Trash or treasure?
New guy, new car(used).

Bought this 1999 E300 Turbo Diesel euro model Combi Estate wagon the other day)!

100k mi.Test drive good, minor issues, mechanic checkout great. Paid $8k, happy. Off into the sunset I drive.

Minor issue on test drive was front per windows didn't work. Owner said yeah sometimes that happens.(?) I ck fuses and see a lower amp fuse than what it calls for so I put in the proper rated one. Windows work! Great.

Driving along the car seems kinda gutless...not like during the test drive. Cruise control ...nice).
Next time I drive the car, full power like I remember during the test drive. O.k. Good, but hmmm? what's this? No cruise control? Worked last drive:-/. Also Drivers side window not working...hmmm? Power mirror on pax side working but not on drivers side :-/? Power seats not working either!
Next day more of the same but now no drivers side power window as well :-/? Next day....front Power windows,yup! Power seats, mirrors, cruise, Yup! Wow!! But, hmmm? Full power. Yup! Wow, what a great car) everything working!
Next day, :-( electrical gremlins are back again(....no front pwr windows, no power seats, no mirrors, no cruise....turbo though seems perfect.
Trash or treasure!?
All fuses fine, under seat, under dash, under hood..check.

'Where we go from here'?
Thanks for looking)

 

Can it be a ground connection problem?

I mean, everything is happening on the drivers side or related to cruise control which is wired from the drivers side. Since all of these details needs a negative ground from the car, maybe the ground wiring should be checked..

Second opinion is something I had with my 1996 E220 Diesel. It was that the heaters in the windshield sprinklers were short circuited, which was resulting into a load in electrical system and the electrical control unit was turning of the electricity going there AND the central locking unit. Not related parts in the first look but at the end, same line to electricity. So, check the details of the car. Even the most irrelevant ones. If everything else is working or not.. Including maybe heated sprinklers or heated windshield wiper water pipe..

ANdac

 

Thanks for the input ANdac,
My first thoughts were ground related as well. The car chassis is super dry do I don't see it as a rust related bafdground issue but maybe somewhere there is a loose/bad ground from prior repairs. It is a semi(more problem than not)intermittent.
I guess my next move is to find a repair manual that has some wiring diagrams. Though I am an electrically challenged DIYer, it would be a start.

Off the top, any recommendations for said repair manuals anyone?

My next moves are definitely a search for that and a search for ground wire locations. I did find one under the hood that looked clean and was tight but I suppose it couldn't hurt to loosen the nut and wire brush the connectors, spray them with a little something good for enhancing a solid connection and repeat that move for all ground posts I can locate.
Thanks again!
Surfalia

 

It sounds like you have a Body canbus fault. You will need to have a shop with the proper machine to read/diagnose the fault and replace the offending module(s). If you disconnect/reconnect the battery, does everything function properly for little while?

 

I will have to try that and see. As far as a body canbus fault, I am guessing I don't have any shops in Panama that have the equipment to read/diagnose this. Is this something u think I could figure out on my own if I picked up some type of code reader?
Thanks for your input and help!)

 

If you search my user name and canbus on here and the other site, you can find how I figured out mine. You won't be able to read any codes, but you can, by process of elimination, figure out what each plug on the bus bar controls. Then, by leaving each one detached for a period of time, you can decide which one is causing the problem.

Here's one with links within:
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...blem-help.html

 

Thanks DS!)
Good stuff. That's something I can wrap my head around. I'll give ur link a look).
Off an runnin'
Thanks again!