Hi All, I have searched and searched for a manual for My Slk and have bought 2 from ebay trying to find one that worked. Neither of them worked very long and in the end I wasted money. I had called Mercedes about 2 months ago and was told They were coming out with one soon as soon as they did not build this car anymore. So I have been getting by ,gleaning information from the internet and My Mitchell Online. But I finally found one that works and is guaranteed to keep working. It is a wis program and I got it from Manuals unlimited. I paid 80 for them and it is 3 disks. One installation disk which takes You step by step though the removal of the old wis and the install of the new one,and 2 wis disks Install went trouble free the first time and it works. If You want factory info for Your cars I do reccomend these People. In case You dont already know it, stay away from the cheap books from auto zone and others like them. It is generic info that is very often incorrect and totally useless for troubleshooting.

 

Hi: I too bought a 3 dvd set of WIS manuals which included an installation guide cd, however mine was not from Manuals Unlimited. I'm wondering if yours is different. Was your installation guide by "RC recordings" with instructions by a fellow with an English accent. I ask because, mine too was "trouble free" UNTIL I reached the point where I needed to access the window to enter the license number which would permit me to use the downloaded material. I get nothing but messages in German that tell me that "pictures" are not available and that the program is not active. If your set is different I'll consider spending another $80 and buy a set that actually works.

 

Sure sounds like the same thing I have. The Guy that gave the tutorial definitely had an English accent and spoke very softly. Were You able to use a second computer to go step by step as You were installing the wis? I went step by step as He talked and it worked smoothly. I had to o twice through the removal steps to make sure My old wis was gone. I did it a lot different than I did the first install. I am surprised I got the original one to work at all. Anyway I had written to the manuals unlimited People and They assured Me that They would stand behind Their product. If I can help any more let Me know. Skip

 

There is another fellow on this list (thomasebud) who bought his WIS dvds at Manuals Unlimited and is having EXACTLY the same problems installing his as I am. I did not have access to a second computer but I took really careful notes and reviewed the instruction guide several times. I then went slowly, step by step and, as I said earlier, all went well until I got to the PMADM part. (Now, I've done this so many times I think I have each step memorized.) You indicate that you must have installed yours more than once Did you have a problem at first? If so, could you describe it? Also, did you have your computer disconnected from the internet all the time or just up until you restarted the computer after downloading the files? That is the only thing I can think of that I might do differently.
Earl

 

Hi Earl,
Sorry to hear about all the problems. I had the EXACT same problem with the first 2 sets I had bought of Ebay. When I got to the PDAM section I got a warning in German and I could go not further.I did disconnect from the internet as I wanted the program to only find the loopback adapter until after it was installed. Then I was able to reconnect with no problem. As I remeber the end it now program turned off all My running programs so I would not have any protection from the internet. So that is another reason I turned the internet off. I am curious if the Guy Who got His from Manuals unlimited got hold of them? They told Me that it was guaranteed to work. When You used Your install disk did it have about 5 different files or steps and the end it all program? I remember the first step was all about how to remove the remnants of the old WIS as it will interfere with the install.
I too had the install mememorized from all the attempts I had made to install the Ebay program. I tried to install it by the read Me file on the #1 disk. After going through this last step I cant believe I ever got the first one to run at all. Sadly it expired after 30 days and everthing was in German. I was so excited when I got this one to work after looking for almost a year for some type of non generic manual that Maybe I spoke to soon and all of manuals unlimited manuals dont go on as easy as Mine did. Just as a matter of info I tried to put this program on My laptop which has XP Pro on it and it gave Me trouble putting it in My desktop has XP home and like I said it went on great. Another bit of info I got fromn Mercedes was that They now offer the manuals on disk. They told Me to call My local dealer but since I figured they would be outrageous I didnt call. So maybe that is an option for You. Skip

 

This is apparently a very common problem. The thing that puzzles me is that some people seem to overcome it and others (apparently like me) don't seem able to. I have assumed all along that there has to be something I am doing wrong. However, given your experience, maybe some of the ebay disks simply are no good. However, even there I'm puzzled because the guys feedback indicates that some people succeed. I guess it could be that some are good and that I have a bad copy. The install disk you describe sounds absolutely identical and it is not really that complicated. I too have also tried the readme file from disk 1 but it really doesn't provide any new info. The really puzzling thing is that you were able to install the disks using XP Home (which I have) but not with XP Pro. It is supposed to work better with XP Pro or windows 2000! As a matter of fact, during a couple of my recent reinstallations I have changed the compatibility to windows 2000 but it hasn't made any difference one way or the other. One thing I've discovered is that some files (e.g. lic-key, lan.id, lic_key.old) aren't removed when you uninstall WIS, even if the instructions are followed using End It All. Some of them can't even be removed later using search. That may be part of my problem.

You say you can't believe you "got the first one to run at all." Can you recall anything about what you might have done that made that possible? At this point I'd even settle for 30 days!

 

I had the exact same feelings when I kept trying to get Mine installed. The reason I put Pro on My laptop was because some place I read that it would only run with Pro. But it wasnt so. I guess the best would be to email manuals unlimited and ask them if They have a money back guarantee and if You want to buy one at least You arent left holding the bag like with the 2 sets I bought off ebay.I am pretty sure the manuals unlimited People told Me that they would help You get it installed so You wouldnt be beating Your head against the wall trying to get it to work. It was sure nice when Mine went in. But if it expires after 30 days I will be getting My money back. Then I will try Mercedes but I know I will get ripped on the price. Look what they charge for a years subscription to there tech info forim. !300 bucks! Robbery. Let Me know what You try Earl and good luck. Skip

 

Well, I succeeded (sort of)! At the suggestion of Sleepwalker) I installed it using d2kinst instead of wisinst. I got a step farther than before but could not enter the language or anything in the infobox. I reinstalled it three more times: nothing. HOWEVER, on the 4th reinstall (using exactly the same procedures) it mysteriously came to life in the form of Wislite (whatever that is). Now, if only I can figure out how to use it. I've printed out the instructions but have only been partially successful. For one thing, it will not accept my VIN number so I have to work around that by selecting the model number, using the engine number that appears, etc. At least I now feel that I may see the light at the end of the tunnel, even though its apparently "Wislite."