Can the iCarsoft MBII “normally” see the Comand system fault codes?

[ZZZZ]

Who was ‘UK Pro diagnostics ‘? David?
Fakes?
At least UK parts direct are not associated !

No idea, but it seem strange one business would have two identical sites under different names.

Yup, I'm sticking to UK Parts Direct - I know they are an official distributor, and can wait a couple of weeks.

 

[John Laidlaw]

No idea, but it seem strange one business would have two identical sites under different names.

Yup, I'm sticking to UK Parts Direct - I know they are an official distributor, and can wait a couple of weeks.

Best way....if he comes back I’ll let you know what he says reference delivery but it might match what they’ve told you anyway !

 

[Submariner1]

Hi Peter- right just been out to run my first diagnostics with the MBII.
Clean bill of health is my first surprise! (It was never thus with the SL....!!)
My unit did indeed interrogate the Comand system (albeit for my model there were slight differences in the menu getting there).
Worth noting my software version is V11.61, whereas yours is V11.41, so possibly an improvement has been made and you need to update?
Let me know if I can help any further
Cheers
John

Hi John
Thanks so much. So nice to see no fault codes LOL.
But if my problem is indicative of the unit avoiding problem areas, and just not reporting on them ... it kinda makes the results, and the unit pretty worthless.

Very confused now.
I got a second reply from the UK Resellers support saying it absolutely could not interogate the Comand system.

And then a reply from the US Support department ... which was the typical bullsh*t support response ‘holding’ tactic email. i.e. the type that doesnt answer your specific question but is just vague
Like ...
“Did you select the right model, whats your vin number, have you updated ( OK the latter can be very valid).” And the so reassuring statement
“First your car need to equipped with the system.”

But of course he didnt actually say, yes it could or no it could not.

So apart from your reply I am none the wiser.

Q for John
When you said “My unit did indeed interrogate the Comand system”
Did it give you the screen like this?


And then if you select “Read DTC”
Return with a screen like the exceedingly welcome




The furthest I can get is this screen where you select “Comand with integrated telematics ..”

It then shows


And then it just returns you to the same selection screen


As if its done nothing.

The question is ... is my car too old, will it only work with newer cars like yours John.
Or if the AGW is damaged does it simply ignore this whole selection process.?

Because it does give the car a clean bill of health i.e. no fault codes!

Call me stupid but when you need it to report on issues most is when one has a fault!

Note I got this same reaction with version 11.42 and the latest 11.61, and with the Audio working perfectly and when it was screeching like a banshee!

 

[Submariner1]

One other question
When you have fiished the update, are you supposed to take the mico SD update card out?
It doesnt say so. And seems to work.
It also doesnt try to boot into an update option.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Not quite Peter, beyond read DTC ( there were none, it all works of course)it went and started to give me the various sub menus of nav, sound, dvd drives etc etc.
Did your Comand screen say ‘diagnosing’ when you were running that menu?
Oh and I replied on the other thread that I left the mini SD card in - didn’t have any problems with that.....
I think it doesn’t kick into an automatic update as it recognises only when new data has been added

 

[flowrider]

I have left the SD card in the MBII ever since i bought it with no issues, i've had mine over 12 months now.

 

[John Laidlaw]

I have left the SD card in the MBII ever since i bought it with no issues, i've had mine over 12 months now.

Just for interest , how many faults did yours throw up the first time in use?
The i980 showed 7 on the SL first time in action!

 

[flowrider]

Just for interest , how many faults did yours throw up the first time in use?
The i980 showed 7 on the SL first time in action!

I can't remember exactly but at a rough guess it was less than 10. My ML350 had more codes!

 

[Submariner1]

Not quite Peter, beyond read DTC ( there were none, it all works of course)it went and started to give me the various sub menus of nav, sound, dvd drives etc etc.
Did your Comand screen say ‘diagnosing’ when you were running that menu?
Oh and I replied on the other thread that I left the mini SD card in - didn’t have any problems with that.....
I think it doesn’t kick into an automatic update as it recognises only when new data has been added

Thanks John
No, when I clicked the “comand and telemetrics .. “ sub menu, it then gave me the usual “Hint .. please wait screen”, as it does elsewhere, when I assume its Diagnosing.
Then it just bombed back to the same screen.

The key bit is yours gave you the Sub Menus of DVD, etc. Which mine did not.


So I am left with 3 causes.
1. My MBII is faulty. [weird as it works everywhere else]
2. You have a newer firmware/rev. Level of the MBII, that can read the AMP. [unlikely they would not call it the MBIII ]
3. Your ‘later’ car reacts differently to my older car, i.e. the MBII interogation software doesnt work with older vehicles / differences between AMG v MB , or E v CL C216. [ think this sounds highly likely **]
4. The MBII’s Diagnostics are flawed in that, if it has a problem on the AGW/Amp, it simply cant read the faults or see the components.

So pretty impossible to solve.
Unless some other MBII owner, particularly with a C216 or possibly a W221 S Class tries it for me.
Or
iCarsoft has a decent technical support centre. Initially I critisised his vague response and the request for my Vin Number ... maybe they know it only works on later cars.
Lets see if they come back with something meaningful ... not hopeful as their support is awful-non existant.

I would really like to see a fault code on the Amp before shelling out £1400.

