When I changed my oil filter last weekend the Engine Warning indicator (outside ring, right side, look like an engine) came on. The deal is 2 hours away so I decided to see if my local regular shop could at least pull the code. This afternoon we hooked the smart up to the code computer at the Firestone store and pulled a po900 "clutch actuator circuit open". Probably not related to the oil filter.
I call the dealer and give the service guy the code. He calls me back 30 minutes later: "How did you get the code?" I tell him. "Why", I ask. "couldn't you find the code?" "No", he says. "We called smart corporate. They told us that the tried a lot of different OBD II readers or computers and none of them would pull the codes correctly. In fact, we were told that the ONLY device that will read a smart code from the OBD connection is the factory smart computer. We were told not to accept any code from any other computer." I said stuff about 'you've got to be kidding' and told him the device we were using was 'smart' enough to turn off the light... We both agreed to see if it comes back on in the next few days.
Is this guy's info any good? Are all the ScanGauge II's out the a waste? Could it be and any reader can read the codes but only theirs can interpret them? Should I pray harder for a dealer closer? I'm soooooo confused.
I call the dealer and give the service guy the code. He calls me back 30 minutes later: "How did you get the code?" I tell him. "Why", I ask. "couldn't you find the code?" "No", he says. "We called smart corporate. They told us that the tried a lot of different OBD II readers or computers and none of them would pull the codes correctly. In fact, we were told that the ONLY device that will read a smart code from the OBD connection is the factory smart computer. We were told not to accept any code from any other computer." I said stuff about 'you've got to be kidding' and told him the device we were using was 'smart' enough to turn off the light... We both agreed to see if it comes back on in the next few days.
Is this guy's info any good? Are all the ScanGauge II's out the a waste? Could it be and any reader can read the codes but only theirs can interpret them? Should I pray harder for a dealer closer? I'm soooooo confused.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by 451 Kahn on -
I guess MBZ would have their looks on the unit. Otherwise how would they make money? When programing the ECU the OBD II connector dose not work. You have to use a direct connection to program it.
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Two separate occasions my check engine lite has been activated my scanguage accurately read the codes. P0410
(secondary air injection) All the data that the scanguage displays is read directly from the OBDll connecter, and so far this information has been accurate, SOoo I'm gonna bet your dealer is bustin your chops! Why else would he have to call corporate to ask about your code? My dealer is about 70 miles away (San Jose) but so far they have been excellent about answering questions or helping me with smart problems. The most helpful hints and problem-solvers have been right here, on this website.
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the scangauge is puss...
during some ecu programming there were several codes logged on the ecu, the scangauge did not register any one of them, 6 or so came up on the startool
also the scangauge gives inaccurate economy figures...
i just use it occasionally to check the inlet temps and the map, other than that its pretty useless and ugly and very laggy
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Andrew D, Well if you say so... then it MUST BE! right?
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Seriously, guys, because I live so far away I'd like to think I could do some local diagnosis of problems. Especially the ones that have (semi) hard data behind them. It's scary to think I get a light and take it away. Is there any thing out there I can buy or a place I can take the car, or is there really no point? Aren't the OBD II reader outputs supposed to be universal from the view of just trying to read the codes? Otherwise, aren't you guys in air pollution control states gonna have problems on where you can take the can to get it smog-certified?
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The FQ101 site: http://www.fq101.co.uk/tsdatalist.asp?cmd=reset
doesn't list a 900 code for smart... numbers don't seem to get that high! That's probably why smart asked you where did the code come from... Firestone (not ScanGauge)
My ScanGauge worked brilliantly on the Subaru Forester. Moved it to the new smart this week and it's not quite happy. Probably because I did not do a full reset and some of the Subaru settings were mixed up. Particularly fuel tank and cut-off settings needed a full reset to get the fuel consumption calcs working correctly.
Early days yet. Just used the first tank of fuel for a poor economy rating. To be expected. The fuel was anyones' guess as to freshness and octane; and the engine needs some running in and the ECU needs to optimise the settings, etc. etc. before any real measurements can be made.
I'm a ScanGauge believer after running it for a few months on the Sube... if it doesn't work as well on the smart; I shall scream.
No. ODB II codes are not universal. It is the electrical interface that is universal, not the code Modes. There are several Modes of code interface. ScanGauge list them as:
Ford products: PWM or CANSF
GM products: VPW, ISO or CANSF
Chrysler: ISO, VPW or CANSF
Volvo: ISO, CANSF or CANLF
Others: ISO, KWPS, KWPF, CANSF, CANSS or CANSL
And don't ask me what that all means or which Mode is the correct one for smart. The ScanGauge indicated a CANSF Mode after a factory reset... but that setting was not quite right. The Scan screen did not show a Ready status; so I changed the Mode to AUTO detect and that seemed to work correctly. I'm guessing here; I would expect smart to be ISO. The Firestone reader may have been set to CANSF or something that did not correctly decode and display the error number you were given.
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Thanks, Ian. I did a bit of looking at the site www.obdii.com and came up with the same idea of the 900 being a bad code. I suspected as much about the electrical interface being universal but the rest of the reading part being up to the manufacture. It may all be Ethernet, but it could be IPX instead of IP (computer networking joke...). The Firestone guy did have to switch his OBD box to the "global" setting to get anything at all. I suspect you're correct about the ISO setting. That's probably part of what the factory guys are talking about.
In the end, I think I shall have to break down and buy the darned thing. Let's face it, wherever we live, we're kinda on the frontier with these first few model years.
The good news is the code hasn't come back in the last two days. It really may have been a fluke with the oil filter and the pressure not coming up right away. Ah, well...back to the frontier...
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i got a "check engine" light about a month ago, i haven't yet acquired a SG2. i usually "overfill" on fuel-ups, to get a better reading on MPG. i have been doing this since new, it took almost 8 months to happen, and went away after 8 miles of driving. the evil engine light has remained dark since.
i got my oil changed a few weeks ago, at 5000+ miles, no lights then. i might do my 10K service at about 12K (i don't use my AC/heat much and have no allergies). forging into the frontier, hoping not to see any arrows (especially the wooden ones from the new bail-out bill)
(kill freddie and frannie, don't give them wheelchairs!)
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I did about 200 km today after resetting the ScanGauge to "Factory Default" then setting the Mode to Auto and then changing all the units to Metric, engine size, tank capacity, etc. The smart and the 'Gauge are now in harmony. Interesting to watch the fuel consumption ease down from 7 LHK to around 5.1 (the official rating is 4.9) as the engine breaks in and maybe the ECU optimises the fuel mix for the environment (hot and humid sea level). I'm fairly convinced the 'Gauge is working perfectly as it did on the Subaru. No error codes or other bogies to chase.
(Old networking jokes... my initials are ISP. I've felted haunted by networks for the past 20 years!)
For mr bad:
The Aussie smart owners manual tells us that we can top up the tank after the first pump cut-off by waiting 30 seonds and then topping off... That's the opposite to the US manual that says do not top off. We need Mythbusters on this one!
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i wonder if this "top off" is for the USA EPA emissions system in the smart. well, i've been topping off all my vehicles for the last 26 years, the smart is no different, i've been driving it daily for the last 8 months, the check engine light came on a month ago for 8 whole miles.
again, it seems only USA smarts have the mysterious "sticky shifter".
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andrewd, try preparation H next time instead of chili powder, i know it costs a bit more!
but this is the first anti-SG2 comment i have ever seen!
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ROLF! MrB, some times you use your wit for the good of man kind.... You CAN be funny.....
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