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I just bought a 2008 S65 AMG and have been working through the issues. I figured I would document my work here in case anyone else finds similar issues. I'll also be listing updates/upgrades as I perform them.
Here's my punch list so far, in the order I noticed them:
Pre-delivery service
Replaced all 24 plugs and both coil packs (from V12 IC Pack)
Replaced serpentine belts
Replaced transmission connector and transmission mount
Replaced windshield
Replaced lower control arms and did alignment
Scratch on the hood (filled with touch up paint by the selling dealer, C- work)
Front seat issues
Multicontour Seats settings don't work in COMMAND (just shows Lumbar, doesn't do anything, likely caused by bad control module)
Drive-Dynamic Seat on Driver's side not working (passenger's works, swapped control units and swapped inop, ordered a replacement from eBay)
Seat fans not spinning
COMMAND issues
Repaired the Navigation system (crashed hard disk drive, replaced by an SSD, upgraded to v11 with DVD)
Bought SD/SDHC PCMCIA adapter and 32 GB SDHC card for internal tunes (need to properly lay out, convert, and write MP3 files)
Projector "shadow" door lights with star and AMG logo (not sure if I like them)
Sticky steering wheel buttons
Slightly funky smell inside (replacing cabin air filters)
Where to mount my mobile phone cradle or Qi charger?
Where to connect permanent batter charging cable?
This sounds like a lot of stuff but I'm not deterred. The car is in excellent shape body-wise and the major mechanicals are solid. The broken stuff all sounds pretty typical for this model (Navi HDD, seat module, VCM, reverse camera) and cheap used parts are widely available on eBay these days. I can do most of this work myself, and enjoy it, so it's OK.
I'll post here as I move forward with progress!
Last edited by BBanzai; 03-28-2019 at 03:21 PM.
Reason: Linkify!
Did the voice control module solve the issue with the ticking in the radio? Was it a plug and play item or did you have to take it to the dealer and have them program/flash it?
Last edited by Hakosuka; 03-18-2019 at 03:25 PM.
Reason: I just realized that you just posted this today and that part might not be replaced yet.
Did the voice control module solve the issue with the ticking in the radio? Was it a plug and play item or did you have to take it to the dealer and have them program/flash it?
I just ordered it today, so I won't know until this weekend. But I'll definitely update you here!
I saw your BaT post and had to find your thread here. I was "2nd place" in the auction for this car and I'm really surprised to read about all the issues on your list! It can be a challenge working through a list like that but I'm glad to see you're going about it the right way: being resourceful and keeping a positive attitude. I bought a 2010 S65 (my first V12) shortly after this auction and love these cars!
Good luck with yours and I'm happy to share notes as I take on projects on mine. I just finished performing my first routine service (oil & filter, air filters, cabin filters, wiper blades) which was actually quite easy.
Did the voice control module solve the issue with the ticking in the radio? Was it a plug and play item or did you have to take it to the dealer and have them program/flash it?
Yes yes yes! The replacement VCM completely fixed the "snap" sound in the audio. It also made Voice Control work (surprise!)
I saw your BaT post and had to find your thread here. I was "2nd place" in the auction for this car and I'm really surprised to read about all the issues on your list! It can be a challenge working through a list like that but I'm glad to see you're going about it the right way: being resourceful and keeping a positive attitude. I bought a 2010 S65 (my first V12) shortly after this auction and love these cars!
Good luck with yours and I'm happy to share notes as I take on projects on mine. I just finished performing my first routine service (oil & filter, air filters, cabin filters, wiper blades) which was actually quite easy.
You cost me a bunch of money Jim! Glad to hear you got a car too. No hard feelings! Does everything work on yours?
It seems that Bruce is great about taking care of the engine/mechanical stuff but not so great about the rest. It took three months to actually get the car after purchasing it, and his communication was severely lacking. Part of the delay was waiting on repairs and a replacement replacement windshield, but it appears that he was also waiting on the title. I was also pretty disappointed that so many things were inoperative on arrival, including things that should have been disclosed or repaired. I've bought used cars before, so I expected this "as-is" 10 year old car to need some work, but this is indeed a long list. I love the car overall, but not the purchasing experience.
On the bright side, I get to ingratiate myself to all the folks here posting repair advice!
You cost me a bunch of money Jim! Glad to hear you got a car too. No hard feelings! Does everything work on yours?
It seems that Bruce is great about taking care of the engine/mechanical stuff but not so great about the rest. It took three months to actually get the car after purchasing it, and his communication was severely lacking. Part of the delay was waiting on repairs and a replacement replacement windshield, but it appears that he was also waiting on the title. I was also pretty disappointed that so many things were inoperative on arrival, including things that should have been disclosed or repaired. I've bought used cars before, so I expected this "as-is" 10 year old car to need some work, but this is indeed a long list. I love the car overall, but not the purchasing experience.
