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Glad I'm able to get my $160 back for the battery tomorrow.
I wonder what the tranny issue is. it seemed to run fine so its computer related. I wish Alx and Quadcammer can tell me if its a conductor plate or not.
My dad didn't get back to me about the OBD2 scanner. I'm so anxious to know what the Codes are. I'm betting I got a misfire.
Last edited by mercedesbenzs55; 03-18-2016 at 01:36 AM.
boss leave the new battery in and replace the front one, ive had **** with limp mode and tranny jumping out of gear coz of battery, altough battery was enough to start and power all accesories etc. cycle your steering wheel left to right end t end, might help with the esp error. SRS error could be to do with the seat belt tensioners at the back.
Guys please stop with your fatherly advices and infinite knowledge. lets just try and help the oke best you can. noone gives a **** of your life views and experience etc...
Glad I'm able to get my $160 back for the battery tomorrow.
I wonder what the tranny issue is. it seemed to run fine so its computer related. I wish Alx and Quadcammer can tell me if its a conductor plate or not.
My dad didn't get back to me about the OBD2 scanner. I'm so anxious to know what the Codes are. I'm betting I got a misfire.
I don't think anyone can help until you pull some codes. .
Didn't you drive the vehicle earlier? Did all these issues come up after your oil and battery change?
And I concur with dollos, I've had my w203 behave stupid (mostly minor Inc one instance of going into limp mode) that boiled down to a bad cell in the battery. Replaced and everything was happy.
Leave the new battery in....especially if you're going to keep the car. And make sure your new battery was an AGM. All systems in the car run off the accessory battery. The small battery under the hood is for the starter only and controls nothing else. If the car is turning over, then that battery is fine for now. No need to replace it until it is dead. And those go dead pretty much instantly. There is no slow start to warn you when it's going bad.
I've heard rumors that there is a smaller lithium battery under the dash that might control some items. I've never seen it, but if it's true, then maybe some of the issues lie with that battery. Either way, you need to get that to a Benz dealer or somebody with STAR who knows how to use it to read the codes and tell you everything that's wrong with the car. Your OBD scanner does not read all of the codes in the car. STAR picks up a lot more data that your scanner cannot read.
I'm afraid to drive it to he dealer in its current condition. I have to look into what an inde would charge me for a read.
Made sure the battery was AGM. I think it shows in the "after install" pic.
Earlier, during the test drive. I had my COMAND giving me a "engine shut off in 3 minutes" warning randomly. Its as though comand does not know the engine is indeed running. I click the ok button and the message comes off, but most of the time it shuts off and I cannot restart it no matter what button I try. It does it intermittently. At times the message pops up and I hit the button and it turns off anyhow. Any advice?
I looked for the battery through the passenger side and didn't anything batterylike. Didn't expect to find anything seeing that there is a blower motor and a dash on that side.
After checking the driver side there is nothing that can be seen of a batterlike consistency. The closest thing is this silver square peice that looks like a module of some sort.
Last edited by mercedesbenzs55; 03-18-2016 at 03:45 AM.
Earlier, during the test drive. I had my COMAND giving me a "engine shut off in 3 minutes" warning randomly. Its as though comand does not know the engine is indeed running. I click the ok button and the message comes off, but most of the time it shuts off and I cannot restart it no matter what button I try. It does it intermittently. At times the message pops up and I hit the button and it turns off anyhow. Any advice?
I googled this for you and found the following... (related to a similar problem in another S550)
"There is definitely an audio computer that is causing the radio screen to shut off/reset itself every couple of minutes
This is most likely caused by a faulty voice control computer located in the left rear trunk panel.
It will have to be replaced in order to solve the problem permenantly but for now, you may be able to reset the system by disconnecting the battery in the trunk for a few minutes.
To access the the trunk battery (there is another one under the hood), open the trunk and grab the farthest panel in the top left and pull. This rear partition panel will pop out only if you pull from the top left corner. This will expose the battery. Just loosen and remove one of the battery cables and leave it off for a few minutes.
Reconnect it to see if the system operates normally.
This reset may only be temporary if it works at all.
In order to confirm the voice control module failure, a mercedes diagnostic computer should be connected to the car and the MOST ring actual values should be looked at in the "COMAND".
Usually the failing module will drop in and out of the MOST ring actual configuration.
Technically it could be any 1 of the 5 or 6 audio computers, but the voice control module is the most common, followed by the satellite radio control unit.
ABS light. Check your brake fluid levels. May also want to bleed to brakes to ensure there is no air in the system. Also have a look around the rear axle at the wires going to your ABS speed sensors. Damaged? unplugged? Speed sensors, in my experience, are the most common cause of ABS lights.
Transmission. This car has roughly 80k miles, yes? has the tranny fluid been changed? Its a pain on these cars and there is a chance it wasn't done or wasn't done correctly. Its also possible the wheel speed sensor, if that is an issue, is causing the transmission to act funny.
