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OWNER JC220
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Re: New E500 Owner- HELP! Battery drain problems
There are 2 MB main agents here in Northern Ireland- all items at top list price. It makes buying parts very expensive but most of the time I just take it in the chin for the convenience.
The parts prices in the USA are about half of what we pay here- no kidding. I have found a company (Genuine Autoparts) who ship here from Germany and the prices are about 30% less than my main dealer here. It just takes a little longer to get here but it is genuine MB parts the same as my dealer.
For example that lower harness- my local dealer with discount was £229! Genuine Autoparts price is £168 for the same item. I'm not sure what you guys get it for in the US but I'm sure it lets than both of those prices
There are 2 MB main agents here in Northern Ireland- all items at top list price. It makes buying parts very expensive but most of the time I just take it in the chin for the convenience.
The parts prices in the USA are about half of what we pay here- no kidding. I have found a company (Genuine Autoparts) who ship here from Germany and the prices are about 30% less than my main dealer here. It just takes a little longer to get here but it is genuine MB parts the same as my dealer.
For example that lower harness- my local dealer with discount was £229! Genuine Autoparts price is £168 for the same item. I'm not sure what you guys get it for in the US but I'm sure it lets than both of those prices
Re: New E500 Owner- HELP! Battery drain problems
Since you guys are helping me find the history of the car I will give a quick update on the current condition of this car as it stands today for your records;
The rust to the passenger door is not evident- this must have been repaired.
The entire car has been re-sprayed. This evening I am leaving the car with a professional bodyshop who will wet flat & buff the car to perfect the paint finish (inc door jambs etc) in the coming days.
The driver’s headrest is still not operational. The motor buzzes on both direction of the switch. I will repair the mech soon as per the DIY on here. The Headrest switch button was still missing but I have replaced it with a new MB button already.
Air Con does not blow ice cold. However I will be having the Air Con system evacuated, vacuum tested for leaks, Oiled & re-gassed shortly. Hopefully it will function after that.
The Passenger seat did not light both red lights. However some regular use of the car since I bought it just over a week ago has this functioning again.
The car still has the 18 BBS Wheels- which are fitted with 4x new Y Rated Tyres all around. I may replace the wheels shortly with new.
The Stereo install was missing. I have fitted a USB Sony unit (Not to flashy looking) as I am not interested in ICE really. The car had the 2 large rear speakers- which has cut through the parcel deck. I removed them last night- I will bond in some metal over the cut out & replace the rear parcel shelf trim too. I have already pulled all the huge silly speaker cables out from under the mats.
I had the car on a 2 post lift- no fluid leaks anywhere at all. The underbody Waxoyl mentioned in the add as done by pro’s does indeed look very good & fresh. However I see the driver’s side rear arch has some rust forming- I will repair this very soon.
The E60 suspension appears factory or at least genuine parts. All in great condition we went through the car thoroughly. The only thing I noted was the shifter linkage bushing on the gear selector is totally MIA (New one on order) and the Exhaust heat shield is breaking loose.
Looking the pics on that old Ebay add & the details- it appears the car had a performance exhaust at that time. This has been replaced with a new MB exhaust some years ago. I do intend to have a custom stainless exhaust system made for the car within the next year or two.
The antenna is still stuck out- non functioning. I have a new Hirchmann unit ready to fit.
Since you guys are helping me find the history of the car I will give a quick update on the current condition of this car as it stands today for your records;
The rust to the passenger door is not evident- this must have been repaired.
The entire car has been re-sprayed. This evening I am leaving the car with a professional bodyshop who will wet flat & buff the car to perfect the paint finish (inc door jambs etc) in the coming days.
The driver’s headrest is still not operational. The motor buzzes on both direction of the switch. I will repair the mech soon as per the DIY on here. The Headrest switch button was still missing but I have replaced it with a new MB button already.
Air Con does not blow ice cold. However I will be having the Air Con system evacuated, vacuum tested for leaks, Oiled & re-gassed shortly. Hopefully it will function after that.
The Passenger seat did not light both red lights. However some regular use of the car since I bought it just over a week ago has this functioning again.
The car still has the 18 BBS Wheels- which are fitted with 4x new Y Rated Tyres all around. I may replace the wheels shortly with new.
The Stereo install was missing. I have fitted a USB Sony unit (Not to flashy looking) as I am not interested in ICE really. The car had the 2 large rear speakers- which has cut through the parcel deck. I removed them last night- I will bond in some metal over the cut out & replace the rear parcel shelf trim too. I have already pulled all the huge silly speaker cables out from under the mats.
I had the car on a 2 post lift- no fluid leaks anywhere at all. The underbody Waxoyl mentioned in the add as done by pro’s does indeed look very good & fresh. However I see the driver’s side rear arch has some rust forming- I will repair this very soon.
The E60 suspension appears factory or at least genuine parts. All in great condition we went through the car thoroughly. The only thing I noted was the shifter linkage bushing on the gear selector is totally MIA (New one on order) and the Exhaust heat shield is breaking loose.
