Sportstick

Went in for the A3 service today and noted three issues....

1. High but variable pitch sound from steering column when turning off center. Not too loud, but notable, especially when cold.
2. Clunk sound inside the door midway in swing when opening driver's door
3. Passenger side window stuttering on opening

Just had a call from SA

1. Steering module failing. Similar problem on M Class a few years back. $500
2. Door hinge assembly inside door failing. Have to drill out rivets to replace. Doesn't affect paint seal for hinge attachment to front fender inner. $500
3. Ball bearing in window regulator failing. Has to be replaced $695. I told him I've opened that window maybe a dozen times at most in 5 years, which he said is the problem. These things fail more quickly with lack of normal use.

So, we're going ahead with all repairs. They will contact MBUSA for any consideration on parts cost, as I'm a very good customer of theirs with both cars. One lesson - cycle all your windows regularly.


Oh, and there's the A service $199.......but I had the Amazon coupon floating around for the major savings of .......$50. I guess if I take the $1700 and amortize over the car's life.......trying to talk myself into something here.....

gusecu

WOW... and yikes!!!!! sorry to hear :/

alsyli

Any maybe to bid the car farewell after 4 yrs? That's what I plan to do w/ my C250. I remember how much my parents spent in repairs after warranty on their cars, and it wasn't pretty. =(

Sportstick

Not yet....nothing for me in the MB showroom (4 doors/3 pedals) and the 2 Series Gran Coupe is still a year or more away. Overall, this isn't too bad, considering the car's total history. But, I'm sharing this in case any of the same things happen to the community, this will provide some experience.

Carsy

Sportstick,

Thankyou for the info.

How many miles has the car done ?

For the door hinge to fail do you deliver milk or is it just the usual daily driver?

Will take the advice & operate my rear windows more often.

I spray the window felt seals with silicone yearly to help lower resistance.

JC

Sportstick

Mileage is just over 33,000. No milk deliveries here....just a low-mileage, almost-daily driver and I am not a "slammer", usually fairly gentle open/close....the spray is a good thought for the windows....need to inquire about that when I retrieve the car.

Glyn M Ruck

With the suspicion that I have of dealers are you sure that the PS fluid was fully topped up to correct level. It does not have to be down much before it aerates the fluid. Will usually make the most noise at full lock venting through the pressure relief valve.

Sportstick

Glyn,
An excellent point, but I can confirm the fluid was at the proper level. The audible symptom is actually the reverse. The sound is similar to what (as portrayed in movies!) one hears when tuning a short wave radio....a changing frequency high pitch sound in response to slight motion off center. It seems to emanate from the steering wheel hub or just behind the wheel in the top of the column. The quasi-electronic sounding noise is greatest just coming off center. The SA said MB replaced a large quantity of these steering modules in M Classes a while back, one reason he thinks he may be able to get part cost assistance from MBUSA, even though past warranty.

Thanks!

Glyn M Ruck

Good luck! I've just seen so many noisy Benz steerings due to low PS fluid level. The reservoir looks full but a small top up shuts them up.

Sounds as though yours is another issue.

Mr_Clifton

Hmm... I'm coming up on the 5 year mark myself, but I drive the crap out of my cars. The C class has had no issues and its at about 71,000 miles. Really weird to see that many issues at once, I'd have gotten a second or third bid from indies

Carsy

Sportstick,

Will be interested to hear whether the door hinge failure is rust related & the bearing was water affected .

JC

Sportstick

Might have saved a few bucks, but I've developed an excellent relationship with both my SA and the one technician who is assigned to my car....it's always him, and he's a super guy, so I'm fine with that part. I am surprised that these kinds of components have this relatively short lifespan.


Those are interesting questions. I will ask.

C300Sport

Hate to hear you are having a few issues but hopefully MB will step up to the plate for an good customer.
If you lived in a more temperate climate like Atlanta, you may have had your windows open a bit more... :-) Seems like mine are open 75% of the time so hopefully I will never have that issue.
What I am really surprised with is the door hinge...considering they were highlighted in the "200 lb. man commercial", I thought they would be one of the last things to go.
Looking forward to hearing how it goes.

goducks3620

Gah. Our windows go down then back up regularly to let the Florida heat out when you first get in it. Silicone's a good idea, the UV down here just pounds on rubber surfaces. Door hinge is really irritating though, like C300Sport says, supposed to be one of the strengths of the car. Would have expected it to be more heavy duty given that MB thunk doors make when closing.

