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Brought car in for service CPO. Front Passenger Door Handle Light out, Driver Sill Plate Light out, Rear Buzzing noise (Axle/Driveshaft) between 55 & 65.
Dealer called, could not duplicate axle noise, Sill Light not covered, however they replace it by accident without getting my approval, wanted $475- for repair, they want $298- for Handle Light, and they stated when they drove the car, the Low Beam Headlight failed while they had the car, no issues prior they went to replace the bulb and found this (photo attached) and stated not covered under CPO due to corrosion. they want over $1k- to fix.
I called Mercedes Corporate to look into this. My issue is the Seal failed and should not allow water in, if this is actual water corrosion. The contacts look clean. Any feedback welcome, positive and negative. P.S. all door handle lights have failed one at a time, passenger was last to go. Most people don't know they are out unless they look at night....
Also, does anyone have a PDF of this parts location.... Huskerparts.com said the part cost is $303- plus a $40- Core charge.
Thanks! (Check your lights before warrantee ends)
Brought car in for service CPO. Front Passenger Door Handle Light out, Driver Sill Plate Light out, Rear Buzzing noise (Axle/Driveshaft) between 55 & 65.
Dealer called, could not duplicate axle noise, Sill Light not covered, however they replace it by accident without getting my approval, wanted $475- for repair, they want $298- for Handle Light, and they stated when they drove the car, the Low Beam Headlight failed while they had the car, no issues prior they went to replace the bulb and found this (photo attached) and stated not covered under CPO due to corrosion. they want over $1k- to fix.
I called Mercedes Corporate to look into this. My issue is the Seal failed and should not allow water in, if this is actual water corrosion. The contacts look clean. Any feedback welcome, positive and negative. P.S. all door handle lights have failed one at a time, passenger was last to go. Most people don't know they are out unless they look at night....
Also, does anyone have a PDF of this parts location.... Huskerparts.com said the part cost is $303- plus a $40- Core charge.
Thanks! (Check your lights before warrantee ends)
Just had my ‘16 S Class in for service and I pointed out to them that the one door handle light was out. They had to order the part. Do they have to replace the entire doors handle or is there simply a light underneath the handle that can be replaced?
My issue is the Seal failed and should not allow water in, if this is actual water corrosion. The contacts look clean.
Voltage converter, need to open unit to check inside for corrosion. Technically dealer is correct however, given you have a service/repair relationship with MB dealership IMHO corporate should offer one time goodwill replacement.
Just had my ‘16 S Class in for service and I pointed out to them that the one door handle light was out. They had to order the part. Do they have to replace the entire doors handle or is there simply a light underneath the handle that can be replaced?
Front doors are easy, access to the handle from access hole inside door, rear door entire panel needs to be removed... Just a bulb. Most of the cost is labor.
Voltage converter, need to open unit to check inside for corrosion. Technically dealer is correct however, given you have a service/repair relationship with MB dealership IMHO corporate should offer one time goodwill replacement.
Spoke to corporate, will hear back from them tomorrow after they speak with the dealer.
Thank You Konigstiger! I really appreciate you providing the information. I was at the dealer today, corporate is still working with the dealer, should have an answer tomorrow. LuckilyI had brought it in for service last year while under warrantee for water in the headlights. It was enough that you could see the water running down the inside of the lens. They have a repair they performed on the headlights. they cut an opening somewhere in the headlight and insert a desiccant packet to absorb any moisture build up. This may help my case, I will keep you posted. Again, thanks for the info, hopefully this can also help other members in the future.
I was also able to reproduce the buzzing noise in the rear, right at 57mph it starts. Will post any repairs.
Thank You Konigstiger! I really appreciate you providing the information. I was at the dealer today, corporate is still working with the dealer, should have an answer tomorrow. LuckilyI had brought it in for service last year while under warrantee for water in the headlights. It was enough that you could see the water running down the inside of the lens. They have a repair they performed on the headlights. they cut an opening somewhere in the headlight and insert a desiccant packet to absorb any moisture build up. This may help my case, I will keep you posted. Again, thanks for the info, hopefully this can also help other members in the future.
I was also able to reproduce the buzzing noise in the rear, right at 57mph it starts. Will post any repairs.
Update, corporate called, they warrantied the control module. I think the primary reason was that they did a repair on the headlights for moisture at 30K.... So the corrosion could be due to the moisture build up or the opening they made to add the desiccant.
I had a dead driver side headlight last week. And got it fixed today for US$1,100 at the dealer. I have the defeated parts returned to me. To my surprise, it is exactly the same corrosion as Nice Ride. My guess is different, the corrosion looks like coming out right from the desiccant over time. So anyone with the factory add-on desiccant should be very careful with the defect voltage converter. Open up to check any corrosion. I asked the dealer to take responsibility for this defect. Waiting for their response!
Originally Posted by Nice Ride
Update, corporate called, they warrantied the control module. I think the primary reason was that they did a repair on the headlights for moisture at 30K.... So the corrosion could be due to the moisture build up or the opening they made to add the desiccant.
konigstiger, I think we should all send you a $1- every time you post this indispensable documentation. It is very helpful I'm sure to many members. It at least gives us a education as to what actually is involved with the repair and where they come up with some of these costs..... No way I'm going to attempt to remove the front bumper to access the headlight parts..... Oil change, Air Filters, Brake Flush, Brake Pads, Rotors, I'm in.... the rest, for sure not for the faint of heart.
Thank You again! You have helped so many......
