SebastianKain

Hello all,

I'll try to be brief with this, I have a 2014 E350 4matic that I bought about a month ago that started having some dash cluster and error code oddities yesterday, I was unable to catch the worst of it however this was me trying to get home https://imgur.com/a/ukW4Xzz . During this time despite the messages about the power steering, the wheel weight never changed, and it was never up for more than a flash. I also didn't experience any oddities in the way the car drove compared to normal, hence me not just parking it. Fast forward to today and it seems to have gotten worse, https://imgur.com/a/v76sjP0 . Aside from this I started it one more time to see if it was a fluke, which I did not record during which it warned about presafe, and also a message warning to not shift it out of gear. Needless to say the car is benched until I can track down whatever is causing these faults.

Things I have checked, based on reading other possibly related threads here are the battery, alternator, as well as passenger floorboard, trunk under spare as well as both sidewalls for any visible moisture or corrosion. I'm at a loss here and it will be about a week before I can get it into a shop so any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time.

LILBENZ230

So you say you "checked" the battery.. what were those results? That is usually the number 1 suspect in a case with a large number of false warnings and it is not always obvious that it needs to be replaced. I would replace that first.

You can also check the front SAM (near the base of the windsheild, driver side) for possible water intrusion.

I still think this is likely an issue with the battery. I hope that is what it is, as that would be the cheapest and easiest solution.

SebastianKain

Thank you for the prompt reply. Yesterday I took it to a local auto store and they hooked it up to a battery/alternator tester and said it showed fine on their end. Today I went to check via the service menu and it was showing 12.4v and -20 amps while in acc position A/C on, radio off, 14.2v and 50 amps while idle. There has been a development however, when I just went to double check my numbers and grab pictures of the service menu, it was acting as though my key was found even with the battery out, so it wouldn't allow me to use the ignition without the keyless start, then when I did the keyless start to test, it refused to shut off until I held the button for around 10 seconds.

Small edit: Front SAM also seemed free of water.

LILBENZ230

I agree those numbers look OK on the battery, how old is it? Having owned several (and been around this forum for many years), I would still go ahead and replace it. It's relatively inexpensive and easy to do and almost all of these issues we see on here get traced back to voltage issues. Unlike your average car which might suddenly not start, Benzes seem to throw a ton of false malfunctions as the first indication you need a new battery. It's happened to me. Not exactly what you're experiencing, but sudden, random, seemingly unrelated faults all at once. Even though the car was starting and running fine it was still the battery to blame.

If you don't wish to do that just yet, the only real option is to wait till you can get it hooked up to a scanner. You will need to get it hooked to a MB specific scanner.. generic OBDII ones will work for most things, but this will probably just end up giving you a bunch of generic codes and possibilities.

Left Coast Geek

the keyless start, if you want to put the car into 'accessory', push the start button WITHOUT stepping on the brake. thats equivalent to turning a key to position I on a older car. if you press the brake, then the start button actually starts the engine (key position II).

but, really, it started without the main battery connected?!?

LILBENZ230

Yeah can you explain better by what you mean about the key/battery out thing? I couldn't understand that and first thought you meant you took the key's battery out. Which would be fine, you can start the engine with the ignition switch regardless. I've read it multiple times and still don't quite understand it.

SebastianKain

Left Coast Geek I'm sorry I should have been more explicit, I was meaning the key fob battery was out, it also wouldn't start with the key fob battery out, it just was telling me don't forget my key, and wouldn't allow me to start the car with the key in the ignition switch. The only reason I was doing it that way is I was unable to get into the service menu without putting the key in the switch, unless I'm missing something.

The battery is an ACDelco dated 3/20, Model 48AGM.

LILBENZ230

Are you sure that's the right battery? I thought these cars needed more aH than 70.

I'm not sure, though. I've yet to replace one myself in my 2016. Dealer did it.

You should be able to start the car with the key in the ignition without the fob battery.. IIRC inductively powered. That doesn't make sense. In terms of it saying "don't forget your key" it just says that all the time no matter what. That doesn't mean it sees your key.

Left Coast Geek

my E350 came with a group 48 (H6), Mercedes battery says 80AH. group 49 (H8) are used on diesels.

LILBENZ230

Okay so H6 80AH is correct.

Battery still suspect number 1.

Left Coast Geek

fyi, you can disable the keyfob by pressing the lock button twice quickly... the LED should give a short blink and a long blink, that disables the fob. press any button to reactivate it.

CaliBenzDriver

I am not clear what you're trying to get acomplished... fix it or drive to a shop??

I believe charging your main battery may let you drive a bit without any heavy loads.

Your battery being one year old is an interesting clue pointing to recent issues.

SebastianKain

My battery appears to be 70AH https://imgur.com/a/pfDqtJu Also I had forgotten to add this previously, when I went to check the service menu, the none of the gauges moved the needle off their base except fuel.

That key fob tip will forever be lodged into my brain, I really wished I known about that previously. Thank you Left Coast geek, that seems a lot more convenient than popping out the battery every time I want to disable the fob for something.

I'll get a new battery sometime in the next few days, Friday at the latest, and report back with any changes.

Edit, reply to CaliBenzDriver: If I could fix it with something small, that would be swell. Otherwise even driving it to a shop may be a stretch as I live in a small town in southeast Missouri. the nearest shop I could reasonably expect to have the equipment needed would probably be in Saint Louis, a couple hour drive. I'll more likely have to trailer it if none of the more easy and up front fixes accomplish anything.