Looking the pics on that old Ebay add & the details- it appears the car had a performance exhaust at that time. This has been replaced with a new MB exhaust some years ago. I do intend to have a custom stainless exhaust system made for the car within the next year or two.
The antenna is still stuck out- non functioning. I have a new Hirchmann unit ready to fit.
Re: New E500 Owner- HELP! Battery drain problems
This is our old car and it sold for a song at below £6k back in 2005. To be honest these cars had zero demand at the time and Joe was the only person who came to view it. He subsequently passed away and since his passing the car has been sitting around with his cousin.
I will respond in more detail tonight however my uncle did the underbody sealing and the hand built exhaust - he is a mechanic.
I actually bought the exhaust back and it now sits on my 1992 500E. It sounds mean! We can talk about how you can make another one. The original exhaust box went back on and it was in very good condition at the time.
E60 AMG suspension was there when we bought the car. Could have been added after (i.e. not factory) but it is very rare. NLA now.
The parcel shelf was cut out when we bought the car so we fit two speakers in the rear deck and wired it through the car.
Will revert tonight in full
This is our old car and it sold for a song at below £6k back in 2005. To be honest these cars had zero demand at the time and Joe was the only person who came to view it. He subsequently passed away and since his passing the car has been sitting around with his cousin.
I will respond in more detail tonight however my uncle did the underbody sealing and the hand built exhaust - he is a mechanic.
I actually bought the exhaust back and it now sits on my 1992 500E. It sounds mean! We can talk about how you can make another one. The original exhaust box went back on and it was in very good condition at the time.
E60 AMG suspension was there when we bought the car. Could have been added after (i.e. not factory) but it is very rare. NLA now.
The parcel shelf was cut out when we bought the car so we fit two speakers in the rear deck and wired it through the car.
Will revert tonight in full
Re: New E500 Owner- HELP! Battery drain problems
Thanks for the fantastic info! Sorry to hear about the previous owner's passing. I'm looking forward to the update later- thanks so much
It's great to learn more about the car I will endeavour to keep you guys updated with it also as I restore / enjoy it.
It's great that it still sports the E60 Suspension- I will leave that in the car for sure. Who knows what that cost to convert on the car....... alot!
I seen a Magnaflow 500E before- 2phast I think...... It looked & sounded fantastic. I have a 3 inch magnaflow middle silencer & backbox I will create a system with for my E36 build which I was going to mirror from 2phast's design.
For the E500 I would maybe go the Magnaflow route too. My brother has colleagues who are professional Tig welders they would be able to weld the pipes for me. I would also remove those loose heat shields from the downpipes and wrap the pipes in exhaust heat wrap to protect the underbody from heat. When the time comes for that I will be sure to ask you guys for your system recommendations.
Also, on looking through the great DIY info on here I have seen the common failure point of the lower harness- like the pic attached. I'll find out this weekend all being well what condition mine is in - fingers crossed that's where the car's battery problem lies
This is our old car and it sold for a song at below £6k back in 2005. To be honest these cars had zero demand at the time and Joe was the only person who came to view it. He subsequently passed away and since his passing the car has been sitting around with his cousin.
I will respond in more detail tonight however my uncle did the underbody sealing and the hand built exhaust - he is a mechanic.
I actually bought the exhaust back and it now sits on my 1992 500E. It sounds mean! We can talk about how you can make another one. The original exhaust box went back on and it was in very good condition at the time.
E60 AMG suspension was there when we bought the car. Could have been added after (i.e. not factory) but it is very rare. NLA now.
The parcel shelf was cut out when we bought the car so we fit two speakers in the rear deck and wired it through the car.
Will revert tonight in full
Thanks for the fantastic info! Sorry to hear about the previous owner's passing. I'm looking forward to the update later- thanks so much
It's great to learn more about the car I will endeavour to keep you guys updated with it also as I restore / enjoy it.
It's great that it still sports the E60 Suspension- I will leave that in the car for sure. Who knows what that cost to convert on the car....... alot!
I seen a Magnaflow 500E before- 2phast I think...... It looked & sounded fantastic. I have a 3 inch magnaflow middle silencer & backbox I will create a system with for my E36 build which I was going to mirror from 2phast's design.
For the E500 I would maybe go the Magnaflow route too. My brother has colleagues who are professional Tig welders they would be able to weld the pipes for me. I would also remove those loose heat shields from the downpipes and wrap the pipes in exhaust heat wrap to protect the underbody from heat. When the time comes for that I will be sure to ask you guys for your system recommendations.
Also, on looking through the great DIY info on here I have seen the common failure point of the lower harness- like the pic attached. I'll find out this weekend all being well what condition mine is in - fingers crossed that's where the car's battery problem lies
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Well I got the car back from the Bodyshop after the wet sand & machine polish- the difference in the car is amazing! When I got it home I used a Meguire’s swirl remover, Ultimate Polish & Gold class wax- the car gleams all over, the paint is like glass. The appearance of the 500E went from the ‘presentable’ category to pristine. See the Pic- it’s hard to get how good the paint looks on camera really!
