Chip

This is the best car I have ever owned except for:

The V60 intergrated phone goes out when the temp nears 100. The audio system cuts out and comes back with static in all modes. The display says tele unavailable until the car cools off. Then everything returns to normal. The car has been to the dealer 4 times and spent two weeks with no results. I realize this may be old stuff for some of you since I have just found this board but I would appreciate any comments you would have on the subject.

Also the car pulls to right, anybody else had that probem?

To drive an E-55 on Red Mountain Pass in Colorado is agin to an religous experiance. I love this car!!!!

fiftyfive4me

Never had any problems with the issues you mentioned about the phone, stereo etc. However, I had a problem with regards to the car pulling to the right, and eventually the dealer installed camber kit which eliminated this problem.

Welcome to the board Chip!

fiftyfive4me

Never had any problems with the issues you mentioned about the phone, stereo etc. However, I had a problem with regards to the car pulling to the right, and eventually the dealer installed camber kit which eliminated this problem.

Welcome to the board Chip!

Chip

Thanks for your reply. The Dealer in PHX has switched the front tires from left to right and aligned it reducing the problem but not fixing it. I'm begining to think that they are not hedging but do not have the experiance to deal with it. Same with the phone, since they replaced the expensive handset to no avail.

I have found a frame shop that deals with MB's and they are reserching the camber problem. They say that it might be Continental tires that came with it.

My goal is to make this car right while hopefully not going on wild goose chase.

stephens

What model E55 do you own. If it is the new W211, do a search on audio gateway on the W211 forum. There appear to be problems with overheating of this component on the new car.

E55 KEV

Chip, you are a photographer and you posted no pictures of your 2003 E55. Get busy and get them up to show us. Welcome.

Chip

It's raining. As soon as it clears up I'll snap some pictures and post them. It's only 90 so I might take this rare momment to use the phone in my E-55 and see what it's really like.

It's pewter, I have 5000 miles on it (1000 going back and forth to PHX dealership)

Seriously, I traded my 03 SL500 in on it. This E55 runs circles around it. Problems aside, I can't see myself in anything else.

Chip

Oh yes I did do the search. It appears that I'm not only one with this problem. I'm told that they put the gateway in the wheelwell. With temps in this part of world that exeed 110 I have to ask what were they thinking. They test these cars out here especially from PHX Motor Company wear I bought it. Seems to me this was a problem that could have been diverted before they were released.

The pulling right probem appears to be the 18" low profile tires, something to do with the camber as was brought up before. I'm going to farm this out to the local frame company. I want it fixed and I have given up on the dearlership. It's not that I think there dishonest. I think training or lack of has something to do with it

When I get a chance I'll post a picture. All problems aside this is the best car I've had.

MRW

Apparently, the audio gateway is a known problem. We've had a moderate summer here in Chicago, but had a blast of heat before the 4th weekend, and the entire audio/telephone system crapped out. The dealer got it working again by literally blowing cool air on it. Has not totally failed since, but this morning, for example, radio gets increasing static then cuts out completely. Turn off and back on, get message saying problem establishing communication link. After car sits awhile, works perfectly. Second time this has happened, is apparently related to fiber optic connections. According to dealer, new audi gateway part is backordered, will call me when it ships. Suspect they haven't quite got it figured out yet. Finally, the car does pull to the right, now that you mention it, when on typical city street- seems okay at freeway speeds.

Chip

You have the same problem. It just doesn't get that hot there. The problem seems to be worst at interstate speeds. I've driven it around town at around a 100F and if it's a short drive everything works fine.

My car will follow the crown of the road. I think that's normal and I can live with that. It's on the interstate when it's level, you have to hold it on the road that drives me nuts. On a long drive it tends to wear you out faster.

Stiggs

This probably won't help, but I'll share anyways. I've posted before about my CLK430's radio getting static when using the CD changer, then cutting the radio out completely.
This only used to happen in the summer time, and on really hot days. Brought to my dealership twice (once a summer...until finally I gave up). They could never figure it out. They said they even put heaters in the trunk to raise the temp and it didn't do it then either!!
Their advice....drive to the dealership as soon as it happens....smart...really smart!!
The worst part was it didn't happen right away. Everything would be going well for the first 1\2 to 1 hour of driving...then after that...the static would slowly creep in....only starting when I would play the CD...usually I would hear the static when changing from one song to the next...or from one CD to the next.
Soon the static would get so loud I would have to go to radio mode....then the radio wouldn't work.

Come on...do you have to be rocket scientists to figure out the heat is affecting the wires. Geez....never did get it fixed. I know somewhere, someone with a black CLK430 is b!tching about the CD player in their car.