Older smart support

[smartcarparts]

If I can be of help for DIY items already in stock here in SCarolina or any genuine service parts from our German dealer partner, please call.

sherwin
cell 908 705 7310
email smartcarparts@aol.com

[sunnyokanagan]

Originally Posted by Evilution

Ah, there is a difference between them having the hardware/software to do it and them being too scared to use it. It's a model they are unfamiliar with, it's probably just easier for them to turn it away than to cause themselves possible problems while working on it.

Not that they're scared to use it.

They are not permitted to offer service or warranty support for pre-451 smarts in USA as the earlier imports were not sanctioned by MBsmart and had to have been modified to meet USA specifications by third-party firms, not smart technicians.

[rgaus]

MB dealers are advised not to work on the 450's for the reasons you provided, sunnyokanagan. However, I'm pretty sure that each MB service department is independent of the MB sales division as a profit center and they can choose to work on them. Vast majority won't.

Ron Gaus, asmartcar.com, St. Louis

[briansmart]

Rgaus,

That may be so, however, from the services manager at my local Smart Center, Smart was very clear in that USA Smart Centers are no longer permitted to order 450 parts and service them.

However, if they chose to work on things that are the same on the 451 and 450, that would be overlooked. An example is snow tire installation or seat replacements.

This is bad news for me because I purchased the Brabus tacho and clock from my Smart Center (cheaper than any Canadian and European parts sites) and need to have the car programmed so the tacho will show the rpms. And the local dealership was able to get me parts far cheaper than other sites. I was informed of this policy the day I picked up the instruments.

Thanks to Evilution's noting that the Smart software will support the 450, I mentioned this to the Smart Center here and they were skeptical it was that way and semi-fearful that the computer could show that a 450 was hooked up and then the records would be sent, potentially getting the service department in trouble. Will try again soon.

I pay for my service appointments (albeit they don't charge me or give me grossly undercharge most of the time) and I order most of my parts from them. I'm a great customer, i give them money. Now they don't want my money? Frustrating just because some enterprising auto group paved the way for Smart to see the US market was more than viable.

Anyone have any insight into this other than the issue of G&K doing the mods for US approval? Its not like we're looking for warranty work.

[sunnyokanagan]

Frustrating just because some enterprising auto group paved the way for Smart to see the US market was more than viable.

That is a very... charitable description of a grey-market importer who had to be sued for unscrupulous and illegal business practices.

The way for smart to see if the North American market was "more than viable" was what Mercedes-Benz actually did in 2004: introduce the marque in Canada - a perfect test market about 10% the size of the US.

No, smart doesn't want to support vehicles that were extensively modified in ways over which they had no control, and which were not approved by their engineering department.

Early-adopters get the benefit of... well... early adoption, but the down-side is increased risk of unsupported product maintenance.

[smartie yank]

Briansmart, You need to look beyond dealers. There are many independent Mercedes repair shops, many run by factory trained people who use to work at dealerships and chose to go out on their own. They buy the the Mercedes star computer system and they are not restricted as to what they can work on. Some of these shops were part of the G&K warrenty system and some are not. I had my tach enabled by a local shop so I know it can be done.

[Leroy]

If you want to turn your tach on, the Star Diagnosis system reprograms the dash to do it. Which means if you send someone your speedometer cluster you just hook it up to a car and reprogram it. I have done it many times with my Star Diagnosis. I even set the outside temp to read in Fahrenheit. Some G&K cars read in Centigrade. The main thing to remember is when the dah is removed not to drive the car because the ECU will update the miles and the dash would be the old miles. This conflick will give you in error when the dash is reinstalled.

Leroy

[rgaus]

Kane, Leroy & ASM in the same thread! I've died and gone to heaven! As an aside here, thanks to the three of you for all the help you've provided to so many in different ways... in different quantities, in different forums, in different time spans, heck... in different Continents!... but all very key input for the rest of us.

Ron

[jwight]

briansmart, just to clarify, you are talking about your local smart center and Ron is talking about M-B dealers. Sometimes they are co-located, but not the same. There's Mercedes guidance to M-B service departments, and then there's smart USA guidance to smart center service departments. Bottom line though, outside of a few M-B shops that may go out on a limb to service the 450s, most will not and certainly the smart center shops will/can not.