SLK/R170: Anti Theft Alarm Malfunction on 1999 SLK 230 Kompressor
09-11-2008, 05:31 PM
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1999 SLK 230
Anti Theft Alarm Malfunction on 1999 SLK 230 Kompressor
I have been having problems with my car alarm.
When the problem started, I would lock the car and five or ten minutes later it would go off for no reason. The alarm did this over the winter, in fact I thought some component was somehow getting wet from a leak.
During this last summer I had no problems what so ever with the alarm and forgot about it.
When Tropical storm Hanna came through last Saturday the problem started up again and now as soon as I lock the vehicle with either the remote or key the alarm goes off.
Has anyone else had this problem and how did you cure it?
Help!
Thank you in advance for any suggestions you may have.
FriscoLady
When the problem started, I would lock the car and five or ten minutes later it would go off for no reason. The alarm did this over the winter, in fact I thought some component was somehow getting wet from a leak.
During this last summer I had no problems what so ever with the alarm and forgot about it.
When Tropical storm Hanna came through last Saturday the problem started up again and now as soon as I lock the vehicle with either the remote or key the alarm goes off.
Has anyone else had this problem and how did you cure it?
Help!
Thank you in advance for any suggestions you may have.
FriscoLady
09-22-2008, 03:08 PM
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2003 SLK230 USA model
Water in PSE
Hi Friscolady,
This just happened to me. Others said the PSE cannot be fixed, but I did it. Otherwise you can find one a lot cheaper on Ebay.
Before you start, put finger up into right rear drain tube and lightly press the inner bulb several times until water flows. It is about the farthest back thing hanging down from the right rear. There may be other water drainage problems. This is just my second day trying to solve all problems.
I would disconnect the negative battery terminal before I disconnected anything because you may later have to correct an OBD code. See the owner’s manual to later reset radio and bse or such code after battery is reconnected.
This is a well known common problem – water in the PSE. It is located in the right rear of the trunk outside of the jack’s Styrofoam holder. Remove spare wheel cover. Remove jack with its holder. Pull the foam padded PSE toward the spare tire. Remove PSE from foam. Disconnect PSE wires and vacumn hose manifold. Take PSE to workbench. Remove bottom by lightly prying open the clips with a small screwdriver. The bottom should easily fall away from the upper case. Then lightly pull the circuit board out an inch or so. Blow dry. I used Radio Shack Electronic Cleaner 64-4327 that comes with an attachable brush nozzle to thoroughly brush and flush clean the circuit board and connectors, including the dirty ones in the trunk. Dry, reassemble, re-install. Test functions of top, center console light, tow light turns off possibly, door locks, alarm, etc. (I started the car a couple of times before the center console light went back to normal.) If it works, bag PSE, seal it from future water.
Please let me know how it goes,
Thom
This just happened to me. Others said the PSE cannot be fixed, but I did it. Otherwise you can find one a lot cheaper on Ebay.
Before you start, put finger up into right rear drain tube and lightly press the inner bulb several times until water flows. It is about the farthest back thing hanging down from the right rear. There may be other water drainage problems. This is just my second day trying to solve all problems.
I would disconnect the negative battery terminal before I disconnected anything because you may later have to correct an OBD code. See the owner’s manual to later reset radio and bse or such code after battery is reconnected.
This is a well known common problem – water in the PSE. It is located in the right rear of the trunk outside of the jack’s Styrofoam holder. Remove spare wheel cover. Remove jack with its holder. Pull the foam padded PSE toward the spare tire. Remove PSE from foam. Disconnect PSE wires and vacumn hose manifold. Take PSE to workbench. Remove bottom by lightly prying open the clips with a small screwdriver. The bottom should easily fall away from the upper case. Then lightly pull the circuit board out an inch or so. Blow dry. I used Radio Shack Electronic Cleaner 64-4327 that comes with an attachable brush nozzle to thoroughly brush and flush clean the circuit board and connectors, including the dirty ones in the trunk. Dry, reassemble, re-install. Test functions of top, center console light, tow light turns off possibly, door locks, alarm, etc. (I started the car a couple of times before the center console light went back to normal.) If it works, bag PSE, seal it from future water.
Please let me know how it goes,
Thom
09-25-2008, 09:16 AM
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1999 SLK 230
Hi Thom,
Thank you for the tips. I am about a week behind you on my repairs. I had found the PSE yesterday, however the winds here on the beach were already too hard for me to work outside and the garage is too confining. So I stopped yesterday.
We have another tropical storm hitting Hampton Roads as I type! So I won't be doing much work on the car today or until this storm passes.
This promises to be a rough winter, I am so ready to move back to San Francisco! LOL!
I saw your other thread on the drains and will be keeping an eye on it as well.
Thanks again for the advice and I will keep you up to date on my progress.
Patricia
Thank you for the tips. I am about a week behind you on my repairs. I had found the PSE yesterday, however the winds here on the beach were already too hard for me to work outside and the garage is too confining. So I stopped yesterday.
