What to do in my difficult situation...?

[Adventurise]

Hi,

Complicated issue so I will bullet point it for simplicity:
* Bought LHD SLK200 (170) in London in Sept 07, which has been converted to RHD driving by previous owner in May 2006 (i.e. instrument and lights changed by Merc and I have the bill). All going very well.
* Just realised that although the instrument cluster has "miles" on the little screen, the vehicle is counting kilometres, which are being read by the mileometer as miles. Concerned.
* Garage where the work was done closed in late 2006, but some engineers have moved to a closeby garage. I saw them.
* They said that they cannot fix it unless I buy a new instrument cluster and then will try it. I will have to pay labour too (looking about £1000, just to check it!). They said that the cluster that I have is 'hard-wired' in miles and cannot even count km.
* I have done 20,000 'miles' since purchase (total 58k), but these miles are actually kilometres, so should be down on mileometer as approx 12,000 miles (so total should show 50k). Real problem is that the SLK is counting kms and it will get worse the more I drive!
* One solution is to turn it back to km (as the previous owner gave me the km intrument cluster too) - but the 58k miles will be turned into an even inaccurate km figure of 93k km, but 80k is the right figure! Plus the labour charge will be £300+ and I am not sure if it would pass an MOT with a km cluster only?

...Thanks for reading...any ideas?

 

[panason1c]

Hi,

The fact that a 'mph' cluster was fitted but that it is still recording distance in KPH says to me that the mph/kph signal is generated from the vehicles ecu and not from within the cluster......Just a thought, but it might be worth checking whether the ecu can be re-coded by 'star' from kph to mph. I suspect the mph/kph generated signal is sent to the cluster from the vehicles ECU.

The speedometer is NOT part of the mot test and therefore a kph speedo is irrelevent.

Finally, if you did refit the kph cluster there are 'specialists' around who can 'correct' your odometer to any figure you wish.......

 

[television]

Hard getting ones head around this one.
Normally the info from the old cluster is downloaded into STAR and put into the new one, but this could not be done on a conversion. It is the cluster that is programmed, and the ECU as far as I know is the same for LHD and RHD.

Maybe this is something that Alfie can answer, and I am sure it is only a matter of programming the cluster

 

[Alfie]

You need to see someone who is adept with STAR to sort this out.

I'm pretty sure it can be done as we have done similar things for customers. It is possible to change the total mileage reading in STAR! However, before anyone asks, the answer is NO.

 

[Myros]

Try digidash at Bamber bridge nr Preston

this is the kind of thing he knows about.
He fixed the cluster on the mem's 210 very professionally. I'm sure he does postal work, or if not, probably has a colleague more local to you.

http://www.digidashnorthwest.co.uk/

 

[Adventurise]

Thanks

Hi Guys, Thanks for the tips. Alfie - Can you given me a quote to do the work. If you are unwilling to correct the mileage to the right number, fine, but I really want the thing to start counting miles not kms, thereby allowing me to enjoy the car rather than stressing about its rapid deterioration etc. I have old MOTs/service books etc to prove current mileage is correct.
Cheers.

 

[jaymanek]

if you are in the midlands im happy to have a go although im not sure if it can definately be done...
I have a star so could have a go.