Help with Turning On the Air Conditioning
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 32
Likes: 1
W221 S Class
Help with Turning On the Air Conditioning
I've just acquired my first S Class W221. I cannot turn on the Air Con. If I use Command to turn on Air Con it immediately switches back to OFF. Nothing I do will allow me to turn it on. The fans are working perfectly, and I can change the temperature setting. It ignores my attempt to switch from OFF to On in Command.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,142
Likes: 1,293
From: Southern US
2010 E550, 273 Engine: 2012 S550, 278 Engine
I've just acquired my first S Class W221. I cannot turn on the Air Con. If I use Command to turn on Air Con it immediately switches back to OFF. Nothing I do will allow me to turn it on. The fans are working perfectly, and I can change the temperature setting. It ignores my attempt to switch from OFF to On in Command.
First thing to check is that you have enough refrigerant pressure in the system. Too low pressure will not allow the compressor to run.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 5,322
Likes: 1,678
S500
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 5,322
Likes: 1,678
S500
all AC units lose gas.... when it drops too low it turns off.
the condenser at the front of the car will fail around the 7 to 11 years mark (age not mileage).... look for dark oily / dusted patches around the sides, its a sign the aluminium has corroded and the gas is weeping out....
if its a Porsche, expect the intercoolers and the condenser to have popped around the 3 years mark.... German vehicles are designed to die... its how they can pay 2.5 times the wages to make cars vs what a USA guy gets paid
the condenser at the front of the car will fail around the 7 to 11 years mark (age not mileage).... look for dark oily / dusted patches around the sides, its a sign the aluminium has corroded and the gas is weeping out....
if its a Porsche, expect the intercoolers and the condenser to have popped around the 3 years mark.... German vehicles are designed to die... its how they can pay 2.5 times the wages to make cars vs what a USA guy gets paid
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 5,322
Likes: 1,678
S500
the sort of values per annum for an auto worker around the world… Oz cocked up and price themselves out, hence 3 major companies GM, Ford and Toyota pulled out by 2017
in $US k a Year
USA 30
Australia 55
Germany 50
UK 30
Poland 6
Russia 4
China 3
in $US k a Year
USA 30
Australia 55
Germany 50
UK 30
Poland 6
Russia 4
China 3
Member
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 97
Likes: 34
Exige S | V70R | CTS-V wagon | JKUR | 13 S65 (Mocha/Armagnac)
all AC units lose gas.... when it drops too low it turns off.
the condenser at the front of the car will fail around the 7 to 11 years mark (age not mileage).... look for dark oily / dusted patches around the sides, its a sign the aluminium has corroded and the gas is weeping out....
if its a Porsche, expect the intercoolers and the condenser to have popped around the 3 years mark.... German vehicles are designed to die... its how they can pay 2.5 times the wages to make cars vs what a USA guy gets paid
the condenser at the front of the car will fail around the 7 to 11 years mark (age not mileage).... look for dark oily / dusted patches around the sides, its a sign the aluminium has corroded and the gas is weeping out....
if its a Porsche, expect the intercoolers and the condenser to have popped around the 3 years mark.... German vehicles are designed to die... its how they can pay 2.5 times the wages to make cars vs what a USA guy gets paid
Yearly Austrailian new vehicle sales are approximately 1 million, which pales in comparison to most other markets. For comparison, the state of California sees about 2 million new vehicle sales a year.
Additionally, Australian exports were minimal because the added cost of transportation simply didn't make sense.
The only way manufacturing vehicles was going to survive is if the government was willing to create policies that would favor domestic manufacturing.
all AC units lose gas.... when it drops too low it turns off.
the condenser at the front of the car will fail around the 7 to 11 years mark (age not mileage).... look for dark oily / dusted patches around the sides, its a sign the aluminium has corroded and the gas is weeping out....
if its a Porsche, expect the intercoolers and the condenser to have popped around the 3 years mark.... German vehicles are designed to die... its how they can pay 2.5 times the wages to make cars vs what a USA guy gets paid
the condenser at the front of the car will fail around the 7 to 11 years mark (age not mileage).... look for dark oily / dusted patches around the sides, its a sign the aluminium has corroded and the gas is weeping out....
if its a Porsche, expect the intercoolers and the condenser to have popped around the 3 years mark.... German vehicles are designed to die... its how they can pay 2.5 times the wages to make cars vs what a USA guy gets paid
Trending Topics
Super Member
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 671
Likes: 288
From: Omaha, NE
2007 S600
I have no idea where you pulled those numbers from, but you're off by a substantial amount for the US (and probably the rest as well). These numbers are not that difficult to find for the US. Average wages in the motor vehicles manufacturing sector run just over $30 per hour, or a bit over $60K per year. That doesn't include the taxes the employer will have to pay per worker for Social Security and Medicare (an additional 7.65%) plus the cost of any company contribution to benefits such as medical insurance, retirement, etc. Then there is training costs, paid vacation, and on and on. It adds up pretty quickly.
And it seems things aren't quite the worker's paradise in Germany, either. Actual employees of German auto manufactures may get paid a reasonable amount (though it doesn't seem all that high), but they also use a lot of very low wage contractors.
Even as far back as 2015, labor costs weren't all THAT far off between the US and Germany. German manufacturers were paying out between $38 and $65 per hour including benefits; US manufacturers were seeing costs between $41 and $58 per hour. Again, these numbers include benefits, not just the hourly wage.
And it seems things aren't quite the worker's paradise in Germany, either. Actual employees of German auto manufactures may get paid a reasonable amount (though it doesn't seem all that high), but they also use a lot of very low wage contractors.
Even as far back as 2015, labor costs weren't all THAT far off between the US and Germany. German manufacturers were paying out between $38 and $65 per hour including benefits; US manufacturers were seeing costs between $41 and $58 per hour. Again, these numbers include benefits, not just the hourly wage.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)
Verdad Gallardo
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