I haven’t got the car up on stand yet for the lower harness removal. The order for the parts was placed about 11 days ago & it still hasn’t been dispatched from Germany by Genuine Autoparts. They have all in except for the upper harness (Lower harness is on a later separate order). I will wait until I know they have received the upper harness & dispatched it to me before I start removing stuff from the car.
I got on with replacing the passenger door lock mech which finally has the central locking 100% function as it should. When I bought the car not a single door would lock on unlock with the key. Now all 3 key slots have been oiled & released and the faulty jamming mech replaced. I also added a Category 1 Alarm / immobiliser which means the central locking now also functions with a key fob too. And the passenger door power mirror switch was also broken which meant adjusting the mirror was a faf of rolling the window down & leaning over to manually move it around. That switch was replaced today also.
I also took a look under the oil cap to see if the oil tubes have been updated yet- happily they have! Metal tubes in there already.
The rear callipers were painted red but the fronts were the usual silver cast. Looking closer at the fronts they are very big brakes- I suspect these have been upgraded also- see the pics. Are these stock for a 500E or are they from an E500? (I’ll get better pics soon as I have matt aluminium colour calliper paint ordered for all 4 calipers)
I realise that the headlamps are obviously not 500E items. I still need to decide if I am to leave the car in E500 guise or return to original 500E trim. (Bonnet & boot) Regarding the headlamps are there proper 500E headlamps available new from Hella or MB which have the beam pattern correct for a RHD country? I guess in the facelift format for right now. If anyone knows the part numbers I would really appreciate your help in finding the correct lamps for the car that will work here in Ireland's roads.
I haven’t got the car up on stand yet for the lower harness removal. The order for the parts was placed about 11 days ago & it still hasn’t been dispatched from Germany by Genuine Autoparts. They have all in except for the upper harness (Lower harness is on a later separate order). I will wait until I know they have received the upper harness & dispatched it to me before I start removing stuff from the car.
I got on with replacing the passenger door lock mech which finally has the central locking 100% function as it should. When I bought the car not a single door would lock on unlock with the key. Now all 3 key slots have been oiled & released and the faulty jamming mech replaced. I also added a Category 1 Alarm / immobiliser which means the central locking now also functions with a key fob too. And the passenger door power mirror switch was also broken which meant adjusting the mirror was a faf of rolling the window down & leaning over to manually move it around. That switch was replaced today also.
I also took a look under the oil cap to see if the oil tubes have been updated yet- happily they have! Metal tubes in there already.
The rear callipers were painted red but the fronts were the usual silver cast. Looking closer at the fronts they are very big brakes- I suspect these have been upgraded also- see the pics. Are these stock for a 500E or are they from an E500? (I’ll get better pics soon as I have matt aluminium colour calliper paint ordered for all 4 calipers)
I realise that the headlamps are obviously not 500E items. I still need to decide if I am to leave the car in E500 guise or return to original 500E trim. (Bonnet & boot) Regarding the headlamps are there proper 500E headlamps available new from Hella or MB which have the beam pattern correct for a RHD country? I guess in the facelift format for right now. If anyone knows the part numbers I would really appreciate your help in finding the correct lamps for the car that will work here in Ireland's roads.
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As far as I know, the right-side traffic country (UK+Japan+ANZ+Hong Kong etc.) 500E lights are no longer available from MB.
I believe that GSXR may have references for the RHD headlight part numbers. I know there is some information posted to the forum about it.
Bing may also be a good reference for this.
Cheers,
Gerry
I believe that GSXR may have references for the RHD headlight part numbers. I know there is some information posted to the forum about it.
Bing may also be a good reference for this.
Cheers,
Gerry
I think facelift lens' are NLA for left hand traffic such as UK and Ireland.
You could check part number:
A124 820 60 66
A124 820 59 66
However, complete headlamps are still available as of 2weeks ago for £246+vat.each. In any case if you want do it properly, with correct aim, you need the complete lamps as the reflectors are LH traffic specific as well. Changing the lens alone won't really cut it..BTDT.
Can't find bloody part numbers at the moment but will revert. Unless GSXR has in his files?
You could check part number:
A124 820 60 66
A124 820 59 66
However, complete headlamps are still available as of 2weeks ago for £246+vat.each. In any case if you want do it properly, with correct aim, you need the complete lamps as the reflectors are LH traffic specific as well. Changing the lens alone won't really cut it..BTDT.
Can't find bloody part numbers at the moment but will revert. Unless GSXR has in his files?
Cool, thanks for confirming thatFront brakes appear to be the late 036 brakes, 320x30mm, which are a very nice upgrade from the early/smaller 300x28.
Tonight I had had some spare time so went out to do a few more checks on the power drain. I know it’s futile until the new wiring looms get here but it’s bugging me obviously! I want to get to the bottom of it as soon as I can.
