simeybinker

I haven’t yet - I’ll give it a shot tonight.

I had taken the SAM in and out a few times, and although initially I don’t remember this being the case, it currently gives me the “3 bars of doom” on attempted start. When trying to start, it beeps super loudly. The only code I have is P1800, which I’m looking into now.

They were all over the place. The initial call I got was the service guy saying it’s usually $2400, but they’d get it done for $1200. Then when I showed up, they said it would be $2200, but usually it would cost $3000. It’s just highway robbery. Has anyone tried VEpro.ca or similar? Apparently they can clone your existing SAM onto a used or new SAM, and everything works fine. oh, also I bypassed the SAM and turned the starter by applying 12V directly to the purple wire that plugs into the SAM. So the starter and ground strap is fine.

Thanks all, I’ve gotten my car back from Mercedes - it is still dead. They claim that the SAM requires replacement, which requires new key fobs be flashed/burnt. I’ll check the starter tomorrow, but assuming it is the SAM, is there a painless way of replacing this without a STAR or key fob swapping etc?

If I obtain a SAM with key from another Smart, can I install the SAM in this dead car, and hold the key nearby, while I turn the original key in the barrel, will it start? Or are there other modules in the car which are programmed to the unique SAM, and it’ll get angry with me?

Hello all, I’m back, and I somewhat wish I wasn’t because it means my smart has died… again. Actually, it’s my girlfriend’s smart - but I did own a diesel years ago. the car shut off while driving, and would not restart. Not even a crank. Just beeps loudly. I’ve taken it to Mercedes Burlington, and they claim the SAM needs replacing, AND the key fob. Their reasoning is that the key is sending a signal to the SAM, but the SAM doesn’t send a signal out to fire the starter. I took apart the SAM and found no visible damage or corrosion, and even the starter relay works. I asked if the SAM was giving any codes that would indicate that any other module was preventing the SAM from starting, but they dodged the question. I just don’t want to spend a bunch of money to replace the SAM, when in fact it was some other module that was complaining. is this a common thing? I questioned why they needed a new key(s) and couldn’t just reprogram the existing ones, and they came up with some dodgy explanation that I don’t fully trust.

Glenn really wants to get out of the Smart Car game. Or, at least, for the cars I bring to him. The last time I brought him a Smart, it became a 2-day affair involving me sleeping over at his place, and his truck master cylinder failing after he towed my smart back to Hamilton. He kept telling me he's retired :/ I didn't want to press.

2008 Smart 451 gas. Starts and goes into D fine, then when you begin to accelerate (walking pace) it slips out of gear. dash shows flashing N. If you bring it to a stop, it will go to a flashing D. If you keep persisting, the double wrenches will begin to flash (transmission limp mode). When I go to manual mode to view the gears, it starts in "1", and then when getting up to a walking pace, it slips out of gear, and sometimes even automatically advances to "2" without prompting. In fact, attempting to shift any gears in manual mode will not have the transmission shift. If you try to drive it again, it will advance automatically again and again. I had it in "4" for a while - and it ACTUALLY IS fourth gear. I can tell by how it drives. It will not drive faster than a walking pace. The most applicable code I've seen is P1901. error; shift operation. or TSS circuit intermittent malfunction. or Transmission Speed Sensor has circuit intermittent malfunction. Seeing this, it makes sense. the car is ok until it begin to roll. Then when there is no RPM feedback, it fails. There are two sensors directly on the transmission I could find; one on the front and one on the back. I disconnected each individually, and the car exhibited different failures. The reason I was looking at it, is because it failed like this when my friend was driving it. And then when I got it to it, it was working fine. So I drove it to Glenn's place, and he was able to conduct the first clutch actuator test, but the second one failed. Not sure what the second test entails, or if it requires the transmission RPM sensor. After the second actuator test failed, the car now exhibits this transmission problem all the time. Which I somewhat prefer. I had a diesel 450 that had the duct boot chafing issue, which when I repaired it it finally worked. So I checked this car for any wiring harness chafing or corrosion and couldn't find any. The car only has 106k kms on it. The rear right wheel speed sensor is dead as well, so my ESP is angry with me. I wasn't sure if this was tricking the car, so I pull the ESP fuse and nothing seems to have changed. thanks, Sim

hello all, Anyone here have a contact of someone who has the STAR system? Short of taking it to the dealer, is there anyone in southern Ontario who wrenches on Smarts? Glenn is unable to help me. For reference, I'm a mechanical engineer who works in automotive. I've owned ~17 cars, and have a lift in my garage. I just don't have a STAR. thanks, Sim

SOLVED! I got ambitious and had it towed an hour away to Uncle Glenn's place. I had no way of easily returning to my house, short of getting the car fixed. I was fully committed. Uncle Glenn conducted the transmission reteach, and it clicked through the gears as it should. After that, it fired up very roughly, and we found the alternator was seized. a little lubricant, and a 22mm socket, and that unstuck it. It then fired up smoothly. Apparently if you interrupt the transmission reteach which a chafed wire issue, it will not start without going through that procedure again. I drove it a couple blocks, before getting pulled over by police for having an expired license plate. $200 in fines. sigh.

I found this thread on the Delphi DS150E: Although I don't find any indication it is capable of a transmission reteach

like so? http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-For-DELPHI-Diagnostic-Scanner-Tool-Autocom-CDP-TCS-Car-Auto-Truck-OBD-DS150E-/332319859842?hash=item4d5fcea482:g:Yr8AAOSw7ChZeFhq There's got to be a catch. This whole process has been such a pain in my butt, I expect there to be a catch. I need to flash it? install STAR on it? hack it? get a different cable? Is there any thread or tutorial on this?

Is there a model which is preferable? Any threads on getting a STAR clone on it?

Theory: the car seemed to fail abruptly when Uncle Glenn tried a transmission teach on it. Before this moment it was ok (some intermittent 3 bars of death, probably due to that wiring harness chafing). Since then, it hasn't operated. Now that I've fixed the wiring harness, perhaps it will not be until I get a transmission reteach to completion, before it can operate? The only time the gear position sensor is used, is during the transmission reteach - perhaps it IS out of spec? I think I'll have it towed to Uncle Glenn's... too bad my truck has died...

just checked it. According to evilution, pins 1-2 and 2-3 should range between 1.3kO and 5.4kO. I went from 1.3 up to about 5.0. Additionally, he says between 1-3, it should be 4.2kO, and I'm at 3.8. Is this the end of the world? I've checked with two separate multimeters.