GL550 Cold Temp Acting Up
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 66
Likes: 4
gl450
GL550 Cold Temp Acting Up
Hey all,
we live in Texas and have 20-110* weather year round. Just ventured to Colorado to ski for spring break and it got down to negative four on the way home. Noticed a few interesting observations.
at cold temps, the turbos wouldn’t spool (I think) and I was driving what felt like a very sluggish and underpowered engine. Also bizarrely, the seat massagers wouldn’t work!
once we got into warmer temps and turned car off and back on, both issues resolved themselves.
can you inform me what I was experiencing and how to best handle cold weather in the future?
thanks!
we live in Texas and have 20-110* weather year round. Just ventured to Colorado to ski for spring break and it got down to negative four on the way home. Noticed a few interesting observations.
at cold temps, the turbos wouldn’t spool (I think) and I was driving what felt like a very sluggish and underpowered engine. Also bizarrely, the seat massagers wouldn’t work!
once we got into warmer temps and turned car off and back on, both issues resolved themselves.
can you inform me what I was experiencing and how to best handle cold weather in the future?
thanks!
Member
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 126
Likes: 58
From: Gresham, OR
GL450
My guess is that the turbo was fine, but the engine computer was actually limiting how much the throttle was opening, because of some some sensor value. If the computer thinks the engine/turbo is too cold, it would protect the engine/turbos by limiting power or limiting boost. Or, I've also heard of situations where one of the cooling fans wasn't working properly (or it was, but a related sensor didn't work in the cold) and then the computer limited the power to protect the engine from overheating. That would explain why it worked fine after a power cycle in warmer weather, at startup the computer got better values and allowed full power. A quick google search about turbo issues in the cold weather showed it is a common issue.
The seat massager issue could be from an iffy electrical connection somewhere that contracted and expanded with the extreme cold. Or, a system voltage issue. How old is your battery? Car electrical systems can be very sensitive to startup voltage, I've seen situations (in my other German car) where my car engine starts ok in the cold, my alternator is fine and the running voltage is ok, but the battery was a little low so I would get weird random malfunctions. After changing my battery, everything worked normally again.
The seat massager issue could be from an iffy electrical connection somewhere that contracted and expanded with the extreme cold. Or, a system voltage issue. How old is your battery? Car electrical systems can be very sensitive to startup voltage, I've seen situations (in my other German car) where my car engine starts ok in the cold, my alternator is fine and the running voltage is ok, but the battery was a little low so I would get weird random malfunctions. After changing my battery, everything worked normally again.
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 16
Likes: 1
From: Flowermound ' TX
Mercedes S 500…2014 GL 550, ..2011 GL 450
Hey all,
we live in Texas and have 20-110* weather year round. Just ventured to Colorado to ski for spring break and it got down to negative four on the way home. Noticed a few interesting observations.
at cold temps, the turbos wouldn’t spool (I think) and I was driving what felt like a very sluggish and underpowered engine. Also bizarrely, the seat massagers wouldn’t work!
once we got into warmer temps and turned car off and back on, both issues resolved themselves.
can you inform me what I was experiencing and how to best handle cold weather in the future?
thanks!
we live in Texas and have 20-110* weather year round. Just ventured to Colorado to ski for spring break and it got down to negative four on the way home. Noticed a few interesting observations.
at cold temps, the turbos wouldn’t spool (I think) and I was driving what felt like a very sluggish and underpowered engine. Also bizarrely, the seat massagers wouldn’t work!
once we got into warmer temps and turned car off and back on, both issues resolved themselves.
can you inform me what I was experiencing and how to best handle cold weather in the future?
thanks!
Appreciate it much!!Scot
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 16
Likes: 1
From: Flowermound ' TX
Mercedes S 500…2014 GL 550, ..2011 GL 450
Hello. I seem to have this same issue with the seat massage controls all of a sudden stopped working . Recently I had changed out several fuses and went through each one with the print out of them and checked all of them just to make sure they we’re Inc good shape. Even after this the seats are still not working the only fuse that’s, blown more than once is the cig lighter fuse and AMC going to change it out. Nothing else seems tobe inaccessible. The reverse passanger side mirror wont go down in reverse every time but the nly thing i can see or think of not working 100 % of the time. I spent a while with the rear drivers seat up towards the front when working on the fuses under the rear seat . Possibly somthing come loose? But itsb both seats in front ,not just drivers . Have gone over the seen, wires and connections n under the drivers seat to make sure ll was connected properly. The voltage seems to be at a constant 14.8 or 9 when checking while running. Is this a possible issue? Purchased a new “smaller” battery, the auxillary one.? May replace it and see. Any help wopuld be appritiated.