I pulled all the relays & fuses out of the Fuse box at once- the current draw of 1.5 remains. (The other .03 is normal as my 300E-24 confirmed- clock etc. So where the error lies is 1.5 constant. Since it was the only item readily assessable to disconnect- I also unhooked the multiplug from the ABS Pump- no difference. (In the event a can error could have let it stay on)
So I guess the lower harness or a bad diode in the alternator are the primary suspects since most everything else should have been powered down with all the fuses / relays pulled. The car charges quite high at about 14.7 volts also- I’ll get the alt. pulled tomorrow night and in for testing / rebuilding this week. If I unhook the alternator main cable and connect the multimeter between the cable & alternator it should tell me if the alternator is draining amps before I even remove it from the car.
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yes...disconnect the main power down to the alternator before you do anything else..i cant understand why you havent done this before..
so..try it out before you take it out
No not yet but I now strongly suspect the alternator from reading up about diode faults. The current draw of 1.5amps is right about where a faulty alternator can cause.
The alternator is so low down and inaccessible I will jack the car up on 4 jack stands tomorrow night so I can get proper access to it so I can unhook the cables & test at the battery again. I didnt unhook it before because I can't even see the cables let alone unhook them from above.
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That really does look like glass - awesome. Now I need to do mine - anymore photos of the entire car?! I bet it looks awesome.
Be careful with the brakes - IIRC both the front brake calipers are different when we had it - not sure if they've been sorted yet? I painted all the brake calipers red, looks like the fronts got ground back to be repainted again but that obviously never happened.
Oil tubes on the pre-facelift are metal from factory - the facelift E500 came with the plastic units.
Would be nice to have the correct Hella headlights on it. I think keep it facelift and fit the E500 Hella's - facelift suits this car somehow probably because of the BBS alloys etc, even though its not much work to revert it back to a 500E if you can get decent rust free panels. I personally prefer the prefacelift look - more aggressive IMO.
Are you going to retain the BBS alloys?
Be careful with the brakes - IIRC both the front brake calipers are different when we had it - not sure if they've been sorted yet? I painted all the brake calipers red, looks like the fronts got ground back to be repainted again but that obviously never happened.
Oil tubes on the pre-facelift are metal from factory - the facelift E500 came with the plastic units.
Would be nice to have the correct Hella headlights on it. I think keep it facelift and fit the E500 Hella's - facelift suits this car somehow probably because of the BBS alloys etc, even though its not much work to revert it back to a 500E if you can get decent rust free panels. I personally prefer the prefacelift look - more aggressive IMO.
Are you going to retain the BBS alloys?
Actually, quite a fair number if not MOST 1993 models (pre-facelift) also came with the plastic tubes. It was a changeover that was phased in during that model year. It's safe to say that all 1991 and 1992 cars would have the metal cam oiler tubes, however.
The primary E500E boffins around here, GSXR and Klink, likely know the exact chassis number where the changeover was made.
The primary E500E boffins around here, GSXR and Klink, likely know the exact chassis number where the changeover was made.
Re: New E500 Owner- HELP! Battery drain problems
What date did the ETA wiring change? The one on my 500E is dated 1997.
Wow, I see the BW thread was closed after some fisticuffs. The whole "eco junk" thing is drastically overblown. Replace the upper & lower engine harness and ETA, and you're done. The rest of the harnesses on the car see very little if any degradation of the insulation. And, the new harnesses have good insulation and will not fail like the originals. ~$600 in new harnesses plus a good used late-datecode ETA and it's all a non-issue. Those guys were ready to send every late W124 to the crusher over that? Puh-leeze.
What date did the ETA wiring change? The one on my 500E is dated 1997.
I want those wheels sooooo bad!
Re: New E500 Owner- HELP! Battery drain problems
I have always said that people should buy ETAs and harnesses made in 1999 or later to be sure that they are out of the danger zone with the bad wiring.
In your case, Ken, I wouldn't sweat it unless you start having problems that are ETA-related. More and more of them (even post 1998) are starting to wear out mechanically from age and use, in addition to the wiring inside from the pre-1997/8 ones.
My two cents
Cheers,
Gerry
1997 could still be in the danger zone. I think 1998 and later is OK, but "for sure" anything from the late 1991-1995 time frame is going to be bad juju on the E500E. I think this extended into 1996 for some non-.036 models.
I have always said that people should buy ETAs and harnesses made in 1999 or later to be sure that they are out of the danger zone with the bad wiring.
In your case, Ken, I wouldn't sweat it unless you start having problems that are ETA-related. More and more of them (even post 1998) are starting to wear out mechanically from age and use, in addition to the wiring inside from the pre-1997/8 ones.
My two cents
Cheers,
Gerry
Sure here’s a couple more pics taken just now. It really looks great out in the light but it’s raining quite a bit lately so it’s almost impossible to get half decent pics of it! I have a new antenna to fit that’s why it’ taped up- the bodyshop wanted to wet flat in under the seal. I’ll get better photos once it’s out of the garage again.
