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Comments
I own a 2000 E430 with the COMAND system & phone which has been problematic from day 7 of ownership. My local MB dealer has responded by replacing parts and modules with no real success. Unfortunately, with the previous E-class, the electrical parts are rebuilt so I am not real comfortable with reliability over time. . . I have talked many owners of MB's who have had a variety of "electrical" problems: C, M, E, S-class cars. My problems are also intermittent which are impossible to really fix. I think the idea is to replace parts with the hope that the problem will be resolved. . .
I have only 23,000 miles on this car and I am not interested in getting another MB at this time. I think MB needs to look hard at the supplier of the electrical components of the cars since this seems to be a problem across the entire line.
Good Luck
by the way, you mentioned you had similar problem on yours, how did you get it fixed? thanks.
As for the car not being level, I too have an E500 w/sport pkg, however, I have not noticed this. I know that the car is supposed to raise and lower itself 1 inch based on driving conditions and the suspension setting. Yesterday when I stopped at a light I could feel the car raising itself and it scared the bejeezies out of me. I never noticed that before.
One last thing, MB should be singing a different tune very soon as far as getting these things fixed. There are MB executives in Wash., DC right now meeting w/automotive experts and such to discuss the fact that their reputation for quality has taken a serious blow. I'll keep you posted.
I have read somewhere in here that someone else's battery went out and the car died, and after installing a new battery, he had to have the radio and windows reset. you think my windows just needed to be reset?? does anyone else know about the problem? thanks.
Any insite would be most helpfull.
Maybe the E Series-Set should consider buying what the people who work for them drive and lead happier, simpler lives? I mean it won't impress a 21 year old valet with a green card, but something with an American made, cast iron V8 that will run like a thief to 100K before it needs new coolant, plugs, etc. isn't to be sneered at.
my 2003 E320 Sport also experienced the same radio problem... after some static, it shuts. This happens very infrequently.
when you get yours fixed, please post the solution in detail.
Thanks.
Also, has anyone else experienced an annoying squeaking noise from the brake pedal?? Sounds like a wet tennis shoe when the brake pedal is pressed. Mine has come and gone a couple of times. Dealer seems perplexed on this one too. Help!
the brakes on mine doesn't make the noise you mentioned. However, as MortorTrend puts it, it is difficult to modulate the brakes to stop in linear/smooth fashion.
perhaps there's a fix for this?
The problem is trying to figure out *which* lifter has the problem. I can replace *all* of them, but remember this is a 24-valve engine, hence 24 lifters at around $50 each. And my technician reminds me that one of the camshafts has the variable timing mechanism making it a much more expensive proposition to remove and replace. If we were sure that the bad lifter was under the other camshaft, even it we could just isolate it to that side, it will be a much easier job.
He took off the valve cover and checked the clearance under each cam, and pressed down on each lifter to see if one sank faster than the others. All 24 of them behave exactly the same.
Does anyone out there have any interesting tricks for identifying which lifter is ticking, at least narrowing it down to either the intake or the exhaust bank?
Thanks,
ATB
What a tragedy for Mercedes to produce their best selling car with one with so many design and quality problems! Next time you really want to get upset, turn the AC on and on a hot day stand outside the car...it sounds like a helicopter under the hood. They went to a single fan this year vs. the two stage from previous models.
After 10 calls within the first 2 days of owning the car, I returned it to the dealer for service. The dealer was able to locate the problem, it's a module that the alarm system is connected to. The service advisor said the module is back ordered, and didn't know when it would arrive. There must be a big demand for these modules. 7 days later I'm still waiting.
I'm longing for my 2001 C320 that I traded in. Never had any problems with it. It's sad to see that MB continues to have quality control problems with its vehicles.....
In any case, rather than going for $1200 worth of new lifters, just get them reconditioned. There may be even people out there that stock rebuilt-exchange lifters for sale. The benefit here is you get a fixed price and instant shipment. While you track that down (maybe even calling the Automotive Engine Rebuilders Association in the Chicago area for some names), with your savings maybe you should check into some reground cams?
