wont start now towed to dealer




s430 didn't start yesterday. all key wont turn. wont lock or unlock. Road side checked the battery but it was OK. but notice the instrument cluster reading 00000 miles.
Called in for a tow. Car couldn't get out of "park" so basic they have to drag the car on to the flat bed.. Sux. ...
Asking for a loaner car today and Penske MB say they are booked for MB loaners. and I may get a rental.. Sux..
Just got the S430 for about 6 weeks. I especially pay more to get a 02 so I dont have to worry about this stuff. Sux.. again......
Wife's all pissed off... Sux... some more.....
Good thing I got STARMARK. I'd be screwed if I bought it thru private party...
Last edited by fkong777; Dec 18, 2004 at 10:31 AM.




Called early saturday morning for a loaner.
" sorry we have no more mercedes loaners, we can get you a enterprise rental." ......Sux again......
Called saturday late afternoon to check on status
" Sorry we didnt have a chance to look at your car.. We will look at it first thing on Monday morning." ...... Sux some more............
come to think if it they never called to let me know how my car is doing ..
Any of you get treatment like this?
I would think my car was dragged in the night before I would be first in-line before some of the walk-in services...
I'm suppose my S430 out of commission is not that important..
I have Lexus and BMW that never needed service relating to system failure..
This is my first MB and it fails and dealer ignores me.
This really Sux......




I called the service department in the morning.. Basically told me that someone may get assign to the car today.
a service adviser finally called me. and told me they might look at it today. Also they do not have a loaner car for me. loaner cars are booked 2 weeks in advance. so basically he had nothing to tell me about my car.
If my business sense serves me correct.. If the dealer is that busy with appointments and service request. Shouldn't they expand the service department and get more loaner cars for customers.. This is pretty unacceptable in my standard.
sorry but I just have to vent.....my car is out of comission for 4 days now and no one looked at it yet.
Mercedes.... what is love without pain?




I still think the road side service could have diagnose the problem better. I didn't like that my car had to be dragged on to a tow truck while in Park gear. and lost use of the car on my vacation days.
I rather had my car jump started and drive to my original dealer which I purchase the car from.. I would get better service than to Penske mercedes which took 2 complete days before even looking into my problems.
I'm glad it isn't anything major but lack of service in a timely matter to a simple problem is what I'm really unhappy with my "nearest MB dealer"
I've notice that my exhaust pipes are hanging unevenly now. The tow must have bent something. .. not making any noise or anything but I notice it when I follow my wife when she was driving it home. SUX....
Last edited by fkong777; Dec 23, 2004 at 12:54 PM.
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I have an 04 now and the battery is fine on this one.
Last edited by NJS430; Jan 31, 2005 at 03:49 PM.




Roadside service person also told me it isn't a battery issue but something deeper in the electronics that is not reading the car keys. I still need to bring it in to have it checked out.
Car will be going to the dealer tomorrow.
Hopefully they get to the bottom of your car's problem and you never go thru this again.
BATTERIES and Mercedes Benz, in all of my mercedes with the exception of the 05 SL600, I have gone thru numerous batteries. They seem to eat this things. I will give you another scenario about my local dealer, battery is dead in my SL320, I call and tell them I can jump it and bring it to them to get a battery switched out, service bafoon says they are booked for about 2 weeks, if I dropped off the car, he would try to squeeze it in in a few days. I called roadside assistance and even though that car was out of warranty, they sent a person to the house that afternoon, who switched the battery for the same cost of me going to the dealership. WOW, send a mechanic across town and lose shop time to change my battery at home. Doesn't sound like the best use of time for them.
It almost pays to have another battery on hand for these cars.




Let just hope they will change out parts and have it fixed.




Looking at the history, this car may be able to qualify for a lemon buy-back.




invoice noted that some device stayed ON all the time so it will drain out battery.
Dealer Swapped out the command unit. Hopefully this will end the woes of car not recognizing the keys.
Thank god for MB warranty but I'm at 48800 miles now....yikes. I have starmark but I really hope not to have more problems.
Next time it doesnt start my attorney will contact MB.
Last edited by fkong777; Feb 5, 2005 at 06:20 PM.