Odd electrical glitches. Here's where it gets nearly impossible to diagnose over the internet, especially given the nature of the car and how it spent its last few months.
The bottom line here is that we can spend a year guessing at your issues.
You need to find an independent mechanic with access to a STAR SDS system. Forget that, see if you can find a local member that has a chinese clone. I have one, and its basically essential for a car like this.
When you get access to this, the mechanic/buddy will run a short test, and every currently active or former fault will show up (capital F for current, lowercase f for stored). This will read engine and transmission codes (most tranny codes don't appear on obdII). You can then go into each category (engine, tranny, can network, sams, etc) and play with actuations, view rough running information, hell basically everything. This will also be crucial to help you with electrical issues by being able to send signals to all the modules to see if they do what they should.
Also, what is your battery voltage in volts, with the car off, while cranking, and while running?
If you really can't find someone with SDS, I'd consider letting you borrow mine if you pay for shipping and promise not to keep it.
Last edited by Quadcammer; 03-18-2016 at 08:33 AM.
2008 S550, 2006 911, 2006 M5, 2005 F-150 King Ranch
Real reason is...
Originally Posted by Mike5215
His brother, 22, got the same deal. But he walked into the local ABC affiliate and got a job as a video editor at 19. At 20, still going to school full time for TV production, he was getting up at 3:30 AM all week to produce the local morning news. Then the university hired him as a media specialist while he was still a student. This semester he taught the intro to production class at UF. He works as a freelance sports director for ESPN, NFL Films, and SEC network. He grew up in the same house as his goofy brother. Go figure.
2008 S550, 2006 911, 2006 M5, 2005 F-150 King Ranch
At this point I'd be putting parts on ebay
Originally Posted by Mike5215
I believe from reading the manual that those are conditions related to buying a car sight unseen from a scrap yard. Holy crap that thing is a money pit already. It should have nothing wrong mechanically from sitting in a scrap yard after the rear end hit other than a bad battery.
ALX and Quadcammer can help guide you through this, but that's a long friggin list.
Remember when you said the owner intentionally totaled it and I told you to hope you were wrong, because the only reason to do so would be because he was faced with an expensive mechanical problem he couldn't afford to fix?
Maybe all that stuff relates to insufficient voltage from the battery/alternator and that's causing the weird error messages and limp mode issues and the errant oil pressure readings.
Starting from when he tried buying it 3x, the amount of hours, researching, troubleshooting and getting this car done is astronomical!!!
What are you worth per hour? $20-30 minimum. I know you have step children, I have kids also and am so busy running them all over town and trying to enjoy them. I would not have this amount of time to take on a project.
Bottom line is you could never get back what you put into it. Not even close. If your doing this to prove a point is useless and selfish to you and your family.
Bottom line is you could never get back what you put into it. Not even close. If your doing this to prove a point is useless and selfish to you and your family.
Unless he is doing it to learn certain things he always wanted to learn. In which case spending your time lolling around on the couch with your kids could be called selfish to you and your family in comparison.
That's the thing about opinions. They aren't universal. Your values may not be appropriate for someone else, and someone else's values may not be appropriate for you.
The question is if you are bright enough to know the difference between a fact and an opinion? (most people clearly aren't).
2008 S550, 2006 911, 2006 M5, 2005 F-150 King Ranch
Reality is...
What a cruel, cruel heart that Mercedes has. Gives you confidence by hiding its flaws. Then BAM! Pay time!
A Mercedes S or any automobile over $100k new is like a gorgeous, sexy girl
wearing a tight dress and high heels and a lot younger than you. Damn good to look at, but will give you a lot of problems down the road.
Stick with a car and women you could handle and afford!
MAN ALL THIS AUNT AGONY STUFF.....OPEN ANOTHER THREAD FOR ALL THE WHINERS, SISSIES AND NAYSAYERS.
i come to this thread to see whats happening with the car but all i find are these useless suggestions and boredom. really a bit much now...
I stated earlier that I admire your enthusiasm.
ever watch Dirty Harry Magnum Force?
there is a great line spoken by Clint Eastwood as he's walking away in the end of the flick.
"A man's gotta know his limitations"
I've got a degree in engineering and I debug extremely complex systems for a living.
I have had 6 benz in my personal fleet.
I've put together recovered thefts from donor cars and torn engines down and rebuilt them.
I wouldn't have taken on this mess unless you gave me the car essentially free.
So son know when to call for help. Right now you currently have a tangled ball of yarn that you need to straighten out.
So the very first thing you have to do is find the end of the string.
You most likely have multiple system failures which are masking conditions from each other.
What this means is swapping one part won't magically fix all of your problems.
Even worse is the likelihood that the defective systems could damage the new part that you put in and you're back to square one.
The only way to get visibility into the system is with the tools AND TRAINING TO USE IT designed by the factory. That is the STAR systems.
