1992-1999 S Class Wiring Harness

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Al - 19 Dec 2004 00:46 GMT

I wonder how many of you out there have had the wiring harness go bad on
the S Class 1992-1999. Apparently it was poorly made ( according to
Mercedes mechanic) and VERY expensive to replace mainly due to the labor
involved. Also causes a multitude of problems beside possibly being a
hazard.
AL

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RickyE - 20 Dec 2004 00:08 GMT

I had a 1994 C280 and the wiring harness had to be replaced at six years.
Dealer said it was because of the smog levels in Los Angeles! What a joke!

A couple of years earlier, the cylinders misfired while driving on the
freeway. The MB Roadside tech suspected the harness and mumbled something
about he's seen this happen before. However, upon restarting the car,
everything worked fine. I took it to the dealer service center (Rusnak
Pasadena) and they could not detect anything wrong and told me to take it
back if it happend again. It never misfired again.

What happened eventually was that there was no acceleration from standing
still. Regular dealer (Rusnak Pasadena) couldn't figure out what was
happening. I took it to another dealer across town (Keyes in Van Nuys) and
they identified the problem as being caused by the harness.

Ricky

>I wonder how many of you out there have had the wiring harness go bad on
> the S Class 1992-1999. Apparently it was poorly made ( according to
> Mercedes mechanic) and VERY expensive to replace mainly due to the labor
> involved. Also causes a multitude of problems beside possibly being a
> hazard.
> AL

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Bob - 20 Dec 2004 03:31 GMT

My 95 S320's harness self destructed earlier this year. The
insulation becomes very brittle then allows the elements to corrode
the copper wire making a real mess including intermittent shorts
against other wires in the harness and/or engine and chassis. I have
a couple of photos if you're interested. (just reply in this group).

Bob

>I wonder how many of you out there have had the wiring harness go bad on
>the S Class 1992-1999. Apparently it was poorly made ( according to
>Mercedes mechanic) and VERY expensive to replace mainly due to the labor
>involved. Also causes a multitude of problems beside possibly being a
>hazard.
>AL

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John Martuch - 20 Dec 2004 22:05 GMT

This is a known problem...I believe MB changed the insulation spec and that
cars built after September '95 are OK. The "born on" date is on the
driver's door pillar. To check the harness, peel back the wrapping at any
end point of the harness so that you can see the individual conductors.

I've looked at mine ('95 S420 built in March) and can see it going
bad...cracks every 1/4" or so. Anyone know if I can replace this myself ?
I basically envision laying the old harness over the new one and just
unplugging the old one and plugging in the new one, connector by connector.
I doubt that it will be that simple in reality, but is the concept sound ?
Or would I be better off mortgaging my soul to pay someone else to do it ?

Any advice is appreciated...thanks in advance.

...John

> My 95 S320's harness self destructed earlier this year. The
> insulation becomes very brittle then allows the elements to corrode
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>>hazard.
>>AL

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Martin Joseph - 21 Dec 2004 04:02 GMT

> ve looked at mine ('95 S420 built in March) and can see it going
> bad...cracks every 1/4" or so. Anyone know if I can replace this
> myself ? I basically envision laying the old harness over the new one
> and just unplugging the old one and plugging in the new one,

I recommend tagging all matching connectors with tape or numbering or
some unique system so even if you get confused you can figure out what
went where...

This almost sounds like a good third party opportunity. How much does
a wiring harness for one of these bad boys cost?

Marty

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Al - 21 Dec 2004 14:51 GMT

It seems to me that the wiring harness should be a recall as it would
seem to represent a fire hazard with shorts etc. Has MB North America
ever addressed this issue such as a silent recall.
Al

> This is a known problem...I believe MB changed the insulation spec and that
> cars built after September '95 are OK. The "born on" date is on the
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>>>hazard.
>>>AL

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AJDalton7 - 21 Dec 2004 16:15 GMT

Some dealer will good will it , but only if you bought the car there and it has
less than 100K
The harness is about $450-$600, depending on where you get it and the jub
takes a good 1 to 1-1/2 hrs
All plug in connectors that do not interchange, so simply lay it out over the
old and start unplugging/plugging..

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