Is 220/250 Hacks Etc

[nicnac]

I wonder has anyone who has had these cars for a while collrelated all the different menu hacks/back doors modifications etc in one place.

If so can sometone let me have them as now I have the car I want to go through them and see if any are useful to me.

I have the one where you remove the unit an cut wires etc....maybe later !!!

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

I've just tried a search but can't find them easily...

It would be good to have them "Pinned" by the admin team, 'cos they are sooooo useful. Including the switch off of VSC, which I just canot find at all.

The hidden Bluetooth/camera/satnav menu is found by

Headlights off

Engine on

press and hold INFO button

switch parking lights on and off three times

release the INFO button

Tadaa...!

PS - found this on Koshime's diary - but it states it's for VDIM (so IS220d Sport only but I'm confused as the words imply an auto shifter...so must be a petrol - maybe it should read VSC and not VDIM...)

1. (VDIM ON) As stated above, I set the parking brake and started the car. Pumped the brakes twice, set and reset the parking brake twice. I pumped the brakes twice more and the TRAC-OFF light came on the dash.

2. (VDIM OFF) From a stop, I turned right. I started slow but went to full throttle before I was fully into the turn. The RPMs went way up when it shifted to second and I felt I could hear the rear wheels losing traction, but it was not a "squeel".

3. (VDIM OFF) I found an emtpy parking lot. Stopped the car and turned the wheel all the way left. Went right to full throttle. The back end slid out and I did doughnuts. The wheels didnt "squeel", but the RPMs where up and the rear-end had 0 traction.

4. (VDIM ON/TRAC-OFF) Shut down the car to reset. Set TRAC-OFF. Did the same as #3. The back end never lost traction but there was a LOT of "squeel".

5. (VDIM OFF) From a red light, I made a left turn. I immediately went to full throttle and completely lost the rear end and had to counter steer. Some "squeeling".

6. (VDIM ON/TRAC-OFF) I did the same as #5 at the same light. The rear end started to slip. I Heard 4 beeps in quick succession and the rear end got traction and was back on track.

I didnt bother doing VDIM-ON/TRAC-ON as I think #5 and #6 prove it.

The key here are the 4 beeps. Using this method to disable VDIM will let you completely lose the rear-end and smoke the tires. You'll NEVER hear the beeps.

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

...just tried and failed...

Can someone with a Petrol have a go? And even someone with a Diesel Sport?

[nicnac]

jamboo,

What do you want checking? ...on petrol

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

That handbrake/footbrake thing as mentioned in italics. Apparently if it works, it will disable the VSC until you re-start the engine. The little "skiddy" symbol on the lower right dash in yellow should light up...???

The notes in italics indicate it disables "VDIM", but it also implies that the test is being carried out on an auto (see bullet 2 above - "...it shifted into 2nd").

As far as I know VDIM is only available on the IS220d Sport and the IS350 in the U S which is an auto only model as far as I know.

I'm still unsure if the IS220d base/SE/SE-L have VSC - the dealer didn't seem too sure, went away, came back and said all Petrol IS's have VSC. When I asked him again that it's about the diesel, he said "I assume so".

I'm even more concerned as the other day I drove into a gravel car park, I felt the car "go" and nothing lit up or flashed and the car was understeering extremely badly for several seconds.

In the exact same car park and situations the ESP system kicked in very well on my old car and the speed I went into it was as I have always done.

PS - the manual is slightly ambiguous. If I recall correctly the "Spec's" page shows VSC is standard on the 220d (all models), but the blurb suggests that the VSC is standard in Petrol models...I know there was another thread on this, but if what is being suggested in italics above does work on the petrols models only, a question has to be asked...!!!

If anyone does manage it, please don't drive the car - I just want to see if the system can be shut down as mentioned indicated by the dash light. I would NOT recommend anyone tries to drive the car once the light is lit!!! Do that at your own risk! I just want to make sure my car has the system...

[Ivan Golac]

The hidden Bluetooth/camera/satnav menu is found by

Headlights off

Engine on

press and hold INFO button

switch parking lights on and off three times

release the INFO button

Tadaa...!

WHat use is the above hack??

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

The hidden Bluetooth/camera/satnav menu is found by

Headlights off

Engine on

press and hold INFO button

switch parking lights on and off three times

release the INFO button

Tadaa...!

WHat use is the above hack??

Lets you adjust the Bluetooth mic settings. People have complained that the standard 0 is too low, though anything above 2 and callers get "Echo".

You can also re-caliberate the nav, the camera etc.

