What Did You Do To Your Smart Today?

[dmoonen 54]

Worked on the SAM today and found a couple interesting things on the N11-3 connection:

[*]a bunch of soldered parts were actually cracked, im guessing from viberation, age and mileage?

[*]tore appart the connection socket and found the burnt pins, picture shows the obvious

Looking at the connection end itself on both the replaced one from MB and the old one both they both have identical marks from burnt out pins from two different SAMS. So I'm thinking external relays may be the next step.

So what I did was soldered the cracked joints, soldered new wires directly to the board and then heat shrieked the wires then applied liquid electrical tape around the base. Looks a bit funny with the wires poking out at the moment but gives me more room to add the relays and solder it in the foot well

Edited October 25, 2013 by dmoonen

[FlossyTheSmart 81]

Those cracks look like cold solder joints. It probably would have been worth your time to go and reflow as many solder points as possible while you were in there. Could have been something funny with the soldering machine or the solder itself the day your SAM was made. Vibration and temperature fluctuations wouldn't help either.

[FlossyTheSmart 81]

Also, make sure your soldering iron gets hot enough to properly melt the leadfree solder. Some of those resoldered spots look a little iffy. It should be a good smooth hershey's kiss around the pin, while some of them look a little lumpy - You might have just made new cold solder joints.EDIT: Not trying to insult, just trying to make sure you get some longevity out of your fix

[dmoonen 54]

It seems only those joints were bad out of the whole SAM. Went over with a magnifying glass and checked each and every connection and that's how I found them in the first place. Not the best solderer in the world I'll admit and rarely ever do it but I get the job done. As you know I'm engineering and business's guy so my life's basically behind a computer and on the road, anything electrical I usually leave it with my electrical team that works for me. This was just a little project for myself because I was determined to find out the reason why it was having issues, if anything turns south I'll throw in my extra Sam and ecu and I'll only myself to blame when and if that occurs.The car just needs to live until March then it's being gutted for a new project

Edited October 25, 2013 by dmoonen

[FlossyTheSmart 81]

If it doesn't need to last forever, then you should be fine.

Not a chance you'd see anything with a magnifying glass though. Have a look at the first image HERE. The tiny gap between the component and the solder means you get a bad connection, and it allows for a little bit of movement. Over time, the vibration from the car turns that little bit of movement into a bit more, and eventually, the solder cracks, as you saw. If you saw the cracks on that many pins on your SAM, chances are good the rest of the pins have cold solder joints as well. With a properly set temperature on your soldering iron, you can reflow the solder and get rid of the cold solder joints, which should help the SAM last. That's my thinking at least.

The more you know!

[KurtMan 2]

Is your new project a GSXR powered smart by any chance? I really hope so!

[dmoonen 54]

Good link techy, I'll redo some of them before I throw it back in. Will update later today

[dmoonen 54]

Is your new project a GSXR powered smart by any chance? I really hope so!

Nope total opposite; a one or two horse powered smart. . buggy for my menoite guy I work with. He gotten permission from the community to use it with the logos still in place

[KurtMan 2]

We are going to need pics of that project LOL

[dmoonen 54]

Oh there will be and some news paper reports too.

[stickman007 309]

Got my i-motorsport 15mm centric spacers!

Edited October 29, 2013 by stickman007

[stickman007 309]

Before:After:

[dmoonen 54]

Looks good izzy, maybe post a link to where you bought it?

[David_18 13]

Yeah, if the price is good, it would be perfect with my Front Coreline wheel (if that fit...)

[stickman007 309]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300975647379?ssP...984.m1497.l2649

eBay.co.uk and paid about $186 with shipping. Super fast shipping. It included 6 extended bolts. Fit nice and tight...took it out for a spin and no rubbing with stock rims.

I bought them so that my roadster setup wouldn't look so odd with the front tucked in and the rear flushed

[yukoner 9]

Replaced the driver's side axle seal. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the person who posted the step-by-step and god damn MB for using dumbass fasteners like torx and anti-torx. Seems that anytime I want to work on the car I gotta drive to town in my gas guzzler to buy a new feckin' tool. Apart from two trips to town it actually went quite smoothly.

[turbomar 13]

Yeah, if the price is good, it would be perfect with my Front Coreline wheel (if that fit...)

These are the ones I used:http://www.ebay.com/itm/H-R-WHEEL-SPACER-3...211&vxp=mtr

[sunroofsmart 0]

OKEY.........to bad ;-)Thanx anyway :-)

[Kofångar-Lasse 2]

Today there were a few sun glimpses between the rain showers

so I took the Triplets out for a fotosession ...

Yours KfL (the notorious almost totally unhumble)

[Kofångar-Lasse 2]

Today there were a few sun glimpses between the rain showers

so I took the Triplets out for a fotosession ...

Yours KfL (the notorious almost totally unhumble)

Edited November 5, 2013 by Kofångar-Lasse

[MikeT 744]

Sweet!

[tolsen 630]

ohdamnyou have a crossbladeaaaaaaarrgh

Lasse has "skitgula lappen" as well. That ruins his photos.

[stickman007 309]

Installed my roadster rims with my 15mm spacers…I love the look, but it rubs a little. Not sure if its because of the H&R lowering or the spacers. I think somewhere on the forum someone mentioned about shimming the front with 1/2 tennis balls?Front:Front and Back:

Edited November 7, 2013 by stickman007

[MikeT 744]

The driver's side headlamp in Snowball frizzed today, so 4 minutes in the garage made that right. The bulbs seem to be lasting a reasonably long time in this car, compared to the green one. I think I've gone through 3 bulbs now, in this car, over 4 years and 67,000 km.

[smartnhappy 218]

Mike.... do you think there could be something minor and a little different between an '05 and an '06 that might make the headlight bulbs last a little longer?I'm experiencing similar results with my two cars. Always had this impression, but thought it might be just me.ps.... not trying to high jack this thread, just asking.