beamk9

Please please help me. I also posted about no Audio for our 2001 s430 mercedes that we just purchased and we are SUPER FRUSTRATED....now the hazard lights do not work, as well as the ESP, door lock all those buttons above the navigation screen. ANY IDEAS OR HELP???? we have checked all fuses, no luck. RADIO sound still does not come through and it also says NO CD changer. Clicking coming from the speakers when run the wake up diagnostic. the code that comes up is N1112 which I know has to do with the D2B, where is the connection for the D2B and how do you get to it, can anyone PLEASE PLEASE help us!! We are desperate and starting to throw things as we have tried everything we know to do. Is there a fuse behind the radio? If so, how do you pull it out? It is a Bose system with navigation. Please take the time to try and help us, anything would be so so so very much appreciated. Thanks so much. Dawn

whoover

The electrical system in that car is very complicated. When you turn on a light switch or the radio, it doesn't work like in older cars. The light switch doesn't really switch current to the light. The radio switch doesn't switch on the radio.

The switches send signals to a computerized switching unit called a SAM (signal acquisition/actuation module). The SAM in turn sends current to the electrical consumers. This is done for two reasons: 1) computer signals use much less current that lights and amplifiers, so Mercedes saves on hundreds of pounds of heavy, expensive copper, and 2) so that you can have fancy features like a radio that stays on even after you turn off the car (like for mood at Lovers' Lane) but knows to switch off as soon as you open the driver's door. And lights that turn themselves on and off with a zillion user-settable timing options.

There are two SAMs. You have classic symptoms of a bad front SAM. But it can be something else as well. Unfortunately, only the dealer is well equipped to diagnose and fix many of these problems. Electrical gremlins and the Airmatic/ABC suspensions are the reasons why owning an early W220 without a warranty is like playing Russian Roulette with all chambers loaded. It's a great car, but you're getting your initiation.

Take it to a dealer.

beamk9

so, what is a SAM, and how much is that gonna cost me??? It worked fine yesterday before we started removing fuses and putting them back in. Everything on that control panel did, can you help? So, is there alot of electrical problems with this year vehicle? Should we consider reselling it, got a great deal on a garage kept car.....thanks for your help, where might you find a SAM, and how can it be fixed. Thanks again.

whoover

I don't want to scare you, but another classic problem that you might encounter is a battery that goes dead overnight. You might think "aha, I need a new battery" and replace it, only to discover that you just blew $200 or more because your new one goes dead overnight too. Then you replace the alternator. In a Chevy, good bet. In a W220, bad move.

You probably have a bad seat control module or door control module. One way they fail is to prevent a computer network in your car (it has at least three) from "sleeping" when the car is off. (To support features like lights that stay on for a few minutes, it can't just go off when you turn off the car.)

If electrical noise from a bad control module tricks the SAM into thinking you're still in the car, it won't let the CAN-B network sleep and your battery runs down.

How the hell is anyone supposed to diagnose the dead battery?

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ic/ic030538.htm

It's not a job for your Ford mechanic and his hammer.

But the cars are wonderful when they're working.

whoover

You shouldn't just yank fuses or even disconnect the battery on these cars. They can be temperamental. You might have taken out a SAM that was shaky. Or you might just need it reflashed (it is a computer).

In any case, only a qualified mechanic (and for the W220 electrical system I personally think that means the dealer) can find out what's going on and fix it. If it is a SAM, it's probably $1,000. But it could be a loose switch block or need for reflashing. All you or I can do is speculate. I think you need to bite the bullet and take it to a dealer. Then you can decide whether or not to keep the car.

In fact, 2001-2003 W220s seemed to have more electrical problems that 2004-2006, although even they have their share of gremlins. Although it costs up front, I would always look to a CPO car from a dealer with the extended warranty. You sleep better.

beamk9

funny that you say that, the battery was dead when we went and picked it up yesterday but we were told because something was left on over the weekend. I started right away today. No way that it could be an electrical fuse? it worked like I said yesterday until we started removing fuses to find out which one controlled the radio. Which, we didn't find until today. So, SAM huh, what might we be looking at money wise? Everything on the NAV system works, all lights work, blinkers, etc inside lights as well, just not the panel buttons above the display screen. Any other ideas as to what it might be? Thanks so much for your help, had I known this we would not of even fooled with it.

By the way, our left blinker light is out, could it be causing those problems?

Thanks again.

beamk9

off to the dealer we go as I am sick and tired of trying to figure it out. radio still doesn't work nor the buttons above the navigation display. Just so frustrating, wish we had known this before we purchased.

Thanks again. Where are the SAMs? Out of curiousity

thanks for the assistance, if you have any more ideas please let me know. How about the radio issue?