[tubster]

Hey All :D I read about the VSC/VDIM hack some time ago and pasted it into a file so I would not forget it. So, here it is:

You can turn off all electronic nanny-s (except ABS) and hit the track hard by doing the following:

1. Make sure the car is in Park and the parking brake is disengaged before you start the car.

2. Start the engine.

3. Engage the parking brake.

4. Fully depress the brake pedal and then release.

5. Fully depress the brake pedal and then release.

6. Disengage the parking brake.

7. Fully depress and hold down the brake pedal.

8. Engage the parking brake, then disengage it (while holding down the brake pedal).

9. Engage the parking brake, then disengage it (while holding down the brake pedal).

10. Release the brake pedal.

11. Engage the parking brake.

12. Fully depress the brake pedal and then release.

13. Fully depress the brake pedal and then release.

skid light on dash comes on and all nanny-s are disabled

It will go back to original every time you turn the car off.

You have 30 seconds to do this once you turned the car on.

I have an IS250 Auto and can verify that the car appears to have no safety controls in terms of skids, traction control or power slides during a test earlier today in my local disused sports field car park when the above sequence was followed (It was raining and obviously this made things easier to test)

Also, another hack I copied was to shut off the bloody annoying sealt-belt alarm chimes. This should get rid of the seatbelt blings:

1. turn the key to the ON position (press Start 2 times), foot off the brake

2. cycle the odometer with the trip reset button until the ODO is displayed (not trip A or B )

3. turn the ignition to the LOCK (OFF) position

4. unbuckle the driver's seatbelt if it was buckled.

5. turn the key to the ON position (Press Start 2 times). when the dash lights have come on, press and hold the trip reset button and count a slow 12 seconds. (editor's note, hold it more like 30 sec)

6. while still holding the trip reset button, buckle the driver's side seatbelt.

7. the odometer display should read "b ON" or "b OFF". toggle the beep OFF with the trip reset.

8. the process should be completed when you unbuckle or turn the key off

This process does not need to be repeated each time the car is switched off, unlike the VSC/VDIM bypass.

Hope this is useful

[koshime]

Now that is bllooming useful. I'm going to try it out now. :)

[Whoosh]

Also, another hack I copied was to shut off the bloody annoying sealt-belt alarm chimes. This should get rid of the seatbelt blings:

Just curious but why would you want to turn off the seat belt alarms unless you are intending to drive without wearing them.

Doors can be left open to clean the car without them going off and if you want to listen to the radio/cd whilst doing it you only have to press the start button twice as it’s usually only a short time the doors are open when cleaning the inside.

I guess I’m missing something, what?

[tubster]

Also, another hack I copied was to shut off the bloody annoying sealt-belt alarm chimes. This should get rid of the seatbelt blings:

Just curious but why would you want to turn off the seat belt alarms unless you are intending to drive without wearing them.

Doors can be left open to clean the car without them going off and if you want to listen to the radio/cd whilst doing it you only have to press the start button twice as it’s usually only a short time the doors are open when cleaning the inside.

I guess I’m missing something, what?

No you are not missing anything, but my job entails getting into and out of the car alot... ie stop, unbuckle the belt, open the boot, put out a sign, jump back in drive 100yds or so stop, jump out put another sign out and so on...

On these occassions I do not replace the belt each time.

During normal driving I always wear the belt.

Also, try having a box on the passenger seat (also common for me). The box weighs enough to trigger the seat belt alarm which results in the chime sounding for the entire journey! I guess the airbags would deploy to save the box in the event of an accident though!

[Arkanoid]

Most of these hacks don't appear to work for the UK models.

there was another one opsted on the US Forums that disabled the SatNav Nanny until next engin restart.

This along with the seatbelt chime hack I have tried on mine but to no avail.

[tubster]

Most of these hacks don't appear to work for the UK models.

there was another one opsted on the US Forums that disabled the SatNav Nanny until next engin restart.

This along with the seatbelt chime hack I have tried on mine but to no avail.

Seems strange that the US cars would be wired differently to the UK models. And I would have thought the cars here in Australia would be the same as those of the UK. I have tried to research where this info originally came from, but could not locate it.

Cheers :duh:

[davehayes2204]

does anybody have any hacks for UK models?

the disabling of the seatbelt buzzer would be a big bonus but none of the ones listed on here work on my car?

also does anybody know if the red wire used in the "dvd in motion" hack can be located anywere else, ie by the handbarke?

p.s i can hear a relay clicking in and out in the centre pillar when i unplug my belt/passengers belt, can this be shorted out?

and finaly, does the seatbelt not being plugged in affect the airbags in any way?