Exploring the MB STAR C3 (SDS)

[Jlaa]

Well! I am in the process of arguing with the AliExpress Vendor about returning the C3 ... So far they have agreed to give me 1/3 of my money back ... so slowly and surely I will have to grind them down.

I got a China-C4-MUX off AliExpress, and I'll be damned if I'm not just *ultra frustrated* at the whole thing. I'm think I'm ready to stop throwing money at this whole deal:

The C4 MUX works some of the time, but not always.

Behold the below awesomeness of the mispelled case "SDconect"


Regarding the DM - the C4 connects to the DM 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time, it cannot connect to the DM. It doesn't matter if the engine is running or if it is off.

• Regarding the EZL - 20% of the time I can connect to the EZL!!! (below)

• 40% of the time, I get an error message that says there is a version incompatibility (below):

• And another 40% of the time, it just doesn't connect (below)

Arrgghh!!

 

[Jlaa]

UPDATE -

A gentleman from Norway on the German 500E WhatsApp Group told me that the cables packaged with the China C3/C4 MUXes are often faulty. So, I went back to the garage and carefully sprayed a bit of contact cleaner onto the 38-pin diagnostic socket on my car and then reconnected the C4, this time careful to route the special 38-pin cable as straight as possible (no coiled up areas).

Below is a shot of the connector that goes into the C4. Not sure what "I+ME" or "ACTIA" means, but the collar snaps in / out to secure the connector onto the C4:


Anyways after reconnecting the C4 to my car and laying the cable out as straight as possible, I was able to connect to the DM and to the EZL, TWICE IN A ROW, without any errors! I have never been able to do that before. Since everything worked, TWICE, I decided to pack everything up and think about it another day. I wasn't going to jinx myself and shoot for a 3rd successful connection attempt!

Some more shots below of what the EZL spits out in terms of info ---- so cool!!!!! All that per-cylinder data is a goldmine like @gsxr mentioned!!



I am going to comtemplate getting another cable from this vendor that @jhodg5ck recommended to me: 38 pin Cable for BENZ MB SD Connect Compact 4 Star Diagnosis I mean it sure seems spendy at $48..... and there are gazillions of exactly-duplicate looking cables all over ebay and Aliexpress for less .... like in the $30s........ but perhaps at this point saving $15 is juice that's not worth the squeeze?

 

[gsxr]

Ugh. I wonder if this is legit, or MWB being paranoid:

 

[Jlaa]

Ugh. I wonder if this is legit, or MWB being paranoid:

View attachment 156158

Dunno….. I chatted with them a bunch last night and ordered a cable from them. @jhodg5ck sez something like 95% of stateside shops are supplied by these guy. And that he’s been buying from them for 10 yrs?

 

[dionphaneuf]

IMO $$$ spent on diagnosistic/measurement equipment is money well spent. I hate nothing more than wasting time and effort due to faulty measurement or readings.

 

[RicardoD]

nice job working the network @Jlaa I think buying that cable that Jono recommends is a good decision

 

[Jlaa]

Oh boy ---- I found something else out this morning -

My C4 tallks to my EZL/DM now 4 times in a row with the engine OFF and the C4 saying “12.3v (supplied by car)”.

Then I turn the engine on…. And I CANNOT talk to the DM or EZL at all … three attempts in a row! When the engine is on, the C4 says “14.1v (supplied by car).”

Then, I turn the engine OFF again, and presto, I can talk to the EZL / DM again through the C4…. Two times in a row.

WTH?!?!

I can think of either - poor shielding on the diagnostic cables for the c4 or perhaps the increase in voltage drowns out the 4.x volt signal that comes from the EZL?

Here I am am diagnosing the diagnostic tool . I think it would be very interesting @RicardoD @dionphaneuf to see if the same results happen on your car!!!

 

[Jlaa]

Thanks for continuing to listen. I think I'm fighting two potentially separate issues at once (now that I have had time to experiment more and seek the advice of the German-language Whatsapp Group).

