2001 MERCEDES BENZ C320 Electrical System Problems

MY BATTERY KEEPS DRAINING. WHEN I LOOK AT THE DISPLAY SCREEN IT ONLY STATES THAT THE FRONT RIGHT LIGHT IS OUT. WHEN I HAD TWO MECHANICS LOOK AT IT AND THEY STATED THAT MY BATTERY IS BEING DRAINED DUE TO MY SEAT FUNCTION NOT WORKING PROPERLY. AFTER NOT USING MY BATTERY FOR HOURS IT DIES. I KEEP HAVING TO JUMP IT. MY BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED LESS THAN A MONTH AGO SO I KNOW THE BATTERY IS NOT AN ISSUE. MY DISPLAY SCREEN GIVES ME A FEW DIFFERENT MALFUNCTIONS AND THAN ONE MOMENT IT DISPLAYS NO MALFUNCTIONS. AFTER CHARGING MY CAR AND THAN LEAVING IT A STRANGE CHURPING SOUND GOES OFF IN MY CAR CAUSING MY BATTERY TO DIE AGAIN. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN MY CAR HAS DIED IN AT NIGHT IN STRANGE AREAS AND I HAVE TO ALONE AND UNSAFELY JUMP MY CAR AND SIT UNTIL MY JUMPER PROVIDES...

I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR AND TWO DAYS LATER THE SMART KEY WON'T TURN, CAN'T UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE SHIFFTER THE GOOD THINK THE CAR WAS PARKED ON MY DRIVE WAY CALL TOW TRUCK TAKE TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAY I NEED A NEW KEY AND IGNITION CONTROL MODULE BUT ONLY DEALER CAN DO THAT, $1,400.00 DOLLARS JOB

AT 55 MPH THE FRONT LEFT BRAKE ENGAGES WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS RELEASES, THE BAS AND ESC FAULTS ARE THEN VISIBLE ON THE DASH. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS REPLACED BY MERCEDES TWO TIMES, BUT THIS CONDITION SHOWS UP AFTER A FEW DAYS OF DRIVING , CODES SHOW THAT THE YAW RATE SENSOR OR CONNECTION IS AT FAULT. EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS IN PARK WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING ON A FLAT LEVEL SURFACE THE FAULT WARNING DASH LIGHTS ESC AND BAS WILL COME ON WITH NO MOVEMENT IN THE CAR. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR A COLLISION FROM A VEHICLE FOLLOWING ME AND RUNNING INTO ME . MANY OTHERS POSTED THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL ? I HAVE 8 GRANDCHILDREN THAT YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT. *TR

THE "MULTI FUNCTION DISPLAY" (MFD) SCREEN IN THE DASH FADES WITH INTERIOR HEAT (IN SUMMER) AND EVENTUALLY FAILS OVER TIME. THE MFD DISPLAYS ALL CRITICAL VEHICLE OPERATION INFORMATION (SUCH AS COOLANT TEMPERATURE WARNINGS, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVATION, ETC.), AND ALL NOTIFICATION OF VEHICLE FAULT CODES THAT OCCUR. WITHOUT THE INFORMATION VISIBLE, THE OWNER CAN'T KNOW IF THERE IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THERE ARE NO MECHANICAL GAUGES SERVING AS BACK-UP. FURTHER, THE VEHICLE ODOMETER IS ONLY VISIBLE IN THE MFD. WITHOUT AN OPERATING MFD, THE OWNER CANNOT VIEW, OR CERTIFY THE CORRECT ODOMETER MILEAGE, REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW WHEN SELLING THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER OR SUBSEQUENT OWNER. THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN FAULT ACROSS SEVERAL MERCEDES MODELS. DEALERS OFFER TO REPLACE THE MFD, AT CONSIDERABLE OWNER EXPENSE. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE ODOMETER ISSUE, I BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES SHOULD FIX THE DISPLAY AT ZERO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *TR

MY 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C320'S BATTERY WAS CONSTANTLY GOING BAD AND HAVING TO BE JUMPED AFTER NOT STARTING IT OR DRIVING IT FOR APPROX. 24 HOURS. FINALLY, AFTER A CERTIFIED MERCEDES MECHANIC INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM, HE INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM ORIGINATED FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT MODULE, WHICH WAS DRAINING MY BATTERY. HE INFORMED ME THAT IF I UNPLUGGED IT FOR THE TIME BEING, MY BATTERY WOULD NO LONGER DRAIN. SURE ENOUGH, AFTER UNPLUGGING THE SEAT MODULE, I NO LONGER HAD ISSUES WITH MY BATTERY DRAINING. THE SEAT MODULE CONTROLS SEAT ADJUSTMENTS AS WELL AS STEERING WHEEL ADJUSTMENTS, SO THIS IS VERY INCONVENIENT, AND UNSAFE, BECAUSE THERE ARE TIMES, WHEN I HAVE TO PLUG THE MODULE IN ADJUST MY SEAT OR STEERING WHEEL, AND IT DOES NOT WORK, AND I'M STUCK WITH THE SEATS OR STEERING WHEEL IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE (STOP) LIGHTS, TURN...

