Khan 55

Hello members. Hope to obtain some insight as well as valuable feed back from you guys.


So first of, I was worried bout the concerns of the radiator fitted to the AMGs being Valeo and leaking coolant into the transmission and all hay wire thereafter. So the day I signed the paperwork and took delivery was the day I saw the radiator make only. It is sadly a Valeo however, this car has 230 xxx km on it and I don't know what has happened in the past however service history shows the car was serviced at MB last at 107 000km. Thereafter the car wasn't taken to MB and sometime after that it was handed over to a new owner OR which according to the paper work seems like the car was registered under the dealership that sold it to me and they claim to have had it for 5 days or so before I decided I wanted it. So I think I am the 2nd owner of the car if you excl the dealership that had it.


Anyway sorry for the essays. Like I said above the tranny shifts perfectly no noises. Yet to do any service on that and fingers crossed I wont be alarmed or shocked with my findings.


So the Car has the SRS fault code active all the time and have read it could be a battery issue earlier which is now fine but the code needs to be cleared through merc. The other thing is the dash in the centre says the passenger air bag is off. So perhaps its to do with that or I dono.


The key. Sadly I have only the smart key, thank the Lord with its emergency manual key. So I run into trouble Saturday morning after taking me mother for a spin. Seems like I hear a shudder after slowing down from 200km but not the brake shudder, sounded like it came from the centre console so my guess was the flex plates I probably looking sad. Still need to inspect them and probably will change them for safety to avoid gearbox disaster.
So the key fails to lock the car. Then I tested the batteries and they at 2.9V so both are fine. Car locks now I battle to get in for 2 hours
wife being an electronical engineer gets the board out of the key cover and inspects it to find the contacts on the board for the switch to open aint looking too happy. So she bridges it out with a small piece of wire from an old resistor and its now fine. Sunday was even worse cause after fitting new batteries I insisted the white plastic holder piece be fitted to the pc board of the key and now the steel wire piece breaks off taking an extremely (microscopic) looks like an IC along with it. She says its a diode but its too tiny to even say. Now the open circuit no longer works. She read the manual and we open the car using the emergency key. After I get home and now wana go visit me mate it doesn't work. So I read here the handle sensor goes but that shouldn't prevent the manual key from working. Boot opens with manual key and the remote open and car locks. Another friend of mine helped and showed me how to get through the boot by pulling on the seat release locking tabs. So now I look like I'm stealing me new car


So the codes I experienced or checked are as follows:
1. SRS (restraint system) faulty. Does not say mal function or visit workshop
2. Service B due. I read all about this so I know what it entails. Thanks to all for write ups on this info.
3. left license plate lamp out. No biggy for me but should I just replace it or disconnect the battery and then do it?
4. Now I noticed the coolant check comes up but this was when the car was parked on a weird off level ground at me mates place. Because it never showed this before. I check the coolant reservoir and its fine. Well it was since the day I saw the car atleast a 1/4 down or 3/4 full. I cant see the level indicator marks so should it be full almost to the top?
I haven't checked the windshield fluid yet but like I said this wasn't an issue. When I got home it never came up again. Any views on this?
5. When tried opening the driver door with emergency key, it says the key isn't recognised How do I solve this so I can get into the car again and not seem like I am stealing the car instead?
6. I have this weird noise coming from behind the driver side dash (RHD vehicle) which sounds like water dripping but its only there when the car is at high speed or sometimes at low speed and maybe more noticeable when the heater is on. Is this normal? I dono what this car has in terms of heater pumps or the like of anything else behind the dashboard.
7. When I drive at low speeds or start slowing down from 80km I hear this like well I dono what it is now. I suspected it to be the prop flex plates. After the coolant code I inspected the engine bay on idle and sounds like the idler making a noise now or the water pump. Will inspect the pump. Do I remove the belt and turn it to see if it has any friction? Not sure but I have read that if its on its way out it will turn very easily as is the case now on my 4AGE twincam Toyota which I will be replacing this weekend Lord willing. The sound like I said is audible during deacceleration or at low speed acceleration and then its gone. Any ideas?




Sorry for the essays people. I prefer giving a very thorough definition of the problem so it helps people diagnose the the issue with me from past experiences. Thanks once again




anybody knows what this car can max out at on the speedo clock? Havent got it pass 200km/h yet as I haven't had a freeway run. Don't wana be pulled over by a police G7 GTi now.

Khan 55

The problems at hand which the car had were head rest motor for driver seat gone. They manually lowered it and have added to the contract will repair when part available. Have told me that I can repair it and bring the invoice to them. The rear passenger window was unable to open from the driver control switch. They have repaired it and now works fine. The fog lamp was damaged and they have now replaced both with new ones and both are working fine. Thank the Lord.


Would like to know, with regards to the radiator. Was the Valeo radiators after September 2003 okay or should I still replace it with a Behr? Where can I find a Behr radiator apart from MB itself. Perhaps our local paint and panel shops may sell it? I have read the write up on changing it and the O-rings to order and what not. I will look for it again but if the box has held till 230 thou km it should be okay or should I still change it out of safety reasons?

tw2

Sorry for your troubles. I have a 2003 with valeo and chose not to replace it. If you are in the US then you might as well since they are so cheap. The coolant should just cover the divider in the reservoir. New keys are expensive and need to be coded by the dealer, might have take a bullet and go that way. Im sure someone will chime in on some of your other problems.

Khan 55

Thanks TW2. I inspected the radiator and it shows that it well I assume it is the assembly date because the car is a 2004 model and the radiator shows MADE IN POLAND 28/11/10 and below that 27 0650 so I think I should be on the safe side. Perhaps the previous owner changed it.
As far as the keys are concerned you right, I called them and have been informed that it will cost me R2600. I live in South Africa by the way
So just needta head down to them with the relevant docs and two days I will have a new remote. The metal key takes 10 working days as it comes from Germany.
Thanks once again TW2

tw2

No problem. To answer your other question, I believe it will get close to 300km/hr but won't reach it. I have seen youtube videos around 280km/hr on the autobahn but thats probably about max.

Khan 55

Thanks TW2. Will see once I service her what I can obtain.

macmonkey

Good luck with the key - I've been trying to get MB to sell me a Keyless Go key for a few weeks now, they claim they are 'no longer available'. My response was, 'that's not acceptable, you sold the thing with all the extra encryption, you need to make replacement keys available'. Currently escalating the issue. Call MB USA customer service and tell them you want another keyless go key, maybe if enough people call and raise hell they will do something.

GatorMB

The seat motor has a thermal element when hot it trips out and does not operate.

Test when cool by pushing one of the memory buttons if it moves then a reset is necessary. disconnecting the negative lead on the battery and follow through with radio coding and steering wheel position center reset procedures. (Hunch)

If I had one of these W209 with the radiator issue, I would install an aftermarket cooler and bypass the factory trans cooler completely.

Gator

Khan 55

I will have to look up that synching the heater panel after disconnecting the battery. Thanks Gator.
I will use the memory button on the passenger side and see what happens. I don't wan2 try it on my seat cause the head rest isn't working. So until they find me a switch for it then only will I try that. The head rest sadly can only rise and not decline.


Macmonkey, they told me the same thing with the keyless go entry key. I don't have time for arguing so I just ordered myself a smart entry key.


Yet to push the car to limits. Have managed to obtain 240km/h as well as use my cruise control.




Anyone here ever had issues with the front PDC not working? It will beep and light up on the rear and front on the distance to the object but the front didn't beep at all and I ended up touching the test object.