I double checked both front brake callipers someone has already taken care of that mismatching set you mentioned. There is no red paint on them at all & the discs look much fresher at the front. Plus the pads & wear sensors are pretty much new so I think the front callipers have been changed only about 3k miles ago.
I didn’t know the early ones had the metal oil tubes already- I guess they are original to the car then no bad thing. Yes the E500 look is growing on me too the car does look great. The BBS wheels look quite tired now especially since the paintwork looks so good now. The car is fitted with 4x brand new quality 300km/hr tyres so I may re-spray the wheels to make use of the new tyres.
But I am also checking with my supplier if they can get me a new set of 18 split rim BBS wheels with staggered rear tyres. At the moment the tyres front & rear are 245 wide. However at the back of the car the inner fender can take around another 1.5 to 2 inches of tyre. Front & rear rims are 8.5 wide currently. If I buy new split rims I want like 10 inch rims at the rear!
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I got the alternator unhooked- but it made no difference 
However, I did get a little further- I took another look at the battery connections themselves- there was the big main cable and a smaller one bolted onto the side of the battery terminal.
When I unhook the smaller cable & re-test the car it comes up totally fine- no draw. (Just 0.03 Amp as per my 300E-24) All of the 1.5Amp drain only occurs as soon as I hook the smaller cable up again.
All of the interior lights / alarm etc still works fine with the smaller cable unhooked. I didn’t want to try starting the car or anything but it seems like the second cable doesn’t affect it.....
The million dollar question- what would that smaller cable feed? If someone might know or have access to diagrams it might save me pulling the car apart to trace it
I do hope it’s going to an amp or something!!
However, I did get a little further- I took another look at the battery connections themselves- there was the big main cable and a smaller one bolted onto the side of the battery terminal.
When I unhook the smaller cable & re-test the car it comes up totally fine- no draw. (Just 0.03 Amp as per my 300E-24) All of the 1.5Amp drain only occurs as soon as I hook the smaller cable up again.
All of the interior lights / alarm etc still works fine with the smaller cable unhooked. I didn’t want to try starting the car or anything but it seems like the second cable doesn’t affect it.....
The million dollar question- what would that smaller cable feed? If someone might know or have access to diagrams it might save me pulling the car apart to trace it
I do hope it’s going to an amp or something!!
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I believe the smaller cable is a direct feed to the CAN modules. Try removing one module at a time and see if the drain goes away...?
Ok that's the 4 modules under the black cover- how do they come out?
I tried to pull them before but couldnt figure out how they were supposed to come out. The cable connections are underneath I wasnt sure if they just pull stright up & out..... I have tried googling it but nothing comes up
They pull straight up and out. You can use a flat-blade screwdriver to go back & forth to wedge each end's tab upward.
Be careful and don't force anything, but you will see them begin to wedge upward at each end and eventually it will loosen so you can pull the module out with your hand.
Indeed, that small cable to the battery is a direct power feed to the CAN (computer) box underhood. That's all it powers, and it's "live" all the time, not key-switched power.
Strange that something in the CAN box would be drawing power, but you gotta follow where things take you.....
Be careful and don't force anything, but you will see them begin to wedge upward at each end and eventually it will loosen so you can pull the module out with your hand.
Indeed, that small cable to the battery is a direct power feed to the CAN (computer) box underhood. That's all it powers, and it's "live" all the time, not key-switched power.
Strange that something in the CAN box would be drawing power, but you gotta follow where things take you.....
Thanks guys- I did what you said & removed all 4 Can modules..... something strange happened
I tested the battery again before I started- right at 1.58 as per usual. (1.5Amp draw present + normal 0.03 Amp that is the alarm / clock)
When I tested with all 4 modules removed- bingo trouble 1.5amp power drain gone. I tried putting one module at a time back in starting at the one nearest the centre of the car & testing again each time.
No change until the last module- 011 545 97 32. On the first test for a few seconds it hung at 1.58 then fell back to 0.03. Ever since I have tried removing it / disconnecting the battery several times and the car sits at 0.03 Amps!
On very close inspection about 12 of the little pins under that last module has miniscule traces of rust. (From the casing pins I think)
Could it be that removing & re-inserting them has restored 100% connectivity again & resolved a CAN Issue?
It’s great the battery drain is seemingly gone but it seems to good to be true...... I have the car still on the meter for a long term test. I will check it again in a couple of hours and then again tomorrow morning before I go to work with the battery still hooked up.
If it stays away for good then it must have been micro corrosion on the terminals- how else could it clear up like that?
I tested the battery again before I started- right at 1.58 as per usual. (1.5Amp draw present + normal 0.03 Amp that is the alarm / clock)
When I tested with all 4 modules removed- bingo trouble 1.5amp power drain gone. I tried putting one module at a time back in starting at the one nearest the centre of the car & testing again each time.
No change until the last module- 011 545 97 32. On the first test for a few seconds it hung at 1.58 then fell back to 0.03. Ever since I have tried removing it / disconnecting the battery several times and the car sits at 0.03 Amps!