REALLY DAD EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT CONTROL MODULES DRAINING BATTERY WHEN KEY OFF MY CAR STARTED ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD .!! TWO TIMES. *TR

THE TRUNK LID WOULD OCCASIONALLY OPEN UP ON ITS OWN, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, BLOCKING REAR VIEW. THIS WAS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF ONE-TWO MONTHS. *TR

POWER CONTROL SEAT & STEERING COLUMN MODULE/REGULATOR WENT OUT & BEFORE IT DID IT USE TO DRAIN THE BATTERY WHERE CAR WOULDN'T START IF SAT FOR LESS THAN 24HRS, SO HAD TO UNPLUG BUT NOW THE ENTIRE SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK PLUGGED IN. I CAN BARELY REACH THE PEDALS TO DRIVE PROPERLY, THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD & NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. IT ALSO NEEDS TO BE A WAY TO MANUALLY ADJUST. THANK YOU *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ C320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE DEALER SENT SOMEONE TO CHARGE THE BATTERY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE ADDITIONAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY. THE DEALER DISCONNECTED THE FUSE FOR THE SEAT BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO ADJUST THE SEAT WHEN NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I PURCHASED THIS CAR AS A GRADUATION PRESENT FOR MY DAUGHTER. I KNOW IT'S AND OLDER MODEL, AND HAS HIGH MILEAGE, SO I EXPECTED SOME ISSUES. HOWEVER, AFTER READING SEVERAL POST ACROSS THE INTERNET IT SEEMS AS IF THE SEAT MODULE ISSUE IS A PROBLEM. EVERYTIME SHE LETS THE CAR SIT FOR MORE THAN A DAY, IT WON'T START. SHE HAS TO JUMP START THE CAR, AND THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE ACROSS THE BOARD THAT BENZ SHOULD HAVE RECALLED BY NOW. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THIS MORNING THE CARD ONCE AGAIN WOULD NOT START. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND BENZ DIRECT, BUT THEY WILL NOT RECALL THE CAR FOR THIS ISSUE, THEY JUST WANT YOU TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. WITH SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WHY HAS THIS CAR NOT BEEN RECALLED??? *TR

ON THE FIRST OCCASION (DECEMBER 16, 2010), MY MERCEDES C320 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE CAR ENGINE SHUT OFF AS I WAS DRIVING 57 MPH ON THE FREEWAY DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR. THERE WERE SEVERAL CARS AND TRACTOR TRAILERS BEHIND ME WHEN THE CAR SHUT OFF AS I WAS DRIVING. THE INCIDENT WAS TERRIFYING, AS NO WARNING LIGHTS (NOTHING) CAME ON IN THE CAR. LUCKILY, OTHER DRIVERS SAW ME IN DISTRESS AND I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER OVER THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE SIDE STRIP. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO PHOENIX MOTORS (MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP) WHEREAS THEY INDICATED AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT HAD GONE BAD. HOWEVER, I LATER LEARNED THIS DIAGNOSIS WAS INCORRECT, BECAUSE SEVEN MONTHS LATER THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN AGAIN AS I WAS DRIVING. ANOTHER INCIDENT TOOK PLACE WHERE I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR MOBILITY WHILE DRIVING...