• C4 won't talk to DM/EZL when engine is running ----> possibly because " But maybe the voltage zu high! I will have a look, in my opinion 13,7 V is maximum. Voltage is much to high! 13,4 is max. Because the voltage is so high the communication is bad and the „Grundmodul“ shut down. I would change the regulator of the alternator." <---- this bold text is the opinion of one of the German dudes on the German 500E whatsapp list. I am getting 13.8 - 14.0v at the 38 pin diagnostic socket when the engine is running and the German dudes tell me 13.7 / 13.4 max! (not sure if totally accurate)
  
  
  
• Heat soak issues. If I run the engine for a little bit and shut it off, my C4 can talk to the DM/EZL. If I let the engine run longer and then shut off the engine, the C4 doesn't want to talk to the DM/EZL unless I wait 30 min - 1 hr and let everything cool off .... then the C4 talks to the DM/EZL.
  
  Note that the German gentleman saw my "GM fault - max temp exceeded (pic below)" and suggested that I check these items below:
  
  

 

[gsxr]

Voltage below ~15.0 should be fine. I saw as high as 14.8v indicated by the EZL for Circuit 30 in the video below (see 0:14). I think that is higher than actual, later in the video the BM/GM module shows 14.2v for Circuit 15 (see 4:13).

The heat soak issues are bizarre. Will your C4 talk to other modules when "hot", just not DM/EZL? The "max temp exceeded" fault is very common and can generally be ignored, AFTER you confirm your cooling blower M2/2 is plumbed properly & working. There's an activation in the GM/BM menu, IIRC, to force the blower on.

 

[Jlaa]

Voltage below ~15.0 should be fine. I saw as high as 14.8v indicated by the EZL for Circuit 30 in the video below (see 0:14). I think that is higher than actual, later in the video the BM/GM module shows 14.2v for Circuit 15 (see 4:13).

The heat soak issues are bizarre. Will your C4 talk to other modules when "hot", just not DM/EZL? The "max temp exceeded" fault is very common and can generally be ignored, AFTER you confirm your cooling blower M2/2 is plumbed properly & working. There's an activation in the GM/BM menu, IIRC, to force the blower on.

View attachment 156202

Thank you! I've been relying on the digital readout on the C4, which seems to read about 0.9 volts higher than what I see in the HHT-Win Screen though.....

• With ignition on but engine not running, My C4 LCD screen showed 12.3 volts, whereas HHT Win EZL showed 13.2 volts
• With engine running, My C4 LCD screen showed 13.8-14.0 volts, which we can PERHAPS infer that HHT Win EZL would show 14.7-14.9 volts .... but I really don't know because during engine running periods I cannot access the EZL via C4 HHT-Win

That being said, I have no idea if voltage if really the cause of anything, or maybe its just one of two issue .... the heat soak thing is REALLY weird.....

 

[gsxr]

I didn't realize there was THAT much discrepancy between reported voltages! Wow. In general this should not matter one iota, unless you are experiencing voltage-related issued, or extremes in reported voltages (low single digits, or well over 15.0v). Next time I'll pay attention to what the C4 display shows. I do know that with engine off, it's common to see voltages in the 11.8-12.4 range, below the typical static battery voltage of 12.6v of a fully-charged battery.

Heat soak, I'm at a loss to explain!

 

[masayoshi]

I too cannot see the live data when the engine is running. If the engine is turned off, the data can be viewed without problems.

The blower fan in the computer box uses an aftermarket generic blower fan. This blower fan was installed with very little modification.
It is always running with the ignition ON.

 

[Jlaa]

I too cannot see the live data when the engine is running. If the engine is turned off, the data can be viewed without problems.

The blower fan in the computer box uses an aftermarket generic blower fan. This blower fan was installed with very little modification.
It is always running with the ignition ON.View attachment 156206

Oh wow @masayoshi! You have the same issue! Can you post a picture of what your C4 looks like? I think there may be several versions of C4 on the market --- maybe some C4s work better than others? @gsxr, can you post a picture of your own C4? Thank you.

 

[masayoshi]

Oh wow @masayoshi! You have the same issue! Can you post a picture of what your C4 looks like? I think there may be several versions of C4 on the market --- maybe some C4s work better than others? @gsxr, can you post a picture of your own C4? Thank you.

I am using C3. It is difficult to do right away, but when I have time I will connect C3 and see what voltage etc.

