1993 Mercedes Benz 600

I WAS DRIVING MY 1993 MERCEDES TO A GAS STATION IN MY TOWN BEFORE A PLANNED TRIP OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES OF OPEN HIGHWAY. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. I SLOWED DOWN AND TURNED ONTO A SIDE STREET. SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE TRANSMISSION HUMP SO I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RAN TO FIND A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WHILE CALLING 911. POLICE ARRIVED AND KEPT ME AWAY FROM THE CAR, WHICH BURST INTO FLAMES. AFTER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HOSED IT ALL DOWN THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS AND I WAS VERY SHAKEN UP. I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE FAMOUSLY BAD WIRING ON THESE CARS AND WANT OTHERS TO BE WARNED. *TR

I OWN A WHITE 1992 600SEL WITH 85,000 ORIGINAL MILES. THE CAR'S INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. HOWEVER, THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTEGRATING CAUSING ALL KIND OF ERRATIC ENGINE AND DRIVE-ABILITY BEHAVIOR. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT ALL. IT IS LOOSING POWER, POWER STEERING IS GETTING STIFFER, AND SMELLS LIKE SULFUR ALL THE TIME. THE LAST TWO DAYS THE CAR IS RUNNING VERY SLUGGISH AND MAKES MERGING INTO TRAFFIC OR JOINING TRAFFIC ON FREEWAYS DANGEROUS AS THE CAR CAN'T GAIN SPEED FAST ENOUGH DUE TO THE HESITATION CAUSED BY THE POORLY AND CHEAPLY DESIGNED MAIN WIRING HARNESS WHICH IS MELTING. I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED BY A MERCEDES MECHANIC WHO HAS BEEN TRYING TO SAVE THE CAR, BUT THE DISINTEGRATION IS SPREADING ALL OVER. HARNESS REPLACEMENT WILL COST $7000 PLUS, PLUS. MERCEDES BENZ MUST ISSUE A RECALL ON SUCH VITAL SAFETY ELEMENT IN THIS CAR. I AM SURPRISED THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE GIVEN OUR COUNTRY'S STUCK STAND ON SAFETY AND WERE NO PRICE CAN EVER PUT ON SAFETY. PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS. ALREADY REPLACED TWO AIR MASS FLOW SENSORS, COOLANT SENSOR, COILS, CONTROL MODULES, FUEL INJECTOR TOP WIRING HARNESS, AND PLUGS. *TR

MERCEDES BENZ DEALER SAYS THAT MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO INSULATION CRACKING ON THE WIRES. THEY STATE THAT ENGINE DAMAGE AND FIRE COULD RESULT FROM THIS DEFECT. IN ADDITION A WARNING LIGHT IS ON WHICH OF COURSE RENDERS THE CAR UNSALEABLE. THEY FURTHER STATE THAT THIS IS SYMPTOMMATIC IN ALL THE AGE CARS FROM MB. I AM STUCK WITH A CAR THAT MAY CATCH FIRE AND CANNOT BE SOLD! *TR

VEHICLE IS A 1993 MERCEDES BENZ 600SEL. THE ASR (ACCELERATION SLIP CONTROL) WARNING LIGHT APPEARS AFTER THE ENGINE HAS STARTED (USUALLY LESS THAN 10 MINUTES). THE ENGINE SUFFERS LOSS OF POWER AND VEHICLE BECOMES UNDRIVABLE. MERCEDES MECHANIC STATES THE ENGINE HARNESS BODY MOUNTED (PART NO 1405404805) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE WIRING IN THE HARNESS HAS APPARENTLY DEGRATED TO THE POINT WHERE SHORTING IS OCCURRING IN THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT(S).MERCEDES WANTS $3600 FOR THE PART ANT $650 FOR LABOR. THIS IS A PART THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN THE FIRST PLACE. REGARDS JACK G DAVIS *TR