1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320 Electrical Systemwiringfront Underhood Problems

ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH REPLACED WIRING HARNESS ALL WIRES WERE SPLIT AND EXPOSED AND BRITTLE. *TR

M.B. E320 CARBRIOLET 1995 WIRING HARNESS FAILED AND A FEW SPARK PLUGS WERE NOT ABLE TO FIRE. THE CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CAR HAS ONLY 32,000 MILES. *TR

MY 1995 E-320 WAGONS ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION HAS DETERIORATED TO A POINT WHERE THE CAR WAS GOING CRAZY, ODD ACCELERATOR BEHAVIOR, LOSS OF POWER, LOSS OF TRANS CONTROL, LOSS OF TRACTION CONTROL, ALL WIRE INSULATION ON THIS HARNESS HAS DETERIORATED TO THE POINT THAT IT IS AMAZING THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A FIRE OR ACCIDENT B/C OF THE MALFUNCTIONS. I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AROUND WITH MY 20 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR WITH IT LIKE THIS. WHEN THE CAR STATED ACTING UP. I TOOK IT TO A CERT. MECHANIC AND HE SHOWED ME THAT I THE CAR COULD HAVE BURNED UP OR I COULD HAVE LOST STEERING OR BRAKING CAPABILITIES OR TRANS CONTROL. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!! I COULD NOT TELL THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG UNTIL HE REMOVED THE COVER FROM AROUND THE GROUP OF WIRES. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT, NOT...

THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE ENGINE HAS FAILED. THE INSULATION HAS DISINTEGRATED AND THE WIRES ARE ARCING, SHORTING AND CORRODING. THIS CAUSES INTERMITTENT STALLING OF THE ENGINE AND AN UNSAFE CONDITION. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A TYPICAL FAILURE OF THIS VEHICLE. IT IS ODD, I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH ANY VEHICLE THAT REQUIRES PERIODIC REPLACEMENT OF THE WIRING HARNESSES, ORDINARILY THESE LAST LONGER THAN THE VEHICLE. *TR

THE WIRING HARNESS ON MY "95 MERCEDES BENZ E320 HAS DISINTEGRATED WIRE COVERING AND IS SHORTING OUT EVERYTHING. I UNDERSTAND MERCEDES BENZ HAS KNOWN OF THIS DEFECT ALL ALONG AND THE NHTSA HAS MADE THEM DO NOTHING. *TR

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS CRUMBLING LEAVING EXPOSED WIRES. AS RESULT, ENGINE WILL NOT START. *TR

THE OUTER COATING OF THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS BURNT AWAY DUE TO THE INTERIOR COPPER WIRES SHORTING OUT OR DETERIORATING. I ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM WITH MY LOCAL M. BENZ DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT IS NOT A MALFUNCTION THAT IS COVERED BY M. BENZ. SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BOTH FIRE AND STALLING IN TRAFFIC, I HAVE LIMITED MY USE OF THE CAR. IF M. BENZ WISHES TO RETAIN ITS CUSTOMER BASE, IT SHOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE WHEN SAFETY ISSUES ARE PRESENTED. *TR

THE ENGINE / FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 (135,000 MILES), HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT AND IS BEGINNING TO SHORT OUT WITH THE RISK OF CAUSING DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND EVEN FIRE INSIDE MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I HAVE READ MANY REPORTS OF OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ CARS OF THE SAME AGE RANGE HAVING THE EXACT SAME DEFECT. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MERCEDES THAT THEY REFUSE TO RECALL. *TR

