2000 Mercedes-Benz S430

The contact called on behalf of his wife who owns a 2000 Mercedes-Benz S430. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed, the instrument panel was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V028000 (Interior Lighting). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

NHTSA ID

11474799

Incident

Jun 20, 2022

Mileage

96,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ S430V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE DOORS FAILED TO PROPERLY CLOSE DUE TO A FUSE MALFUNCTION WITH THE DOOR VACUUM SYSTEM. MERCEDES-BENZ OF AUGUSTA (3061 WASHINGTON RD, AUGUSTA, GA 30907, (706) 860-1111) REPLACED THE FUSE, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 232,000.

NHTSA ID

11209429

Incident

Jan 2, 2019

Mileage

232,000 mi

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS NOT WORKING. ONLY 20,000 MILES SINCE OWNING THE CAR SINCE 1999. THE RECALL FOR SIMILIAR CAR WITH SAME ISSUES BUT THEY SAID NOT THIS CAR.

NHTSA ID

11142538

Incident

Oct 10, 2018

Mileage

20,000 mi

DEFECT IN ACCELERATOR AND ELECTRONIC ATTACHMENTS, PART NO220 300 00 04. WHEN PART FAILED, INITIALLY, CAR ONLY POWERED TO LOW SPEED UNDER LOAD. HAD TO DRIVE IT OUT OF DESERT AND OVER MOUNTAIN AT LOW SPEED, BUT DOWN HILL OK. EVENTUALLY PARKED IT OFF ROAD. WHEN NEXT STARTING IT, IT REVVED TO 3500 RPM AND HELD. TRIED TO MOVE IT, IT DROPPED TO IDLE SPEED AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I PARKED IT AND HAD MECHANIC CHECK IT. DETERMINED THE ACCELERATOR WAS FAULTY. GAS PEDDLE DID NOT AFFECT ENGINE SPEED. HE POUNDED ON PEDDLE WITH HAND. ENGINE JUMPED TO 5000 RPM. TURNED IGNITION OFF, REPEATED PROCEDURE SEVERAL TIMES, ENGINE SPEED VARIED, CONTROLLED ENGINE SPEED BY TURNING KEY OFF AND ON WHILE IN DRIVERS SEAT. ONE TIME RIVVED TO 5000 RPM, PUT IT IN GEAR WHILE STEPPING ON BREAK. ENGINE KEPT ON REVVING WITH FULL POWER, REAL WHEELS SPINNING ON DIRT, HELD BY BRAKE. TURNED ENGINE OFF IMMEDIATELY AND REMOVED PART DESCRIBED ABOVE. CAR IS OLD, ABOUT 160K, NOT ALL THAT GOOD CONDITION. I EXPECT TO REPLACE THE PART WITH ONE FROM A MERCEDES DISMANTLER, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THE MALFUNCTION IS DUE TO AGE AND GETTING A USED PART MIGHT RECREATE THE SAME PROBLEM LATER. THE SYMPTOM FOR THE PROBLEM IS AT LEAST CONSISTENT WITH THAT OF CARS JUST RUNNING AWAY UNCONTROLLABLY, LIKE A DRIVER STARTS HIS CAR IN THE GARAGE, AND IT JUST TAKES OFF RIGHT THROUGH THE GARAGE WALLS. WHEN I REPLACE IT, I WILL KEEP THE OLD UNIT. YOU CAN HAVE IT TO INSPECT. THE ELECTRONICS ARE SEALED. I SHOULD LIKE YOU TO TELL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY SIMILAR REPORTS REGARDING MERCEDES S SERIES, AND IF YOU INSPECT THE PART, TELL ME WHAT YOU FIND.

NHTSA ID

11139238

Incident

Oct 6, 2018

Mileage

165,000 mi

MESSAGE IN DISPLAY AIRMATIC VISIT WORKSHOP. DIAGNOSED AUTOMATIC STRUT LEAK. REPLACED STRUT ASSEMBLY LEFT REAR & VALVE BLOCK SUSPENSION VALVE. I STILL HEAR AIR LEAKING. I'VE REPLACES ALL FOUR AIR STRUTS OVER THE YEARS. THE STRUTS ARE NOT CHEAP. IN MY OPINION MERCEDES MFG SHOULD REIMBURSE ME TOTAL COST FOR ALL FOUR. I'M SURE YOU AGREE!

