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I took mine out, and disassembled to circuit board, cleaned and reassembled. I'm rather certain that it wil correct the faults I was seeing - which was 'display malfunction', with random things working and resetting (radio, brake light, fuel gauge, etc.). I tracked this in checking the rear fuse area where I found moisture, which came in from the lens...as a result of a kid backing up the ML with a trailer which pushed against the plastic bumper, which bent the body slightly (you couldn't see without close study) such that the lens no longer sealed...nothing a rubber mallot couldn't fix. I'll caulk the lens mounting holes once I know all is good...just to be sure.
For those of you replacing or working on SAM, word of advise: if you were able to open the hatch, do not close it while removing SAM....the hatch is inoperable while the SAM and fuse panel are disconnected (Duh!).
Last edited by Laurent1956; Jun 9, 2017 at 03:04 PM.
Reason: Adding VIN: 4JGBB75E06A069026
Thanks for the consideration. The SAM has a connector "H", and I didn't see a wire harness for it (and it's in a corner that's hard to see if something were there). Sadly, I didn't take a pic of that part before disassembly.
I ended up putting all together without something plugged into H, and so far all looks good. Cleaning down the PCB and connectors with alcohol seemed to have done the tick, thank goodness.
actually, my tailgate won’t open now. I can hear the motor working and see the door slightly move as if it’s trying to open but latch won’t release. Is there something I need to do to reset it? Is there a way to open the rear door to inspect the latch.
Hello I have the same problem with Sam I can fine the connector H??
[QUOTE=Laurent1956;7175910]Thanks for the consideration. The SAM has a connector "H", and I didn't see a wire harness for it (and it's in a corner that's hard to see if something were there). Sadly, I didn't take a pic of that part before disassembly.
I ended up putting all together without something plugged into H, and so far all looks good. Cleaning down the PCB and connectors with alcohol seemed to have done the tick, thank goodness.[/QUOTE
Hello I have the same problem with Sam I can fine the connector H??
It’s likely the same SAM is used on the GL. In markets besides the USA—where it’s illegal—there can be a tailgate mounted spare tire carrier. In those cases, the red lenses in the bumper are illuminated. On GL there is a rear air conditioner option. On GL, the rear quarter panel windows open electrically.
I'm glad I found this thread. Turns out a leak in my ml63 got into the sam this morning and took things out. I removed everything today and was able to clean it, however I couldn't for the life of me fine connector H. I don't have any errors at the moment, however my power tailgate doesn't work anymore. Any tips if its related? I wonder if maybe a fuse blew. I saw someone else mention issues with the tailgate a few posts up. Thanks
Wanted to provide a update. I've only owned my ML63 since July and have had a lot of random issues. Rewind to a few weeks ago and there was a bad thunderstorm, I kept having my alarm go off, I figured the alarm was really sensitive. A few hours later at 3am I'm woken up to my alarm siren going off like crazy. I couldn't disable it at all, I'm half asleep and its blaring. I had to rush to my shed to find some tools to disconnect the battery. I was trying to first find the fuse in the dark with that thing blaring in my ear. Ended up taking out the fuse for the alarm siren thinking it was a bad unit. Hasn't really occurred since. Now yesterday there was another storm, now I hear the horn beeping, not the siren. I disconnect the battery to disable it. Now this morning I remove my rear section to check for water, and its literally dripping down into the SAM. It was not coming in thru my taillights, I was worried because I just put on aftermarket a few weeks ago. It was coming from further above that and some foam was wet. I see that one of the seals on the top seems to have a gap between the tailgate.
I decide I'm going to disconnect all the cables, I managed to take out the SAM which is not that easy. There are no screws, it unclips for those who are going to read this when you have this problem in the future. All of the connectors are different so you don't need to worry as much about refitting. Turns out I only have 8 connectors, while there are 9 on the board. The extra one is for other models as stated. Opening the case can be a pain, I was able to. After the case is open you have to release some pins to the the main side off. This video is in Russian but it helped me.
Heres how my module looked, as you can tell this has probably been a issue before in the past and the owners didn't realize it. The car I bought has only been driven 3000 miles in the last 5 years!
The back also had corrosion. I sprayed the entire board like crazy with CRC electrical cleaner, and used a toothbrush in some areas. There was a lot under the connectors as well. I used almost a full bottle cleaning it. It looked a lot better after, unfortunately I forgot to take a after picture. I put everything back in the case and reinstalled it, and reconnected my battery. I started the car and to my surprise I had no lights or messages!! The car was acting crazy earlier this AM when I had started it, no windshield wipers, SRS lights, malfunctions, no fuel gauge, you name it. This cost me $0 to do, and didn't require buying another unit. Before you guys buy a new SAM try to clean this first, it can save you $100's. Now the remaining issue with my tailgate electrical didn't close. I use my icarsoft I bought last week and showed a malfunction for this. I tried to clear the code and to my surprise it did not come back. I turned off the car and pressed the button to close, and now it was working!! Hopefully this helps anyone who runs into this issue in the future, it can be really frustrating and confusing. With some effort and tools hopefully you can fix it without bringing it to a mechanic.
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