 

[Jlaa]

Here is a video of my C4 MUX viewing Live data when the engine is OFF -

Here is a video of my C4 MUX NOT ABLE to view Live data from the EZL and the DM when the engine is ON:

 

[TerryA]

Here is a video of my C4 MUX viewing Live data when the engine is OFF -

Here is a video of my C4 MUX NOT ABLE to view Live data from the EZL and the DM when the engine is ON:

@Jlaa, First, I’m not a computer diagnostic person but I can work installed programs.

Anyway, I noticed on the screen that does not work when the engine was running that in reference to possible causes;

That one note that caught my attention said to switch the engine OFF/ON. Have you tried doing that?

Just had to ask

lol

 

[gsxr]

@gsxr, can you post a picture of your own C4? Thank you.

FYI - I measured 14.60 volts at cold start, using a Fluke meter at the battery, with a 150A alternator installed. Need to repeat measurement on a hot alternator (30+ minutes driving), I expect it will drop to 14.2-14.3 when hot. UPDATE: Same car, same meter, dropped to 14.00-14.05 volts when hot.

Also need to repeat the test on a car with a 110A-120A alternator.

Photos of my C4 MUX are below. This was a used kit I bought from a BanzWorld forum member a few years back. I do not know where he bought it from.

 

[Jlaa]

FYI - I measured 14.60 volts at cold start, using a Fluke meter at the battery, with a 150A alternator installed. Need to repeat measurement on a hot alternator (30+ minutes driving), I expect it will drop to 14.2-14.3 when hot. Also need to repeat the test on a car with a 110A-120A alternator.

Photos of my C4 MUX are below. This was a used kit I bought from a BanzWorld forum member a few years back. I do not know where he bought it from.

Interesting. Is yours a real MB C4 or is it a Chinese clone? I don’t trust the “made in Germany” sticker. Here is my Chinese C4 clone from AliExpress. I convinced the AE vendor to accept a return. Note there is no “QC” number silkscreened on the case, and it also says “made in Germany.”

 

[gsxr]

Interesting. Is yours a real MB C4 or is it a Chinese clone? I don’t trust the “made in Germany” sticker. Here is my Chinese C4 clone from AliExpress. I convinced the AE vendor to accept a return. Note there is no “QC” number silkscreened on the case, and it also says “made in Germany.”

Mine has to be a Chinese clone. The Made in Germany text on the sticker is ridiculous. I don't know why they bother.

 

[LWB250]

Mine has to be a Chinese clone. The Made in Germany text on the sticker is ridiculous. I don't know why they bother.

Hey, at least on my C4 MUX "Connect" is spelled correctly.

Dan

 

[Jlaa]

Here is a video of my C4 MUX viewing Live data when the engine is OFF -

Here is a video of my C4 MUX NOT ABLE to view Live data from the EZL and the DM when the engine is ON:

I have now tried my China-"Conect"-C4 on @RicardoD's car.

China-C4 works on RicardoD's car when the engine is off. However, when RicardoD's car's engine is running, China-C4 also is not able to fetch live data from the EZL and the DM.

So just for review:

• Engine not running and ignition on -
  • JLAA's car shows 12.4v at the MUX, live data can be fetched
  • RicardoD's car shows 11.8v at the MUX, live data can be fetched
• Engine RUNNING
  • JLAA's car shows 14.1v at the MUX, live data for DM and EZL CANNOT be fetched
  • RicardoD's car shows 13.6v at the MUX, live data CANNOT be fetched

I am going to return this China-"Conect"-C4 that I got from AliExpress.

 

[masayoshi]

Oh wow @masayoshi! You have the same issue! Can you post a picture of what your C4 looks like? I think there may be several versions of C4 on the market --- maybe some C4s work better than others? @gsxr, can you post a picture of your own C4? Thank you.

I had time to connect C3.
For some reason today I was able to see live data on all items even with the engine running.
By the way, tml30 showed 14.8V and tml15 14.0V on the diagnostic machine.
(I have a 150A alternator on it)
When I couldn't see the live data before, it was in a cold start state, but it was after a ride today, so that may have affected it.