On very close inspection about 12 of the little pins under that last module has miniscule traces of rust. (From the casing pins I think)
Could it be that removing & re-inserting them has restored 100% connectivity again & resolved a CAN Issue?
It’s great the battery drain is seemingly gone but it seems to good to be true...... I have the car still on the meter for a long term test. I will check it again in a couple of hours and then again tomorrow morning before I go to work with the battery still hooked up.
If it stays away for good then it must have been micro corrosion on the terminals- how else could it clear up like that?
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Well that was short lived- I checked after about 40 minutes & the 1.5amp drain was back. I left the meter hooked up & as soon as I pulled out that last module 011 545 97 32 the drain disappears entirely.
At least I know where the problem lies now...... I will research wiring diagrams and see what exactly that module does / powers.
I got an email today to say the upper harness has been dispatched from Germany- it will be here hopefully Friday or early next week.
Maybe I should hold off until I get that replaced & try again? Or should I look at the module itself since this is the same one that had the blown 10 amp fuse on top. Any modules I see on ebay look a bit ratty- if the engine harness replacement doesn’t solve the problem should I send that module to BBA reman or similar for testing / repair?
All the wiring in the CAN housing and under the fuse box is all perfect- not degrading.
At least I know where the problem lies now...... I will research wiring diagrams and see what exactly that module does / powers.
I got an email today to say the upper harness has been dispatched from Germany- it will be here hopefully Friday or early next week.
Maybe I should hold off until I get that replaced & try again? Or should I look at the module itself since this is the same one that had the blown 10 amp fuse on top. Any modules I see on ebay look a bit ratty- if the engine harness replacement doesn’t solve the problem should I send that module to BBA reman or similar for testing / repair?
All the wiring in the CAN housing and under the fuse box is all perfect- not degrading.
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Yes that's the one- with the fuses on top.
Pulling the 2 centre modules has no difference at all. So it seems the E-Gas and ASR has nothing to do with it at all.
Pulling the one nearest the centre of the car the draw drops to 0.21 Amps. It is the LH module.
I am satisifed I guess that it's not an Antenna or Amp etc that's causing the problem. It is now down to the Basic Module or hopefully the ECO junk upper engine harness causing trouble.
It seems best that I replace that upper harness first and go from there
On reflecting on the testing last night it's clear that the Base Module is sending power to the LH Module.
When all 4 modules are in place a draw of 1.5Amps occurs. If the Base module is pulled the Amp draw zero's out. If only the LH Module is pulled the draw drops to 0.21Amps (With Base module in place)- what the base module is using trying to power up the missing LH Module perhaps. The base module also seems intermittent- at times it's dead-other time's it's consistently active.
There is a strong chance the new wiring harnesses will cure the problems.
But I have also seen threads where the base module can be faulty and cause all sorts of issues with cars- so I also sourced a good used 500E base module from USA. It will be here in around 2 weeks.
If the new harnesses do not cure the power drain then I will swap out the base module. Since it's a very expensive part new I think having a spare Base Module on the shelf for the 500E is a very good idea anyway while they are still readily available used.
The 500's base module also had a blown fuse when I bought the car (ABS / ASR lights on)- the base module might have been damaged by repeated jump starting & who knows what else over the past 10 years whilst the car was laid up.
I will update with pics when I get the old upper harness out to see what state it was in
When all 4 modules are in place a draw of 1.5Amps occurs. If the Base module is pulled the Amp draw zero's out. If only the LH Module is pulled the draw drops to 0.21Amps (With Base module in place)- what the base module is using trying to power up the missing LH Module perhaps. The base module also seems intermittent- at times it's dead-other time's it's consistently active.
There is a strong chance the new wiring harnesses will cure the problems.
But I have also seen threads where the base module can be faulty and cause all sorts of issues with cars- so I also sourced a good used 500E base module from USA. It will be here in around 2 weeks.
If the new harnesses do not cure the power drain then I will swap out the base module. Since it's a very expensive part new I think having a spare Base Module on the shelf for the 500E is a very good idea anyway while they are still readily available used.
The 500's base module also had a blown fuse when I bought the car (ABS / ASR lights on)- the base module might have been damaged by repeated jump starting & who knows what else over the past 10 years whilst the car was laid up.
I will update with pics when I get the old upper harness out to see what state it was in
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FYI: The DM module, located inside the car in the passenger footwell near the alarm modules, is only used on North American models with a Check Engine light. Euro/Japan cars do not have the DM or CEL.
Otherwise, I agree, it's good to have spares for all 4 CAN modules, and TEST YOUR SPARES before storing them. The E-GAS module can be very, very difficult to locate used as it's 036-specific; and region-specific (Euro models have different p/n than USA, etc).
Otherwise, I agree, it's good to have spares for all 4 CAN modules, and TEST YOUR SPARES before storing them. The E-GAS module can be very, very difficult to locate used as it's 036-specific; and region-specific (Euro models have different p/n than USA, etc).
Doh! Yes, I forgot that the small DM module in the car is only for US cars with "CHECK ENGINE" lights, and that you have a non-US car.
