Drazil

Specifically, the panel that has the buttons for the heated seats/esp/hazard lights (the one that opens up to reveal the hidden compartment). I'm noticing that all the backlights for this entire panel are blinking. It blinks off-on every 10 seconds or so. Is this something to be cocerned about? I don't notice anything is not working. Heated seats still work even when it blinks.

Drazil

I guess this hasn't happened to anyone yet... but in case it does happen to you, this is what will probably happen as well:

So I was driving along going 70km/h or so the other day, and all of a sudden every single light on the dash lights up and the error message "Brakes Malfunction" flashes on the screen. The engine cuts off and I have to coast to the side of the road. The brakes were still working, contrary to what the message was saying. When I try to restart, it sounds like a machine gun with the sparkplugs constantly firing, but the engine won't start.

Got it towed to the dealership and they charged me $600 to diagnose the problem and install software updates. The blinking console was because there is an Upper Control Panel module located directly behind that section which the heated seats/hazards/etc plug into. That module apparently malfunctioned which causes it to have a constant 3A draw even when the car is turned off (the cause of so many of my electronic consumers messages) $490. Also my voltage regulator is shot which needs replacement $175. In total it cost $1600 to get repaired.

SZMB

There are just way too much electronics in modern MBs. Anything goes wrong with these parts, only a specialist can fix that, i.e. your bank account shrinks quicker than you can talk. Eventually, every conceivable part in the car wil be wired, and MB will even add a voice command for the ashtry -- "ashtry open", "ashtry close".

timannnn

Eventually, every conceivable part in the car wil be wired, and MB will even add a voice command for the ashtry -- "ashtry open", "ashtry close".

LMAO

wampa

Reminds of a scene in the movie I-ROBOT.

gaazmon

(i've probably said this story before as my cousins are very sick of it by now):

a friend of mine had just bought a CLK430 convertible the 1st day it came out. he was going about 80mph on the freeway and exited. while waiting at the light all the lights on the instrument cluster lit up. the steering wheel locked and the car starting burning rubber on it's own and doing donuts. after about 10 seconds of this it finally stopped and the cops showed up with their guns drawn yelling the sh*t at him. eventually they came over and saw that the lights were still on. he had it towed that night and never saw the car again. never found out what it was.

it's scary when you put windows 98 on a 2 ton piece of machinery huh???

Badfish

You guys are scaring me!

gaazmon

ur scared? how do u think those toyota drivers feel

j/k, ya electronics can be a big problem.

Drazil

Just picked up my car yesterday. The bill came to a little over $1300, with over $750 going to labour and the software updates. Overall I think they did a good job and came under estimate (although for all I know the original estimate could have been overblown so I that would get a warm fuzzy feeling when they hit me with the final bill).

Drazil

Update #2: The following day it appeared like all my problems were gone... no more battery messages, no more blinking console, no more having to trickle charge overnight.... then that night I took a short drive to the folks house 5 mins away and right as I was backing into the driveway, all the lights come on and the engine cuts off again. Try restarting and all I hear is the same machine gun cranking noise and no start. So I go home and grab a spare battery to replace the (assumed) dead battery in my car. When I got back with the spare battery, I was able to jump start the car with it.

I was about to bring the car back to the dealership and complain but a mechanic friend said the guys at the dealership might have been lazy and not fully charge the battery, just enough to get it going again, and he recommended that I fully charge the battery and see if the problem happens again before bringing it back. I kept the spare battery in the trunk as well in case I needed to jump again.

Sure enough, the next day when I went to lunch, the car wouldn't start again, but this time when I tried to jump it, it wouldn't start. I ended up calling the dealership and had them send over a driver to get me back to my office. Later that night when I went to get my car towed, it started up with the original battery... wtf??!!?

I drive it in to the dealership and complain that the exact same thing is happening again... the engine cuts out while I'm driving and won't start again until several hours later. It's the same battery that starts it again so it's not the battery (plus I had the fully charged spare).

SA calls me back the next day and says it's a different issue this time (even though it is the exact same thing that's happening) and wants to charge me another $250 for another diagnostic. WTF??!!?? I just paid over $750 to diagnose this problem... turns out the crank sensor(?) was shot and every time it overheats, the engine timing is off and so it shuts down and it won't start up again until the sensor cools down enough to work again. To fix the crank sensor cost another $400.

In the end, all of the electrical repairs weren't even necessary to fix this problem, but I guess I had to get them fixed sooner or later. Just annoying that they mis-diagnosed the problem and decided to pursue the expensive repair route then pretended that it was an entirely different issue when I brought it back two days later for the exact same problem.

SZMB

It does sound like that they didn't fix the original problem in the first place -- engine was shutting down while driving. I've read that changing the crank sensor is an easy job. I would talk to the service manager directly and ask him to look at these past 2 service history, and ask for a good-will repair on this 2nd service because his shop had misdiagnoised the problem, or even ask for a partial refund on some unnecessary repairs.

vettdvr

I agree,, why didn't they have a failure code before changing parts. Bad problem solving is their on the job training and you are paying $110 + / hr for trained people. You should not have to pay a 2nd time to train them.

SZMB

Exactly. Fault codes are stored in the car's computer. You shouldn't have to pay for the technician's incompetence.

Drazil

The first time I brought it in, he said the only fault codes were low-voltage codes. When I complained about him even suggesting that I OK another $250 tab for another diagnoses when I brought it in the second time, they just charged me for the part/labor to install the crank sensor. I don't mind paying for repair as long as it's legitimate. The only things that have left a sour taste in my mouth is the huge labour fee to update software on the car (I thought all they need to do is plug it into a computer and click "update" then go and work on something else while that's happening - don't know why they need to charge several hours labor for that task), and the inconvenience of having to bring it back a second time for an issue that should have been fixed the first time.

So in total I paid $750 for original diagnoses + software updates, $400 for upper control module, $200 for voltage regulator, $400 for crank sensor + install.