1995 Mercedes Benz E320

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SMOG PUMP WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE SMOG PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THE WIRING HARNESS BETWEEN THE FUEL INJECTOR AND IGNITION WAS DETERIORATING AND COULD OVERHEATING. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 95V031000, REGARDING THE WIRING. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 05/02/06. *JB

MY 1995 E320 WITH APPROXIMATELY 130,000 MILES BEGAN TO EXHIBIT UNUSUAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS, ROUGH IDLE, OCCASIONAL STALLING AT LIGHTS. WHEN I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC, THEY INFORMED ME THAT AS THEY BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE WHAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE, THE INDIVIDUAL WIRES IN THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WERE CRUMBLING UNDER THE SLIGHTEST PRESSURE, MAKING ANY REPAIRS EXTREMELY RISKY WITHOUT HAVING THE ENTIRE HARNESS REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $1800. THE FACT THAT THIS HAS BEEN WELL-DOCUMENTED FOR SEVERAL YEARS IS TROUBLING, ESPECIALLY GIVEN MERCEDES' REPUTATION FOR CARS THAT WILL RUN FOR YEARS WITH PROPER REGULAR MAINTENANCE. OBVIOUSLY MBUSA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, SINCE DEALERS STOCK THE HARNESS. *JB

IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT MERCEDES AUTOMOBILES SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES IN 1994 AND 1995 WERE EQUIPPED WITH "BIODEGRADABLE" ENGINE ELECTRIC HARNESSES. THE INSULATION ON THESE, INCLUDING MY CAR, HAVE DETERIORATED AND BECOME UNSAFE, CAUSING SHORTING BETWEEN WIRES. MY INFORMATION IS THAT MERCEDES HAS REFUSED TO CONSIDER THIS A RECALL ISSUE. REPLACING THE HARNESS COSTS APPROXIMATELY $1,400. IN ADDITION TO THE COST, THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE. MY REQUEST IS THAT MERCEDES BE CONTACTED AND CONVINCED THAT IT IS IN THEIR BEST INTEREST TO REPLACE THESE HARNESSES BEFORE IT CAUSES SOME EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FIRES. *JB

I HAVE A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320 WHICH WAS WELL MAINTAINED. AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK THIS MONTH, THE CAR STARTED STALLING ON THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS LUCKY I WAS NOT HIT FROM BEHIND BY OTHER FAST MOVING CARS. AFTER REPLACING IGNITION PARTS THE CAR STILL WAS STALLING AND THEN STOPPED TOTALLY. UPON EXAMINATION, ALL THE ENGINE HARNESS WIRES WERE FOUND TO HAVE BEEN TOTALLY STRIPPED OF THEIR INSULATION INSIDE THE OUTER FABRIC COVER. THEY ALL WERE CONTACTING EACH OTHER AND IT WAS HOPLESS TO FIX SINCE ALL THE WIRES FAILED AT ONCE. SEVERAL MERECEDES BENZ DEALERS KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM AND IT WAS COMMON KNOWLEDGE TO THEM. HOWEVER, MERECEDES BENZ SEEMS TO THINK THIS PROBLEM IS NOT OF THEIR CONCERN AND CONTACTING THEM RESULTS IN REFUSAL TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS AS CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS IS A DEFECT THAT COULD INJURE BY ACCIDENT OR START A FIRE AND NOT A WARRANTY PROBLEM. MERCEDES-BENZ NEEDS TO RECALL THESE CARS AND REPLACE THE ENGINE HARNESS BEFORE SOMEONE IS UNLUCKY AND BECOMES INJURED.

INITIAL PROBLEM STARTED IN LATE OCTOBER 2005. INTERMITTENT MISFIRING OF CYLINDERS, HESITANT. SEVERAL TRIPS INTO SHOP RESULTED IN "COULD NOT REPLICATE TROUBLE". FINALLY SENT IN WITH SEVERE MISFIRING. REPLACED COIL, SOME IGNITION WIRES, SPARK PLUGS. A FEW DAYS LATER, SAME SYMPTOMS HAPPENED. AFTER MORE DIAGNOSIS, DETERMINED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAD FAILED. INSULATION HAD COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED ALLOWING WIRES TO TOUCH. POTENTIAL FOR MORE SEVERE DAMAGE TO VEHICLE COMPUTERS, ACCIDENT OR WORST, FIRE. LOCAL MB SHOP INDICATED IT WAS "NOT A MAJOR PROBLEM", "SHOULD EXPECT IT WITH 10 YEAR OLD CAR". ITEM WAS IN STOCK FOR $975.00 (SO I ASSUME IT DOES HAPPEN FREQUENTLY), WITH LABOR OF 8 HOURS @$119.00. I DID NOT FEEL THIS SHOULD HAPPEN ON A 10 YEAR OLD CAR, NOT TO MENTION A FORMER "CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED" VEHICLE. AFTER RESEARCHING INTERNET, FOUND OVER 36 PAGES WORTH OF NHTSA MANUFACTURERS COMPLAINTS, REGARDING SIMILAR TROUBLE WITH THE WIRING HARNESS. TOTAL SPENT TO REPAIR = $2313.43. WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF MERCEDES BENZ. *NM