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Soft closing trunk. Mine on the S600 2005 does not work. All the doors close perfectly. You mentioned it was an easy fix. Can you explain where I need to look and listen for a leak?
Soft closing trunk. Mine on the S600 2005 does not work. All the doors close perfectly. You mentioned it was an easy fix. Can you explain where I need to look and listen for a leak?
when a circuit takes too long the soft close pump shuts just that circuit off
reset by pulling the 20 amp fuse under rear seat kick panel and reinserting fuse
If the soft close then works and then continues to work, you're good. If it stops working after a few times, you have a leak, usually in the black plastic "hockey puck" under the lid lining at the lock mechanism.
The "kick panel" that tusabes mentioned is behind the right rear passengers heels, behind the floor lamp. Just pull the lamp out (no need to disconnect it) and find the yellow 20-Amp fuse.
Here's a pic of mine, the other side has a similar crack. Works the other way around (handle comes out when trunk is closed) and stops working after 5 cycles after reset.
Soft closing trunk. Mine on the S600 2005 does not work. All the doors close perfectly. You mentioned it was an easy fix. Can you explain where I need to look and listen for a leak?
It helps a lot if you remove the trunk lid lining, if your soft closing is not even trying to actuate it is very likely that it is happening because the pump is trying to protect itself, in that case under the rear seats there is a fuse box, you can get the fuse out and then in, that will reset your soft-closing, then you can listen for it. If you can not pin it down this way, you can remove the actuator, which is not too hard and it should be very apparent, it was for me. Some epoxy here and there and is all good and has been now for months for me.
Since the last time I posted I replaced both the Hood and Trunk Struts, all the underbody panels under the engine (two of them were cracked), spark plugs (which ended up fixing my misfire problem), transmission connector (it was leaking), and I also installed new engine mounts (not nearly as bad as you may think, not bad at all).
Finally, I also did a trans service, got a Renntech ECU and TCU tune, she has always been fun but now she is on a completely different level. So happy.
Next up the list is, Renntech rear alignment bushings (since no camber adjustment is available from the factory), front camber bolts, replacing a leaky power steering line, repainting the hood, and the new front bumper that I got (she has some chips from years of loyal service) and I should be done after that haha.
I just suffered an ABC hose failure. Was driving down to Galveston for a wedding, hit a small bump on the freeway, and bam--the small (but long and tortuous pipe with two 'flex' sections) line leading from valve unit all the way over to right side rear accumulator back by the bumper. Took the MBZ parts guy about 15 minutes to FIND it in the parts list. Cost $198. I Gotta install it now. Pays only 1.5 hrs of shop time so it can't be too bad. Leak is 'small' and did not empty the reservoir. At this cost rate, just hoses will cost well over $1,000. Installation 'shop times' range from 1.5 hrs to 19 hrs!! One has to remove the engine for that one. It did not show any leakage prior to bursting in the middle of the rear flex portion.
Am thinking about replacing all the rear accumulators as they are low and maybe transient bump pressure popped the hose.
After further inspection, I realized my problem was bigger than I suspected, although not massive, lucky for me I had no blowouts or anything like that but I did get a message once because the ABC system pressure was too low. I had 3 lines seeping and one with a small leak, which I thought was power steering. Turns out it was an ABC line that went from the pump to the valve block where the accumulator is around the passenger side. the other line was the dead-end one in front of the engine, the other one was right there and connects to the front passenger shock, and finally, the one that sits under the rear part of the engine just over the subframe. I thought the thermostat for the oil coolers was leaking but lucky for me it was just the lines.
I got all the lines just shy of $500.00, I also took advantage of the situation and replaced the passenger side front lower control arm, put in front camber bolts, re-tightened the front left wheel bearing, and installed a front wheel speed sensor. I paid $500.00 for all of this, the engine did not have to be dropped. I replaced my engine mounts recently, the process for that was the same as for this, the subframe got loosened, the steering shaft disconnected and then you have all the space to do everything. No needs to drop the engine.
Agreed.
Low pressure is down to either a bad pressure regulator, a bad pressure sensor or more likely a worn tandem pump.
Seeping lines are just an indicator of an impending catastrophic hose crimp failure.
Nick
Christian - Love your car - identical color/wheels to my own! I really like those S600 wheels. Unique. Classy. Just posted this in another thread, you might find it useful.