We have another tropical storm hitting Hampton Roads as I type! So I won't be doing much work on the car today or until this storm passes.
This promises to be a rough winter, I am so ready to move back to San Francisco! LOL!
I saw your other thread on the drains and will be keeping an eye on it as well.
Thanks again for the advice and I will keep you up to date on my progress.
Patricia
09-25-2008, 01:23 PM
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2003 SLK230 USA model
Drip Tube/Drain Hose Issues and PSE
Hi Patricia,
I am glad to hear you found the PSE. You may want to start drying and cleaning it right away/before it shorts out too much. Now that I have had it back in for a while, I found that the alarm does not sound anymore. I tried rolling down the driver’s window, locking with remote/setting alarm, reaching inside, opening door. Lights flashed, indicating alarm works. So, immobilser probably works. I presume that mine soaked long enough to short out part of the PSE.
It is really easy to remove the PSE. Pull it toward the spare tire. Remove the sponge that is covering and soaking it. Pull off the air hose manifold by lightly prying it up. It looks like there may be a release clip. I just saw it was hooked under a clip on one side, and started to pry on the other side. The long and short wire harness connectors on one side have finger squeeze release clips – squeeze and pull straight up. The otherwise identical black and white clips on the other side have a push down then lever down clip. The U shaped lever saddles the top. Push down the release, then pull the lever in that direction.
I did get a vacuum hose down into the rear trunk well. That is where the drain tube with the attached cleaner bulb is located – beneath the hydraulic top pump. Just pry away the cover at rearmost right side of the trunk. Since my drain flowed when I pushed the cleaner bulb, and I rerouted my main trunk drain hose to that area, I hope that is the only source of water in the trunk. It may not be your source. Water now flows freely out of that drain. You may be able to get away with just pushing the cleaner bulb a few times.
I bagged the PSE in a 2 gallon ziplock bag, partially closed near the top of the bag with a wire tie, taped flexible Styrofoam around the outside of the bag and PSE, put latex silicon caulk in and around the wire and hose bundle where it entered the bag, tightened the wire tie. I repeated the caulk and wire tie seal an inch higher. I put on a second bag and seal. I let it sit undisturbed over night resting on the spare tire.
Since I don’t want to use my nasty well water to leave deposits on my paint, I am waiting for the expected heavy rain today to test for leaks.
I have not been able to determine how to get the harness or clip that held my drain hose loose. It is held by 2 round fasteners pointing skyward. I tried cleaning the hose from the bottom there, tried to loosen that clip, to no avail. That is why I reached in from the trunk access panel and pulled the hose up. Clearance is really tight there. The gas cap drain hose may terminate there too. It may be possible to remove the rear wheel well partial liner and see hoses. I have read that drain hoses can be installed badly doubled over and pinched shut.
The 3 drain hoses I found clogged on the right/passenger side including trunk lid, gas cap, and below windshield edge could not be cleaned by wire, vacuum, or air pressure from the top. So, I may need to remove part of the wheel well liners on the rear and front to clear the bottoms of the gas lid and windshield edge hoses/drip tubes.
Good Luck,
Thom
I am glad to hear you found the PSE. You may want to start drying and cleaning it right away/before it shorts out too much. Now that I have had it back in for a while, I found that the alarm does not sound anymore. I tried rolling down the driver’s window, locking with remote/setting alarm, reaching inside, opening door. Lights flashed, indicating alarm works. So, immobilser probably works. I presume that mine soaked long enough to short out part of the PSE.
It is really easy to remove the PSE. Pull it toward the spare tire. Remove the sponge that is covering and soaking it. Pull off the air hose manifold by lightly prying it up. It looks like there may be a release clip. I just saw it was hooked under a clip on one side, and started to pry on the other side. The long and short wire harness connectors on one side have finger squeeze release clips – squeeze and pull straight up. The otherwise identical black and white clips on the other side have a push down then lever down clip. The U shaped lever saddles the top. Push down the release, then pull the lever in that direction.
I did get a vacuum hose down into the rear trunk well. That is where the drain tube with the attached cleaner bulb is located – beneath the hydraulic top pump. Just pry away the cover at rearmost right side of the trunk. Since my drain flowed when I pushed the cleaner bulb, and I rerouted my main trunk drain hose to that area, I hope that is the only source of water in the trunk. It may not be your source. Water now flows freely out of that drain. You may be able to get away with just pushing the cleaner bulb a few times.
I bagged the PSE in a 2 gallon ziplock bag, partially closed near the top of the bag with a wire tie, taped flexible Styrofoam around the outside of the bag and PSE, put latex silicon caulk in and around the wire and hose bundle where it entered the bag, tightened the wire tie. I repeated the caulk and wire tie seal an inch higher. I put on a second bag and seal. I let it sit undisturbed over night resting on the spare tire.
Since I don’t want to use my nasty well water to leave deposits on my paint, I am waiting for the expected heavy rain today to test for leaks.