Sorry about that. Carry on !
Merc Man, which is outside of Hayle, in Cornwall near the southwestern tip of England, should be able to source you a used E-GAS computer, if you can't find one via eBay or other sources. Chris is the owner there. Telephone: +44 1736 757777 or parts@mercman.net Web site: http://www.mercman.net
Some years ago, I purchased a new (never used) 1992 "Euro" LH module (+~10 HP over 1993-1994 US LH units) from Mercman, when they were located down on the coast in Southampton. They moved out to Cornwall a few years ago.
Sorry about that. Carry on !
Merc Man, which is outside of Hayle, in Cornwall near the southwestern tip of England, should be able to source you a used E-GAS computer, if you can't find one via eBay or other sources. Chris is the owner there. Telephone: +44 1736 757777 or parts@mercman.net Web site: http://www.mercman.net
Some years ago, I purchased a new (never used) 1992 "Euro" LH module (+~10 HP over 1993-1994 US LH units) from Mercman, when they were located down on the coast in Southampton. They moved out to Cornwall a few years ago.
Thanks for the tips & parts contact info- yes I will keep an eye out for the other 3 spare modules also in the coming weeks.
I noticed my car had a large BEHR Oil Cooler at the front- this is fantastic.... except when you want to remove the Alternator! Lines everywhere under there. From reading up I see the Oil Cooler is also Euro specific.
I am pretty sure I will have to remove the ARB to get the alternator out (Or the viscous fan & Radiator) which is OK since it needs the inner & outer bushings replaced ideally. For right now I have plety to do replacing the upper & lower harnesses, get the power drain repaired and continue with the major service as planned. Then with my next parts order in a couple of weeks I'll get genuine MB inner & outer front ARB bushes & pull the alternator at the same time for a rebuild since it's 24 years old
I noticed my car had a large BEHR Oil Cooler at the front- this is fantastic.... except when you want to remove the Alternator! Lines everywhere under there. From reading up I see the Oil Cooler is also Euro specific.
I am pretty sure I will have to remove the ARB to get the alternator out (Or the viscous fan & Radiator) which is OK since it needs the inner & outer bushings replaced ideally. For right now I have plety to do replacing the upper & lower harnesses, get the power drain repaired and continue with the major service as planned. Then with my next parts order in a couple of weeks I'll get genuine MB inner & outer front ARB bushes & pull the alternator at the same time for a rebuild since it's 24 years old
Fantastic- thank you for the part numbers I am checking with my supplier now.
Googling the part numbers shows they are Facelift design which is correct for the car as it stands now
Correct !!
At long last the new upper harness arrived today from MB
I got it fitted in place this evening. New lower Harness still a few days out.
Check out the pics- I don't think my original could have been in any worse condition than this- remember too this car was running 100% AOK!
Lower harness to be here next week- I have also ordered a blink code reader (With 1mm pins) as per the DIY on here so I can check & clear all fault codes. Unfortunately like most parts for this car I had to order this from the USA- so it'll take a couple of weeks to get here.
I see a build date of 1992 on the ETA Harness (Near the big round plug on the firewall) now
So I will be taking it off & re-wiring it soon or trying to find a matching later build replacement. I suspect as soon as I touch the ETA wiring it will crumble inside. Here in the UK the likelihood of finding a later build correct ASR 5.0 ETA is very slim. Besides I have re-wired them before and my ETA is functioning totally fine currently with cruise control etc fully functional.
The biggest challenge will be figuring out how to take apart that big round plug on the firewall for re-wiring- see the pic. Have you guys seen this type of plug re-wired before?
[FONT="]That part number visible on the back plug comes up as PLUG SOCKET - Mercedes-Benz (140-540-15-81). If I order this I wonder will I just get the cap off it or the complete plug which can be assembled over the pins again- suitable for rewiring?
[/FONT]
Any M119 ETA Rewire threads I have seen have the small round plug like M104 ETA’s
I got it fitted in place this evening. New lower Harness still a few days out.Check out the pics- I don't think my original could have been in any worse condition than this- remember too this car was running 100% AOK!
Lower harness to be here next week- I have also ordered a blink code reader (With 1mm pins) as per the DIY on here so I can check & clear all fault codes. Unfortunately like most parts for this car I had to order this from the USA- so it'll take a couple of weeks to get here.
I see a build date of 1992 on the ETA Harness (Near the big round plug on the firewall) now
So I will be taking it off & re-wiring it soon or trying to find a matching later build replacement. I suspect as soon as I touch the ETA wiring it will crumble inside. Here in the UK the likelihood of finding a later build correct ASR 5.0 ETA is very slim. Besides I have re-wired them before and my ETA is functioning totally fine currently with cruise control etc fully functional.
The biggest challenge will be figuring out how to take apart that big round plug on the firewall for re-wiring- see the pic. Have you guys seen this type of plug re-wired before?
