1993 Mercedes Benz 400E

I AM WRITING ABOUT A FAULTY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IN MY 1993 400E (E420 BADGE). THIS PAST MAY, MY CAR HAD A CHECK ENGINE LAMP PROBLEM SYMPTOM. AFTER BEING WITHOUT MY CAR FOR THE MORE THAN 2 WEEKS THAT IT TOOK MY MECHANIC (DIETSCH WERKS IN SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA) TO INVESTIGATE MULTIPLE ERRONEOUS DIAGNOSTIC FAULT CODES, I FINALLY GOT MY CAR BACK AFTER SPENDING ABOUT $500 PARTIALLY FOR ELUSIVE DIAGNOSTIC TIME. ON THE EVENING OF 30 JUNE, THE CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING ON THE BUSY US 101 FREEWAY IN SAN JOSE, SO I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. THE FUSE FOR THE FUEL PUMP (AND OTHER THINGS) WAS BLOWING. AFTER CONSIDERABLE DIAGNOSTICS, IT WAS FINALLY DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WAS FAULTY. IN ADDITION TO BEING WITHOUT MY CAR FOR MORE THAN 2 WEEKS AGAIN, I PAID A REPAIR BILL IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,209.67. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT SOME EARLY/MID 1990S MODEL MERCEDES-BENZ CARS HAD AN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DESIGN DEFECT, IN THAT A BIODEGRADABLE WIRING INSULATION WAS USED THAT DETERIORATES FROM HEAT IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM IS FAIRLY WELL KNOWN BY MERCEDES-BENZ MECHANICS. PAYING SUCH A HIGH PRICE ($743.70) FOR SUCH A LOW COST PART GIVEN THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS MOST INAPPROPRIATE. IT'S LIKELY THAT THE COST TO MERCEDES-BENZ FOR THE HARNESS DELIVERED TO THE LOCAL DEALER WAS LESS THAN $74.37. I HAVE THE FAULTY HARNESS AND THE MERCEDES-BENZ BOX THE REPLACEMENT HARNESS CAME IT. I AM WILLING TO SHIP IT FOR ANALYSIS. REPORTEDLY SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS OF OWNERS OR 1991 - 1996 MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES ARE EXPERIENCING THEIR CARS BECOMING INOPERATIVE WITHOUT WARNING AS A RESULT OF THIS DESIGN DEFECT. I SUSPECT THAT SOME OR MANY OF THE VEHICLES SUDDENLY BECOME INOPERATIVE IN VERY UNSAFE SITUATIONS. THE EXTREME PRICE GOUGING FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE HARNESS IS EVIDENCE OF OF CONTEMPT FOR CUSTOMERS AND NHTSA. *JB

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1993 MERCEDES 400E THE LOWER WIRING HARNESS ALMOST CAUSED A FIRE ON THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE USE OF BIODEGRADEABLE MATERIALS USED BY MERCEDES BENZ BECAUSE THE COMPANY WAS THE LOW BIDDER AND NOW THE UPPER WIRING HARNESS IS CAUSING ALL KINDS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THROUGH OUT THE CAR MERCEDES BENZ HAS NOT CLAIMED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH ALMOST ALL OF THEIR CARS FROM 1992 TO 1995 BESIDES BEING SO DANGEROUS IT IS VERY COSTLY TO THE VEHICLE OWNERS MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD HAVE TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR MISTAKES. *JB

WHILE DRIVING, MY CAR STALLED OUT SEVERAL TIMES, BUT WAS ABLE TO RESTART A FEW TIMES. IT EVENTUALLY WOULD NOT START AND I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, WITH NO PHONE SERVICE, AND HAD A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE FINDING HELP AFTER HAVING TO PUSH MY CAR OFF THE ROAD. TURNS OUT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILED, BIG SURPRISE!!! THIS WHOLE ORDEAL COST ME 1800 DOLLARS ON SOMETHING THAT MB USED TO REPLACE FOR FREE. *NM

DT: THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED THEY THOUGHT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. THEY REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION, REPLACED THE STARTER AND THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS THAT GOES INTO THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER THIS IT WOULD NOT REALLY GO ANYWHERE. HE TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS, TWO DISTRIBUTORS, TWO FILTER ELEMENTS, FUEL FILTER, ADDED BRAKE FLUID, FUEL INJECTION KIT, AND THEY FLUSHED THE FUEL. THE VEHICLE IS STILL NOT DRIVABLE. *AK

THE ELECTRICAL INSULATION OF THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS HAS VIRTUALLY DISINTEGRATED, APPARENTLY FROM THE (NORMAL) HEAT OF THE ENGINE. THE INSULATION LITERALLY FLAKES AWAY IN MY HAND WHEN BEING HANDLED EVEN WITH THE MOST GENTLE TOUCH. THE MANUFACTURER (MERCEDES) CLAIMS THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM DESPITE THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. THE COST TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS IS $500+ FOR ONLY THE PART; THE COST OF INSTALLATION IS ALSO IN EXCESS OF $500, THUS COSTING OVER $1,000. THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE! THE DETERIORATED INSULATION CAUSES INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL SHORT-CIRCUITS, CAUSING MY CAR TO SUDDENLY LOSE ENGINE POWER WITHOUT WARNING. JUST AS SUDDENLY, THE CAR REGAINS POWER AND LURCHES AHEAD, THEN LOSES POWER, LURCHES AHEAD, ETC. THE CYCLE OF LURCHING/LOSING POWER HAPPENS IN RAPID SUCCESSION -- FOUR OR FIVE TIMES INSIDE OF A MINUTE -- MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO "CONTROL." ALL OF THIS ON THE 405N FREEWAY IN LOS ANGELES ON THE CUSP OF RUSH-HOUR. *NLM