 

[Jlaa]

I had time to connect C3.
For some reason today I was able to see live data on all items even with the engine running.
By the way, tml30 showed 14.8V and tml15 14.0V on the diagnostic machine.
(I have a 150A alternator on it)
When I couldn't see the live data before, it was in a cold start state, but it was after a ride today, so that may have affected it.

Thanks! This is so fascinating. @gsxr have you ever connected to your 036 when cold or in a cold start?
Mine have all been cold starts and/or when cold (but not started).
Same with @RicardoD's car - cold stars and cold (but not started)

 

[Jlaa]

I received my third mux - this time from ChinaCarDiags.com.

• CCD C4 & my 2015 SDS Software - Engine OFF
  
  • LH and GM communications works
  • EZL and DM communications does not work
• CCD C4 & borrowed known-good 2018 SDS Software from nearby MB independent repair shop - Engine OFF
  • LH and GM communications works
  • EZL and DM communications does not work

• CCD C4 & my 2015 SDS Software - Engine OFF
  
  • LH and GM communications works
  • EZL and DM communications does not work

Youtoobz below:

 

[Jlaa]

(Moderator Edit - As of 2024, the chinacardiag.com website has changed to carobdtool.com.) It is the same company - just a different domain.

I FIGURED OUT THE PROBLEM!!!!! THIS C4 MULTIPLEXER (My third one) FROM CHINACARDIAG.COM WORKS!!! Yahoo!!!!!!

I was super frustrated so I borrowed a known-good cable from JSP Porsche MB Independent Service.

• When I used the good borrowed cable with the C4, all the car scanning functions work properly -- even while the engine is running!
• When I used the ChinaCarDiag cable, the EZ and DM scanning functions do not work.

After testing the CCD Cable, I noted that TWENTY-TWO of the 38 pins on the CCD cable DO NOT CONNECT TO ANYTHING.






Well I am relieved --- now I just need to get a good functioning cable!!!
So in sum:

1. My first MUX - the C3, worked to scan the GM and the LH, but not the EZL and not the DM. I suspected it was the cable, but I just returned the whole thing.
2. My second MUX - the AliExpress C4, worked to scan GM, LH, EZL, and DM ..... but only when the engine was off / ignition was on. I suspect the cable was fine, but some weird voltage thing was going on inside the MUX that made it intolerant of the higher voltages with a running alternator that precluded it from scanning EZL/DM with the engine running.
3. My third MUX - the ChinaCarDiag C4, actually looks to be a quality unit (it is a bit more polished than the AE C4) but the cable was defective...... which caused it to not be able to scan the EZL or the DM --- ever. A full 22 of the 38 pins were not hooked up!!!!!

PS I'm using 7/2015 SDS Software. Even ChinaCarDiag suggested to me to get older software than they sell (they sell as far back as 2018 software) because the earlier software works better with HHT-Win, I think.

EZL Live Data While Engine Running Money Shot Below:

 

[emerydc8]

i gave up at step 1 and after trying a second C3 sent it back because it was unable to read the EZL and DM. Glad to see someone was persistent enough to keep trying! Good for you!

 

[LWB250]

i gave up at step 1 and after trying a second C3 sent it back because it was unable to read the EZL and DM. Glad to see someone was persistent enough to keep trying! Good for you!

That and now others know if this issue comes up where to start looking...

Dan

 

[Jlaa]

i gave up at step 1 and after trying a second C3 sent it back because it was unable to read the EZL and DM. Glad to see someone was persistent enough to keep trying! Good for you!

That and now others know if this issue comes up where to start looking...

Dan

A couple of things I learned about the C4 MUXES along th way if anyone choses to buy one. There seems to be a couple flavors of these that all look very similar.

• Try to get a newest designed c4. My first AE c4 mux was cheaper and had no wifi, and I think it was an older design. When I got it and connected it to the car, it would constantly flash messages about needing to insert rechargeable batteries to address some charging issue, and it didn’t sound so good even though conventional wisdom on benzworld and mhhauto was to just ignore the message. Also, my first AE mux had rust stains on the heat sink under the rubber protectors, misspelled labels, screws on the end panel (where the connectors are) that didn’t screw in, and uneven places on the heatsink that were shiny/dull/shiny/dull. I did not take out the circuit board to look at it, but all these things made me nervous so I sent it back. The newer c4 I got had none of these issues.

