No connection on W210 DLC

Gumboil

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Good morning all. It's gonna be a long one, so grab a scone and a cup tea

My second thread on this forum and also one of the reasons I joined. After weeks of searching I came across a thread that was started here, by a member called Television. Seemed just the advice or info I needed to cure my lady in white. After joining I found out he had passed on. Must have been sad. I could also not get the images of the respective voltages in his thread.

Anyway, said lady in white, is a 1998 w210 e280, M112 engine. Problem is, I cannot connect to any of the modules via the 38pin DLC under the hood, no 16 pin obd2 port under the dash. I have posted this on a few other MB forums, I figure the more the merrier. Car was and still is in limp mode, got error code P0748 using iCarsoft MB v1 scanner. This particular scanner could not get into the transmission module so as to clear the code. I later found oil in the transmission control module, which also had a blown 100uf cap, which I replaced. Still could not get into the module. Then got my grubby little hands on a Launch x431 with the huge 38 pin Merc connector, still no luck. Got a guy to bring his MB Star setup and still no luck reading any of the modules. Xentry could not even connect to the car. I have checked voltages at the DLC and there is battery voltage on pin 2 and good ground on pin 1 with less than 0.03ohms. Checked all fuses and all are okay. I'm now at wits end, with her. I bought this car even though my wife said I should not. Maybe my wife is the problem.

Started doing a bit of Googling to try and find a cure. I'm a bit confused as to what pin 20 on the 38pin DLC is for. Google says MFCM, a guy on another forum says its the EIS. Reason why I mention pin 20, is because I get battery voltage between that pin and ground with ignition off. I'm not sure if that is correct. Also found a module under driver side seat that had a cable unplugged, which had two brown wires in it. Thought this was the k-lines and previous owner had disconnected it.

Anyway, I would greatly appreciate any advice regarding this matter. Polygamy is the way to go, hence me having two ladies in my life, or so I thought.
 

LostKiwi

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You are correct - pin 20 is the MFCM.
38pin-outputs-746x1024.jpg
Whilst I'm not surprised iCarsoft/Launch couldn't read the car (pretty sure they aren't fully compatible with 38 pin equipped cars) I am surprised STAR couldn't read it (I assume you were using the correct STAR to 38 pin lead and not an adapter on the OBD2 lead as an adapter will never work?).

The 38 pin connector has a separate pin for each control module. This requires a diagnostic device and cable that can connect to each pin individually. As an OBD2 cable only had 16 pins no adapter will talk to all modules. Most adapters only connect +/- and pin 4.
Star connects all 38 pins to the Mux (big black box connected to serial port of PC) and then selects each pin in turn via commands down the serial port.

You may be able to use a blink code reader (very easy and cheap to make) to read and clear codes. From personal experience blink code readers are best used with a break out box.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/113182534596
 
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Gumboil

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I actually made a breakout box. I wasnt quite sure how the original one is wired, but I took a cheap chinese 38pin obd plug, bought 38 banana sockets and a grey box. Wired them one to one, leaving out the no 2. I made sure the wiring corrosponded to my 38 pin connector. By the way, these are the pins or sockets I have on my 38 pin connector

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 20 and 30.

So my breakout box corrosponds to these connections, if that makes any sense at all.

These are the voltages I got with the ignition in position 2, as well as the resistance readings with ignition off

pin 1 ground
pin 2 11.62v
pin 3 11.62v
pin 4 11.26v 19k
pin 5 0.11v 56k
pin 6 10.44v 13k
pin 8 1.33v 9k
pin 10 0v this was removed to have checked
pin 11 0v 0r
pin 13 11.52v 2k4
pin 15 0.03v 75r
pin 16 9.48v 136k
pin 20 10.86v , dead short, tested using continuity tester on meter
pin 30 11.56v 14m

If this makes any sense. If anybody can spot any issues here I would really, really appreciate some direction. Im getting a Delphi clone today, with the proper MB 38 pin connector. Gonna give it a try tomorrow and see what happens. Is there anyway I can damage the output side of a scanner?
 

LostKiwi

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There's little point checking voltages and resistance. A voltage simply indicates a module is present.
Which Delphi clone are you getting.
 
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Gumboil

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Hi. Its the DS150E
 
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Gumboil

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Just finished one now. Will give it a try tomorrow after work. Will keep you guys posted
 
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Gumboil

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Good day guys

I had some time to spare, and hooked up the Delphi clone, with the proper Delphi adapter cable. I cannot get into any of the systems or modules of the car. I cant even check the vin no. I hear the relays clicking away, so there is communication from the laptop to the Delphi and that means there is power. It works perfectly on a mk4 Jetta. I found the bus connector driver side foot sill, disconnected plugs one by one and tried to connect after each try.

Pls if anybody can advise on what to check next.
 
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Gumboil

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Oooh, and I also found what appears to be an aftermarket tracker, with a 12v 1.4ah sealed acid battery attached via two wires. All neatly taped up. Thinking maybe that can be the cause of me not being able to connect to any of the modules?
 

LostKiwi

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Oooh, and I also found what appears to be an aftermarket tracker, with a 12v 1.4ah sealed acid battery attached via two wires. All neatly taped up. Thinking maybe that can be the cause of me not being able to connect to any of the modules?
Unlikely.
I'm not surprised the Delphi couldn't connect to be honest - very little can talk to these older cars. The only kit I've had success with is Star C3 and Carsoft (as opposed to iCarsoft).

Where are you based?
 
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Gumboil

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Im South Africa my friend

Here is the thing, We couldnt get in with Star either
 

LostKiwi

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Did you use the native 38 lead on Star or did you use an OBD to 38 pin adapter?
 
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Gumboil

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native 38 pin. A massively thick cable with a huge metal 38 pin connector. So heres what I noticed now. With my blink tester, I used a red, black and yellow wire to make it like the diagram. I put black to pin 1 of the 38 pin connector, the red to pin 3 of the 38 pin connector, and as soon as I put the yellow wire into any one of the available pins, lets say pin 10 for transmission, it glows bright without me even pressing the button
 

LostKiwi

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I'd check your wiring.
Each pin relates to a different module. For all to fail in the same way is somewhat of a stretch....
 
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Gumboil

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where do even start with this. Please guys, I need some help
 

LostKiwi

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There's really nothing clever about these 38 pin systems. They are just a 12v socket, an earth socket, a switched 12v socket and a test line direct to each module. As long as the pin 1 earth is good and the pin 3 12v is good and pin 2 12v cycles with the key it should work. I've no idea why it wouldn't read on Star but I'd start by checking the cable used doesn't have a broken pin (easy done) or a broken joint on a connector (had this myself).
 
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Gumboil

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Thing is, none of the scanners I have tried can even connect to the car. None of them all of them cannot be faulty
 

LostKiwi

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I would discount anything that uses an adapter cable. These cars are not OBD2.

OBD2 uses a multiplexer in the car to enable querying all the modules. When there is a 38 pin connector there is no multiplexer in the car and it must be part of the diagnostic kit.
It definitely is not with iCarsoft, I'm pretty sure it's not with the Delphi. That leaves Star. Star should have worked. If Star could not connect to any modules (bearing in mind they are independent from a diagnosis perspective) that says Star is faulty or wasn't being used properly.
 
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Gumboil

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What about the launch x431, that used a straight 38pin connector. I doubt its any of the scanners.
 


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