SL/R230: Setting Clock with Comand removed - Solution
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 45
Likes: 2
From: Denmark
06 S500 93 G350 08 Smart
Setting Clock with Comand removed - Solution
Lots have said that you can't set the clock when the Comand has been replaced with another Head Unit...
Off Course you can.
You need Star with Developer mode
The following will enable you to set the hours/minutes in the menu where you normally can only shift between 12H/24H formats
Go to:
"Control units"
"Information and communication"
"ICM - Instument cluster with maintenance interval display"
"Diagnosis to plant specifications"
"Control unit adaptations"
"Control unit adaptations (variant coding)"
"Variantenkodierung Werkseinstellungen"
Scroll down and set "Uhrenverstellung" to "enable"
Bonus:
If you want the tank content to show in your range field you can also set
"Bild reichweite und Tankinfo" to enable.
To make these changes work the cluster needs a reset, there's probably a very easy way to do this, but i do it this way:
Go back to the menu:
"ICM - Instument cluster with maintenance interval display"
"Control unit adaptations"
"Special equipment"
Set for instance "DTR Distronic" to "Present" if it isn't present and "Not present" if is present
Now press "F5" and answer "Yes" to write codings to the cluster, this takes around 7 seconds including the reset.
Now change the value for "DTR Distronic" back to what it was and press "F5" and "Yes" again to restore the original setting.
You will now be able to set hours and minutes in the cluster menu.
If you also activated the tank content this will now be shown below your range.
Does it work ? Yes it does, I just did it on my 2002 SL with chinese head unit.
Regards from Denmark
Per
Off Course you can.
You need Star with Developer mode
The following will enable you to set the hours/minutes in the menu where you normally can only shift between 12H/24H formats
Go to:
"Control units"
"Information and communication"
"ICM - Instument cluster with maintenance interval display"
"Diagnosis to plant specifications"
"Control unit adaptations"
"Control unit adaptations (variant coding)"
"Variantenkodierung Werkseinstellungen"
Scroll down and set "Uhrenverstellung" to "enable"
Bonus:
If you want the tank content to show in your range field you can also set
"Bild reichweite und Tankinfo" to enable.
To make these changes work the cluster needs a reset, there's probably a very easy way to do this, but i do it this way:
Go back to the menu:
"ICM - Instument cluster with maintenance interval display"
"Control unit adaptations"
"Special equipment"
Set for instance "DTR Distronic" to "Present" if it isn't present and "Not present" if is present
Now press "F5" and answer "Yes" to write codings to the cluster, this takes around 7 seconds including the reset.
Now change the value for "DTR Distronic" back to what it was and press "F5" and "Yes" again to restore the original setting.
You will now be able to set hours and minutes in the cluster menu.
If you also activated the tank content this will now be shown below your range.
Does it work ? Yes it does, I just did it on my 2002 SL with chinese head unit.
Regards from Denmark
Per
Last edited by mbpeppe; Jun 5, 2014 at 02:47 AM.
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c250
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Joined: May 2013
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From: Maryland
MBs: SL55, GLK350
Good info! I'm going to try the fuel remain display on mine. Do you know of any other hidden features or settings that can be accessed with star das for our r230s? (Ie lighting modes/tweaks or other cluster display options?)
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c250
Thanks,
Joe
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SL550
I'm with you...great idea. Being new to this R230 world my question is about disconnecting the consumer/trunk battery...can I really take the ground cable off for a second then put it back on without creating all sorts of unintended consequences? I have an aftermarket radio/nav unit. The dash clock is off and I would love to get it back to the correct time but have not been motivated to put much effort into it. I would definitely undo the battery cable IF no other worries. Thanks, Mark
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Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 45
Likes: 2
From: Denmark
06 S500 93 G350 08 Smart
I seem to remeber that the Consumer battery needs to be disconnected for more than one minute for the clock to reset, But i might be wrong.
Other than that no worries.
I only did the guide for the time setting menu because i saw it when activating the "tank info"
And in other threads people where stating that even with Developer mode there was no time setting option other than via Comand on early R230's,
Well, there was...
Other than that no worries.
I only did the guide for the time setting menu because i saw it when activating the "tank info"
And in other threads people where stating that even with Developer mode there was no time setting option other than via Comand on early R230's,
Well, there was...
Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 127
Likes: 8
SL550
Many thanks. After being concerned for a couple of months about removing the rear battery cable (from a variety of posts I read which could have been related to other issues) I took the plunge today. So far so good; no error messages, no red lights, car started as normal. I'll take it for a spin later. Had to go thru setup for the radio/nav/sat unit and program presets. Not a big deal. On the positive side...my dash clock is showing the correct time.
Thanks again for the posts, comments...Mark
Thanks again for the posts, comments...Mark
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 39
Likes: 2
2015 SL400 and 2004 SL500
Many thanks. After being concerned for a couple of months about removing the rear battery cable (from a variety of posts I read which could have been related to other issues) I took the plunge today. So far so good; no error messages, no red lights, car started as normal. I'll take it for a spin later. Had to go thru setup for the radio/nav/sat unit and program presets. Not a big deal. On the positive side...my dash clock is showing the correct time.
Thanks again for the posts, comments...Mark
Thanks again for the posts, comments...Mark
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NO LONGER ACTIVE
I'm not sure about this on the R230, but my experience with the W209 is that you can use SDS to code the instrument cluster for "COMAND/NAV = NOT PRESENT" and this will give you the ability to set the clock manually.
Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 127
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SL550
Hi Funnymuny - Happy 2017! I am still curious about the dashboard digital clock you were able to reset. In my 2004 SL500 the clock has never worked since the command system was replaced with an after market system in 2011. It is my understanding that the clock gets it's signal from the command radio, which is long gone. If so - how do you keep the clock functional with an after market head unit? It has bothered me for years! Thanks for any info you can provide on connecting the clock to an aftermarket head unit ( mine is an Eclipse.)
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 39
Likes: 2
2015 SL400 and 2004 SL500
Aftermarket Head Unit issues.
Happy New Year. My memory of it was I did nothing more than remove the battery cable for a few seconds at either midnight or noon (didn't matter since the clock did not indication am or pm). When I bought the car the dashboard digital clock was on, working, just not set to the correct time AND the aftermarket headunit was in. I have no idea about what was involved in making the dashboard clock be 'on' when the factory headunit was removed. Maybe you are correct and someone used SDS to make the dashboard clock operational. Again, no idea. But in the state I received the car, removing power at midnight or noon got the clock to display the correct time. I have sinced moved on to a newer car (SL550) with the factory unit. The NAV unit is quirky, at best, imho, but all works as it is intended, including the dashboard clock. Mark
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2023
Posts: 4
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Mercedes SL 550
Hello & Thanks
Lots have said that you can't set the clock when the Comand has been replaced with another Head Unit...
Off Course you can.
You need Star with Developer mode
The following will enable you to set the hours/minutes in the menu where you normally can only shift between 12H/24H formats
Go to:
"Control units"
"Information and communication"
"ICM - Instument cluster with maintenance interval display"
"Diagnosis to plant specifications"
"Control unit adaptations"
"Control unit adaptations (variant coding)"
"Variantenkodierung Werkseinstellungen"
Scroll down and set "Uhrenverstellung" to "enable"
Bonus:
If you want the tank content to show in your range field you can also set
"Bild reichweite und Tankinfo" to enable.
To make these changes work the cluster needs a reset, there's probably a very easy way to do this, but i do it this way:
Go back to the menu:
"ICM - Instument cluster with maintenance interval display"
"Control unit adaptations"
"Special equipment"
Set for instance "DTR Distronic" to "Present" if it isn't present and "Not present" if is present
Now press "F5" and answer "Yes" to write codings to the cluster, this takes around 7 seconds including the reset.
Now change the value for "DTR Distronic" back to what it was and press "F5" and "Yes" again to restore the original setting.
You will now be able to set hours and minutes in the cluster menu.
If you also activated the tank content this will now be shown below your range.
Does it work ? Yes it does, I just did it on my 2002 SL with chinese head unit.
Regards from Denmark
Per
Off Course you can.
You need Star with Developer mode
The following will enable you to set the hours/minutes in the menu where you normally can only shift between 12H/24H formats
Go to:
"Control units"
"Information and communication"
"ICM - Instument cluster with maintenance interval display"
"Diagnosis to plant specifications"
"Control unit adaptations"
"Control unit adaptations (variant coding)"
"Variantenkodierung Werkseinstellungen"
Scroll down and set "Uhrenverstellung" to "enable"
Bonus:
If you want the tank content to show in your range field you can also set
"Bild reichweite und Tankinfo" to enable.
To make these changes work the cluster needs a reset, there's probably a very easy way to do this, but i do it this way:
Go back to the menu:
"ICM - Instument cluster with maintenance interval display"
"Control unit adaptations"
"Special equipment"
Set for instance "DTR Distronic" to "Present" if it isn't present and "Not present" if is present
Now press "F5" and answer "Yes" to write codings to the cluster, this takes around 7 seconds including the reset.
Now change the value for "DTR Distronic" back to what it was and press "F5" and "Yes" again to restore the original setting.
You will now be able to set hours and minutes in the cluster menu.
If you also activated the tank content this will now be shown below your range.
Does it work ? Yes it does, I just did it on my 2002 SL with chinese head unit.
Regards from Denmark
Per
I really appreciate your post here - albeit, it was a log time ago.I wondered if you still own & drive a Mercedes (or even an SL). I've been suffering from the absence of being able to set the time in the car (after previous owner replaced command) as each time I disconnect the battery, I sometimes get weird issues, with the latest being the passenger mirror drop on reverse gear selected has stopped working (despite having reset the store setting function & I had selected the mirror etc - it just mo longer works even though it accepts the stored setting??).
Anyway, I've ordered a Star C3 system to try and finish this myself (as well as other stuff); a specialist tried your change with C3 & ran out of time before he finished it. Mine didn't have the 12/24hr / Time setting at all on my MFD - so he'd got as far as enabling that - now I just need to enable to time setting hh:mm (as well as some other diag related jobs that are queuing!).
One thing the specialist noted was that there was more than one "Variantenkodierung Werkseinstellungen" option - and by enabling them, we noticed that the digital clock was shown on the MFD / dash - and as a result of that, the 12/24hr setting beneath that showed up.
Mine is a 2006 5.5 SL (I the UK), I'm hoping to be able to enable the passenger mirror drop option that used to be on the MFD (in other vehicles - not mine) because of my glitch in that area - from disconnecting the convenience battery.
Anyway, hope you're still around & hope I might be able to post here & pick your brains as I do it!
Thanks again!
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2023
Posts: 4
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Mercedes SL 550
This can be done with a half-decent bi-directional diagnostic - I've just done mine (finally - yay). Very pleased. If anyone interested or in the UK, Cheshire area & needs theirs doing (for free) I'm happy to help.
