S500 Malfunctions
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2001 S500 and 2000 BMW 740I
S500 Malfunctions
Hey Fellow MB owners,
Over the weekend I notice a couple of weird things happening to my S500.
(1) Headlight Low beam bulb please check
(2) Wiper fluids please check
(3) Check anti Freeze
All the fluids have been check and are at capacity so it can't be that they are low on fluids
The weird thing is once the car turns of and then back on the malfunctions goes away. Have anyone experience this before and what 's the cause and how do I fix it. Also does warranty covers any of the above.
Over the weekend I notice a couple of weird things happening to my S500.
(1) Headlight Low beam bulb please check
(2) Wiper fluids please check
(3) Check anti Freeze
All the fluids have been check and are at capacity so it can't be that they are low on fluids
The weird thing is once the car turns of and then back on the malfunctions goes away. Have anyone experience this before and what 's the cause and how do I fix it. Also does warranty covers any of the above.
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2005 S500 4-Matic, 1978 450SL
I don't know the exact source of the problem - but you don't give us the year of your car or the date it first went into service - so it's difficult to answer your warranty coverage question. Also, warranties may differ by country, so that would be useful as well (even if we can guess from your screen name).
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Sorry bout that, I have a 2001 S500 with no extras. I'm in the eastern region of the USA. Is there any other info you would need to correctly gauge my problems?
#4
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W220s (especially early ones) are notorious for electrical gremlins. They can be very difficult to diagnose, especially without the dealer's test equipment.
It's only a guess, but I would suspect the front SAM. The two Signal Acquisition Modules are the brains of the electrical system. They listen for signals from switches and respond by controlling lights and other electrical consumers. If it weren't for the SAMs, these cars would require more heavy copper cables than would physically fit. The SAMs allow thin wires to carry switch and sensor signals to two central locations (front and rear), which in turn control a few heavy current paths to lights and motors.
The SAMs are glorified computer-controlled fuse boxes, and when they fail anything can happen. Many W220 gremlins live in the SAMs. The headlights and fluid level alerts are controlled by the front SAM, which is why I'm suspicious. But the bottom line is that you need a specialist, probably the dealer.
It's only a guess, but I would suspect the front SAM. The two Signal Acquisition Modules are the brains of the electrical system. They listen for signals from switches and respond by controlling lights and other electrical consumers. If it weren't for the SAMs, these cars would require more heavy copper cables than would physically fit. The SAMs allow thin wires to carry switch and sensor signals to two central locations (front and rear), which in turn control a few heavy current paths to lights and motors.
The SAMs are glorified computer-controlled fuse boxes, and when they fail anything can happen. Many W220 gremlins live in the SAMs. The headlights and fluid level alerts are controlled by the front SAM, which is why I'm suspicious. But the bottom line is that you need a specialist, probably the dealer.
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whoover,
Thanks very much for the education, point well taken. Do you think that it is a covered component under warranty.
Thanks very much for the education, point well taken. Do you think that it is a covered component under warranty.
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That's why we needed to know the model year and your location.
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02 S500 Sport
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http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ic/ic030538.htm
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Starmark warranty until 2008 for $1500. Was that a good deal. The dealer I bought the car from said that the car had additional warranty but the company was in bankruptcy and if they emerge from that then I will be reimburse for the remaining years prorated.
Last edited by estrain_ny; 10-17-2007 at 02:24 PM.
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If the dealer will honor the warranty, take it to them. Diagnosing electrical problems in these cars takes specialized knowledge and test equipment. There are certainly independents that have it, but the odds are better with the dealer. Here's an example of the kind of procedure involved.
http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ic/ic030538.htm
http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ic/ic030538.htm
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