1995 Mercedes Benz SL500

1995 MERCEDES SL500 WITH 105,000 MILES. I HAD TO REPLACE THREE WIRING HARNESSES: FUEL INJECTION/ENGINE MANAGEMENT, ALTERNATOR/LOWER ELECTRICAL HARNESSES, AND HAD TO HAVE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY WIRING REBUILT. ALL OF THE WIRING INSULATION WAS BRITTLE AND EXPOSED CAUSING DRIVEABILITY ISSUES AND THE INABILITY TO RUN OR ACCELERATE. THE REPAIRS COST $2,000 PLUS AND MERCEDES SAYS THERE IS NO DEFECT. BALONEY! *TR

1995 SL500 HAD THE SAR LIGHT GO ON AND THE CAR WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" AND BARELY RAN ENOUGH TO GET IT TO THE SERVICE GARAGE. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED A FAULTY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND SHOWED ME HOW THE INSULATION ON THE WIRES WAS LITERALLY BREAKING AWAY FROM THE ELECTRICAL WIRING. THIS HE SAID WAS SHORTING OUT THE CONTROL MODULE. HE TOLD ME HIS WAS VERY COMMON ON THE MERCEDES OF THIS VINTAGE AND THAT IT WAS A HAZARD. THE CAR ONLY HAS 83,000 MILES ON IT AND MY WIFE BABY IT'S LIKE HER OWN CHILD. IT IS GARAGED EACH NIGHT AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THE WIRING HARNESS SHOULD HAVE DESINTEGRATED WITH SO FEW MILES. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE PRODUCT IS DEFECTIVE. *TR

MY 1996 MERCEDES SL500 WITH LESS THAN 55,000 MILES HAS CRUMBLING WIRE INSULATION ON THE ENGINE CONTROLS WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SHORTED WIRING IN THE ENGINE CONTROLS. THE POOR QUALITY OF THE INSULATION ON THE WIRES IS THE PROBLEM, YET THE CAR MAKER OR THE DEALER HAS NOT DONE A RECALL TO REPLACE THIS WIRING HARNESS FOR THIS SAFETY PROBLEM. I AM TOLD THE COST TO REPLACE ALL THE DEFECTIVE PARTS WILL BE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE WITHIN THE MERCEDES COMMUNITY FOR THIS CAR THROUGH 1990-1995. THERE MUST BE THOUSANDS OF CARS INVOLVED WITH THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THIS CAR WAS SOLD TO ME WITHOUT ANY MENTION OF THIS HAZARD. BECAME AWARE OF IT WHEN PRESENTED TO REPAIR SHOPS. *TR

I HAVE A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ AND THE WIRING HARNESS CAUGHT FIRE WHILE WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND ALMOST HAD A WRECK TRYING TO STOP THE CAR SO I COULD GET OUT, WAS CHOKING FROM THE FUMES. SHOULD I HAVE WAITED UNTIL I HAD A WRECK AND KILLED SOMEONE. SINCE I HAVE READ ON LINE THAT 500 PEOPLE HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS THAT THEY REPORTED TO YOU. *TR

MY 1995 SL500 RECENTLY LOST POWER WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A FAULTY ALTERNATOR BUT, WHILE THE MB DEALERSHIP WAS LOOKING THE CAR OVER, THE EA WIRING HARNESS WAS FOUND TO BE DEGRADED IN SEVERAL PLACES. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED WHICH ALSO INVOLVED REPLACING THE EA CONTROL UNIT AND THROTTLE VALVE ACTUATOR. THESE PARTS APPARENTLY COME AS KIT FOR ABOUT $4,000.00! I OPTED TO NOT HAVE THAT REPAIRED AT THIS TIME BUT, I WILL BE HAVING IT REPAIRED VERY VERY SOON! IT IS QUITE REMARKABLE THAT A BIODEGRADABLE WIRING HARNESS HAS NEVER BEEN RECALLED OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED AS FAULTY BY THE MANUFACTURER. THIS SHOULD TRULY BE ADDRESSED. *TR

MY 1996 MERCEDES SL500 WITH LESS THAN 55,000 MILES HAS CRUMBLING WIRE INSULATION ON THE ENGINE CONTROLS WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SHORTED WIRING IN THE ENGINE CONTROLS. THE POOR QUALITY OF THE INSULATION ON THE WIRES IS THE PROBLEM, YET THE CAR MAKER OR THE DEALER HAS NOT DONE A RECALL TO REPLACE THIS WIRING HARNESS FOR THIS SAFETY PROBLEM. I AM TOLD THE COST TO REPLACE ALL THE DEFECTIVE PARTS WILL BE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THE CAR MUST BE REWIRED BEFORE IT CAN BE DRIVEN. *JB