smart diagnostics? - Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum

MB DNA · 10-13-2009, 03:54 PM

Please see the eBay listing below.

Perhaps someone can help me here? Why wouldn't the smart "technicians" simply unplug the ONE non-factory item dangling out of the DC ("AC" per the smart dealer?) socket (aftermarket navigation system) before BUYING BACK THE VEHICLE?

Things that make you go hmm?

Then the dealer has the audacity to put a $15,991.00 BIN price on a 2008 smart Cabrio w/10k miles and a BUY BACK Branded Florida title - NOT smart!

Yes smart Center Tampa, "the story is SILLY!"

Smart:eBay Motors (item 250511623627 end time Oct-16-09 15:57:55 PDT)

This vehicle has a branded manufacturers title. The story is silly, yet very simple. The CHECK ENGINE light continued to come on. Smart USA nor our technicians could not figure it out so Smart bought the car back from the owner.
After our technicians spent more time in the car, they found out that if the aftermarket navigation system was plugged into the AC socket, it would trip the Check Engine light! Yes this sounds silly but its fully documented in our smart and Mercedes Benz Service department. We tried the navigation in 6 other NEW smart cars and it did the EXACT same thing.
So the car is fine, but sold with the BUY BACK Branded Florida title.

Wdhitch · 10-13-2009, 04:00 PM

So not suprised....... Sorry Nick.... but this is so right up their alley it's comical.

tvengineer · 10-13-2009, 04:04 PM

What is an "AC socket?"

Or do they mean the OBDII socket?? or the DC Socket???/

TMACK · 10-13-2009, 04:07 PM

Pretty sure the DC PO, unless he's got some inverter installed?

**jimvw57** · 10-13-2009, 05:11 PM

Could be the ACC or accesories socket. They don't call them lighters anymore because most people use them for accessories. And smartfortwo's don't have an ashtray...

Mud Pie · 10-13-2009, 05:18 PM

I don't buy it, literally and figuratively.

Something else is afoul, even a faulty DC adapter or a faulty GPS should not kick on the Check Engine light.

The DC socket only supplies 12Vdc power, it doesn't feed info into the OBDII/CANBus network. There is no send/receive data going on here.

If anything, if the GPS was faulty, it would blow the fuse.

As RoboCop would say,

"Step Away From The Vehicle, Final Warning !!"

Turbo42 · 10-13-2009, 05:28 PM

OK since none of you know anything about this and I was the service writer for this car and yes we had problems with the check engine light and yes it is legit. The gps is what caused the light to come on. We bought the car back from him and he got in his new one and came back the next day with a check engine light on in the new car. These are not normal codes either they are U codes with that being said its known its a wiring issue. The car never came into the dealer with the Gps in it. So we could not trace it to that. When he brought his new car back with the same code we knew it was something he was doing to the car and yes it was the GPS. Also no it would not blow the fuse it is sending a bad signal. I know the customer and this car very very well. Also no its not the smart centers fault either we have two of the best techs there that there are for smart.

Wdhitch · 10-13-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babybenz

OK since none of you know anything about this and I was the service writer for this car and yes we had problems with the check engine light and yes it is legit. The gps is what caused the light to come on. We bought the car back from him and he got in his new one and came back the next day with a check engine light on in the new car. These are not normal codes either they are U codes with that being said its known its a wiring issue. The car never came into the dealer with the Gps in it. So we could not trace it to that. When he brought his new car back with the same code we knew it was something he was doing to the car and yes it was the GPS. Also no it would not blow the fuse it is sending a bad signal. I know the customer and this car very very well. Also no its not the smart centers fault either we have two of the best techs there that there are for smart.

I wondered if you had your hands in this.... Why didn't they just replace the computer? Wouldn't that have solved the problem? I know it's probably not that easy but figured I'd ask...

Turbo42 · 10-13-2009, 05:36 PM

Everything was replaced in this car the me control unit, sam, and trans control unit

TMACK · 10-13-2009, 05:38 PM

Well, it does beg the question: how does a what-ever-faulty GPS inject a signal to the (I assume) DC PO to disrupt the ECU?