You need a methodical step by step analysis of what shows up as working and what doesn't.
it will cost you but throw it on a flatbed. and bring it to a really good indie or the dealer. Be prepared the dealer may just back away. Ask one of the dealer mechanics if they want to take it on, on the side. Keep in mind that even after you sort out all of the operational issues and get it running right you still have to deal with getting the frame aligned and fixing the body work.
If you don't, you are going to financially bleed to death on this.
Also consider even when you're done, your book value is not going to be substantially higher than what you have into it already.
The upside is your in a position where you can cut your losses and part it out now.
The problems you are describing are consistent with a low voltage condition. It's a good idea to start your diagnosis with proper battery voltage and the correct type of battery (AGM or std flooded cell).
If the original battery was an AGM, you should replace it with an AGM, and charge it prior to installing it, with an AGM capable battery charger. An AGM charger is not particularly expensive.
Then once you establish that's good, you should check voltage and ensure the alternator/ voltage regulator are ok.
Do your diagnosis in an organized manner to avoid the unnecessary replacement of parts.
While you are either installing or un-installing the accessory battery, do not allow the positive terminal to touch the body, the battery controller is still powered by the starter battery and you can possibly cause damage to the electronics.
Once the basics are in place, you can move on to reading codes if any issues persist.
Are these cars seriously that unreliable? Not just this thread, but I've read lots of S class threads because I've been a fan of luxo boats since I was 18. The general consensus seems to be not that repairs might be expensive if something major goes wrong, but that that it will be expensive because major things will go wrong. And well south of 100,000 miles. Really? It's rare for these things to make it to 100,000 miles w/o major repairs? There's a a fine line between tolerating the cost of a highly tuned exotic and living with crap.
Seriously out of the flagship German luxo sedans, the D3 Audi A8 (preferably 07+) is the way to go. Out of the S class and 7 series, it is far more reliable, better AWD system (Quattro), sound system, lighter in pounds, more fuel efficient, cheaper new MSRP, functional and ages better.
Mercedes and BMW aren't what they used to be when it comes to reliability while Audi has gotten much better in recent years. Audi's 4.2 V8 and transmission are nearly bulletproof and there are ton's of daily driver D3 A8's approaching 200k miles or have surpassed it with no issues, oil leaks, electronic problems etc. Nothing but regular wear and tear items.
The problems you are describing are consistent with a low voltage condition. It's a good idea to start your diagnosis with proper battery voltage and the correct type of battery (AGM or std flooded cell).
If the original battery was an AGM, you should replace it with an AGM, and charge it prior to installing it, with an AGM capable battery charger. An AGM charger is not particularly expensive.
Then once you establish that's good, you should check voltage and ensure the alternator/ voltage regulator are ok.
Do your diagnosis in an organized manner to avoid the unnecessary replacement of parts.
While you are either installing or un-installing the accessory battery, do not allow the positive terminal to touch the body, the battery controller is still powered by the starter battery and you can possibly cause damage to the electronics.
Once the basics are in place, you can move on to reading codes if any issues persist.
this. your battery is either unndercharged, has the wrong capacity or the charging system has issues.
It seemed to be in better form prior to the battery replacement, which I find worrisome. It's possible that the positive terminal was grounded out, which may have blown the voltage regulator.
Voltage spikes can also kill any other of the modules. It's important to be able to measure and read voltage to get the car to a state where star diagnosis will be useful.
ABS light. Check your brake fluid levels. May also want to bleed to brakes to ensure there is no air in the system. Also have a look around the rear axle at the wires going to your ABS speed sensors. Damaged? unplugged? Speed sensors, in my experience, are the most common cause of ABS lights.
Transmission. This car has roughly 80k miles, yes? has the tranny fluid been changed? Its a pain on these cars and there is a chance it wasn't done or wasn't done correctly. Its also possible the wheel speed sensor, if that is an issue, is causing the transmission to act funny.
Odd electrical glitches. Here's where it gets nearly impossible to diagnose over the internet, especially given the nature of the car and how it spent its last few months.
The bottom line here is that we can spend a year guessing at your issues.
You need to find an independent mechanic with access to a STAR SDS system. Forget that, see if you can find a local member that has a chinese clone. I have one, and its basically essential for a car like this.
When you get access to this, the mechanic/buddy will run a short test, and every currently active or former fault will show up (capital F for current, lowercase f for stored). This will read engine and transmission codes (most tranny codes don't appear on obdII). You can then go into each category (engine, tranny, can network, sams, etc) and play with actuations, view rough running information, hell basically everything. This will also be crucial to help you with electrical issues by being able to send signals to all the modules to see if they do what they should.
Also, what is your battery voltage in volts, with the car off, while cranking, and while running?
If you really can't find someone with SDS, I'd consider letting you borrow mine if you pay for shipping and promise not to keep it.
Thank you Quadcam ,I will change the tranny and differential oil today. Aswell as bleed the brakes. and check the speed sensors.
If it comes down to it I would very much appreciate you offer. I finally got the OBD2 tool, so lets see what can be done with what I currently have.
03-28-2016, 07:21 PM