Maybe a STAR test is in order

 

[LostKiwi]

Maybe a STAR test is in order

I'm near Oxford most work days if you want to take a drive up?

 

[Submariner1]

Just for interest , how many faults did yours throw up the first time in use?
The i980 showed 7 on the SL first time in action!

First time used it threw a Door Sam, for the OL on the passenger wing mirror heater.

Only then did I notice that on cold mornings that side didnt defog.

Changed the mirror and cleared the code, never returned and defogs perfectly

No resistance on the old mirror contacts ... but there was on the new replacement.
Sadly the heater was integrated onto the mirror so not cheap.
But fortunately not the drivers side, as that is MEGGA bucks ... I mean £ ss hundreds!

 

[Botus]

Is there an update for your new toy?

I'd never expect it to work out of the box, support for older modules and or new modules comes as they understand more about how each lunatic manufacturer tried to stop anyone else doing what they can.

Support for Comand could well be different between models, the NTG 3 as its unique in many ways to the S class, my autel kit checks comand units on a 221 and 211 I have tried it on, the comand screen turns on if it was off and on a black screen actually displays the works diagnostics when its scanning it.

Updates to these tools are common and much needed....

 

[John Laidlaw]

On reflection it probably wasn’t the best comparison to see if each respective MB2 interrogated different Comand systems- they are indeed....different!
All we got was variables with no way to easy eliminate errors
and the Op doubting the diagnostic tool!
However point taken from Botus post, the updated do need to be regular - Sub had 11.41 and mine had updated to 11.61 meantime

 

[Submariner1]

Is there an update for your new toy?

I'd never expect it to work out of the box, support for older modules and or new modules comes as they understand more about how each lunatic manufacturer tried to stop anyone else doing what they can.

Support for Comand could well be different between models, the NTG 3 as its unique in many ways to the S class, my autel kit checks comand units on a 221 and 211 I have tried it on, the comand screen turns on if it was off and on a black screen actually displays the works diagnostics when its scanning it.

Updates to these tools are common and much needed....

Yes I updated it when I first got it, and then again 2 days ago to 11.61 the latest.

Great minds, I was waiting for a reply from iCarsoft .... and it twigged. Err we are talking about the Comand system!
I bet, whether it works is based on which NTG version you have!
Mine is NTG3 and I bet John’s is a lot further on.

 

[Submariner1]

On reflection it probably wasn’t the best comparison to see if each respective MB2 interrogated different Comand systems- they are indeed....different!
All we got was variables with no way to easy eliminate errors
and the Op doubting the diagnostic tool!
However point taken from Botus post, the updated do need to be regular - Sub had 11.41 and mine had updated to 11.61 meantime

John,
I am Feeling foolish, what year is your car? And what NTG version does it use?
I can try it on my sisters 2017 S Class, when I next See her.
They really should put in the manual, and on the update info the types of NTG it supports.
Sadly still no response back from iCarsoft.

 

[John Laidlaw]

John,
I am Feeling foolish, what year is your car? And what NTG version does it use?
I can try it on my sisters 2017 S Class, when I next See her.
They really should put in the manual, and on the update info the types of NTG it supports.
Sadly still no response back from iCarsoft.

Don’t worry Peter, I should have twigged myself my Comand Version is NTG4.7 on a 2015 MY car
Pretty poor icarsoft haven’t gotten back. UK Tool direct who I bought mine from have been pretty quick in response....

 

[Submariner1]

Don’t worry Peter, I should have twigged myself my Comand Version is NTG4.7 on a 2015 MY car
Pretty poor icarsoft haven’t gotten back. UK Tool direct who I bought mine from have been pretty quick in response....

Thanks John,
Last night I was seriously puzzled and then woke up, literally, and it was his sentence “whats your vin number” that twigged it. (Purely because I have to be very careful with parts as my car has code 809 , I think that means 2009 technical revisions. Lots changed in August 2008; Like the move to one battery. Plus parts for late 2009 CLs have a lot of subtle changes that matter. So its way fussy!

iCarsoft has awful support, I asked them 3 questions when I got it, no answer, so I resent with a delivery and read confirmation. They read it ... and still no response!
Having no fault codes I just left it.

It would be nice to see the other sub components on the MOST ring, come back No Fault codes.to be sure the amp is Faulty.

NTG 3 to 4.7 is a big jump and yours is 6 years younger! Quite a difference.

Regards
Peter

 

[Submariner1]

I'm near Oxford most work days if you want to take a drive up?

Hi LostKiwi
Sorry I didn't see this extremely kind offer.
Yes I am very interested, it would also be nice t meet you after all the kind help.
I just want to get some info on 2 repair places. Because I would also value your opinion on these options.

And get rid of the tail end of this cold!
Regards
Peter

 

[Submariner1]

One repairer asked if I had reset the AGW by pulling the fuses.
They seem to be all over the place, and some in the engine bay ( difficult as its been raining or snowing like forever). TBH not sure if one needs to pull the fuses on all the components on the MOST ring?
So
Q. Will disconnecting the Negative Battery Terminal achieve the same result As pulling the various amp and agw fuses?
As Thats probably quicker/easier.

Personally I dont think this will resolve it. But surely worth a try.?

 

[Botus]

Mine is NTG3 and I bet John’s is a lot further on.

further back towards normality I expect, the system they dreamt up for the s class never made it on to other models