MALFUNCTIONING SEAT CONTROL MODULES DRAIN BATTERY IN 2001 C320 MERCEDES BENZ. NOT LONG AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR IN JANUARY 2008 WITH 51,000+ MILES, I PAID $175 DOLLARS FOR A NEW MBZ BATTERY, BEFORE ASKING DEALERSHIP TO DISCONNECT SEAT CONTROL MODULES. I WAS NOT PREPARED TO PAY $1200 TO REPLACE MODULES. JUNE 25, 2010, MY 2001 C320 STOPPED DURING A TRIP TO PHOENIX, AZ FROM CALIFORNIA, DUE TO FUEL PUMP GOING OUT. MY 79 YEAR-OLD MOTHER AND I WAITED IN 100+ DEGREE WEATHER FOR A TOW, WHICH TOOK 3 HOURS TO GET TO PHOENIX MBZ DEALERSHIP. OAKLAND SERVICE REP NEVER SUGGESTED REPLACING, ALTHOUGH THE CAR WAS SERVICED DURING THE SUGGESTED MILEAGE FOR REPLACEMENT. THE PHOENIX DEALERSHIP INITIALLY REPLACED ORIGINAL FUEL FILTER, AND NEVER THOUGHT TO CHECK IF ORIGINAL FUEL PUMP NEEDED REPLACING. ON JUNE 28, 2010, MY CAR STOPPED AGAIN ON THE RETURN TRIP TO CA, AND WE WERE TOWED BACK...

I ALSO HAVE A 2001 C320 SINCE NEW HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA AND I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRIC FRONT SEATS DRAINING THE BATTERY. IF IT STANDS FOR MORE THAN 2 DAYS THE BATTERY IS FLAT. IT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT ALSO INFLUENCES THE OTHER ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES AS THE BATTERY HAS TO BE CHARGED AND IN SOME CASES JUMP STARTED. WHILE THIS CAN BE DONE SUCCESSFULLY IF YOU ARE STUCK OUT OF HOME BASE SOMETIMES YOU CANNOT MANAGE THE RECOVERY TEAM THAT CAUSE ALL TYPES OF VOLTAGE SPIKES WHEN TRYING TO GET THE CAR ON LINE AGAIN. IT SEEMS LUDICROUS THAT A SEAT MOTOR THAT DOES NOT WORK HARD AT ALL CAN CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. REALLY NOT THE EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING I EXPECT FROM THIS MARQUE. HERE IS THE VIN NO [XXX] AS I CANNOT ENTER IT A FEW STEPS LATER AS IT DOES NOT ACCEPT IT. INFORMATION...

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2001 C320 MERCEDES BENZ. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BACK IN JULY OF 2003. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD COMPLAINTS ABOUT MY FRONT SEATS DRAINING MY BATTERY I WAS TOLD AGAIN JUST RECENTLY THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THAT MODEL AND YEAR. I THINK MERCEDES SHOULD RECALL THIS PROBLEM AND CORRECT IT IMMEDIATELY. *TR

MERCEDES BENZ C320 2001 MODEL. POWER SEAT MODULE SHORTS AND DRAINS BATTERY. THE CONSTANT DRAW OFF THE SYSTEM COULD AT SOME POINT, CAUSE A FIRE, WHILE DRIVING OR OVER NIGHT IN GARAGE. 2 TWICE IT WAS FAILED WITHIN A 1 YR TIME FRAME. DEALER CHARGE $1000.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM ONLY TO HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN. DEALER WOULD NOT SUPPLY OLD PART FOR INSPECTION. *TR

WE OWN A 2001 MERCEDES C320 AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS ALL RELATED TO THE POWER SEAT ASSEMBLIES DRAINING THE BATTERY OVER NIGHT. WE HAVE HAD THEM REPLACED BY THE DEALER, FIRST TIME WAS UNDER WARRANTY, AND NOW- JUST ABOUT A YEAR OR SO LATER, SAME PROBLEM. IF WE UNPLUG THE POWER SEATS, THE BATTER DOES NOT DRAIN. WE KNOW WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES WITH THIS PROBLEM, SEE WWW.BENZWORLD.ORG/FORUMS/MB-SAFETY-TESTIMONIALS/1279095-C320-BATTERY-PROBLEM-PLZ-HELP.HTML . I AGREE THAT IT IS RIDICULOUS TO SPEND THE TYPE OF MONEY ON THIS CAR AND GET RIPPED OFF BY THE DEALERS FOR "DIAGNOSTICS" ON A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM AND ALSO GETTING SHAFTED FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS, ONLY TO HAVE THEM FAIL THE SAME EXACT WAY. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM FOR MERCEDES, AND TO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND JUST KEEP RAPING CUSTOMERS WITHOUT FIXING THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM IS WRONG. I CAN ONLY HOPE...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ C320. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE WARRANTY. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES EXCEEDED 100 DEGREES, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUTTER. WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RAPIDLY DRAINS THE BATTERY. ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR IDENTICAL FAILURES WITHOUT RESOLUTIONS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,079 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 2/5/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR MASS...