• The newer c4 muxes all typically have wifi. At first I thought wifi is just another thing to go wrong, but I quickly realized that it is quite useful. The mux uses wifi to connect to the SDS laptop on its own SSID. You can decide to not use wifi and then you connect the mux to your laptop with a long ass ethernet cable with funky rj45 connector, but what I realized is that it is really easy for the green cable get tangled up in the radiator fan!

• There are two wifi “models” of c4 muxes...regular wifi and I THINK (not certain）DOiP, which I thought (heheh) was “Dave GSXR over IP“ . The regular one is kind of a pain to set up. You have to first connect the mux to your laptop w the green cable, then set a static IP on the laptop for the wifi adapter, then go into a funky sw program that sets up the mux, then manually set two SSIDS for the mux to broadcast … “Road24” and ”Workshop” ….. and then set static IPs for the mux to use when using those two SSIDs, the unplug then green cable and the hope the laptop connects to the mux and never touch that shit again. The newer ones, I THINK DOIP, are much easier. Just connect the laptop to the wifi SSID the mux is broadcasting out of the box “XC4PLUS” and you are done. The mux itself has a DHCP server inside and leases an IP address to the laptop.

• If you are using this mainly for your w124 (as I am) then 2015 SDS software and WinXP is good. It works well as long as it has HHT-WIN. You can just run DAS which brings up HHT-WIN or execute HHT-WIN directly. In my troubleshooting, I borrowed an SDS laptop from JSP MB that had 2018 software on it. It had HHT-WIN in it too with Win 7 but was significantly clunkier. I had to run XENTRY, which then brought up DAS, which then decided to (emulate?) HHT-WIN in a goofy vertically stretched window. It worked, but it felt like there was more to go wrong.

 

[LWB250]

I wondered how the later software versions managed to run HHT-WIN. Good to know.

I have a C3 with a 2013 version of SDS purchase probably 10 years ago and a C4 with a 2015 version of SDS. The C3 is my go-to as it is consistently functional in every situation I've put it in, from 38 pin cars up to my 2008 ML550. My C4 setup has gone wonky and needs some attention as SDS doesn't want to load now (I forget the reason, but it's not a licensing issue I don't think) but I have enjoyed the WiFi functionality of it when it was working.

This has been an interesting exercise in understanding the inconsistencies of these product as supplied by the offshore vendors.

Dan

 

[RicardoD]

@Jlaa how do you know those 22 pins that are NULL are actually used? Is there a pin-out diagram in the service manual showing which pins are hooked up in the car?

 

[LWB250]

@Jlaa how do you know those 22 pins that are NULL are actually used? Is there a pin-out diagram in the service manual showing which pins are hooked up in the car?

There is a pinout diagram that shows what pins are used and their function. I've seen one, I believe it was in an MB service manual.

Dan

 

[Jlaa]

@Jlaa how do you know those 22 pins that are NULL are actually used? Is there a pin-out diagram in the service manual showing which pins are hooked up in the car?

I know pins [EDIT 19] and 17, which are not hooked up in the cable that I got, are for the DM and the EZL, respectively!!
Also you will note that 38-22=16. I read some discussion that the mux clone manfacturers don’t take old cars (pre obd2) into consideration and focus strongly on Obd2 cars. Obd2 specifies a trapezoidal 16 pin connector and the hypothesis is that the cable that I got is a “trapezoidal 16 pin obd2 to legacy MB 38 pin convertor” for transitional cars during model years that MB was moving to Obd2 and cars had both the 38 pin legacy connector AND the 16 pin trapezoidal connector!

 

[RicardoD]

Great diagnostic work @Jlaa !

 

[LWB250]

I know pins 7 and 17, which are not hooked up in the cable that I got, are for the DM and the EZL, respectively!!
Also you will note that 38-22=16. I read some discussion that the mux clone manfacturers don’t take old cars (pre obd2) into consideration and focus strongly on Obd2 cars. Obd2 specifies a trapezoidal 16 pin connector and the hypothesis is that the cable that I got is a “trapezoidal 16 pin obd2 to legacy MB 38 pin convertor” for transitional cars during model years that MB was moving to Obd2 and cars had both the 38 pin legacy connector AND the 16 pin trapezoidal connector!

