1994 Mercedes Benz C280

I JUST BOUGHT THIS W202 94' C280 WITH 150K IN THE SPRING TIME WHICH SURPRISINGLY RAN FINE WITH NO ISSUES, CONSIDERING SOME OF THE LOOM ON THE ELECTRICAL WIRES GOING TO THE CONNECTORS AND SENSORS IS ENTIRELY DISINTEGRATED AND INSULATION IS BREAKING APART LEAVING BARE COPPER WIRES NEAR EACH OTHER OR NEAR METAL BRACKETS. NOW ENTERING THE WINTER TIME WITH INCREASED MOISTURE AND RAIN IT SEEMS TO BE AFFECTING THE VEHICLE MORE SUCH AS CAUSING UNWANTED OPERATION OF COMPONENTS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS LIKE THE EGR WHICH IS ONE OF THE AFFECTED COMPONENTS ON THE DEGRADING LOOM, JUST AS THE SAI AND THE ALTERNATOR POWER WIRES. THE SAI NO LONGER WORKS TO WARM UP MY CAR QUICKER AND THEREFORE THERE IS AN INCREASE OF EMISSIONS AT STARTUP. SOMETIMES THE CAR CHARGING SYSTEM FUNCTIONS VERY POORLY TO WHERE THE BATTERY IS NEARLY DISCHARGED AND EVERYTHING BARELY WORKS, OTHER DAYS WORKS FINE. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL THE IGNITION COIL AND WIRE CABLES ARE JUST NOW BEING AFFECTED AS WELL TO WHICH AT IDLE I HAVE INTERMITTENT MISFIRES SUCH AS AT A STOPLIGHT SOMETIMES TO WHERE THE CAR SEEMS IT WANTS TO STALL. I'M CONCERNED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR FREEWAY MERGING SPEEDS MY CAR WILL ENTIRELY FAIL. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MERCEDES-BENZ C280. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING IN THE DRIVEWAY, SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE WIRES AND INSTALLATION WERE ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE A NEW WIRING HARNESS WAS INSTALLED AND A FEW SENSORS WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000.

ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A "BUZZSAW" GRINDING SOUND THAT WAS NOT INITIALLY NOTICED WHILE DRIVING ALONG ON AN 85 MILE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY TRIP. WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH ON A 6 LANE HIGHWAY, ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTING BEGAN TO DIM AND MALFUNCTION, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THEN COMPLETELY FAILED AND SHUT DOWN CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL OUT, STEERING AND BRAKE FUNCTION BECAME SIGNIFICANTLY DEGRADED DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE (INCLUDING COMPLETE STOPPAGE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DURING A HEAVY RAIN DOWNPOUR) SAFELY EXITED ROADWAY BY MANEUVERING AROUND TRAFFIC AND COASTING TO ROAD SIDE SHOULDER AT WHICH POINT SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD AND FILLING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. CAR WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TOWED TO A MERCEDES DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY IDENTIFIED THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND FIRE AS A SEVERELY DEGRADED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THE HARNESS WIRING INSULATION WAS FOUND TO BE BRITTLE, CRACKING AND FALLING APART, LEAVING INDIVIDUAL BARE COPPER WIRES TO MAKE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER. THIS CONDITION CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT WHICH STARTED THE WIRES BURNING, FORCED THE ENGINE STARTER TO BE CONTINUALLY ENGAGED WHICH IN TURN, AFTER 80+ MILES OF DRIVING, CAUSED THE BATTERY TO COMPLETELY DRAIN ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN FAILURE OF ENGINE AND ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. *TR

ON MY WAY HOME, MY WIFE CAR START TO RUN ROUGHTLY AND SEE SMOKE COMING FROM MOTOR HOOD, LOOK FOR A PLACE TO STOP SAFELY AND OPEN THE HOOD, FIRE WAS ALL OVER, WIRES HARNESS WAS BURNING AND OTHER INSULATE MATERIALS, I GET FROM MY TRUNK THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND SPRAY ON THE FIRE, LUCKELY I WAS DRIVING MY WIFE CAR. I KNOW MANY CARS OF THAT YEAR HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND MERCEDES DO NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, MY CAR WAS ALWAYS IN OUR GARAGE. WHAT CAN I DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I EAR IT WILL COST MORE THAN $ 3,000 REPLACE THE WIRE HARNESS. *TR

CAR STARTED STALLING AND TRANSMISSION REFUSED TO UPSHIFT. WHEN CAR SLOWED IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AGAIN. TURNS OUT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILED DUE TO A BIODEGRADABLE TYPE OF INSULATION USED AND IS SHORTING OUT IN MULTIPLE PLACES. CAR STARTED TO SMOKE AT ONE POINT. THIS CAUSED DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTION--AND A FIRE-COULD HAVE BEEN STARTED INSIDE MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *TR