Thanks much

whoover

There are actually three SAMs on a W220. The rear is by the rear fuse box. There are two front SAMs, left and right. I'm not sure where they are. In other models with a single front SAM it was in the engine compartment.

Keep your fingers crossed that the dealer can fix a lot of your problems by reinitializing or reflashing one of the front SAMs. It has been known to happen. Also, your audio problem could be a SAM, or it could be the amplifier or the head unit. Again, the only way to find out is to diagnose it. The audio also involves another network, your D2B fiber-optic bus. The HU, nav, phone, tele-aid, amplifier and CD are on a fiber ring, which the dealer's diagnostic computer can also talk to. It may be a bad fiber cable or just a bad connection. Or it could be a bad component. Or conceivably a SAM problem. Like I said, they're great when they're working.

benzmodz

Actually the rear SAM is under the back seat. The fuse row is behind the footlights panel which unclips.

Sounds to me like the car was saturated by water. They did a nice job of making out like someone left the radio on.

What happens with the W220 is that the drain holes in the front of the car fill up with leaves and junk and then the water comes into the car via the air ducts. It then goes under the carpets and destroys everything.

Only a theory but I think you had better take all the seats out and pull out the carpets and have a look.

To give you some idea this is what the insides look like.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showt...pan+conversion

http://www.mwhouston.com/showcars.ph...b=project_cars

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showt...ght=w215+japan

Other than that, what usually happens is that one of the modules go bad, draw current all the time and kill the battery. So naturally people go randomly disconnecting the battery and blowing up more things in the car.

Usual suspects
- Front SAM (left or right)
- Seat controllers
- Rear SAM
- Navigation unit

I suggest you get the car analysed with a master technician. No sense in poking around.

beamk9

where do you find the drain holes in the front of the car? You keep saying there are SAMs in your car, where are they located, you say one on left, one on right, one in rear fuse box area, what should I look for? is it a fuse with a number or is it something else and how do I figure out where it is? Just seems funny to me that it was working up until we started pulling out fuses as this car didn't not come with manuals, but I did order online today. Worked yesterday, just not today!!

Thanks for your insight, hopefully it is not as bad as we might think. This was a seizure vehicle from the tax revenue department.

Thanks so much, also, it has a clear carfax flooding and all, how do you pull up the carpet to see if water in it?

Thanks for your time and assistance.

benzmodz

What you need is a workshop with some experience. These are all well known problems.

sclassdud

If I were you I would just return the car and get a new one.............but your not me.......................you could never be me you pawn!!!

ejack

Hello beamk9:

I'm terribly sorry to hear about the problems that your are encountering with your vehicle. I encountered similar problems upon purchasing my vehicle also.
Like yourself I initially attempted to repair the problem using off site telephone support, since the vehicle was being temporarily stored at the sellers showroom.

Ultimately I sought out technicians at mbdoctor.com who were able to diagnose and repair the problem in approximately 20 minutes, at a fraction of the MB hourly diagnostic rate.

My problem was traced to a faulty cd player and a little oxidation (corrosion) at one of the fiber optics contacts in the trunk of my vehicle. As you probably know, your radio, cd player, and telephone are all sitting on a fiber optics loop. If there isn't continuity, none of these items will work properly and can result in the original symptoms you listed.

I strongly recommend that you contact a qualified technician to prevent you from wasting time and money, and possibly compounding the problem.

Good Luck

Skylaw

Those offering a reasonable response to your posts has given you the best advice: Take it to a qualified MB tech, either at a dealer or a good independent.

Whoover gave a good explanation of what a SAM is, and does. As to locations, they vary by year. There isn't much you can do yourself to service it.

As to the drain hole that can get plugged and allow water in the passenger compartment, see http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w220...highlight=leak

ejack's suggestion would be a good one if the only malfunction you had was in the audio, nav, or phone system - but your problem is more widespread because it involves controls, and is likely the SAM, as others advised.

And ejack and the others are correct - don't try guesswork repairs on this car. The forum can often point you to a fix, and provide enough info to address a problem - and there are also other resources such as the MB STAR Service CD series, the WIS (Workshop Information System - a subscription service offering 1-day subscriptions) - or ALLDATA. See https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w220/232138-absolutely-must-have-star-service.html, http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w220...ows-vista.html. Without resources like that, don't try it.

benzmodz

Yeah I think we errr on the side of caution. Hoping to give enough information to circumvent any bluff or super-stories mechanics come up with. Otherwise its safer to have two or more people lifting those 50kg seats out. Certainly not a one man job.

miller1952

I don't own one, but the more I read about them the more I think the solution is to go buy a quality W126. One can only imagine what the resale value of W220s will be when they are 15 years old! These things will be absolutely unmaintainable as they age

tusabes

they are 1000x better driving cars than a w126, ive had both