And I believe that's what a lot of the Chinesium 38 pin to 16 pin ODBII "adapters" you see on the market have. I've got one myself that's used for an Icarsoft diagnostic unit. Not a big deal, since they aren't designed to read a lot of the proprietary systems, like convertible tops.

Dan

 

[gsxr]

Pinouts from Snap-On diagram, which is mostly accurate. Pins 17 & 19 are critical on the .034/.036 chassis. The 140 and 129 have additional systems and need more wires...

 

[Jlaa]

Pinouts from Snap-On diagram, which is mostly accurate. Pins 17 & 19 are critical on the .034/.036 chassis. The 140 and 129 have additional systems and need more wires...

View attachment 156688

Thanks! I found yet another pinout diagram that specifically talks about 124/129/140/170/202/208/210 models.

 

[LWB250]

Thanks! I found yet another pinout diagram that specifically talks about 124/129/140/170/202/208/210 models.

View attachment 156704

Good point, as for instance pins 21 and 22 are required to communicate with the convertible top and roll bar (RST/RB) modules on the R129. That's how I know my cable has all of the requisite pins connected, as it was able to communicate with those modules on my SL500.

Dan

 

[Jlaa]

Just a followup ---- the place that I bought the functioning c4 mux with crippled cable from - China Car Diags - was not able to send me a fully pinned out cable. Their "manufacturer" doesn't make a fully-pinned cable. CCD claimed that their crippled cable was good, but just not suitable for "older cars." So, it is as I suspected, these guys just don't think about anything prior to OBD2.

They refunded me $30 for my troubles after a bit of wrangling on my part. It wasn't exactly awesome customer service, but at least they didn't leave me SOL.

I took that $30 and spent it on an AliExpress vendor who claimed, when I contacted them, that their cable is fully pinned. I will see how this new AE cable works.

Something I have come to realize -- AliExpress actually has a pretty reasonable dispute process to get your money back. The system may be technologically clunky as heck, but AliExpress has the right idea.

 

[Jlaa]

I have my backup disk image stored on a USB-connected small hard drive (spinning platter). Although nowadays, I'm sure a USB stick dedicated to the DAS image would be just fine, given their cheapness.

I just did the following to backup the SSD with 7.2015 SDS Software on it:

• Boot my Dell D630 off AoemiBackupper bootable CD (which runs Windows PE) - Yikes, I haven't had to burn a CD in at least a decade, let alone boot off of it!
• Plug in a new Kingston 120GB ($20) SATA SSD into the USB port - Man that was cheap.
• Clone the existing 128GB 7.2015 SDS SSD (which had 8 GB of unpartitioned space) onto a the new Kingston 120GB SSD.

After cloning the HD, I tried booting the laptop off the cloned SDD via USB, but that didn't work --- it just kept on giving me the blue screen of death.
So I took out the existing SSD in the Dell D630 and swapped in cloned SSD - wow that was easy. Gives me a new appreciation for the serviceability of these old Dells vs. new Macs which are a $%@#%^%$# to service - and the cloned SSD works fine when installed inside the D630.

2013 on the C3, 2016 on the C4.

I'll see if I can make it work this weekend. Would be a little more convenient to have WiFi.

That being said, a couple of German guys came to look at my last 400E when I was selling it, and they had a really nice little almost handheld setup with a color display the connected to it. I'm sure it was a far more modern scanner of some sort, but it was really nice. I meant to ask them about it, but I was a bit overwhelmed between their Teutonicness and knowledge of the car and simply forgot.

Dan

@LWB250, do you have a Dell D630? If you want me to clone a copy of my 7.2015 SDS with HHT-Win onto a $20 SSD drop shipped from Amzn to me I'm happy to do so..... it works with a C4. What I don't know is if the cloned SSD will require new license keys to work with different piece of HW.

 

[gsxr]

@Jlaa, after booting from the cloned Kingston 120GB, did DAS/Xentry/etc all launch and run normally? EPC + WIS also?

You are correct, on different hardware new license keys are required. There are typically keygens included somewhere in the image so this shouldn't be a major issue.