NHTSA ID

10984756

Incident

Apr 21, 2017

Mileage

215,180 mi

ON 11/18/16 I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 S430 WHEN WILE ACCELERATING TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY MY TRANSMISSION SLIPPED CAUSING MY ENGINE TO REV. I RELEASED THE GAS PEDAL & TRIED TO PRESS IT AGAIN TO RE ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION BUT IT DIDN'T WORK. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PLACED THE CAR IN PARK, THEN BACK TO DRIVE. I CAUTIOUSLY DROVE BACK HOME & PARKED THE CAR UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET A SHOP APPOINTMENT. ON 11/21/16 I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP, THEY SAID THE FLUID WAS FULL BUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING & NEEDED TO BE REPLACED? SO I TOOK IT HOME TO THINK, (NO PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING HOME). ON 11/22/16 I DROVE THE CAR OUT OF TOWN & AFTER ABOUT 20 MILES MY CLUSTER GAUGE STARTED FLICKERING THEN WENT OUT. HOWEVER, THE BLINKERS STILL WORKED ALONG WITH THE HAZARDS. SO WHEN I WAS DONE WITH MY APPOINTMENT I CHECKED MY FUSES & REPLACED THE ONES INDICATED ON THE CHART. WHILE A SMALL PORTION OF THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON IT WAS BRIEFLY & THEN EVERYTHING WENT OUT, BLINKERS & ALL. SO IN ALL MY FRUSTRATION, I'VE PARKED THE CAR & AM ATTEMPTING TO GET HELP. I FOUND THERE WERE RECALLS ON THE GAUGES BUT NOT MY VIN? IS THIS SOMEHOW CONNECTED TO MY TRANSMISSION? PLEASE HELP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10937111

Incident

Nov 18, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 142,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10810049

Incident

Dec 11, 2015

Mileage

142,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE FREEWAY MY CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN FLASHED A RED WARNING SAYING "STOP CAR " WARNING " DO NOT DRIVE CAR TO LOW" THE CAR STARTED DROPPING TO THE ROAD RUBBING TIRES. I IMMEDIATELY HAD TO CUT TRAFFIC AND PULL TO THE RIGHT TO GET OUT THE WAY OF MOVING VEHICLES. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY SCARY TRAGIC AND HAZARD! I AM IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING IT TO THE SHOP NOW TO SEE EXACTLY THE PROBLEM. BEWARE

NHTSA ID

10794537

Incident

Nov 10, 2015

Mileage

88 mi

Complaint Washer fluid system leaks Cause Various possible causes: 1. Washer fluid reservoir itself. 2. Seal on washer fluid pump/washer fluid reservoir. 3. Washer fluid pump. 3.1. Distributor housing leaks. 3.2. Pump fitting leaks. 3.3. Washer fluid hose cannot be snapped into place on pump fitting. 3.4. Washer fluid hose will not stay on pump fitting, although connector OK. 4. Washer fluid line. 4.1 Connector will not stay on pump fitting because it is broken. 4.2 Sealing ring in connector missing. 4.3 Sealing ring in connector fitted, but deformed and therefore leaks. 4.4 Damage to washer line by animal. 5. Seal on heating washer fluid reservoir/washer fluid reservoir. Remedy Replace defective component parts only. Do not replace any adjacent component parts that are intact. Note: Repair kits for washer line hoses do exist to allow patches for line damage.

Complaint During a phone call, the called party has difficulty understanding/cannot understand the driver, or interference/background noises are audible to the called party during a call. It becomes increasingly difficult to understand as the speed rises. Cause A. Seating of the microphones in the headliner. Side edges are covered by the textile cover (see picture "1") B. Assembly of microphones (B25/20 or B25/21) in the headliner. C. Dirt inside the microphone housing Remedy 1. Press finger on rear of microphone (on adhesive tape) 2. Remove microphone cap from the front 3. Eliminate protruding material residues of the microphone cutout at the headliner, e.g. with a soldering iron. The microphone must be seated in the headliner as shown in picture "2". 4. Push microphone from behind until it is firmly pressed into the headliner 5. Maintain pressure and press/clip cap into microphone from the front. Note: The cover cap must be clearly heard and felt to engage. 6. This procedure must be carried out on both microphones (B25/20 and B25/21) Note: • It is recommended to replace the cover caps. • The non-woven cloth in the cover cap protects the microphone from soiling and must not be removed. NOTE: The information contained in this document is intended for use by trained, professional technicians with the knowledge to properly and safely perform diagnosis and repairs on Mercedes-Benz vehicles, using Mercedes-Benz approved tools and equipment. It informs service technicians about conditions that could occur in certain vehicles and provides information that could assist in proper vehicle diagnosis, service, or repair. It does not indicate that a defect is present in any vehicle referenced in this document nor does it imply warranty coverage. DO NOT assume that a symptom or condition, or a described cause of a symptom or condition, affects any particular vehicle or groups of vehicles, or that a described repair applies to any particular vehicle or groups of vehicles. There can be multiple causes resulting in the same or similar symptoms or conditions described in this document, and trained professional service technicians must use their diagnostic skills to make evaluations on a case-by-case basis. The information contained in this document does not guarantee warranty coverage nor does it extend the vehicle’s warranty in any way.