I have not been able to determine how to get the harness or clip that held my drain hose loose. It is held by 2 round fasteners pointing skyward. I tried cleaning the hose from the bottom there, tried to loosen that clip, to no avail. That is why I reached in from the trunk access panel and pulled the hose up. Clearance is really tight there. The gas cap drain hose may terminate there too. It may be possible to remove the rear wheel well partial liner and see hoses. I have read that drain hoses can be installed badly doubled over and pinched shut.
The 3 drain hoses I found clogged on the right/passenger side including trunk lid, gas cap, and below windshield edge could not be cleaned by wire, vacuum, or air pressure from the top. So, I may need to remove part of the wheel well liners on the rear and front to clear the bottoms of the gas lid and windshield edge hoses/drip tubes.
Good Luck,
Thom
09-26-2008, 04:28 PM
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2003 SLK230 USA model
Hi again Patricia,
Since I rerouted my drain hose that originates at the forward right edge of the trunk lid to drain into the cavity behind the wheel, I have concluded that water seeped into the trunk from that cavity. Since the cavity is draining properly now, I found no other trunk leaks. I decided to lay a bead of caulk along lower and side edges of the plate of the cavity where water can seep into the trunk. That way, if the drain clogs again, I will have some protection from seepage. The double bag, triple seal job I did is holding air like a balloon, so I hope to have further protection there. I have read that water drips down from above onto PSE wires and hoses from a bad trunk seal, maybe a bad connection or seal at the upper trunk lid drain. Your leak may be from above.
HTH
Thom
Since I rerouted my drain hose that originates at the forward right edge of the trunk lid to drain into the cavity behind the wheel, I have concluded that water seeped into the trunk from that cavity. Since the cavity is draining properly now, I found no other trunk leaks. I decided to lay a bead of caulk along lower and side edges of the plate of the cavity where water can seep into the trunk. That way, if the drain clogs again, I will have some protection from seepage. The double bag, triple seal job I did is holding air like a balloon, so I hope to have further protection there. I have read that water drips down from above onto PSE wires and hoses from a bad trunk seal, maybe a bad connection or seal at the upper trunk lid drain. Your leak may be from above.
HTH
Thom
09-30-2008, 08:34 PM
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2003 SLK230 USA model
Mission Accomplished!
Hi Patricia,
I removed the right rear wheel, pulled the wheel well seal strip. It is a friction fit, and pulls away with ease. I saw a couple of hoses, one of which was pointing skyward. I removed the 4 fasteners that pry away with a screwdriver in the top right rear trunk liner panel. I was able to look and reach into the right rear cavity where the drip hoses from the gas cap and trunk lid are routed. I reached in and found that the gas cap drip hose was kinked where it exited the trunk cavity and went outside toward the bumper wall. I squeezed, bent, and slightly tugged the crimped hose. Some debris and water appeared beneath the car. I blew water and compressed air down the gas lid inlet until I found that the outlet was the skyward pointing hose. I pushed that hose end rearward until it pointed down. I pulled some hose slack into the trunk cavity until it was no longer crimped. Blew air and water through the hose until it flowed really free – problem solved.
I found that the upper trunk lid drain hose wanted to go back through the cavity wall beside the gas lid hose as originally routed. However, my hands and arms are too big to stuff the hose back through its original routing hole. I could see daylight through the cavity drain hose, so I left the trunk lid drain hose in the cavity.
The front right windshield hose started to drain again on its own. I poured enough water through it and the 2 left side drains to make sure they were also draining well.
My next mission is to check the door drain slots.
RUST NEVER SLEEPS!
HTH
I removed the right rear wheel, pulled the wheel well seal strip. It is a friction fit, and pulls away with ease. I saw a couple of hoses, one of which was pointing skyward. I removed the 4 fasteners that pry away with a screwdriver in the top right rear trunk liner panel. I was able to look and reach into the right rear cavity where the drip hoses from the gas cap and trunk lid are routed. I reached in and found that the gas cap drip hose was kinked where it exited the trunk cavity and went outside toward the bumper wall. I squeezed, bent, and slightly tugged the crimped hose. Some debris and water appeared beneath the car. I blew water and compressed air down the gas lid inlet until I found that the outlet was the skyward pointing hose. I pushed that hose end rearward until it pointed down. I pulled some hose slack into the trunk cavity until it was no longer crimped. Blew air and water through the hose until it flowed really free – problem solved.
I found that the upper trunk lid drain hose wanted to go back through the cavity wall beside the gas lid hose as originally routed. However, my hands and arms are too big to stuff the hose back through its original routing hole. I could see daylight through the cavity drain hose, so I left the trunk lid drain hose in the cavity.
The front right windshield hose started to drain again on its own. I poured enough water through it and the 2 left side drains to make sure they were also draining well.
My next mission is to check the door drain slots.
RUST NEVER SLEEPS!
HTH
