I just picked up my second w211 and this time it’s a 2003 e500 sport with 148k miles on it. So far I have loved the car but it has been giving me some problems. When buying it, I knew I was going to have to deal with some issues. A week after purchasing the car, I stated getting a warning on the dash reading “malfunction electrical consumers switched off.” It started randomly one afternoon and has been giving me problems ever since. Some mornings it starts, some it doesn’t. I bought a multimeter to check the main battery and the aux battery and the both seem to be working good. I have been pulling all of the fuses that are not needed for the vehicle to run and drive and still getting the message and it not starting. I am not sure weather this is the fuses, BCM, or voltage regulator. I have read a lot that it is usually the VR instead of the alternator but I am not sure how to check this problem. Some more symptoms are getting the SRS and ESP warnings. I am not sure what to do at this point and would love to hear some input on my dilemma. I am trying my best to stay out of the shop for the time being. Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated. I attached a photo below.
Disconnect and clean the main battery terminal then make sure to retighten snugly. This car is very sensitive to loose or oxidized battery terminals which can cause this fault. This is the free and easy first step.
It’s your 2nd W211, so you should be aware of how sensitive these cars are to everything being right. The two previous suggestions are good ones.
Is anything else in the car not working correctly? Power windows, sun roof, head unit/radio/CD player, interior or exterior lighting? When it refers to “consumers,” those are usually things that draw current when the key is off. The SRS and ESP warnings may be separate issues.
That warning on the instrument panel means there will be a trouble codes (DTCs) stored for it. There should also be a code for what it thinks it sees wrong. You can read the DTCs from Diagnostics in the Engineering Menu as well as monitor the voltages. You’ll need to find a list of trouble code meanings. Search the internet for “Mercedes W211 Engineering Menu” and “Mercedes Trouble Codes.”