ENGINE WIRE HARNESS FAILURE. *AK

I HAVE CHANGED THE PLUGS IN MY 1995 MERCEDES 3 TIMES IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE LAST TIME BY THE DEALERSHIP IN HUNTSVILLE, AL. THEY SAID THE PLUGS I HAS PUT IN NEW A MONTH BEFORE WERE BAD AND REPLACED THEM AGAIN. THIS DID NOT FIX MY PROBLEM AND HAS PROGRESSIVELY BECOME WORSE. THIS PAST WEEK END I CHECKED THE PLUGS AGAIN AND WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE IT WAS MISSING ON AT LEAST TWO CYLINDERS. TWO PLUGS WERE NOT EVEN FIRING. AFTER INSPECTING THE WIRES GOING TO THE MAGNETOS I DISCOVERED THEY WERE ALL BARE WIRES ON THE HARNESS GOING TO THE ENGINE. THE PLASTIC COVER ON ALL THE WIRES WOULD JUST FALL OFF THE WIRE. I CUT THE RUBBER INSERT INSIDE WHERE THE PLUGS ARE LOCATED AND THE WIRES WERE OF THE SAME CONDITION AND HAD ACTUALLY TURNED GREEN AND BROWN WITH CORROSION. SINCE MY CAR WAS...

I HAVE SURGE ISSUES WITH MY MERCEDES BENZ E320. I HAVE ALSO HAD SEVERAL ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THE CAR. A/C BLOWING COLD // HOT IN DIFFERENT VENTS. FUEL INJECTION SURGES WHEN I HIT THE GAS. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO SEVERRAL IMPORT AND MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIPS WHICH ALL SAY STIM FROM A BAD WIRING HARNESS.

WIRING HARNESS ON 1995 MERCEDES E320 FAILS AND CAUSES CAR TO STOP WHILE DRIVING DOWN BUSY CITY STREETS. WIRING INSULATION IS COMPLETELY CRACKED AND CAUSING A SHORTING SITUATION. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE CONTACTED OVER TEN PEOPLE PERSONALLY THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE ARE HUNDREDS ON THE NET. HOW BAD DOES THIS HAVE TO GET BEFORE MERCEDES DOES SOMETHING TO FIX IT? *NM

1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320 W124 ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE - MADE OF BIO-DEGRADABLE PLASTIC. MERCEDES BENZ USA CLAIMS TO HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM.

1995 MERCEDES E320 ENGINE WIRE HARNESS FELL APART - DISAPPEARED LEAVING EXPOSED WIRES IN ENGINE BAY THAT COULD CAUSE FIRE. *JB

WIRING HARNESS IS COMING APART AT THE SEAMS. CAUSES ENDLESS CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS AND OTHER PROBLEMS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A GARAGED CAR CAN HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *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

MERCEDES BENZ M104 ENGINE ELECTRICAL WIRE HARNESS INSULATION FLAKES OFF AND SHORTS OUT WIRES. POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE COULD RESULT. MANUFACTURER HAS REPLACED SOME OF THESE IN A RANDOM FASHION, UNDER A GOOD WILL WARRANTY. *NM

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

MY 1995 MERCEDES E320 ALMOST CUT OFF AT IDLE AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS AND COSTLY REPAIR BILLS . FINALLY DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY WIRING HARNESS. WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT MERCEDES HAD A PRIVATE RECALL. DUPONT MADE SOME BIODEGRADEABLE INSULATION FOR MERCEDES THAT JUST FEKK APART. THISWAS NOT FAIR TO CONSUMERS.*AK

WIRE HARNESS COMPLETELY DETERIORATED!! THIS IS NOT RIGHT FOR A CAR 10 YEARS OLD. MB USA WONT HELP AT ALL. *JB

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...

WIRING HARNESS IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT HAS CRACKED, DRY ROTTEN, AND MISSING INSULATION. THIS IS CAUSED BY POOR MATERIALS USED IN PRODUCTION. IT COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD AND CAUSE A FIRE. *JB

MY 1995 MERCEDES WAGON E320 HAS ONLY 42K MILES ON IT BUT ALL THE WIRES AKA THE ENGINE HARNESS ARE CRUMBLING TO THE TOUCH. ALL THE WIRE INSULATION HAS DETERIORATED BECAUSE OF THE USE OF BIO-GRADABLE PLASTIC. THE DEALER WANTS ME TO PAY $1500 FOR THE ENGINE HARNESS. HOW CAN SUCH A MAJOR PART BE SO POORLY MADE AND UNRELIABLE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR MY FAMILY. *JB

DISINTEGRATION OF INSULATION ON ENGINE WIRING HARNESS.