 

[LWB250]

I just did the following to backup the SSD with 7.2015 SDS Software on it:

• Boot my Dell D630 off AoemiBackupper bootable CD (which runs Windows PE) - Yikes, I haven't had to burn a CD in at least a decade, let alone boot off of it!
• Plug in a new Kingston 120GB ($20) SATA SSD into the USB port - Man that was cheap.
• Clone the existing 128GB 7.2015 SDS SSD (which had 8 GB of unpartitioned space) onto a the new Kingston 120GB SSD.

After cloning the HD, I tried booting the laptop off the cloned SDD via USB, but that didn't work --- it just kept on giving me the blue screen of death.
So I took out the existing SSD in the Dell D630 and swapped in cloned SSD - wow that was easy. Gives me a new appreciation for the serviceability of these old Dells vs. new Macs which are a $%@#%^%$# to service - and the cloned SSD works fine when installed inside the D630.



@LWB250, do you have a Dell D630? If you want me to clone a copy of my 7.2015 SDS with HHT-Win onto a $20 SSD drop shipped from Amzn to me I'm happy to do so..... it works with a C4. What I don't know is if the cloned SSD will require new license keys to work with different piece of HW.

Thanks for the offer! Let me send you a PM early next week and we'll work something out. I'm at our Flagstaff digs right now and caught up with things here.

Even if my hardware is different (I don't think it is) Windows will still run, it will just be gimpy until all the drivers get updated in the OS. Is the HD interface in the 630s SATA? I was thinking they were PATA? And is you setup for a C4? That's the one I have that's goofed up somehow.

Dan

 

[Jlaa]

@Jlaa, after booting from the cloned Kingston 120GB, did DAS/Xentry/etc all launch and run normally? EPC + WIS also?

You are correct, on different hardware new license keys are required. There are typically keygens included somewhere in the image so this shouldn't be a major issue.

Yes! When I booted up the D630 with the cloned Kingston SSD, directly launching HHT-Win worked. Launching DAS->HHT-Win also worked. I did not try Xentry because "don't touch it if it is already working." I also did not try EPC + WIS because I use EPC + WIS on my main computer with a big screen & Internet access in a VM (as opposed to the ancient D630 intentionally "airgapped" from the network)

Thanks for the offer! Let me send you a PM early next week and we'll work something out. I'm at our Flagstaff digs right now and caught up with things here.

Even if my hardware is different (I don't think it is) Windows will still run, it will just be gimpy until all the drivers get updated in the OS. Is the HD interface in the 630s SATA? I was thinking they were PATA? And is you setup for a C4? That's the one I have that's goofed up somehow.

Dan

Right on. The $20 Kingston 120 GB SSD I bought is SATA III. I believe the D630 is SATA II, but as the SATA III is backwards compatible with SATA II, it works well. Yes the setup is for a C4.

Here is what I purchased:

Kingston A400 120GB,Internal,2.5 inch (SA400S37/120G) Solid State Drive for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Kingston A400 120GB,Internal,2.5 inch (SA400S37/120G) Solid State Drive at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

and now I noticed that this is available on Amazon as well for an even better price of $19.

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-120GB-Solid-SA400S37-120G/dp/B01N6JQS8C/

 

[LWB250]

Yes! When I booted up the D630 with the cloned Kingston SSD, directly launching HHT-Win worked. Launching DAS->HHT-Win also worked. I did not try Xentry because "don't touch it if it is already working." I also did not try EPC + WIS because I use EPC + WIS on my main computer with a big screen & Internet access in a VM (as opposed to the ancient D630 intentionally "airgapped" from the network)


Right on. The $20 Kingston 120 GB SSD I bought is SATA III. I believe the D630 is SATA II, but as the SATA III is backwards compatible with SATA II, it works well. Yes the setup is for a C4.

Here is what I purchased:

Kingston A400 120GB,Internal,2.5 inch (SA400S37/120G) Solid State Drive for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Kingston A400 120GB,Internal,2.5 inch (SA400S37/120G) Solid State Drive at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

View attachment 156845


and now I noticed that this is available on Amazon as well for an even better price of $19.