[FONT="]That part number visible on the back plug comes up as PLUG SOCKET - Mercedes-Benz (140-540-15-81). If I order this I wonder will I just get the cap off it or the complete plug which can be assembled over the pins again- suitable for rewiring?
[/FONT]
Any M119 ETA Rewire threads I have seen have the small round plug like M104 ETA’s
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Hold up- I googled that plug part no & found this-
Thtottle actuator's connector
That part no 140 540 15 81 comes up at £5ish- could that be correct? I can’t believe I would get a new ETA Loom for that...... would I? Number 140 540 16 81 come up with nothing on Genuine Autoparts webiste- is that a real MB Part number?
Thtottle actuator's connector
That part no 140 540 15 81 comes up at £5ish- could that be correct? I can’t believe I would get a new ETA Loom for that...... would I? Number 140 540 16 81 come up with nothing on Genuine Autoparts webiste- is that a real MB Part number?
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Yep, 140-540-15-81 is a replacement pigtail, if you have mad soldering skillz. Pretty sure it's available? $25 USD list price on this side of the pond. Keep in mind that this may extend the ETA life somewhat but there are still internal components which can fail.
You need to look at the date on the ETA itself to determine the age... the numbers on the connector are NOT a date code.
You need to look at the date on the ETA itself to determine the age... the numbers on the connector are NOT a date code.
Yep, 140-540-15-81 is a replacement pigtail, if you have mad soldering skillz. Pretty sure it's available? $25 USD list price on this side of the pond. Keep in mind that this may extend the ETA life somewhat but there are still internal components which can fail.
You need to look at the date on the ETA itself to determine the age... the numbers on the connector are NOT a date code.
Thanks for confirming that- I will order from MB tomorrow. I have way too much soldering skills from the E36 Project! The HWA upper & lower harnesses had to be remade from scratch and the ETA Re-wired also.
I did look again at the ETA White tag- its totally unreadable. The pig tail loom has a date of 06 month 92 so I would expect the ETA itself will match. It does function 100% fine currently and I know it won’t last forever but if it’s anything like my M104 ETA only the harness to it was degrading so it’s worth a shot for a £10 pigtail loom and a few hours of my time.
I’ll order a new ETA to manifold gasket also. Some other bits turned up today too
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Ah, if the ETA white tag is totally unreadable, that is probably an original. For whatever reason, the later/replacement ETA's used a different printing method. Early ones appear to be dot-matrix and fade pretty bad. Later ones are not dot-matrix and remain legible much longer. Don't forget to order an ETA gasket, and the PCV tubing which connects from the ETA to the passenger side valve cover, if those are original... should be soft rubber, old ones will feel like plastic.
This morning I placed an order for more parts including the PCV Hoses & ETA Gasket, new Intake hoses and the wiring harness / plug for the ETA.
So with all the stuff on order and some parts coming from the states (The Base Module) it will be about another 2 -3 weeks before all the parts get here.
I didn’t intend to take the car off the road like that but it is what it is- when it returns to the road mid May it will be ready to enjoy for the summer with all the ECOJunk gone and the engine bay detailed like it should be
So with all the stuff on order and some parts coming from the states (The Base Module) it will be about another 2 -3 weeks before all the parts get here.
I didn’t intend to take the car off the road like that but it is what it is- when it returns to the road mid May it will be ready to enjoy for the summer with all the ECOJunk gone and the engine bay detailed like it should be
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Since the upper harness has been replaced I have been monitoring the battery drain for over 24 hours with the battery hooked on & off about a dozen times with 10 minute intervals in between
it appears the power drain is gone
The car starts at 5 amp draw and within 5 seconds drops to 0.21 amps. This is interesting- remember I found this was the current draw of the base module without the LH module in place?
But then after another 3 seconds the current draw drops to 0.03 amps and stays there - identical to my 300E-24 with the same alarm fitted.
So it was the Eco Junk all along!
it appears the power drain is gone
The car starts at 5 amp draw and within 5 seconds drops to 0.21 amps. This is interesting- remember I found this was the current draw of the base module without the LH module in place?
But then after another 3 seconds the current draw drops to 0.03 amps and stays there - identical to my 300E-24 with the same alarm fitted.
So it was the Eco Junk all along!
Yes thanks for the advice- the new lower harness is still making it’s way here. I have the old lower harness unhooked currently which was to rule it out also. That is the main problem with the car resolved (Hopefully for good) and I am steadily bringing it back to top condition.
The trans fluid is already draining but notice I need to remove an exhaust pipe to get proper access to the Torque Converter Plug which I will do tomorrow evening. The old fluid was still Red and didn’t smell burned or anything which is good. Fuchs Titan ATF 4000 going in- I have great results with Fuchs products in all my MB's
The mega Service continuous
The trans fluid is already draining but notice I need to remove an exhaust pipe to get proper access to the Torque Converter Plug which I will do tomorrow evening. The old fluid was still Red and didn’t smell burned or anything which is good. Fuchs Titan ATF 4000 going in- I have great results with Fuchs products in all my MB's
The mega Service continuous
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