THE POWER SEAT CONTROL UNITS DRAIN THE BATTERY, AS THEY TURN ON AND OFF DURING EXTENDED PERIODS OF REST. *TR

AT 55,178 MILES (ONLY 5,000 OVER WARRANTY) I HAD TO HAVE MY FAULTY ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM REPLACED. DURING THIS REPAIR AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP, THE TECHNICIANS BLEW OUT THE REAR SAM (COMPUTER CONTROLLING DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS, HAZARD LIGHTS, ETC), WHILE THE CAR WAS IN THEIR SHOP. THEY ATTEMPTED TO MAKE ME BELIEVE THAT THE REAR SAM FAILURE WAS AN UNDERLYING FAILURE THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DETECT WITH THE FIRST INSPECTION. HOWEVER, THIS REAR SAM FAILURE WAS NEVER DISCLOSED TO ME UNTIL AFTER THEY HAD INSTALLED THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM, APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER. IN OTHER WORDS, THE INITIAL INSPECTION WAS 100% ABOUT THE FAULTY ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM. IRONICALLY, THE IGNITION DID TURN ON DURING THE INITIAL INSPECTION AND I WAS THERE TO OBSERVE THE SERVICE MANAGER SCROLL THROUGH THE DISPLAY, FIND MY MILEAGE, ETC. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF REAR SAM FAILURE ON 9/19/06, IE, VISIT WORKSHOP ON DISPLAY....

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE LEFT LIGHT BULB WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE WIRING HARNESS, REAR EXTERIOR LIGHT BULB, AND ADAPTER CABLE FOR THE TAIL LAMPS WERE REPLACED. THE PARK LIGHT ERROR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE REAR LIGHT BULBS. ANOTHER, UNKNOWN, LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE SAM MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE SAME SOLUTION. UPDATED 10/04/06. *JB

BEGINNING ON 10/18/01 TO PRESENT, THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP 34 DIFFERENT TIMES FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: (1) REMOTE INOP - 10/18/01; (2) REMOTE INOP - 11/14/01; (3) REPLACED REMOTE - 12/3/01; (4) REMOTE INOP - 12/11/01; (5) REPLACED FRONT PADS & SENSORS - 12/26/02; (6) REPLACED RIGHT FRONT DOOR WINDOW MOTOR - 4/24/03; (7) REPLACED REMOTES - 5/15/03; (8) REPLACED CRANKSHAFT SENSOR & CONNECTOR MODULE - 12/2/03; (9) REPLACED FAULTY REAR SAM CONTROL MODULE - 12/2/03; (10) REPLACED A/C PRESSURE SWITCH - 12/2/03; (11) REPLACED AIR MASS METER SENSOR - 12/11/03; (12) REPLACED RIGHT DOOR WINDOW REGULATOR - 1/5/04; (13) REPLACED REAR SHADE ROLLER BLIND - 1/5/04; (14) REPLACED SIDE BAG CONNECTOR ALL DOORS - 1/9/04; (15) REPLACED RIGHT FRONT DOOR WINDOW SEAL - 2/27/04; (16) REPLACED OIL LEVEL SENSOR & RESEALED OIL PAN - 4/28/04; (17) REPLACED SWAY BAR BUSHING AND CASTER ARMS - 4/28/04;...

DT: CONSUMER WENT TO START THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SUCH AS NAVIGATION, RADIO/CD, TELEPHONE, VOICE COMMAND, GAS GAUGES, AND POWER WINDOWS WERE NOT WORKING. SINCE THEN THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS WERE REPLACED TWICE, AND WILL BE REPLACED THE THIRD TIME IN LESS THAN A YEAR. TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND CONTACTED MERCEDES ,WHO SAID THEY COULD REPLACE NAVIGATION AND THE RADIO/CD WHICH S\WERE CONNECTED BY SAME COMPUTER FOR $3,000. DEALER DID NOT KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENED, BUT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED OR REPAIRED.*AK

GAS FUMES SO OVER POWERING THAT YOU HAD TO DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN AFTER YOU FILLED UP THE CAR WITH GASOLINE. GAS TANK HAD A LEAK AND ALL THE DASH WAS REPLACED AT DEALER. HOWEVER THERE ARE SHORTAGES IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT CAUSE THE VISOR LAMPS TO NOT WORK AND THE AUTOMATIC LIGHTS AND RELAYS IN THE WIPERS DO NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. WHEN THE HEAT IS ON THE GAS FUMES AND MONOXIDE IS STRONG AGAIN . I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS RECTIFIED WHEN THEY FIXED IT BUT IT STILL TENDS TO ACT UP. *NLM