On the bright side, I get to ingratiate myself to all the folks here posting repair advice!
Well you, PedXing, cost me some money when you came in second to me last July when I bought my 2008 CL65 from Bruce on BaT. The car world really is small.
Well you, PedXing, cost me some money when you came in second to me last July when I bought my 2008 CL65 from Bruce on BaT. The car world really is small.
Well you, PedXing, cost me some money when you came in second to me last July when I bought my 2008 CL65 from Bruce on BaT. The car world really is small.
Haha, small world indeed.
Shortly after PedXing won the S65 auction, I found a listing for what is now my car on Autotrader in Dallas (I'm in LA). After a number of emails and calls, I ponied up $400 for a local PPI which came out clean. Notably, the seller bought a five-year "platinum" extended warranty when he bought the car four years earlier, so it still had a year left on the warranty. I came to learn that he was a very particular owner and had his local MB dealer tend to every little thing that the car needed: plugs, both coil packs, engine mounts, etc. So far it has needed nothing but scheduled maintenance. The biggest surprise that he didn't mention until after we had reached a deal was that before he took delivery of the car from the dealer in Florida, he had it shipped to RennTech for a $5,000 "R1" upgrade!
So the short answer is yes, everything works. But it's still not blue. :-)
So I just replaced the VCM with a used one I bought on Ebay. No luck. Still ticks and reboots. Might be that the used part is defective too. They were manufactured within five days of each other. Where did you buy your VCM?
So I just replaced the VCM with a used one I bought on Ebay. No luck. Still ticks and reboots. Might be that the used part is defective too. They were manufactured within five days of each other. Where did you buy your VCM?
I got my VCM from eBay. Just picked a random one and it worked.
Does voice control work? Did you check fuse 149?
Does navigation work?
Maybe buy a fiber optic loop to isolate components but it sounds like the same VCM issue I had.
What do you mean it reboots?
In your first post you said "Replaced lower control arms and did alignment" _ Can you elaborate on the alignment part did you farm this out or DIY, the reason I'm asking this is because I'm developing/building a set of DIY laser alignment tools to work on my S55 and SL55 (and perhaps others).
So if you did I would like to learn more about the method you followed.
I intend to add an S65 sometime down time down the road myself, currently I'm busy working on a friends SL65 so any write-ups about S65 or SL65 have my interest.
In your first post you said "Replaced lower control arms and did alignment" _ Can you elaborate on the alignment part did you farm this out or DIY, the reason I'm asking this is because I'm developing/building a set of DIY laser alignment tools to work on my S55 and SL55 (and perhaps others).
The selling dealer (Bruce_M on BaT) did this work prior to delivering the car. So I have no input here.
Crawling under the car it does appear that the lower control arms in the rear are new(er) but that's all I know.
Another update: As documented in this thread I bought a replacement (used) seat module from eBay and replaced the known-bad module but the Multi-Contour seat control still does not function. Although both seats now have the Drive-Dynamic function, the COMMAND only ever shows the Lumbar adjustment (shown below) and even this does not function.
Perhaps it's a coding issue. My next step is to take the car to the Mercedes-Benz dealer to get it on the Star/Xentry system to check everything for codes. While I'm there I'll be activating the (existing) Aux Input as well. This might even be the reason for the reverse camera not working.
It appears that the head unit is not original, and the DVD changer is definitely not original. Whoever replaced the DVD unit didn't snap the cover on correctly and the white sticker doesn't line up. And I know that the hard disk drive in the COMMAND had been removed because someone lost the screws! So perhaps this new unit was never coded properly for the car.
Do you know where I can find a fiber optic loop? I read somewhere else that someone used it to bypass the VCM since they never used it. Honestly I doubt I will either and I may go this route.
Do you know where I can find a fiber optic loop? I read somewhere else that someone used it to bypass the VCM since they never used it. Honestly I doubt I will either and I may go this route.
I ordered one someone here linked to from hitechserv.com but I see similar/nicer MOST loops from other companies as well. Search for "MOST Fiber Loop" and you'll see them.
On the back of the VCM there are three ports. One has the pins and the other two are similar in appearance but one looks to have two holes and the other only one. Which of these will I use for the bypass?
I like that it doesn't require any holes or alterations to install. It's a little bit in the way of opening the cup holder, although it still opens and closes if the cradle is positioned correctly. Overall I think it's a good retrofit design.
I discovered another issue while trying to debug the multi-contour seat modules: The driver's seat fans are not spinning. Not sure if this is caused by the module or a separate issue. Another day, more fun!