Complaint Headlamps leaking or fogged Cause The fogging of the headlamp is a natural phenomenon which can occur under certain climatic conditions. In contrast to a leaky headlamp, physical fogging does not result in a technical impairment of the headlamp. A leak test must be performed to determine if physical fogging exists or if the headlamp is leaky. Remedy In advance, observe LI82.10-P-078301 "Headlamps or Front Fog Lamps Leaking or Fogged". 1. Prepare headlamp/check for external damage: For headlamps with a closed system 1. Check the headlamps for any external damage and check also for correct seating of the Gore-diaphragm/correct latching of the cover caps. 2. If the headlamp exhibits any external damage, replace the headlamp. For headlamps with an open system 1. Check the headlamps for any external damage and seal off the vent then make sure the cover caps are latched correctly into place. 2. If the headlamp exhibits any external damage, replace the headlamp. Note: A headlamp with external damage is not a warranty or goodwill case. 2. Leak test of headlamp with overpressure: • Connect test adapter to pressure tester. (Figure 1) • Check test adapter for leak tightness. To do so, connect plug and coupling (picture 2) and apply a maximum overpressure of 30 mbar. The pressure must remain constant. If the pressure does not remain constant, use a new adapter. • Seal all the outlet openings using sealing compound and the given diaphragm with the plunger (picture 3). (Picture 4) Make allowance for the different headlamp variants here (there are different outlet openings). • Check if the headlamp needs to be removed to gain access to the diagnostic socket on the headlamp housing. • Plug the adapter onto the diagnostic socket on the headlamp housing. (Picture 5). • Apply a maximum of 30 mbar overpressure to the headlamp housing. Note: If the maximum overpressure of 50 mbar is exceeded the headlamp seal will be damaged. • If a pressure drop of less than 10 mbar is measured within 30 seconds, the headlamp is not leaky and the problem is down to natural physical fogging. • If a pressure drop of more than 10 mbar is measured within 30 seconds, the headlamp is leaky. Note: The leaky position can be localized with the aid of soap suds. Replace any leaky headlamps. Note: Desiccant packs can be installed for headlamps that are not leaky. See: • LI82.10-P-064766 Fogged headlamp, desiccant pack installed - open ventilation system • LI82.10-P-078304 Fogged headlamp, desiccant pack installed - closed ventilation system

Complaint Headlamp or front fog lamp leaky or fogged Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the headlamp. Headlamps comply with all applicable standards. If a pressure compensation diaphragm is fitted in the housing cover, then the lamp unit is a "closed system". Remedy Headlamp: Remedy 1 Clearing fogged/condensed LED headlamps and LED rear lamps: 1. Drive vehicle into workshop (temperature higher than +18 °C/+64.4 °F) and connect the exhaust extraction. Note: Do not perform an engine wash before the defogging test. 2. Switch off the engine and connect battery support via a charger. 3. Open the hood or trunk. 4. Switch on the lights. 5. Leave the vehicle in this state for 60 minutes. 6. Check for formation of condensation, a significant reduction in the formation of condensation must be clearly recognizable (thawing progress). Clearing fogged/condensed halogen/xenon headlamps: 1. Drive the vehicle into the workshop (temperature higher than +18 °C/+64.4°F). Note: Do not perform an engine wash before the defogging test. 2. Switch off the engine. 3. Open the hood. 4. Switch off the lights. 5. Leave the vehicle in this state for 60 minutes. 6. Check for formation of condensation, a significant reduction in the formation of condensation must be clearly recognizable (thawing progress). Note: If there is no visible reduction in the formation of condensation, check the headlamp for a defect. (See Remedy 2) It is not physically possible to defog the headlamps completely. Fogging does not impair the operation or the service life of the headlamp. Remedy 2 A Damaged headlamp can be identified as follows: 1. Check the headlamp for external damage and that the cover caps and the diaphragm are correctly seated. 2. Check the electrical connectors of the plugs and pins. 3. Check for leak tightness in accordance with LI82.10-P-078307. The test can only be conducted on headlamps. 4. If the headlamp or the rear lamp has any external damage, replace the component part in accordance with the WIS instructions. Note: External damage to the headlamp/rear lamp or faulty seating of the cover caps does not present a warranty or goodwill case. With headlamps, it is possible to install desiccant packs if the problem occurs repeatedly. Open ventilation system: LI82.10-P-064766. Closed ventilation system LI82.10-P-078304

Complaint Rear lamps fogged up/not leaktight. Cause Fogging of the rear lamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. This does not lead to any technical impairment of the rear lamps. Remedy Rear lamp: Remedy 1: Clearing fogged/condensed rear lamps: 1. Drive the vehicle into the workshop (temperature higher than +18 °C/+64.4 °F) Note: Do not wash the vehicle or subject it to high-pressure cleaning before the defogging test. 2. Switch off the engine and connect battery support via a charger. 3. Open the trunk. 4. Switch on the exterior lighting. 5. Leave the vehicle in this state for 60 minutes. 6. Check for formation of condensation -> a significant reduction in the formation of condensation must be clearly recognizable (defogging progress).

Crease formation on genuine leather seat covers in vehicles with low mileage • Objects left on the seats for extended periods of time (pressure marks). • Objects wedged between the seat backrest and seat cushion (e.g. seat belt buckle). • Light initial creases due to vehicle handling. • Light creases in the outer covers originating from the production process (missing finish). Heat treatment of the seat covers using heat gun and plastic wedge. Be very careful to not overheat the seat material!