smart (?!) Repairs

[Old smart]

There are posts elsewhere here concerning early trouble and the cars being picked up by Penske or someone and returned to the dealer. Along with that was the note that only smart could read the OBDII, the very basics of any repair (and, M-B has a history of keeping their repair manual on CD-ROM which only they can read). Whether that is actually true or just stated as so by smart may need some investigation.

In my state I have been told by the chief counsel for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that a VA new car dealer network CAN set it up so only they can do the service work. Rats! One could say, “Well, they are warranting the car and have a mechanism in place to pick the car up, so it is up to them.” But that only lasts for two years. So after two years, what happens to the owner three-figures of miles away from a smart dealer and by then, no free pickup and no local service possible? Something doesn’t make sense.

[Fredvon4]

Old smart... this causes the market stresses to fill a need and usually that fill is with bootleg copies and questionable devices...

I can pay an extraordinarily high price for the Ford manuals on CD though Helms or I can pay as you go on the Motorcraft web site to see the pdf info.... but to really change the PCM through software I have to have someone with the right machine and their own subscription to flash the EPROM...

I followed all of Eviloution's memos about the Smart manuals and noted the need for MB reader to see the real stuff. His analysis of the bootleg stuff was not favorable... IIRC

There is hope, I think, in that places like SmartsRus and Wellsmart are independents and appear to have MB software access... thus I assume there is a legitiment process.. I assume it is an expensive subscription. I also suspect PAG probably has a no competition contract with MB....

[Old smart]

I had a talk with my independant repair guy this afternoon. He verifies what VA consumer affairs told me today; it is that way inspite of a lot of lobbying from the independants. He doesn't know what will happen with smart, BUT, they have crossed the bridge as far as M-B is concerned. He has full access to the Mercedes repair information, the OBDII codes, and the ECU. But it isn't cheap; he gets it by subscription which he says costs him about $1000 every six-months.

If there is any justice in the world, M-B/Penske will eventually make the info available, even at a price. It can be done. I'ts a business thing. It isn't a physical barrier. Roger needs to make it happen.

[Karl Roth]

Have a factory manual for everything in the driveway. 2K a year to be able to read it is a tad high for me Lets hope something more sensible comes along soon. Thanks for the update.
karl