Please Read. Emergency Situation - On Vacation Car Won't Start
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2019
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From: Colorado
G550
BTW, what scanners do you own? I've been wanting to upgrade mine to one that's more MB intensive, and am looking for recommendations.
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From: US
2008 E350, 2012 ML350, 2014 E350, 2015 ML350
While you're stranded away from your tools...
1- You can try to tip-tap around gently (prefuse module, SAM modules, Ignition Key module, driver footwell, passenger footwell...) while you have someone hold the ignition key in crank position - This might very well wake up a flaky relay and a bad ground screw with oxidized contacts... nothing to loose. I'd concentrate on what's switching heavy DC power
🤞
1- You can try to tip-tap around gently (prefuse module, SAM modules, Ignition Key module, driver footwell, passenger footwell...) while you have someone hold the ignition key in crank position - This might very well wake up a flaky relay and a bad ground screw with oxidized contacts... nothing to loose. I'd concentrate on what's switching heavy DC power
🤞
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2021
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From: US
2008 E350, 2012 ML350, 2014 E350, 2015 ML350
Sorry to hear such a diagnostic 
. I am sure some people in the forum would love to do a post-mortem study on your FrontSAM because that is not a wear item, and understanding the failure modes of those modules will help other in preventative maintenance.These cars seem to have "water intrusion issues". Do you recall opening the front fuse/relay box under the hood recently? If the cover of the front SAM is not properly closed in place, and rainwater manages its way in, the car is bound for all kinds of electrical gremlins.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 33
Likes: 1
G63
I live in southern California so no recent rain and car has been garaged. I was having a "Blind Spot assist inoperative" error periodically (once every month)...which the dealer recently diagnosed (1 month ago) as a sensor problem and fixed it. Possibly they screwed something up during that repair.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Apr 2019
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From: Silicon Valley
W212 MY'14 M276-3.5NA @75kMi
👍
I live in southern California so no recent rain and car has been garaged. I was having a "Blind Spot assist inoperative" error periodically (once every month)...which the dealer recently diagnosed (1 month ago) as a sensor problem and fixed it. Possibly they screwed something up during that repair.
🤞
Pls keep us posted if that new SAM does not resolve all your glitches... high-tech is hardly ever simple.
Last edited by CaliBenzDriver; Oct 20, 2021 at 02:24 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 5,155
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From: Colorado
G550
Given the symptoms and behavior, a SAM malfunction sounds reasonable, and water intrusion could be the culprit. It seems that the semiconductor shortage has prompted all car manufacturers to claw back replacement parts from distribution locations so that they can be used on new vehicle production, hence the unavailability. There are shops that do SAM repair - you might check into this while waiting on the slow boat from Stuttgart.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 5,155
Likes: 1,769
From: Colorado
G550
The message here is keep your car locked and parked off the street. Supply shortages should increase car thefts and boost the chop shop business. Gs might not be at the top of the list, but Hondas and Toyotas will start vanishing at increasing rates.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 348
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From: SoCal
3phase-4pole
Sorry to hear and I hope by now you/they figured it out and not the SAM.
I have a *good* handle on servicing my cars. But with old cars sometimes you just never know. Which is why - sadly for a car enthusiast - I always get a rental when I go on trips.
I have a *good* handle on servicing my cars. But with old cars sometimes you just never know. Which is why - sadly for a car enthusiast - I always get a rental when I go on trips.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2014
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S500
just saw 2009 date - your ABS sensor are due to die - so worth swapping anyway - these do ALL drop like clockwork on an age basis
the Park brake isn't ABS operation or weather related - what I'm saying is as the ABS sensors "age" the first symptom is strange behaviour of the park brake (because part of the way they work relates to info from the ABS sensors) as the info they pass gets sketchy the park brake sometimes does odd stuff - your pre safe brake might do an extra bong as you drive off too
the Park brake isn't ABS operation or weather related - what I'm saying is as the ABS sensors "age" the first symptom is strange behaviour of the park brake (because part of the way they work relates to info from the ABS sensors) as the info they pass gets sketchy the park brake sometimes does odd stuff - your pre safe brake might do an extra bong as you drive off too
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2021
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2011 G550
just saw 2009 date - your ABS sensor are due to die - so worth swapping anyway - these do ALL drop like clockwork on an age basis
the Park brake isn't ABS operation or weather related - what I'm saying is as the ABS sensors "age" the first symptom is strange behaviour of the park brake (because part of the way they work relates to info from the ABS sensors) as the info they pass gets sketchy the park brake sometimes does odd stuff - your pre safe brake might do an extra bong as you drive off too
the Park brake isn't ABS operation or weather related - what I'm saying is as the ABS sensors "age" the first symptom is strange behaviour of the park brake (because part of the way they work relates to info from the ABS sensors) as the info they pass gets sketchy the park brake sometimes does odd stuff - your pre safe brake might do an extra bong as you drive off too
