1994 MERCEDES BENZ E CLASS Electrical Systemwiringfront Underhood Problems

FAILURE OF ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, CAUSING ENGINE TO STALL ON FREEWAY.*AK

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WE WERE ALMOST HIT BY OTHER CARS WHEN TRYING TO QUICKLY EXIT BUSY FREEWAY. TOOK CAR TO MERCEDES MECHANIC AND HE SAID THE CAR NEEDED A NEW $600.00 ENGINE HARNESS. WE ASKED IF THIS IS A RARE PROBLEM AND HE SAID ALL 1993 AND 1994 E420 MERCEDES NEED THE HARNESS AT ABOUT 100 THOUSAND MILES AND THEY USED A BIODEGRADEABLE COVER ON THE HARNESS AND IT FAILS FROM ENGINE HEAT. HE ALSO SAID IF WE DON'T REPLACE IT, THE ENGINE WILL STOP WHEN DRIVING, AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH ALL MERCEDES MECHANICS. THESE CARS NEED TO BE RECALLED!!!! *NM

MY 1994 MERCEDES E420 WAS NOT STARTING PROPERLY (ASR LIGHT COMING ON, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS). TOOK IT TO MECHANIC WHO NOTICED ELECTRIC TAPE ON SOME CONNECTIONS, THEN LATER FOUND OUT WHY. THE WIRING HARNESS HAD DETERIORATED IN MULTIPLE PLACES. I WAS LEFT STRANDED AT A MEETING IN THE POURING RAIN AND COULD NOT GET BACK TO THE HOSPITAL ONE EVENING. *JB

ENGINE WIRING LOOM HAS DISINTEGRATED CAUSING ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUITS IN THE FUEL SYSTEM AND ENGINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON CONCERN ON THE MERCEDES BENZ 300 FROM 1993 THROUGH 1995. *JB

MY MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE UPPER WIRING HARNESS WAS DETERIORATING BADLY AND THE INSULATION HAD DISINTEGRATED COMPLETELY , EXPOSING BARE WIRE AT NUMEROUS SPOTS. I HAD THIS WIRING HARNESS REPLACED BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE LED TO EXPENSIVE DAMAGE TO ELECTRONIC PARTS AND / OR A DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE FREEWAY. *NM

I NEED A NEW HEAD GASKET TO REPAIR AN OIL LEAK. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING TO THE OIL LEAK HE HAD TO TAKE OFF THE WIRING HARNESS UPON WHICH THE HARNESS DISINTEGRATED IN HIS HAND. I AM VERY CONCERNED THE MB WOULD YOU BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL TO MANUFACTURER AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE VEHICLE. THE REPLACEMENT PART IS $1,000 AND NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW SINCE THE REPAIRING THE EXISTING HARNESS COULD CAUSE A FIRE. *JB

THE MATERIAL AROUND THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DEGRADED TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS NO LONGER PROTECTING THE WIRING ITSELF CAUSING IT TO MELT AND DAMAGE THE WIRES INSIDE. THIS LED TO THE CAR ONLY RUNNING ON 5 OUT OF 6 CYLINDERS INTERMITTENTLY AS WELL AS OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES. I HAVE HEARD MANY OTHER CASES OF THIS HAPPENING AMONG OTHER OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES AND MANY HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS. THE P[ARTS WERE REPLACED OUT OF MY POCKET. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT MB USA NEEDS TO ADDRESS INSTEAD OF TELLING OWNERS THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD THIS COMPLAINT BEFORE. I DO NOT KNOW THE EXACT DATE OF THE FAILURE AS IT HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE BEING PROPERLY DIAGNOSED AND IT WAS APPROXIMATELY A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, I ALSO DO NOT REMEMBER THE DATE BECAUSE I JUST RECENTLY FOUND THIS WEBSITE AND THE PROBLEM OCCURRED A WHILE AGO. *JB

MERCEDES BENZ ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. AS MANY ENTHUSIASTS AND OWNERS KNOW, THE MAIN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS MOST 1992 TO 1995 MERCEDES BENZ VEHICLES SUFFERS DETERIORATION AND PREMATURE FAILURE. THE RESULT IS POOR RUNNING CONDITION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRE. MY OWN HARNESS SHOWED SIGNS OF DETERIORATION AT THE 7 YEAR MARK AND MERCEDES BENZ WOULD NOT REPLACE IT UNDER GOODWILL, HOWEVER, BECAUSE I WAS HAVING OTHER WORK DONE, THEY REPLACED IT FOR THE PART COST ONLY WAIVING LABOR CHARGES. *JB

1994 E320 HAD INTERMINTENT RUNNING PROBLEMS. CAR WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING, ESPECIALLY DURING A RAIN OR AFTER WASHING THE CAR. REPLACED MANY PARTS(MASS AIR METER, TUNE UP, OVP RELAY, FUEL PUMP RELAY, ETC) TO CHASE THE PROBLEM, NONE OF WHICH SOLVED IT. BEGAN TO LOOK ON MERCEDES FORUMS AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. BEFORE I REPLACED THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IT BEGAN TO SMOKE HEAVILY FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I HAD AN EXTINGUSIHER WITH ME AND STOPPED IT FROM CATCHING FIRE. MERCEDES COVERED PART OF THE COST UNDER THEIR "GOODWILL" PROGRAM HOWEVER I HAD TO INSTALL IT WHICH TOOK ABOUT 8 HOURS. THE FIRST OCCURANCE HAPPEND AROUND 125K MILES HOWEVER IT WAS MANY MONTHS AND MILES LATER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED.

1994 MERCEDES BENZ E420- WIRING HARNESS IS DECAYING. THE WIRES ARE BRITTLE AND MELTING TOGETHER. THE INSULATION AROUND THE WIRE IS GONE; AS A RESULT, THE WIRE IS BARE AND UNSAFE. THE VEHICLE SUFFER FROM ALL TYPES OF PROBLEMS; SUCH AS, STALL ON THE HIGHWAY, SURGING IN TRAFFIC JAMS, AND GAUGES INTERMITTENTLY GO HAYWIRE.*AK

ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS OVER THE PAST 4 MONTHS MY CAR HAS SUDDENLY CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND CITY STREETS, ALL WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL POWER, RESULTING IS POOR BRAKING AND STEERING. ON A PREVIOUS DEALER VISIT, THE CAR WAS INSPECTED AND SERVICED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. THIS CAR IS NOW AT THE DEALER HAVING THE WIRING HARNESS REPLACED AS A COST OF $1500 WITHOUT ANY GOOD WILL FROM MERCEDES BENZ. THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AFFECTING A LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES, HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURER STILL APPEARS TO BE IGNORANT TO THE FACT. THERE IS ENOUGH EVIDENCE ON THE INTERNET SUGGESTING THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM.*AK

THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1994 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 IS CRACKED BECAUSE OF THE USE OF POOR WIRING INSULATION CAUSING MY CAR TO DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. TO RESTART IT, I HAVE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, PUT THE SHIFTER GATE TO P, TURN THE KEY ALL THE WAY BACK, AND FINALLY RESTART IT. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL OCCUR, I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN MANY ACCIDENTS BECUASE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE BENZ TECHS TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT MERCEDES-BENZ REFUSES TO MAKE IT A RECALL. *AK