NHTSA Complaint #10367668 — 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E320

TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR, THE ABS LIGHTS ON AND THE ASR, FUSE NO 2 ON THE K40 MODULE WAS BLOWN AND THERE WERE ALSO CODES INDICATING THAT NO POWER WAS GOING TO THE ASR HYDRAULIC UNIT. THERE WAS NO SIGNAL FROM THE LEFT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE TRANSMISSION GEAR SPEED SENSOR. THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED A WIRING HARNESS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER HAD SHORTED WITH THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE AND CREATED A SMALL FIRE THAT BURNED AND DESTROYED THE INSULATING MATERIAL THROUGH APPROX. 7 INCHES OF THE HARNESS. THE SMALL FIRE ALSO BURNED THE INSULATING MATERIAL ON 2 OTHER WIRING HARNESS IN THE VICINITY. THE TECHNICIAN HAS DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE TO BE RELATED TO THE LOCATION OF THE WIRING HARNESS. THE HARNESS WAS PINNED DOWN TO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE BY THE AIR CONDITIONING HOSE ADJACENT TO WHERE 2 PARTS OF THE BODY WHERE JOINED TOGETHER. THE POINT WHERE THE TWO PARTS OF THE BODY WERE JOINED TOGETHER CREATED A SHARP EDGE. OVER TIME THE VIBRATION OF THE ENGINE AND OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE CAUSES THE SHARP EDGE TO CUT INTO THE WIRING HARNESS EVENTUALLY WEARING IT TO BARE WIRE. WHEN THE BARE WIRE SHORTED WITH THE BODY, THE FIRE WAS CREATED THUS BURNING A SECTION TO THE WIRING HARNESS AND THUS CAUSING THE MALFUNCTIONS INDICATED ABOVE. OVERALL, THE TECHNICIAN AND MANY OTHER REPORTS CLAIM THAT THIS WAS MERCEDES BENZ'S DESIGN FLAW AND FAILURE THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS PLACED INCONVENIENTLY UNDERNEATH THE REFRIGERANT LINE. WE CAN PROVIDE THE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE IF NECESSARY.