry in the service history. Just great.

Still, the mechanic made an educated guess that online SCN coding at the dealership may still work and bring distronic to life without the need of removing the ECU EEPROM and manually recoding it first (in order to unlock it and generally bring it to stock condition).


So, after this rather lengthy explanation my question to people familiar with this topic would be - is it wise to go ahead and code the car at the dealer or would it be an utter waste of time and money and even possibly cripple the ECU to a degree that the car wouldn't even start anymore? Thank you in advance.

JonMBZ

I would try to contact someone that has done it. I doubt someone chipped a S500 it's not a performance vehicle. Two people come to mind that may be able to help you MbenzNL or roccos auto tech as they are the only ones I know that do retrofits like this. If it does require online SCN coding it will also be difficult as the information would need to be added to vedoc which isn't always allowed especially in something like this where it could be a safety issue if not installed correctly. I doubt the dealer will be able to do it, but you could ask maybe their shop foreman if they have an idea.

dido1986

Thank you so much for your reply. I'll try to get in touch with both of the aforementioned shops and ask for their humble opinion on this matter. On the other hand, the dealership clerks are (at least from my point of view) rather incompetent when it comes to solving complicated problems which require advanced technical know how. Despite that, they are the only ones capable of performing the vehicle data card update and automatic online SCN coding of the control modules responsible for distronic operation.

cmpcpro

Hey there! I am interested in doing this retrofit on my 06 S55. Do you know where I could obtain the parts? I know MbenzNL was the supplier for David on the YouTube video but I can't seem to find their site anymore or how to locate them. It's been years since I've bought anything from him. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

dido1986

Yes, I'm aware of the fact that MBenzNL were probably the first among us enthusiasts to actually carry out this retrofit, but I don't think they offer any retrofit packs fot the W220 anymore. At least I don't see them listed on their website. As it turned out (speaking from experience), the real challenge wasn't the retrofit itself, but getting the required parts without spending a small fortune in the process was.

Anyway, I managed to source some of the parts on ebay, because it didn't make much sense to buy them new from the dealer (which is always the least cost effective option, but an option nevertheless). I was lucky enough to get hold of a brand spanking new and unused radar control unit in a sealed OEM box for a fraction of the price at the dealer which actually enabled me to complete this project successfully. The rest of it wasn't much of a problem. I then obtained a used distronic grille, wood panel and interior switches in perfect visual and working condition for next to nothing. Lastly, as I had no choice I was forced to visit my local auto parts store and order the two wiring harnesses.

Since offline SCN coding didn't work for me - hence I started this thread, I did what David Prokity had done and popped over to the dealer to get the components such as ESP, ECU, CGW and Instrument Cluster online SCN coded. I'm happy to report that it did the trick and now I have a fully functioning distronic system on my W220.

bedrc51

i need help to find someone to update my data card to activate the added distronic on my 2006 mb s430 4matic, all the hardware was done. the mb dealer wont do it any help i appreciate it .

cmpcpro

Hi there! You should call another dealer possibly? Did you buy all of the hardware in a group/kit? I am trying to find the hardware for my 06 S55. Thanks!

bedrc51

I tried 3 MB dealers in my area north east Ohio,try to explain to add option 219 to the car data card they say car old can't do it . I know they don't want to bother with older cars .
I bought the pieces separately I found the distronic unit new on eBay Germany, the grille and the wood trim/ switches on eBay , the 2 wire harness from the dealer .it was not easy to find them it took time but now it looks like very difficult to find someone to help me with updating my car data card .

bedrc51

I checked with 3 MB dealers they claim they can't update the data card for my distronic on my 2006 s430 4 matic they did not even try . What dealership did it for you maybe they can do mine or give my some advice. I installed the distronic over a year now I can't find the right person to activate it.

TenZero

My car (04 S600) had been hit before I bought it. Although it was a small impact, the Distronic radome in front was removed. I just bought another unit off ebay. How tough is it going to be to get it up and running if everything is in place, and the car did originally come with it?