THE INSULATION THAT PROTECTS THE WIRES IN THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS OF 1995 MERCEDES E320 VEHICLES DETERIORATES AND CAUSES THE WIRES TO SHORT. THIS ELECTRICAL SHORT MAY RESULT IN UNEXPECTED ENGINE STALLING, THUS CREATING A HAZARDOUS CONDITION. THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS MUST BE REPLACED. THIS CONDITION EXISTS IN ALL 1995 E320 VEHICLES SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES. THE CONDITION EXISTS IN OTHER YEARS AND MODELS BY MERCEDES, HOWEVER I DO NOT HAVE SPECIFIC INFORMATION CONCERNING THE AFFECTED YEARS AND MODELS. *NM

WHEN I HAD MY 60,000 MILE SERVICE I WAS TOLD THE THE WIRING HARNESS WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT 1500.00 DOLLARS. MERCEDES WOULD NOT PAY ANY PART OF THIS REPAIR EVEN THOUGHT THE DEALER INDICATED THAT IT WAS A OBVIOUS DESIGN PROBLEM IN THE WIRING HARNESS OF THE E320 SERIES AND HAD BEEN FIXED IN LATER MODELS. MY PROBLEM WAS THAT THE HARNESS WIRES LEADING TO THE SPARK PLUGS HAS HARDENED AND THE INSULATION HAS FLAKED OFF OF THE WIRES. GOD ONLY KNOWS WHERE THE HARNESS HAS HARDENED ELSEWHERE AND WHAT POTENTIAL PROBLEMS COULD OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. I THINK THAT SINCE IT HAS BEEN OMITTED AS A DEFECT AND IS NOW CAUSING SAFETY AND RELIABILITY PROBLEMS THAT THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD STEP UP AND REPAIR THE PROBLEMS. *AK

I OWN A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320 WAGON. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND DECIDED TO CHANGE THE OIL. WHILE REACHING INTO THE ENGINE COMPLARTMENT, I FELT AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK FROM A WIRE BUNDLE NEAR THE OIL FILTER. I LOOKED AND SAW BARE WIRES EXPOSED WHERE THE INSULATION WAS MISSING. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT MANY OTHER OWNERS OF SAME VEHICLE HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A VERY DANGEROUS AND VERY COMMON DEFECT WITH CERTAIN MODEL YEARS. THE REPAIR IS VERY COSTLY. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL ON THIS VERY COMMON AND HAZARDOUS ISSUE? IT IS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW.*AK

DISINTEGRATION OF THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS CAUSING LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. *LA

I OWN A 1995 E320 SDN, I HAVE 87,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND MERCEDES HAS PERFORMED ALL MAJOR SERVICE OF THE VEHICLE DURING THE TIME I HAVE OWNED THE CAR (4YRS). I WAS INFORMED THAT THE MAIN WIRE HARNESS IS FALLING APART AND IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT IT BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1,200.00 PLUS. I HAVE WORKED ON CARS FOR MANY YEARS AS WELL AS RESTORING THEM AND HAVE NEVER RUN ACROSS A PROBLEM SUCH AS THIS. M.B. SHOULD STAND BEHIND THIS FAILURE AND INITIATE A RECALL.*AK

