NHTSA Complaint #10025251 — 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320

ENGINE STALLED MULTIPLE TIMES IN TRAFFIC. REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE WIRING HARNESS SOLVED THE PROBLEM. INSULATION ON THE INDIVIDUAL WIRES IN THE ORIGINAL ENGINE WIRING HARNESS ASSEMBLY HAS SERIOUSLY DECAYED TO THE POINT THAT IT IS FLAKING LEAVING BARE EXPOSED COPPER WIRE WITHIN THE ASSEMBLY. THE BARE WIRES WITHIN THE ASSEMBLY CONCEIVABLY MADE SPURIOUS ELECTRICAL CONTACT CAUSING THE ENGINE STALLS.I AVIDLY PARTICIPATE IN MERCEDES AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICAL CHAT ROOMS. THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM (DECAY OF ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION) IS RUMORED TO BE CONFINED TO THE MERCEDES 1993-1995 MODELS WITH M104 ENGINES. THIS WOULD INCLUDE MODELS C280, 300E (3.2L AND 2.8L ENGINE), E320, S320. WITHIN THESE MODELS, THE PROBLEM APPEARS WIDESPREAD. IT IS RUMORED THAT MERCEDES WAS TRYING TO FORMULATE AN ECO-FRIENDLY INSULATION THAT WOULD DEGRADE IN THE LANDFILL. THOUGH IT WAS A NOBLE EFFORT, THE WIRING UNFORTUNATELY DECAYED BEFORE ITS TIME WAS DUE, LEAVING A THREE YEAR PRODUCTION OF E320 MODELS WITH WIRING THAT IS UNSAFE AND PRONE TO CAUSE STALLING. I HAVE THE OLD WIRING FROM MY VEHICLE AND I CAN PROVIDE DIGITAL IMAGES OF THIS WIRING ILLUSTRATING THE PROBLEM IN DETAIL UPON REQUEST. I BELIEVE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS OF ALL AFFECTED MERCEDES VEHICLES SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO RECALL BECAUSE IT IS NOT A PART OF A CAR THAT IS NORMALLY EXPECTED TO FAIL, AND IT HAS A PROFOUND EFFECT ON SAFETY AND EMISSIONS. THE REFERENCES BELOW CONTAIN DOCUMENTED COMPLAINTS OF MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE ABOVEMENTIONED PROBLEM. REFERENCES:HTTP://WWW.MERCEDESSHOP.COM/SHOPFORUM HTTP://WWW.BENZWORLD.ORG/FORUMS HTTP://FORUMS.MBWORLD.ORG/FORUMS *AK