I also just acquired a W221 S65 and had a few of the same issues:
1. AUX not shown in COMAND - fixed this by enabling with DAS.
2. Dynamic seats show only lumbar in COMAND - fixed this by loading latest firmware and enabling the COMAND menu in DAS.
3. Backup camera not working - enabled in COMAND with DAS but cannot communicate with module. I'm going to check for a broken wire next.
Definitely recommend picking up a STAR C4 system, good luck.
Another update: As documented in this thread I bought a replacement (used) seat module from eBay and replaced the known-bad module but the Multi-Contour seat control still does not function. Although both seats now have the Drive-Dynamic function, the COMMAND only ever shows the Lumbar adjustment (shown below) and even this does not function.
Perhaps it's a coding issue. My next step is to take the car to the Mercedes-Benz dealer to get it on the Star/Xentry system to check everything for codes. While I'm there I'll be activating the (existing) Aux Input as well. This might even be the reason for the reverse camera not working.
It appears that the head unit is not original, and the DVD changer is definitely not original. Whoever replaced the DVD unit didn't snap the cover on correctly and the white sticker doesn't line up. And I know that the hard disk drive in the COMMAND had been removed because someone lost the screws! So perhaps this new unit was never coded properly for the car.
That is indeed a coding issue. When you replaced the HDD with an SSD, would it be accurate to assume that you used an image from another vehicle to lay down on the SSD? Perhaps this vehicle did not have the option. It is coding performed in Control Units -> Audio, Video, and Telematics -> COMAND
From your screenshot, you appear to have a lot of coding issues, as “Telephone” is not on the list along the top bar. Do you see Telephone available In the IC. The bottom of your IC, where Trip, Navi, Audio, AMG, etc. are listed? It also has the appearance of an NTG 3 and not 3.5. The BaT auction I thought was your car was a 2011, which would have had an NTG 3.5, an incidentally not affected by the GPS Time Week issue you blogged about.
Interested to to find out more history about this vehicle. Very unusual characteristics have been discovered from the little time I have been reading about it.
Last edited by Polar Bear; 04-11-2019 at 12:01 AM.
That is indeed a coding issue. When you replaced the HDD with an SSD, would it be accurate to assume that you used an image from another vehicle to lay down on the SSD? Perhaps this vehicle did not have the option. It is coding performed in Control Units -> Audio, Video, and Telematics -> COMAND
From your screenshot, you appear to have a lot of coding issues, as “Telephone” is not on the list along the top bar. Do you see Telephone available In the IC. The bottom of your IC, where Trip, Navi, Audio, AMG, etc. are listed? It also has the appearance of an NTG 3 and not 3.5. The BaT auction I thought was your car was a 2011, which would have had an NTG 3.5, an incidentally not affected by the GPS Time Week issue you blogged about.
Interested to to find out more history about this vehicle. Very unusual characteristics have been discovered from the little time I have been reading about it.
Thanks! I've been waiting to fix the major modules before taking it to the dealer to code it. I was thinking buying a C4 but haven't yet...
It's a 2008 so it is NTG3, not 3.5. The head unit was definitely replaced before I bought it, as was the DVD drive, and I suspect this was a recent thing. So that's likely why it's not coded correctly. I do see Telephone in the IC but not in the Command screen.
If I was to buy a C4, which exact model would you recommend? I was looking at the link provided here before and there were a ton of options!
I correct myself - the VIDEO option is not displayed but Telephone is. You are correct about the NTG 3 appearance vs NTG3.5. Also, they are difficult to install in a 2007-2009 (NTG 3.5) due to various reasons.
I could not really recommend an SDConnect other than an original ACTIA SDConnect. You can find them on eBay, but expect to pay $900+ for them. The others you will find are Chinese knock-offs, and the quality of any of them is poor (to the point you may only get two months of service from it). A Part D or Part D3 multiplexer (the Chinese refer to it incorrectly as a "C3") is a higher quality unit, but does rely on a serial port. This is not a problem if you use.a quality USB -> RS232 adapter from reputable venders such as StarTech. The cloned USB -> RS232 adapters from Prolific have very poor 64-bit support, and are virtually unusable using an application such as Star Diagnosis. To diagnose your vehicle, you do not need a new version of Star Diagnosis or an SDConnect - a 2010 version of Star Diagnosis and a Part D/Part D3 would be very sufficient and a much more dependable system. A 2010 version will only run on Windows XP, and although it reached EOL long ago, since you would really have no need for Internet connectivity it would not pose a problem.
Another option is the Xentry Kit, where you receive the tablet with Windows 10, a new and current Bosch VCI (replaces SDConnect and Part D and is backward compatible) and has 2019 versions of Xentry on Blu-ray, and the can be purchased here: https://www.startekinfo.com/StarTek/phs_user.jsp
Last edited by Polar Bear; 04-19-2019 at 04:07 AM.
Reason: Corrected broke hypertext link.
03-18-2019, 01:22 PM
