1994 Mercedes Benz C220

MY CAR BEGAN TO SUFFER ELECTRICAL AND OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS. OVER THE COURSE OF A MONTH, MY CAR WAS AT THE MECHANIC ALMOST EVERY DAY WITH ODD NEW PROBLEMS. MY WORST FEAR HAD COME TRUE, AS MY MECHANIC HAD WARNED ME. MY CAR'S WIRE HARNESS HAD BEGAN TO FALL APART, EVEN SIMPLY TOUCHING IS WOULD CAUSE IT TO DISINTERGRATED WHICH CAUSED MANY PROBLEMS FOR MY CAR. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME FOR THE EARLY 90S TO 95 MODEL YEARS THEY HAVE CHANGED MANY OF THE WIRE HARNESS ON THESE CAR'S. I CONTACTED MERCEDES WANTING TO WORK OUT A DEAL FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE WIRE HARNESSES, AND WAS TOLD NO SUCH PROBLEM EXISTED. CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS VERY RUDE TO ME, AND IT ENDED WITH MERCEDES ACCUSING ME OF CREATING A FALSE CLAIM TO EXTORT THE COMPANY. I WAS HURT BY THE WAY THEY TREATED ME, AND VOWED NEVER TO BUY A NEW MERCEDES AGAIN. I HAVE MY OLD WIRE HARNESS, AND YOU CAN'T EVEN TOUCH SOME SECTIONS OF IT...IT'LL SIMPLY FALL APART. IN THE END I PAID $2000 DOLLARS FOR A NEW HARNESS, INSTALL...FEW DAYS WORTH OF DIAGNOSIS TIME WAS ADDED TO THE BILL ALSO, AND THE POWER SURGES CAUSED MY BULBS AND SOME MINOR PARTS TO BLOW, IN TOTAL AFTER TAXES I WAS IN IT FOR $3000 DOLLARS. MERCEDES THINKS I'M LYING AND THIS PROBLEM NEVER EXISTED...CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS RUDE ENOUGH TO TELL ME, ITS NOT THEIR FAULT IF I GOT RIPPED OFF...EXACTLY RIPPED OFF BUYING A MERCEDES. *JB

WE ARE EXPERIENCING AN INTERMITTENT, PARASITIC DRAIN OF OUR NEW ( LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OLD) BATTERY WITHIN A 12 HOUR WINDOW. IF WE CATCH IT BEFORE THE 12 HOURS, WE _CAN_ START THE C220. IF WE WAIT LONGER THAN 12 HOURS, THE BATTERY IS UNABLE TO ENGAGE THE STARTER SELENOID. IT IS ALSO UNABLE TO POWER _ANY_ OF THE VEHICLE SYSTEMS - NO LIGHTS, NO DASH INSTRUMENTATION, NO RADIO, NOTHING WORKS. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 ( THREE) TIMES - EACH TIME REQUIRING A JUMP START. MB ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS INVOLVED IN THE FIRST 2 (TWO) EPISODES, AND REPLACED THE BATTERY. THEY STATED THE PROBLEM WAS _NOT_ WITH THE BATTERY OR CHARGING SYSTEM AND SUGGESTED WE HAVE THE VEHICLE TESTED. WE HAD THE TESTING DONE AT MAINLY BENZ SERVICE - 845.452.3645 - WITH NO FAULTS FOUND. THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG. WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS, THE C220 WORKED JUST FINE - WE HAVE NOT KEPT A LOG ON THE EVENTS, BUT WE HAVE NOTICED THAT THE TIME-FRAME IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY SHORTER - NOW ABOUT 12 HOURS - DOWN FROM 14 DAYS - BEFORE THE BATTERY IS TOTALLY DRAINED. WHILE THIS IS NOT LIFE-THREATENING - IT IS CERTAINLY ANNOYING. I EXPECT MORE FROM THE ENGINEERS AT MB. WE HAVE AN EXPENSIVE - GREAT LOOKING - PAPERWEIGHT.

THE INSULATION ON THE ENGINE WIRING OF THIS CAR HAS COMPLETELY DISINTIGRATED IN NORMAL USE. THE LOCAL DEALER AND INDEPENDENT GARAGE HAVE REPLACED THE WIRING ON MANY OTHER CARS OF THIS MODEL. WITH MUCH OF THE BARE WIRING EXPOSED, IT IS BOTH A SEVERE FIRE RISK, AS WELL AS POSING A SEVERE RISK OF ENGINE FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING. *AK