Update to all. Corporate approved replacement of Control Module. Here is where I cant trust the dealer. The photo is the actual one taken by the dealer and emailed to me. Black soot to me is not corrosion....and if it was, how did water get into it? I never authorize them to do any additional work or to remove any parts... It looks like possibly from the diagram, they have to remove the bumper to get to the module.... So the dealer took it upon themselves to remove my bumper on an item that had no problem prior to dropping it off..... So, while waiting to hear back from corporate, I went back to the dealer to do a test drive to find out about the noise from the axel or wheel, there was NO ERROR on the dash about the headlight..... Hmmmmm….. So, they stated the headlight was blown out and they were going to replace it under warrantee.... but yet, they would not warrantee the Sill plate light drivers side, nor warrantee the door handle light, and they were going to warrantee the headlight??? So when they took the assembly apart, they saw the corrosion and told me it would be $780- to fix it..... I am out of B2B warrantee by 800 miles and the car has CPO. Nothing that they said added up. I told them that I have a call into Corporate on the light... Within a few hours they tell me they already did the repair on the door sill ($450) and that since the work was done without my authorization, that they would not charge me, that I got lucky. Then the Passenger light started working on its own ( Did not work for 3 months ). How was the headlight working during the test drive with no error..... Hmmmmmmmm…. Then corporate approves the module (good will), then the dealer removes the bumper and light assembly a 2nd time???? But it was working... On my invoice, they replaced the entire Light assembly and the control module, they stated that the Black Soot was on the inside of the lens also. Total for repair of the lens on the paperwork covered by MB was over $4,000-. I think the reason they covered the repair, which may or may not have existed, is that I sent them photos last year of excessive moisture in both headlights, and they had done a modification to them to absorb the moisture...…
So, at the end of the day, 2 lights were fixed, the 3rd miraculously healed itself when they others were repaired, and the whirring noise in the rear is normal.... ( at exactly 57mph, you can hear some kind of harmonic whirring that continues up and over 65 mph. 1. Can be reproduced, 2.Gear Selection has no impact on noise, 3.Car coasting or under load has no affect on sound, 4.going around a bend to a left or right does not change the sound. Tech stated that he test drove another car, and it had it also. I did not have time to test this out, but at least it is documented on the records should it get worse, or I decide to check that they can reproduce the sound on another car. Weird thing about this, my 2017 Ford Transit has the same exact noise, they have a recall on the drive shaft, but will not do the repair until 30.000 miles on the ticker.
In the end, lights are fixed, did not cost me thousands.... but, my gut just does not trust what I posted above...… Hmmmmm.
1. I can confirm that no bumper removal is needed to access to the headlight voltage converter.
2. To my understanding, the black soot on the defected converter is caused by water damaged short circuit. I actually opened up the box to examine.
3. Where is the water coming from? Which part can gather enough water to cause the short circuit in that thousand bucks LED control unit? I would not worry if I live in a desert area.
Originally Posted by Nice Ride
Update to all. Corporate approved replacement of Control Module. Here is where I cant trust the dealer. The photo is the actual one taken by the dealer and emailed to me. Black soot to me is not corrosion....and if it was, how did water get into it? I never authorize them to do any additional work or to remove any parts... It looks like possibly from the diagram, they have to remove the bumper to get to the module.... So the dealer took it upon themselves to remove my bumper on an item that had no problem prior to dropping it off..... So, while waiting to hear back from corporate, I went back to the dealer to do a test drive to find out about the noise from the axel or wheel, there was NO ERROR on the dash about the headlight..... Hmmmmm….. So, they stated the headlight was blown out and they were going to replace it under warrantee.... but yet, they would not warrantee the Sill plate light drivers side, nor warrantee the door handle light, and they were going to warrantee the headlight??? So when they took the assembly apart, they saw the corrosion and told me it would be $780- to fix it..... I am out of B2B warrantee by 800 miles and the car has CPO. Nothing that they said added up. I told them that I have a call into Corporate on the light... Within a few hours they tell me they already did the repair on the door sill ($450) and that since the work was done without my authorization, that they would not charge me, that I got lucky. Then the Passenger light started working on its own ( Did not work for 3 months ). How was the headlight working during the test drive with no error..... Hmmmmmmmm…. Then corporate approves the module (good will), then the dealer removes the bumper and light assembly a 2nd time???? But it was working... On my invoice, they replaced the entire Light assembly and the control module, they stated that the Black Soot was on the inside of the lens also. Total for repair of the lens on the paperwork covered by MB was over $4,000-. I think the reason they covered the repair, which may or may not have existed, is that I sent them photos last year of excessive moisture in both headlights, and they had done a modification to them to absorb the moisture...…
So, at the end of the day, 2 lights were fixed, the 3rd miraculously healed itself when they others were repaired, and the whirring noise in the rear is normal.... ( at exactly 57mph, you can hear some kind of harmonic whirring that continues up and over 65 mph. 1. Can be reproduced, 2.Gear Selection has no impact on noise, 3.Car coasting or under load has no affect on sound, 4.going around a bend to a left or right does not change the sound. Tech stated that he test drove another car, and it had it also. I did not have time to test this out, but at least it is documented on the records should it get worse, or I decide to check that they can reproduce the sound on another car. Weird thing about this, my 2017 Ford Transit has the same exact noise, they have a recall on the drive shaft, but will not do the repair until 30.000 miles on the ticker.
In the end, lights are fixed, did not cost me thousands.... but, my gut just does not trust what I posted above...… Hmmmmm.
07-15-2018, 01:34 AM
Most of the cost is labor.
