SL/R230: Fire prevention..?
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2022
Posts: 71
Likes: 15
Sl600
Fire prevention..?
Good morning, friends. I've read too many stories posted here of catastrophic fires due to degradation of battery control module.
Freaks me out. Moreover, there seems to be forewarning of tragedy nor replacement parts seem virtually nonexistent.
Does anyone know if the BCM can simply be removed altogether while retaining "normal" functionality?
Freaks me out. Moreover, there seems to be forewarning of tragedy nor replacement parts seem virtually nonexistent.
Does anyone know if the BCM can simply be removed altogether while retaining "normal" functionality?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,481
Likes: 310
95 SL600
While I’m sure it could be done, it cannot be accomplished easily. There are parts that yiu can replace to make you sleep better at night, but the root cause of these fires isn’t known, even though many think they know.
Replace both batteries with factory ones, replace BCM and relays associated, and replace alternator with an oem replacement. This is not a guarantee, the only guarantee is to get rid of the car all together.
My guess is that dead or weak batteries and current draw are the leading factors. Since the car will start and run with one battery being dead. It’s really bad electrical engineering with under engineered parts that is to blame.
Replace both batteries with factory ones, replace BCM and relays associated, and replace alternator with an oem replacement. This is not a guarantee, the only guarantee is to get rid of the car all together.
My guess is that dead or weak batteries and current draw are the leading factors. Since the car will start and run with one battery being dead. It’s really bad electrical engineering with under engineered parts that is to blame.
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 3
Likes: 1
R230 SL350
Hi all — I’ve been down the R230 BCM overheating/fire rabbit-hole on my own car and wrote up what I checked and how I validated it (kept high-level; no step-by-step wiring).
Full write-up: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dr-la...v30uq0EotXRLPg
Quick one: has anyone fitted the BCM fuse protection kit/mod — did you notice any change afterwards?
Full write-up: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dr-la...v30uq0EotXRLPg
Quick one: has anyone fitted the BCM fuse protection kit/mod — did you notice any change afterwards?