I OWN A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320 WAGON. PURCHASED IN FEB 2003 WITH 5300 MILES ON ODOMETER. THE HFM ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAD TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TRIP TO DEALERSHIP FOR EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION/HEAVY SULFUR ODOR. MERCEDES BENZ WEB CHATROOMS (MBWORLD.ORG, BENZWORLD.ORG, MERCEDESSHOP.COM) DETAIL LITERALLY SEVERAL DOZEN CASES OF DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESSES WHICH REQUIRED REPLACEMENT FOR W124 CARS WITH M104 ENGINES OF MODEL YEARS 1992 TO 1995. THESE WIRING HARNESSES WERE APARENTLY MADE WITH WIRES WHOSE INSULATION IS PRONE TO EXCESSIVE DEGREDATION WITH HEAT AND TIME. THE LOSS OF INSULATION EVENTUALLY LEADS TO SHORT-CIRCUITING OF THE WIRES AND A HOST OF DRIVEABILITY ISSUES. REPLACEMENT OF MY HARNESS FIXED MY PROBLEM. THIS PART IS APPARENTLY UNIVERSALLY DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY, AND AS SUCH I BELIEVE THAT A RECALL OF THE DEFECTIVE ITEM IS IN ORDER. *AK

UNDERHOOD ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION DETERIORATING RAPIDLY ON OUR 1995 E320 WAGON DUE TO HEAT FATIGUE. THIS IS A UNIVERSAL DEFECT WITH ALL 1993-1995 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 MODELS. ON OUR PREVIOUS 1994 E320, THIS PROBLEM CAUSED THE CAR TO LOSE POWER TO ONE OR MORE CYLINDERS. DEFINITE FIRE HAZARD.*AK

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...

WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED AND INSPECTED, THE MECHANIC EXAMINED THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND DETERMINED THAT THE WIRE INSULATION ON THE HARNESS WAS SHOWING SIGNS OF SERIOUS DETERIORATION AND RECOMMENDED REPLACING IT BEFORE IT CAUSED PROBLEMS BY SHORTING OUT. *TT

BAD ENGINE WIRING WHICH POSSIBLY CAUSED ENGINE TO STALL IN TRAFFIC. *TT

PRODUCT:MERCEDES 1995 E320 SEDAN PROBLEM: THE ENGINE'S WIRING HARNESS HAS ITS INSULATION MADE OF PVC. PVC CANNOT AND HAS NOT TOLERATED THE HEAT AND VIBRATION DEVELOPED WITHIN THIS VEHICLE'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IT, THE PVC INSULATION, HAS BECOME SO BRITTLE IT IS LITERALLY CHIPPING APART AT EVERY VITAL SENSOR AND/OR DEVICE- INCLUDING FUEL DELIVERY COMPONENTS! THIS HAS ME EXTREMELY CONCERNED SINCE I'M STARTING TO GET CHECK ENGINE SIGNALS TO THE DASH DISPLAY NOW. I CALLED MERCEDES' 800 NUMBER AND THEY ARE ACTING IGNORANT ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE I'M NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. *JB

OEM WIRING HARNESS IN 1995 E320 BECOMES BRITTLE AND CRACKS AT AROUND 100,000 MILES THAT CAUSES ENGINE TO MISFIRE.

I OWN A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320 STATION WAGON THAT HAS 76,000 MILES ON IT AS OF 2/6/03. DURING A 75,000 MILE SERVICE, THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRING HARNESS WAS DECOMPOSING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SHORTLY AFTERWARD THE "CHECK ENGINE " TROUBLE LIGHT BEGAN TO COME ON REPEATEDLY. THE ENTIRE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERS SERVICE TECHNICIAN MADE A COMMENT ON MY PAPERWORK THAT THE HARNESS HAD FRAYED THROUGH IN ONE AREA AND WAS SHORTING OUT IN A VALVE COVER. THIS TYPE OF DEFECTIVE PRODUCT CONSTITUTES A CLASS 1 SAFETY ISSUE. VIA THE INTERNET, I DISCOVERED THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS TYPE CAR FROM 1994 TO 1996 HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR DECOMPOSING WIRING HARNESSES. THIS SITUATION SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY A GENERAL RECALL AND MERCEDES BENZ OF NORTH AMERICA SHOULD REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESSES.