Richard

Ok, tell the service advisor to get some out who uses Star Diagnosis.

Then, (all this from memory, so it may be subtly wrong)
Plug car into Star diagnosis, select vehicle etc
Go to Instrument Cluster (ICM)
Click on "maintenance operations ...."
Click on "control unit adaptations"
Click on "national version"
Select "Rest of World" in there
Accept that and transfer the coding to the cluster

Then select "optional equipment" and ensure that the interior motion sensor is enabled (or you will lose the interior motion with top down setting in the menus) and transfer those settings to the cluster.
(NB, if you then go back and look at the national coding, it will have gone back to "unknown", because it isnt quite set to rest-of-world anymore, its set to rest-of-world + interior sensor!)

I hope that is pretty simple.

- To be fair to the dealers,
(a) I guess it is something they wont do every day - they normally run a menu called something like "replace cluster" , which just reads in all the coding and transfers it to the new cluster
(b) Theres zillions of settings in there for all kinds of things on the different control units - I dont think MB tell anyone what most of those do , especially what is turned on/off by the different country settings - I guess they really dont want their dealers changing things as it makes it harder for other dealers to work out what went on. - I guess they also dont really want things retrofitted to cars , they want you to buy a new one !

Cheers
R

Mustard

Richard, thank you very much.

Will take the procedure to them Wednesday and hope they'll accept a humble suggestion along the lines you've outlined.

I'd like to be fair to them, as you say, but its the attitude I just don't understand. Its always been the same at this dealership, and I have never got used to it. Might be my accent!

NastyAluQuadra

Interesting.

It appears that some dealers know exactly what they're doing while others don't.

Let us know how you get on. Still find the whole thing a bit concerning with regard to fiddling with something like an SL where it may appear that you may know more than the dealer. Also, I'll have to try it in German which doesn't appeal greatly!

I've reread the posts below, but still not sure whether I can actually SELECT between digital MPH and KPH using the steering wheel settings (i.e. not at a dealer) when its in RoW setting. You obviously can't change the analogue needle/dial readout as it only has a MPH legend.

Also, why is it illegal for it not to display MPH or KPH? If it was a UK car only in UK it only has to display MPH? Of course as it was delivered in France it was technically illegal on delivery in that country until in the UK. Or am I missing something?

Richard

Actually, the analogue display on the SL55 switches (and the mp/h light goes off and a km/h light lights up)
The SL55 has a little display in the main cluster, which, in RoW setting, shows the opposite of the analogue display. The right hand digital speed setting (which can be selected from a menu) shows the same format as the analoge display

If I remember correctly, in UK setting. The analogue display always shows MPH. The small digital display will switch between kmh and mph, and the right-hand digital display shows the oppoiste of the left hand one.


I know the CLK doesnt have a switchable analogue display - I havent looked at anything else.

R

Mustard

Was in my local today to pick up a Nav CD and locking wheel nuts.

The Service Manager, ( the one who does the work, not the front of house one) had copied a diagram from STAR to show me how to fix the lights - its a small lever inside the lights (cover has to come off) which cuts off the top left edge of the beam and flattens it (i.e. no left edge illumination) , but there is no corresponding right hand raised edge. A bit of a cludge.

The front of house service guy said he had no advice on the MPH/KPH, so I triumphantly flashed him Richards instructions - suddenly his STAR system was out of action, and it might invalidate all of the cluster and...

Gave up, but the back room guy followed me out to the car and said come back Friday and he'll have a go ,and could he copy the instructions.

So part way there.....

Technically, it is illegal to NOT have a KPH analogue display on a UK car. My French supplied car was to full UK spec, and UK spec, for some illegal reason, is not switchable. Why RoW should be switchable I've no idea - I can't think of one country where a RHD car would need MPH if it was in KPH. However, French supplied LHD & KPH cars can be switched to MPH for the very rare occasions the French go to the UK.

NZ and OZ both RHD, require KPH. Japan, an island, requires only MPH, as I think does Malta. South Africa is RHD & KPH.

I wonder if RoW covers NZ, OZ and others, or if they have their own cluster settings?

SL Boy

Mustard - could you give me a bit more detail on how to switch the lights as I am taking SL55 to Germany in about 10 days. Thanks

Mustard

PM me with your fax number and I'll send the instructions over. I've only got A4 sheets.

The driver's side light is a nightmare to get too.

Mustard

Guys- will fax Saturday am.

Don't think the diagrams will be too clear, but you can feeeel your way.

Don't do it with the lights on - danger of hi-voltage, so if the blind spot doesn't get you, the sparks will....

NastyAluQuadra

Thanks Mustard.

Just been checking the latest UK price list (from Mercedes.co.uk), and it states under SL350 standard equipment...

"Electro-hydraulic vario roof, operable via infrared key"

Is this true? Dos your SL350 hav this? When did this become standard? My Feb 2003 build SL500 doesn't have this. Or does it? How does it work?

Mustard

Yes, the key opens or closes the roof from outside the car. First time it stuck, but realised it was an infrared operation, not wireless, and the key has to be pointing towards the door handle.

Press and hold the remote locking button on the key while pointing at the door handle to close the roof and put up both windows (if down) - press and hold the remote unlocking button to open the roof. That also starts the seat ventilation and opens the rear side windows, but leaves the main side windows up.

Handy in a lot of ways - you can get out while SHMBO is still fluffing around, but then stay out to put up the roof.

Mustard

At dealers this morning to have the KPH-MPH issue resolved - no luck.

Richard's suggestion didn't work for my car, and MBUK have recommended they replace the cluster.

back in next week for the third time - who pays for my time & mileage?

NastyAluQuadra

Mustard

Thanks alot for the headlamp fax - much appreciated. I can post it here as an attachment if you don't object. I'll remove your FAX number from the header first of course. Haven't tried it yet - a friend of mine here has an SL too and we're flipping coins to see who will brave 28,000v first!!! (What are the risks? Is just having the lights off safe enough, or should the battery be removed and potential stored tension (i.e. in capacitors) removed?)

Sorry to hear about the MPH-KPH thing. Have anyone established whether UK SL500 cars are actually different to imported UK SL500 cars yet? I don't think the SL55 experience is a definative answer.

Cheers

Mustard

No problem - the dealer service man suggested the lights off was enough to avoid a shock.

According to MBUK, there is no reason why any car, import or not, should not switch between KPH/MPH. It should be in the cluster.

Does your work BlueSL?

NastyAluQuadra

Hmmm. I've had MB Central Customer Service in Germany tell its correct that a UK car can't switch. I'm not normally one for conspiracy theories but theres something not quite right here.

The crunch will be to check a real MBUK SL500 and see if the cluster is different.

SL Boy

Yes thanks for the headlamp fax Mustard. Haven't dared to try it yet either but my dealer says its ok if the lamps are off. Will take fax to Germany and go for it if I need to drive after dark.

blueSL

It looks like you've found a CS person who for once knows something. I think they are correct. My manual says I should be able to swtich but cannot. It's always MPH on the dial, KPH on the digital display and you cannot swap them. Most dealers in my area are pretty dense so I'm not sure it will be worth the effort trying to explain what needs to be done.

It would be nice to be able to hack into this interface, there's bound to be all sorts of other goodies to keep us amused.

Mustard

You mean like resetting the mileage to zero, that sort of thing....

vraa

I'm up for something like this, i'd love to learn! Also i do have a decent amout of computing power just incase we need to go brute force a key.

Mustard

Richard

If the cluster is replaced, does this zero the mileometer?

Have had a new cluster arrive, but wondered about the reading of ASSYST after fitting.

Richard

The settings are transferred across (including mileage etc) (its stored in the speedo and somewhere else aswell Im told), I presume the assyst settings get transfered aswell !

Mustard

I had a new cluster today - took three hours and a constant tele-liason with MBUK.

The technician delivered it "all fixed"!

I now have a permanent KPH readout in the left side oval just above the mileometer - and no way of changing it to mph. I can't even remember if anything was there before.

Is this how it is meant to be?

Richard

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mustard
I had a new cluster today - took three hours and a constant tele-liason with MBUK.

Why on earth did it take that long. It took greenoaks of ascot about 30 minutes ..

> I now have a permanent KPH readout in the left side oval just
Yup, thats the standard UK setting

All U can do is swop the right hand digital display (when its on) between MPH and KMH

R

Mustard

The new cluster read 0 Miles until I drove a few more, then defaulted to the original mileage. It must have been transferred from somewhere.

I had the distinct impression the analogue display would switch to KPH, not the digital display.

I guess the 3 hours at £70 per hour is for MB's account...

NastyAluQuadra

Mustard

How did you get this work done? Was the garage who supplied the car responsible as they did not supply a "full UK car" or did MBUK just do the work for nothing (sounds v unlikely).

I wouldn't be happy paying for such work as the car should have been delivered that way especially as it was delivered in Europe.

V interested to find out

Cheers

NastyAluQuadra

Mustard - to try and answer your other question - my SL has no speed read out in the left LCD display, just total and trip mileage.