Hi all, Mercedes Manual, the most annoying thing ever invented

I need a simple manual that covers just the ML diesel and not every Mercedes ever built, HELP!!!!!!!!!

I have a copy of WIS (Mercedes dealer manual) it is total there is no description on how to do a job.. in fact there is no sequence either, or step by step guidance... in short total rubbish. And then to compound the frustration the version that I have, has to run on XP... so it requires a virtual player... that wont print anything cos it sends it all to com port 1.. I have a computer that doesn't run on coal and uses USB to talk to printers and the like

Haynes don't do Mercedes ML I never thought that I'd long for a Haynes manual.. but I reckon that would be better than the crap I've got at the moment ....

Does anyone know of something that might be of more help? There are a lot of downloadable manuals on the net.. but I'm loathed to pay for one if it doesn't bloody work.. and if it's a copy the Merc manual.. it defiantly wont work as it's in gibberish  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Sorry to be rather late to the party, but I've got the Mercedes Star/Xentry/WIS/EPC software package and it's brilliant: far easier to use than anything I've acquired from JLR. Whereas JLR use diagrams to accompany the work instructions, Merc include photographs of real vehicles.

WIS not only has step by step guides but hyperlinks across to the parts and to wiring diagrams (where applicable).

I agree it's a bit Teutonic in its phraseology, and the organisation of sub-systems is a bit illogical, but it's all there. I'm fortunate to have Star hardware as well, but even without that the WIS is operable in its own right.

I suspect that the version you've got hold of is incomplete. Can you give me an example of a job you've tried to do, and not got what you'd expect, and I'll run it through my system to see what result I get?

Yes it runs on XP, but if you use VirtualBox you can print from within a VM out through the host.

I've sort of got around that problem, I was trying to remove the swirl flaps, but just couldn't see the correct way of getting at them..... I think the only thing that didn't bolt on to the inlet manifold was the kitchen sink Pig of a job, but got there in the end......

And now it's going in to limp mode... I can get the codes P008 and P00C from the piece of poo reader that everyone on the MB club recommended, I wish I'd shelled out for MB Star... but it really makes the IIDtool look cheap And from what I can make out there are a lot of chinese knockoff versions that can be a real pig to setup.. so I shied away.

Regarding those codes some muppet reckoned that it was the swirl flap motor.. so assuming that mine was fubar'd and the delete I'd done didn't work I brought a new motor and plugged it in..... Guess what So I'm now pulling my hair out and making the dent in the wall deeper I have taken to the web, MB clubs are as much use as a chocolate fire guard, but from what I can make out it could be the timing chain is a wee bit too long Just trying to work out if I can just feed a new one in rather than strip the whole front of the engine. Or better still a tensioner that needs adjusting

Oh and the biggest problem with WIS is the bloody computer it's loaded on.. slow doesn't do it justice  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

I've bought a few Chinese clone Star C3 machines on Aliexpress but have just looked and the dreadful exchange rate means that with a hard disk they cost upwards of £200 at the moment.

I just don't know why the MB Club members bang on about cheap readers - I know Star can be awkward, but that's usually when someone is trying to cheat the system. (Well I mean "cheat" even more than we're already doing by having clone devices).

When you buy a hard disk together with the multiplexer it's usually just plug and play. That said, Star/Xentry is pretty slow at the best of times.

It's a shame you're not a bit closer otherwise I'd offer to bring my Star machine to your ML.

Meantime will ask a chum who's head mechanic at a Merc Indy what he thinks - what were the original symptoms, or did you just want to remove the swirl flaps?

It just went into limp mode, when I was towing, half way through a 200 mile trip... so I had to go on

I knew the swirl flaps were the most likely cause as it would reset itself, but only for a few miles, and the car was showing 200K ! But is alleged to have done 100K on this lump And they were well worn.. but still moving.. although I would like to vouch for the mixture... some of the shafts were oval

The car keeps on going into limp mode, I assume, as it would appear that I have no EML or what ever the the management light is called But suffice it to say it wont go over 3500 and it really takes it time getting there.. FYI when it was in limp mode I could still exceed the speed limit But I did need a very long run up

When I plug my iCarsoft MBII in it eventually says OBD P0008 and P000C, which are slow timing signals... on OBD... whether they translate in to Mercedes is a different matter I get the feeling that it might be something different. Oh and I can't clear those codes Given up trying

As far as the ECU is concerned it has a brand new swirl flap motor, which is totally unobstructed... so it can't be that  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Maye I'm mad but I thought this was a FFRR forum  If it ain't broken, fix it till it is.

...and I thought the heading of this sub-forum was "Off Topic - Other Cars".

Touche If it ain't broken, fix it till it is.

There is also another distinction to consider as well.... peeps on here actually know what they are talking about

I just know we're going to get a bad reputation

The sad fact is this forum has been more help with the Merc than any other forum that I have tried , and while it might not be everyones liking while I still retain ownership of the ffrr I'm not going Call me all the names you want.. Pete has and I'm still here

At least I know my place... the bottom of the page  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Zulu 10 wrote:

WIS

Yes it runs on XP, but if you use VirtualBox you can print from within a VM out through the host.

I've just downloaded this cos I'm now on win7 64 bit.. is it going to work with WIS?

http://download.cnet.com/Windows-Virtual-P...51520.html

Only I have very limited knowledge when it comes to PC's and I believe that the Virtual Player that came with the DVD fleabay bundle wont work on this PC as it's 64 bit Or to put it another way the software that I got sort of works on my Vista PC (32bit) when it feels like it, which isn't very often  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Back on subject: a chum of mine has a 2.7l Mercedes-based camper which on infrequent occasions has a nasty habit of dropping into limp mode but with no MIL light illuminated. Unsure whether it's the same engine, but in his case the general wisdom seems to point to an EGR actuator solenoid, a faulty wiring loom relating to that solenoid, or a split vacuum pipe that the solenoid controls.

It seems that there's a failure mode which puts the system into limp, but doesn't light the MIL.

Sorry if none of this relates to your ML, but will also have a look at the two codes on Star in the morning.

Should be the same lump..5 pot.. EGR was the next thing on the hit list

As far as the MIL goes, mines gone I don't have one and it's not where the handbook says it should be Got a feeling that the light may have been on since I got the car and the bulb has disappeared just before I brought it It started off life as an automatic and was converted to manual... I suspect that is when the bulb did the off, cos I don't for one moment think that the ECU will like not seeing the gearbox anymore  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

miggit wrote:

Zulu 10 wrote:

WIS

Yes it runs on XP, but if you use VirtualBox you can print from within a VM out through the host.

I've just downloaded this cos I'm now on win7 64 bit.. is it going to work with WIS?

http://download.cnet.com/Windows-Virtual-P...51520.html

Only I have very limited knowledge when it comes to PC's and I believe that the Virtual Player that came with the DVD fleabay bundle wont work on this PC as it's 64 bit Or to put it another way the software that I got sort of works on my Vista PC (32bit) when it feels like it, which isn't very often

Well finally got the problem sorted.... limped the car to Stowmarket, spent an hour plugged in to the MB star.. and it turned out that my Airfilter had got blocked and imploded After a new filter was fitted, normal rocket propulsion was restored

So the moral of the story is when you buy a car that has just been serviced... don't bloody listen  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!