Fassy

Have tried resetting the steering wheel, by taking motors to max travel in each direction and holding for 10secs.
Have tried resetting via laptop/diagnostics tools (pro engineers tried whilst servicing).
Have even tried removing and replacing fuses whilst engine running.

wheel actually moves fine in all directions, motors run smooth.
in fact, entry position function even works fine! if I activate it, the steering wheel moves out of the way perfectly.

however, big red writing saying DO NOT DRIVE is all I can see once the engine is running

bought the car a few weeks back, love her to bits
hoping to nurse her back to showroom condition as finances allow, this particular issue would do a lot to add to the driving experience.

engineers say its a small issue, and could cost a lot to fix as they have to try and trace the fault which could take ages.

any idea where to look?
have searched forum for other examples of this issue, and tried suggested fixes...

kraut56

do not drive does not refer to entry position, but most likely to brakes or suspension, or even battery.
what are the codes the 'engineers' saw?

Fassy

it specifically says:

Entry Position
Do Not Drive.

a 8bit picture of the steering wheel comes up in the same red as the writing.

will check codes in the morning, but none were reported, and it does state 'no malfunctions' up till the engine being started, at which point it appears to think that the steering wheel is still in the entry position, which it is not...

kraut56

on my S600 operator's manual that warning is described:
"wait until the seat and steering wheel has moved to their driving position. The display will clear when they have done so."

Check the "mini-tip" rotatable os the steering wheel control stalk.

wallyp

Kraut56, a new owner probably needs more detail on the switch...

kraut56

He needs to download the Operator's Manual for his car model (UK trim), and read it.
The small stalk that is used to adjust the column up-down, in - out has a small rotatable tip, which enables the easy entry mode (on my car - US/CAN trim).

BTW: The easy entry mode will only work if the normal driving position is well forward, for tall people like me with the normal seat position fairly aft it will not work (as also per OP manual).

Fassy

Thanks folks, I checked the owners manual and read it before posting here.
On UK models, the rotating tip on the steering column adjust stalk is for heated steering wheel on/off.
(I don't have this, hence the tip is fixed, non rotating)
i.e. the easy entry function has to be toggled from the convenience sub menu of the control system.
http://benzwiki.com/downloads/manual...anual-2004.pdf
I have toggled it off.
Neither steering column nor seat move upon entry/exit, the seat is in optimal driving position as is the wheel, and yet the warning persists when engine is started.
is it possible that a sensor is malfunctioning, telling the system that the steering wheel is in a position that it is not?
What else could possibly be involved in such a problem?

Apart from sensor and processor, what else in the mechanism could be responsible?

kraut56

ok, I assume the explanation of the red warning message in your downloaded manual is the same, i.e. wait till the seat moves.

If it does that, it is possible that it needs to be normalized, like windows, sunroofs etc. (but I don't really know).

Try this:run the seat all the way forward, and hold the control for another 5 to 8 seconds.

Then, drive the seat all the way back, again holding the control for another 5 to 8 seconds.

Try this in both the "easy entry ON" and "easy entry OFF" mode.

Maybe driving the seat forward, backward and forward, again with the seat switch held for the time, may work.

After that, I'm out of ideas other than using DAS>

Good luck!

Fassy

actually, I hadn't thought of that!

all along i've been trying to reset the steering column.
but what if its the seat that's gone wrong??
will try normalising the seats...

thx

kraut56

The seat is controlled by the seat control module via the door control module.

If you have (or download) the fuse chart for your car, you can check each, and also pull it to possibly reset. I believe there are several fuses involved.

Fassy

no joy so far
have tried resetting seat and steering wheel a few times now.
fuses pulled and replaced, but no effect.

open to further suggestions...

Huachipato

I know it has been a while - but was there ever a resolution to this issue? I'm experiencing the same problem right now in my '04 S430.

Edit: 2/6/17:
I went ahead and took the car to an Indie shop. Hopefully they can correct whatever is wrong. I'll ask for details and report back to this post.

Edit: 2/7/17:
It looks like the previous owner of my car used some used computer parts that were not properly mated to the car. My mechanic was able to clear the issue (as well the SRS light) by working on getting the different computer components to "talk" with each other. Although the screen is not there anymore, he said that the different components were still not properly talking with each other. He kept the car overnight and requested my second key. He thinks the key I'm normally using may not be one of the original ones, and perhaps using the second key I have might be an original key and might be the key (no pun intended) to get the different computer components to talk with each other.

Bottom line - he believe the SAM is the culprit in my case - but he has not replaced any parts as of yet. I'll update this post again once I get my car back and learn more details of the issue.

Edit: 2/7/17 (part 2)
Got the car back. The screen is clear. The mechanic said my driver's side SAM is still not communicating correctly - and the second key did not correct the issue. I declined to further look into it because I have the screen back. I theorize that perhaps a new SAM is ultimately in order - but I'll pass on that for now. Will update further if something new develops; but hopefully this is my final update on this issue.