LILBENZ230

A battery that is having issues after 1 year likely is just defective, unrelated to anything to do with the car. I know there's this entire thread going on now that is devoted to the charging system in the W212, but the fact is that most of the cars operate just fine and the standard by which they are held by owners is simple - does it start? The forum knowledge and deep dive into it is all very interesting, but this is not a conspiracy.

I hope the new battery solves your issue, OP. Is this car a recent purchase?

SebastianKain

It is. I've had it just over a month. First payment was the 28th of April.

Left Coast Geek

the specs on that battery are pretty much the same as every group 48 AGM I've looked at. the mercedes battery has higher numbers (800 CCA, 80 AH), but its not clear they are being measured under the same conditions. An AC/Delco branded battery is probably made by one of the big 3 USA battery manufacturers, East Penn, Clarios (formerly Johnson Controls), or Exide. of those, I avoid Exide like the plague but thats as much for political/environmental reasons as any.

CaliBenzDriver

​​​​​​The last owner got this battery replaced then dumped that car I understand you picked up. What does that tell you about the battery job?

Fast forward 1 year...
what you're gona do, replace it again or look for answers before swapping parts??

The good news is this battery has a plenty of prorated warranty credits for ya.
✌️

rapidoxidation

Well, for the original buyer of the battery that may be true. For the next guy with title to the car, maybe not so much.

bmwpowere36m3

I see the OP created two of the same threads, so I'll add to this one as well...

Do you have a scanner capable of reading MB-specific codes? Are you a DIY kinda of person?

If it were me, I would fully charge both the main and auxiliary batteries with appropriate charger. Disconnect the main battery for 10 minutes. Reconnect the main battery and scan for codes. Write down/save the codes and then clear them. Go out for a drive and scan for codes afterwards. Report any message/warning off the cluster and codes.

SebastianKain

Apologies, when I initially attempted to post I waited 10 or so minutes and didn't see it show up on the forum or my profile so I made this one thinking it must not have gotten dropped somehow. Is there a way for me to delete the previous thread, as I'm not seeing anything at a glance on the forum post itself or my profile page about removing a post?

I do not have any scanner capable of reading MB codes, I am very much a DIY person and much more a computer person than a mechanic. I can check around with some of my mechanic friends but I'm not hopeful they have one, it is possible however.

Also my wife informed me once it was dark enough to notice that my headlights are on despite being in the off position now and that when I turned it on to try toggling the lights off and turning the car back off I noticed the power steering is now in fact gone, as the steering is too heavy to move at all. As well the indicators for my gear select are non existent. It seems despite doing nothing to my knowledge, the problem is degrading over time.

Edit: Headlight has since turned off, thankfully.

Left Coast Geek

our 2016 E350 w/ the full LED lights, the headlights are totally automatic, if its dark out, they come on. you can force them on, but you can not turn them off.

I do amateur astronomy, and my last bunch of vehicles, I figured out how to disable all the lighting. The E350 is totally anti-dark.

Left Coast Geek

for an extreme example of a dark compliant vehicle.... my 1992 Volvo 740 Turbo wagon, I would back in to my observing site, set the parking brake hard, and put it in N instead of P, and shut the car off. with the dome light switch on 'OFF". the car was now completely dark except a dim red puddle light if you opened a front door.




If I had to drive off early from a star party, I would start the car in N (neutral), hold the parking brake, and slip it into 1, then use the parking brake and throttle to roll out of the parking larea until I was far enough away to turn on the parking lights and use the brake lights.

up_too_late

I would also recommend this, but leave both the main and auxiliary batteries disconnected for 10 minutes. I have seen similar issues with my two MBs that were resolved this way.

LILBENZ230

The headlight staying on after the car is shut off is not a good sign - and not a sign of just battery trouble. This is how my car behaved after a minor accident caused water intrusion into the headlight module.

Any updates, OP?

SebastianKain

In regards to suggestions posted here:
I was unable to charge the battery, as I do not have an appropriate charger at the moment. Nor was I able to read the codes, none of my mechanic friends had a reader capable.
I did attempt to disconnect both batteries and reconnect them. The car sat disconnected for roughly 2 hours while I was doing some work, after reconnecting there was no change to the previous behavior.

On to the possible silver lining:
I had totally forgotten to mention. My driver's side headlight does take in moisture to the point of the water beading. The low beam, parking white and parking amber all died about a month ago. Yesterday where I live it was about 80 degrees fahrenheit and sunny, so I decided to give it a shot. https://imgur.com/a/MxFS5UN The next time I started it, even the check engine light is off. It's acting as though none of this ever happened. I'm still pending an appointment with a shop to get the headlight housing and any other necessary parts replaced, and going to have them give it a one over to see what is causing this issue. I have to think that either 1) it is water related, and a warm sunny day evaporated enough water for the issue to resolve for now or 2) Sitting in of itself allowed the issue to temporarily fade.

I've read about other cases where things like blind spot assist radars being corroded or damaged could cause problems with the CAN, do you think it's possible for the headlight to exhibit the same behavior?

Either way, I'll keep this thread updated until I have this issue fully resolved in case anyone else has a similar issue. Thank you all for sticking around and helping me troubleshoot this.

Small edit: For clarification the headlight that stayed on, was the passenger side. During this entire time the driver's side has never resumed functionality, normal or otherwise.