Good luck.
*whew!*
I have no idea what grade of oil was last put in the car, but we're back on the prescribed diet and all is well. (Except that my mechanic said that my wiring harness is disintegrating and will need to be replaced soon.)
Thanks again,
ATB
So, in other words, tough it out or any suggestions?
oh, the Tele Aid problem-- there was a moderate recall on speaker volume which i had replaced and since then it works well.
Thanks
1. The readio volume control on the console would sometimes not work...the control on the steering wheel always worked. They replaced the radion. It appears to work okay now.
2. A rear window would not always work with express up. They said that it could not be reproduced and did nothing.
3. I complained about a drive train resonance that could be felt on smooth roads at around 65 MPH within the first 4 miles from cold start. They replaced a broken mount on a crossmember support. This fixed the problem and has reduced the background noise when driving significantly.
4. Cruise control would down shift when going down a slope to hold the speed, but would not up shift when coming to a level. They made some adjustments but did not fix the problem.
Other item: Break pads remaining on front 70% on the rear 80%. Seems that we may get close to 40K miles on the front pads.
Bob
Have also noticed (just once) the lopsided parking situation once that someone mentioned. Other than my issues, I feel pretty lucky compared to the rest of you.
Shame on me for not doing my homework but with MB I thought I was safe - lesson learned.
FWIW, my 96 E320 holds it's alignment for years at a time and that's driving around New England's SMOOTH roads..!!
Have heard that restricted steering hoses can cause groaning noises. the hoses on some models include valving that can be noisy.
Brake dust problems can be solved by waxing your wheels when waxing your paint. when painted or chrome wheels become dry or contaminated they allow dust to stick. it takes about ten minutes to wax them, and NEVER spray Armor-all so that it gets on the wheels. I spray the brake dust off my wheels with water and no soap.
In the wet the car may pull to one side for no reason because the new electronic braking has no physical connection between your foot and the brakes. A computer makes assumptions and applies the brakes individually for each wheel and is sometimes wrong.( When the computer or pump fails you're in for a wild time!)
The brake pump makes noises always ( a droning noise after every four brake applies and when opening a door). The fix almost works!
The squeak noise can be caused by air in the lines. A brake bleed is a slight fix. The BOU (where the master cylinder used to be) may need to be replaced with an updated part.
The audio problems are almost fixed now. The Head unit must be software flashed to a newer version, and the audio gateway must also flashed. Ask the dealership for printouts of the before and after software versions.
If you go out of town for more than ten days on any MB you may come back to a dead battery due to the current draw of the alarm. If you park in a secure location it may be better not to lock your car as it seems to prvent dead batteries.
If you get Tele-aid warnings you may just need a new instrument cluster, or a central gateway.
Cars are getting to be just like microsoft software, sometimes they work great, and sometimes they #$@%^$$#%@#%
This is my 3rd Mercedes since I started buying them in 1999. I had a 1999 E320 that never required any problem fix. A 1999 ML320 that had a couple of problems over the 3.5 years of ownership. Now this 2003 E500. I'm not sure that I will buy another Mercedes. My first experience's were good. Mercedes knew how to fix their cars. Now.. Mercedes (I'm talking about the company, not my dealer service) is looking incompetent at diagnosing and fixing their own cars. What pity.. The Icon of most auto buffs is now at the bottom of the heap.. Dreaming of this car would be a nightmare!
I do have some balance issues from time to time, but a wheel balance and rotation every 5k miles seems to do the trick. Oh, I should mention they are on a C-Class and not an E-Class, so perhaps your mileage may vary. But I did want to let everyone know that they can be good tires.
Before I take it back and they tell me that it's happening because there are clouds in the sky, I would like to find out if someone had the same issue.
Thanks!