I've recently been gifted a 2002 C320 from my father-in-law that was in pretty good shape except some failing stepper motors keeping the main vents from blowing. I looked up a local Mercedes mechanic that was well rated to get a general service done to get a new baseline, and to fix the failing stepper motors. I ended up paying them more than I'd care to admit fixing the stepper motors, and the vents are all now working great at least. I have had to take it back once already to fix an issue with no audio output from the stock comand head unit when I picked it up, which they grumpily fixed. The issue is that now I've also noticed a teleaid error popping up as a malfunction in the dash, and the audio/phone system no longer showing up as connected in the instrument cluster (no steering wheel volume controls now either). The stock AUX port is also no longer working in the glove box (though the 6 CD changer is), and the comand head unit doesn't shut off right away like it used to when the car is shut off. And when driving earlier for a longer distance earlier today, the stereo gave me an error "Please turn on the ignition or else comand will shut off in 3 minutes". No other dash errors, and I checked the battery/charging system, and everything seems to be working fine.

The experience so far with this mechanic has not been great, they've complained about this job being annoying ever since I got it back, and I'm not sure if they'd actually fix any potential wiring issues that might require taking the dash off. I'm at the point where I've already taken the head unit out myself to ensure everything is plugged in correctly so far (it appears to be), and I've also checked the main hook-up for the AUX cable in the door area (also appears fine). Is there something deeper in the dash that they could have hooked up incorrectly to cause these problems? Would it require them or me taking apart most of the dash again to fix things? None of these things are showstoppers, mostly minor annoyances except for the AUX port which I was heavily using before.

 

Guessing they pinched some wires. The problem has to be back there somewhere.

I don't think the FO network was damaged if your CD changer is still working. However, check the orange lines for kinks or other visible damage.

 

Yeah that's my fear, and I'm not really sure where to even start looking to fix it, and I'm not sure this mechanic would be willing to start pulling the dash apart for these relatively minor issues. When I pulled the head unit, and was checking the AUX cable and hookup, there was nothing obviously damaged or kinked.

If I can't get this figured out, is there an easier way to disable the Teleaid malfunction message without taking it to a dealer or mechanic?

 

The Teleaid system can be bypassed, like any other module in the FO loop. Basically you have to a) disconnect the electrical connector to the Teleaid module, and b) close the FO loop, either with a FO "180 degree" section, or a "joiner" connector (PN 000-545-33-84). One may work better than the other depending on the particular setup (FO length etc.). Just search "MB D2B bypass connector" and you'll find examples of both.

Your dash might now have a "blank" screen for Teleaid (this is just a guess). If this is the case, somebody with Xentry should be able to "remove" this option from your car.

 

How did you pay for the repairs?

The Indi tech is in over his head and afraid you’ll ask him to fix the problems he created, not just the one you paid him to repair. It’s best for him to act unapproachable and mad.

Where I’m going is to potentially file a dispute with your credit card company over a bad faith repair gone awry, twice.

You’ll get the funds put back on your card and be able to use it at the dealer to leverage a Pro to determine what they did, as well as repair it. If it’s really bad the Indi may end up paying the dealer even more just to avoid you going to the governing agency for auto repairs.

Hurry while the ball is in your court. They just think you don’t know it.

 

That's a huge job.
Hope you replaced all the motors i
and flaps while you're in there. That's an all day 8-hour job for halfway decent mechanic. I've seen the car torn apart in person to have that work done. Hence I've never bothered to fix the flap on mine that has air constantly blowing on the floor. But that's not as bad as never having any air come out of the front.
So what did you pay? Inquiring minds need to know,!

 

That’s good info to know about tackling everything while it’s apart. It’s also important to get the whole ball of wax revived at the same time because you don’t want to be stuck canabalizing used parts that may not last.