Originally Posted by Astro14
A couple thoughts after a decade+ of S600 ownership...
Ignoring problems causes the problem, and cost, to snowball.
The car likes a strong battery. Use only an AGM.
Use only an MB 229.5 oil. Mobil 1 0W40 or Castrol 0W40 are available at Wal-mart for less than $25/jug. Great oil. There is far more to oil than just viscosity. The specification (229.5) matters more, far more, than viscosity.
Don't buy parts on Amazon or eBay, most of them are counterfeit junk. MBoemparts.com or fcpeuro.com are good sources. My dealer gives me a discount (they know me by name...) of $15-20%. Often, they are the cheapest when shipping is considered.
The intercooler system is poorly designed, air gets in and degrades performance. MB fixed it in the M279 by adding a reservoir. Add the reservoir to keep air out. Genuine MB parts for the retrofit, total cost about $250. You will need a vacuum bleed system (about $80 on Amazon, plus a source of compressed air) to bleed the system when done. Big engine performance in mine when I got the intercooler sorted. I will do the same mod to the SL600 I just got.
You can get at most everything under the engine by dropping the subframe.
Do the engine mounts now if they haven't been done. A collapsed engine mount caused a pulse damper hose failure when the hose got pinched between engine and subframe. Couldn't figure out why I had an accumulator whine - until that hose blew. And that hose was nearly new, which cost me another $400 on top of replacing mounts, serpentine belt, etc.
Flush the ABC fluid regularly. Hydraulic fluid shears more rapidly than engine oil because of that pump design. Fresh fluid matters. Replace the filter, too.
Second the recommendation to do the accumulators. You'll have to drop the right rear exhaust pipe for the rear one.
Use only NGK or MB sparkplugs when you do replace them. Keep on top of plugs. The coils are expensive and worn plugs stress the coils. New coils are about $1,400. Clark at v12icpack.com is half that and will help you out.
The NAG1 gearbox is tough, but treat it to regular fluid changes. Not hard, just a bit messy. Check for leaks at the plug, the fluid there can wick up into your TCU and cause problems.
The PSE Pump in the trunk will shut down leaking circuits if it measures too long a run time to operate that circuit. Find the leak. Don't just reset the pump every time, or you'll wear out the pump.
For tools, you need good quality. I've been down this road, acquire them incrementally and buy only the best. First tool you really need: Your own Star/Xentry diagnostic system. Code readers, even good ones are simply inadequate.
Most parts and repairs on this car are reasonable. Full set of tie rods is under $200 for inner and outer, for example. MB oil filter is less than $15.
Your car looks great! Paint and headlights especially. Much better than mine. Wheels can be fixed up, and these guys have been a good source: wheelcollision.com
Finally - this car is simply amazing. Just took mine on a 2,500 mile road trip through the southeast. Nothing rides like it. Nothing runs like it. The best car I have ever owned. You will LOVE it. I promise.
What a fantastic guide, thank you for that and the kind words.
Seems like I am on the right track
During my ownership, I have bought only OEM parts or OEM equivalents like Lemforder. I have upgraded the intercooler system with a High-Flowing Renntech IC pump and added an extra heat exchanger to the system. I have done my engine mounts and accessed my seeping/leaking ABC lines by dropping the subframe, I have also flushed the system recently although this was done because I was changing lines, fluid was changed just before my purchase so it was not even a year old. I changed the accumulators as soon as I bought the car. I replaced my spark plugs with OEM Mercedes spark plugs, fixed a misfire issue that I had (the car was still running on original plugs). I have also changed the trans fluid and filter of course very recently. My PSE pump is fine for now but it can definitely be stronger, I have no leaks beyond the driver side soft-closing, I had one on the trunk but I fixed it, very easily I would say. I wanna get my own tools but lucky for me I have access to all these specific tools. Thank you for the wheel place, I love my Segins but they for sure have seen better days.
I take extremely good care of my cars and usually I go through them often, I like to experience the full automotive spectrum but I have kept and seems like I will be keeping this one for a little bit, I have owned the flagship sedan of every mainstream Luxury company (BMW, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Jaguar) but this one is something special. So I am going to do my best to enjoy and take good care of her while in my possession.
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