S-Class (W220) 1999-2006: S 320 CDI, S 320, S430, S 500, S 600

Horror Story ..

Old Nov 29, 2006 | 06:42 PM
  #1  
shaw01's Avatar
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From: Piedmont, CA
2005 S55
Horror Story ..

OK, maybe a slight exageration, but it is to me. My last thread was about the fuse for the pump that runs the auto locks, door and trunk closers .. got it repaired at a shop for $75 & felt stupid cause it was an 89cent fuse .. but didn't complain cause it was fixed ..

and then ..

drove to las vegas w/g friend & family (from SF Bay area) .. fine all the way out .. i love my car. 4 people and no problems. then on 1st day out there the fuse goes again .. **** .. but no big deal, just deal with it when i get back.

(did try to fix it out there, fuse is under rear passenger seat, anyone seen this thing! freakin joke .. take the seat out, pull back lining w/out ripping it and there is a g-dam metal plate bolted in place .. i'm not even 100% sure a fuse box was under there! no way i could do this myself .. unless someone else can tell me what i missed)

saturday with 5 people in car now (picked 1 up!) at 2am at gas station to fill up & drive home .. turns out the pump drives the gas tank lock as well .. and it was locked when it died .. so now i can't open the tank .. 5 people in car, no dealership gonna be open sunday even if i stayed (which i couldn't, her dad had to go to work) .. tried everything i could, which is not much .. and ..

i tood a screwdriver to my baby. yeah, used a t-shirt so the outside paint didn't get scratched .. but broke open the lock and bent back the metal tab in the cover ..

turns out the pump also drives the rear headrest release, but who cares.

on top of it i just started a new job as a consultant .. nowhere near the place that "fixed" my car .. so i can't get there til friday. on top of it the metal is already rusting in the gas cover where the screwdriver ripped some paint off.

i am pissed that this went out again but i really don't understand mercedes (and i love my car, not a basher .. but allow me this) .. why make a fuse this inaccessable when it drives a key component such as a locking the gas cap with no way to unlock it? i mean, the locks were an annoyance, door suck, using the key on the trunk .. but the gas cap just locking shut?

does anyone else know how to access the rear fuse box? i had my gf's uncle who is a mechanic looking at it with me .. he said not to even try to do this myself because of the way it was bolted in there .. does it make sense to cover a fuse box like this?

I'm done now .. will get my baby fixed and proudly show off my mercedes key chain .. but no denyin they let me down this thanksgiving.
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Old Nov 29, 2006 | 09:56 PM
  #2  
fusion2007's Avatar
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From: Saint Louis
CLS 63 S AMG , s500,clk550
Red face

man i know what you mean.. but no one really knows wats going on in the heads of german car makers
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Old Nov 29, 2006 | 09:57 PM
  #3  
02S430's Avatar
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Joined: May 2006
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From: NYC/FT Lauderdale
W220 M113K
Originally Posted by shaw01
OK, maybe a slight exageration, but it is to me. My last thread was about the fuse for the pump that runs the auto locks, door and trunk closers .. got it repaired at a shop for $75 & felt stupid cause it was an 89cent fuse .. but didn't complain cause it was fixed ..

and then ..

drove to las vegas w/g friend & family (from SF Bay area) .. fine all the way out .. i love my car. 4 people and no problems. then on 1st day out there the fuse goes again .. **** .. but no big deal, just deal with it when i get back.

(did try to fix it out there, fuse is under rear passenger seat, anyone seen this thing! freakin joke .. take the seat out, pull back lining w/out ripping it and there is a g-dam metal plate bolted in place .. i'm not even 100% sure a fuse box was under there! no way i could do this myself .. unless someone else can tell me what i missed)

saturday with 5 people in car now (picked 1 up!) at 2am at gas station to fill up & drive home .. turns out the pump drives the gas tank lock as well .. and it was locked when it died .. so now i can't open the tank .. 5 people in car, no dealership gonna be open sunday even if i stayed (which i couldn't, her dad had to go to work) .. tried everything i could, which is not much .. and ..

i tood a screwdriver to my baby. yeah, used a t-shirt so the outside paint didn't get scratched .. but broke open the lock and bent back the metal tab in the cover ..

turns out the pump also drives the rear headrest release, but who cares.

on top of it i just started a new job as a consultant .. nowhere near the place that "fixed" my car .. so i can't get there til friday. on top of it the metal is already rusting in the gas cover where the screwdriver ripped some paint off.

i am pissed that this went out again but i really don't understand mercedes (and i love my car, not a basher .. but allow me this) .. why make a fuse this inaccessable when it drives a key component such as a locking the gas cap with no way to unlock it? i mean, the locks were an annoyance, door suck, using the key on the trunk .. but the gas cap just locking shut?

does anyone else know how to access the rear fuse box? i had my gf's uncle who is a mechanic looking at it with me .. he said not to even try to do this myself because of the way it was bolted in there .. does it make sense to cover a fuse box like this?

I'm done now .. will get my baby fixed and proudly show off my mercedes key chain .. but no denyin they let me down this thanksgiving.

the light on the right rear floor pops off making the fulses under the seat accessable
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 02:28 AM
  #4  
Frank_S500's Avatar
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SL63 (R230), CL500 (C215), SL55 (R129), CE300-24 Cabrio (A124)
And the gas tank cover lock can be manually accessed from the trunk.
(You have to remove the right cover in in the trunk in order to access the mechanic.)
Btw have you prepared a fuse chart in order to even identify the correct fuse ?

Cheers Frank
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 08:37 AM
  #5  
Mark_K's Avatar
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Joined: Sep 2006
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From: USA - CT
2002 S430
You can call 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES and they will tell you how to access you gas cap in an emergency.
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 08:38 AM
  #6  
Mark_K's Avatar
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 301
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From: USA - CT
2002 S430
Originally Posted by 02S430
the light on the right rear floor pops off making the fulses under the seat accessable
Your kidding right?
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 10:32 AM
  #7  
kenstudios's Avatar
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 987
Likes: 5
First off, sorry for your situation. Now, when you use you mechanical key to unlock the doors, what happens? If the key will unlock the doors, it will unlock the gas cap. The rear fuse box is accessible by removing that small light and cover that's under the rear seat. You can also access the emergency release for the gas cap from the trunk lining. I know when you are frustrated, things like that can't come to mind. Sorry man.
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 10:41 AM
  #8  
shadowgriffen's Avatar
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Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Boston
is a German Tank
Originally Posted by fusion2007
man i know what you mean.. but no one really knows wats going on in the heads of german car makers
Thats exactly why we find little things so out of the ordinary, because they built them different.

We have to read our manuals and if that's not available then call MB! I dont know about you S-class people but my 1988 300TE still has roadside assistance! All I have to do to get the number is open my glove compartment
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