Abe

My E500 has been in the shop for 3 days now. The dealer has been trying without luck to get hold of MB tech support all day today to seek help in deciphering the fault codes generated by the SRS warning message. Some tech support!
The problem with the car drifting to the right seems to be caused by a faulty alignment. Will see after I get to drive the car.
The teleaid warning fault remains a mystery as the computer does not register a fault code for the teleaid. The service director at the dealership believes the teleaid and SRS are somehow related to one another.
And of course, since they have not been able to get hold of MB tech support, they are having to keep my car in the shop until Monday because they take SRS malfunction messages seriously.

Anyone interested in buying an E500 with 1100 miles. Silver exterior, Gray interior, and the sunroof/harman kardon upgrade?

skymast

Sorry to hear the problems. I just picked mine up a few days ago. I have the slight drift to the right problem but everything else seems great.

Hopefully they gave you a nice loaner!

Abe

Interesting that you have also experienced the drifting to the right. It seems to be an issue with the E500 but not the E320. Someone on one of these posts mentioned it has something to do with the air suspension?! Go figure.
Enjoy your new car.

bmms8

wow that really sucks man, dont sell your car though, its well worth it, even with the problems

rayscar

If that is true then 320 sports would have the same problem since they have the air suspension too. I doubt that is the problem

Juke-box

damn...that sucks to hear.

i've driven my car for a 800km aproxx. no problems yet, and i don't hope to encounter any. keep us posted on what happens.

btw, do you own Theil speakers and Audio Research tube amps? just a wild jab...

Kassav

I have the E320 sports and it does not drift to the right - at least not yet. So maybe, it is a different problem.

Abe

Got a call today from the service director at the MB dealership. MBUSA is supposed to have an updated "module" for the SRS issue. However, it will not be available for release for another 4 weeks. MBUSA has issued a bulletin to dealers regarding this issue. The teleaid issue is also related to the SRS problem.
I will get my car back today. I am anxious to see if the drifting problem has been addressed.

jhb

Thanks for keeping us posted. Let us know about the drifting when you get it back and what they did to correct it (or not!).

rayscar

Do you by any chance have the bulletin number?

dens

I have the non-sport E320 and it still drifts to the right even after they fixed the alignment...I think MBZ should take this matter seriously...
to ppl with the same problem please keep us update...Ill let you know after my second visit

skymast

Are the bulletin's available on line?? Thanks

rayscar

Sites like Edmunds.com show TSB's but I checked and they show nothing for the 2003 E. It could be that they have not updated the info yet too.

rajswift

Abe,

I had the same problems on my E 500. Somehow they managed to get the updated Tele Aid Module installed last week, and all is fine. The car is still pulling to the right. The dealership here in Houston will do 1 warranty covered alignment which I think is BS. The car was pulling when I bought it, and they did not have the alignment specs to correct it when I took it in. I am about to complain to the service manager b/c the service advisor keeps telling me to wait 3,000 miles before getting an alignment. I guarantee you that once you go back in 3000 miles they will say you need to replace the tires. Which is definetely not something I want to hear.

Raj

rayscar

rajswift, does your car pull to the right under all conditions all the time or just some of the time? Do you have to keep a lot of pressure on the wheel to counter act it?

rajswift

Maybe I should rephrase myself, my car has a "slight drift" to the right. Still enough to upset me.

Rayscar, yeah for some reason it does pull almost all the time, unless I'm on a surface which crowns to the left (then the car pulls left). But when on a flat surface, it always drifts to the right. Do you think the whole "wait for 3000 miles for the suspension to break in" is legit?

bmms8

lol, no, the 3000 **** is very stupid.......you paid a lot for a car that shouldn't drift to the right until you reach 3 grand miles, that might make it worse, tell the dealer to fix it though

skymast

I'm sure this is not the problem in your case but here is my experience and solution to the right drift problem

I just picked my e500 up 5 days ago. It had a slight drift right, However, to minimize trips to the dealer, I thought I would wait a few weeks to see if any thing else popped up.

Today, just by chance, i came across a revolutionary instrument in my junk drawer that that no car dealer should be without. It's called a 'tire gauge.'

Just out of curiousity, I decided to check the tires with my new found instrument (its too revolutionary to be called a tool), and guess what ... Front Left (35psi), FR (30), RR (31), LR (30). Viola!

I will be delivering this instrument to them personally and recommending that they use it instead of the eyeball method!

So much for dealer prep.

bmms8

lol, thats a good plan, dont all gas stations have that, and whats the best psi to set your tires to? i heard it was 32....and ppl also said that they overinflate them for some reason, should i deflate them to 32 when i get the car....also, the ones at the gas stations, they also have a meter or gauge right, sorry haven't ever done it

rayscar

It makes no sense to me to wait 3K miles rajswift. If it drifts now it will drift later too. It won't correct itself

bmms8

yes hes right

Abe

Rayscar:
I did not ask about the bulletin number, but I was told the bulletin got faxed to the dealer today.
Raj:
You should take your car to dealer to check your tires and alignment.

I am pleased to report that the drifting problem has been corrected. The dealer found the alignment in the front AND the rear to be out. This was discovered after they changed my four tires since the originals had flat spots.
As far as the wiper blades, dealer had to clean what they call "foreign substance" from the windshield and apparently that made the wiper blades silent. I have not had a chance to use my blades today. Oh and one more thing I forgot to mention, the cause of the SRS and teleaid faults I was told is "communication overload" Got to love it! No bull, I am serious. They had to clear and reboot the computer to get rid of the SRS and teleaid warnings. I was also told that these warnings may keep coming back until the module upgrade becomes available. Oh well!

rayscar

Thanks for info Abe. Keep us posted please.

Kassav

Thanks Abe for all the information and updates.