Sportstick

Just got the car back. What a super-dealer MB Novi is in Michigan!! They arranged to goodwill the steering module part. It's the first one they've replaced in a W204, although they recall having a bad batch in several M Classes a while back.

The door hinge cannot be fully diagnosed. It is simply the two pieces of interlaced steel which attach to the aperture opening and the door leading shutface, forming the hinge. It is an assembly with all moving parts being internal. There were absolutely zero signs of any deterioration, rust, etc., on any visible surfaces. Theories relate to a failure of a plastic internal part which forms the detent. He had to take the door off the body , but the re-fit is perfect. (Glad I wasn't there to see that part of the process!)

Similar story for the window....all sealed parts. Tech was not as sure as the SA about the root cause being lack of use. He suspects inadequate original lubrication.

So, with local taxes, including the A3 service as well as the 3 repairs, I was out the door for about $1400, including the free loaner (2014 C300 4 MATIC Sport model.....waaaaay too soft and slow-responding steering for me now!). Car was returned perfectly detailed inside and out with a hand wash. Very happy to get back into a "properly" suspended C Class!

Carsy

Good news.

I wish all posters gave detailed feedback like that !

Would be grateful to know what constitutes a steering module ? . There is the rack & pinion also the power assisted steering.

John.

Sportstick

Glad to help. I do know the module is an electronic part somewhere in the column and has no contact with fluids, per the technician. I'm not home now but I can look for the part number later.

vipsa

Good to hear you had a good experience. I took my car to them I think based on your recommendation before the warranty expired. They replaced the alternator since it was making a terrible noise. The SA I had though was terrible. I forgot his name but he's the gentleman with black hair and thick black glasses that sits toward the front right corner of their counter.

I asked him to update my command software since I was having FM reception issues and bluetooth issues and he started telling me they can't do it since my car's sound system is amplified . Tried to explain to him that he is very much mistaken, even took a printout of the versions of the Command software that I wanted loaded, he kept on repeating he can't do it since my audio system is amplified.
Pissed me off and started getting defensive, then told me he's not very technically aware, so I can talk to the tech. Tried to talk to the younger SA who was there toward the left of the desk and was much nicer and technically inclined, but the original one put that to rest.
Ohh and they didn't want to give me a loaner, because they "only have a few of them reserved for longer repairs". Now they keep sending me letters to come for this or that and if their SA wasn't such a dumb ******* they would've had my business for all the other repairs I ended up doing.

But that SA simply made me rage at the end of the whole process and put me off.

Carsy

Thinking about it ,must be part of the steering angle calculations for the ESP ?

Sportstick

Part numbers replaced were:

204-900-11-04-9051 Control Unit
000-823-02-45 Locking Mechanism

I suspect the culprit was the Control Unit, which they also found to be noisy. So, if you hear a high-pitch sound, seemingly forward-in-car from the steering wheel, and it varies like tuning a short wave radio when turning just off center, I think I have your answer.

Sportstick

I don't know how to explain such different outcomes, but I am very sorry that you had that experience, particularly if it was at my recommendation.

Carsy

Thanks Sportstick, JC

vipsa

Not your fault at all. If anything it just goes to show how much difference an SA can make for a particular dealer.

mac911

I have another brand of car that has its control units on the steering column go out too. I wonder why these are such fussy parts?

On that car, it will still start if it goes out, but your stability program, turning headlamps, etc. etc. all malfunction.

Glad yours is fixed! Not looking forward to this happening to any of my cars. Fingers crossed it never will.

rb23lb

sorry to hear sportstick!

you are one of the w204 OGs on here from 2008 and have had a great experience so far until now... glad to see they comped you on one of the failures, thanks for posting the info here

i plan to keep my w204 for life till i give it to my kid as his first car or something years down the road, so I am always interested in hearing what goes wrong with these cars