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-120GB-Solid-SA400S37-120G/dp/B01N6JQS8C/

View attachment 156847

I think I have a couple laying around in a desk drawer. I'll check when I return to Florida this weekend. Thanks!

Dan

 

[Jlaa]

It is not that easy to find a 38-pin cable where all the pins are connected to the C4 connector.
I asked a bunch of ebay vendors (all in China) about pinouts for their 38-pin cables. Many of them did not get back to me.
However, the vendor for these three advertisements on ebay confirmed that NOT all 38 pins are hooked up, although it does look like pins 7 and 17 (EZL) are definitely hooked up.
It also looks like pins 18/19 are tied together, and I am not sure if the DM would work, let alone other special 129, 210, and 140 special functions past pin 20 which are NOT hooked up.

ST US Replacement 38pin Cable For C4 OBD II Be*z Test Diagnostic Connector cable | eBay

Works for be z MB STAR C4 diagnostic tool connect port, it only use for sd connect c4 diagnostic tool, if your mb star 38pin cable is bad, you can buy our sd connect c4 38pin cable. High Quality 38pin main cable for MB Star C4 diagnosis SD Connect.

www.ebay.com

ST US 38pin Cable For C4 OBD II Be*z Test Diagnostic Connector Cable New | eBay

1pc x 38 pin main cable for MB Star C4.

www.ebay.com

Replacement 38pin Cable For C4 OBDII Be*z Test Diagnostic Connector Cable NEW | eBay

1pc x 38 pin main cable for MB Star C4.

www.ebay.com

 

[gsxr]

Seriously, how many pennies are they saving by NOT having a 38-conductor cable?

 

[Jlaa]

The plot thickens!

I visited a fellow 500Eboard member (who is most likely dormant here) in Santa Rosa who also bought a C4 MUX from the same vendor (Chinacardiags.com) in Jan 2022 --- 10 months before I bought mine.

I tried his 38 pin cable with his C4 and my C4. Guess what?

IT WORKED PERFECTLY. EZL and DM readings worked fine.
Then we switched back to my cable. Nope-a-roo! No EZL and no DM readings!

Also guess what? It appears his cable and my cable are visually different!!!!

 

[gsxr]

Just a followup ---- the place that I bought the functioning c4 mux with crippled cable from - China Car Diags - was not able to send me a fully pinned out cable. Their "manufacturer" doesn't make a fully-pinned cable. CCD claimed that their crippled cable was good, but just not suitable for "older cars." So, it is as I suspected, these guys just don't think about anything prior to OBD2.

Serious question for anyone reading this thread:

What "newer" cars (or trucks, or transporters) require a 38-pin cable? AFAIK, the 38-pin diagnostic port was permanently removed as of 2003 USA model year (last seen on the W210 and R129). Why sell a 38-pin cable at all, if the vendor has no interest in supporting "older cars"? There must be something I'm missing.

 

[Jlaa]

Pro Tip - do not buy the 38 pin cable from seller "M-OBDTOOLS" Store on AliExpress either.
Their cable also does not have the required number of pins hooked up..... I even asked them before buying it.

 

[Jlaa]

Update! After CCD refunded me $30 for the 38 pin cable with only 16 pins attached, I sent them pictures of the proper cable that a local buddy received from them about 10 months ago —- different writing on the jacket and all. My buddy’s cable worked fine. I also sent CCD pics of my buddy’s receipt from them 10 months ago.

CCD wrote back to me after a few days and told me they were able to find my buddy’s cable again from a factory, and if I would like, they could order it for me and send it my way for $30. I said yes.

CCD invoiced me for part number “CD2019” on paypal directly, bypassing their e-commerce site. No part number exists with “CD2019” on their website.

Anyways after about 2 wks, I asked CCD if they had received the cable, and they said yes - they were trying out all the pins first before sending it on to me. After another 2 days they sent me a tracking number.

I received the cable today and it works! DM, EZL, LH, GM … all accessible! So if anyone needs a C4 to 38 pin cable, CCD knows how to get them.

 

[Vlаd]

Hi Jim,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with C4, it helps a lot!

Could you please ask CCD if they can create set with C4 DOip MUX + CD2019 38 pin cable? And maybe about discount price for 500E members?

Thank you in advance!