<DIV>


My beautiful new car has had theCOMAND system crash on it twice. EVERYTHING went down. Audio, SOS, etc... Screen just flashed Mercedes-Benz and wouldn't turn off or on.After waitingon the phonefor 1 hourfor someone at Mercedes Roadside Assistance to pick up, I finally gave up and called the dealer who sent someone out. The dealer's computer wouldn't connect with the car and the tech finally reached under the hood and pulled out the fuse to reset the system. It works sporadically now andno one knows what's wrong so they can't fix it. The dealer thinks it needs a"software" update. Mercedes doesn't have one. Has anyone else hear of this or had this problem? What do I do for help? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I love this car, but this is NOT what I paid for nor expected from Mercedes! Thanks.<IMG src=smileys/smiley6.gif border="0"></P></DIV>

I would suggest getting the factory rep involved, document everything, and get copies of them saying the cant find anything. Get themto open a work ticket every time, I think it says three unsuccesful attempts to repair, and you can request them to take the car back. I think there is a "lemon law" in most states, dont forget the management at the dealership, and stress the SOS also going out!</P>


A "registered" letter to MB North America at VP level will get you an answer, from some clerk, but it will be noted.</P>

I have a 2004 S600 and have had the same exact problem as you have described. I am getting an software upgrade as we speak from the dealer. I hope that this is the last one of a long list of problems that I have experienced with this car. <img border="0" src=smileys/smiley11.gif border="0">

When you have your software upgraded, would you please let me know how it turns out? Yesterday, I just experienced the telephone not disconnecting and a pop-up on the screen saying "sound not available". And it meant it! I am taking it in tomorrow and leaving it for a week. i'll update after i get it back. </P>


what problems have you been experiencing and what are they offering as solutions. Needless to say, i am pretty PO'd! thanks.</P>

OK, so how long has it been now? 7 months since I have had the car? AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY? I have had the entire comand sys. replaced, had a software update done today and still the same problems and MORE.....NOW, it won't let me lock or unlock the doors w/ keyless go sometimes. I have to use the key. NOT supposed to happen...Telephone still disconnects. Radio displays same station on dashboard while changing music on Comand while scrolling through the stations. WHAT IS UP WITH MERCEDES? THIS SUCKS and I am sick of it. I KNOW I can't be the only one having these problems. What are others doing? Has anyone had to get a new car? When will it end? How do I find out who the merceded factory rep is? We have left a lengthy message with the dealer but no response. This is an $90,000 car for God's sake! I would understand at least if it were a POS, but not an S-Class! This thing should be flawless and if not, don't sell it!!!! Can anyone tell I am still upset? Can anyone offer any other advice? Please....... Thanks!

it's a very challenging problem and i can't wait to encounter one like this.

due to the sensitivity of the issue, i cannot tell you the real problem now. your's is a rare case.

I don't understand your response. The "sensitivity of the issue"? What? If you know something, why don't you help me?? No one knows who you are, but it would really be kind of you to share for those of us who are seemingly helpless and frustrated right now! I would think that you would owe it to people to help them if you can. It is the decent thing to do. Thanks!

OK, update. It's now been 9 months of hell. After my last post, Mercedes recognized after sending people to my house with software updates, that they couldn't repair my car. Even their top repairman was astonished at what I was able to demonstrate for him! The dealer then, giving credit to them and MBUSA, told us that they were going to replace the car. Which is a good thing that we didn't have to hire lawyers, etc... THAT wouldn't have been a good thing for them at all. I promise. The dealership has been great, but I can't believe the quality of Mercedes S-Class. What happpened to them? We ordered the new car with some minor additions. It came in yesterday - WITHOUT the ordered additions that we were going to pay cash for. It was the LAST 2004 S to come out of Germany and nowhere else in the US was there a matching car! Why wasn't someone tracking what was ordered and being shipped to make sure they matched?

SO, back to the drawing board. I still have the POS that the phone works sporadically in, the COMAND works sporadically in, the keyless entry sporadically works, the NAVI doesn't work, and here's the latest problem: "Check tire pressure" comes on every time you start the car, and believe me, it's been checked, and checked.....It's fine, but the car is not. But, hey - it LOOKS good, who cares if it actually runs - right?? DUH! I am a DA!

Next, We are told we have to order the 2005 S class! They are trying to work out (dare I say, will?) the "maintenance" issue. Does anyone think it is going to be any better? I REALLY want to know...... PLEASE, someone give me some positive feedback. Is it even the same body style? Will the kinks be worked out?

P.S. I was so upset yesterday that I drove the new tricked out Lexus 430. WOW! I should have done that. I think the Japanese perfect what the Germans invent. It even had REAL air-conditioned front seats!

Signed,

Hope I am not a DA after this next try

the tire pressure monitor is doing the system check on the first two minutes when you start the car, and also every two minutes after that. so don't worry about it.
there is no such thing as specifiec additional equipments in mercedes-benz, unlike bmw where you can order pink interior and orange paint. all are standard but aftersales can install additional equipments you want.
the software interface was the problem on your previous car. should i have been nearby your place, i could have fixed it long ago. their technical service ability there is not of high standard. (i didn't say that)
the keyless go card sometimes doesn't work on certain location especially if there are interferrence. the signal can easily be check using locator function.
tha navigation, check for satellite signal. in your place there must be at least 4 satellite that it can recognise. bring it back to that dealer and ask for a good technician to do it. it's just a 2 hour job.
your new car got seat ventillation too with 5 fan motors on every front seat. that blue illuminated switch on the door control module shows it.

Thank you for your reply! I don't think the tire pressure monitor should be reading on the dashboard every time to check tires. It only started doing this about 2 months ago. As for the navi: there are satellites, it just doesn't work (I am in a major city). They even replaced it and it STILL doesn't work. The keyless go thing is locking and unlocking doors, even if you hold the key up to it (and yes we changed the battery). No interference. And why would the car not start sometimes. They replaced the shifter and it is working now, but the locking and unlocking still happens. Aftersales, said they can't install what we orderd which was the ABC and Auto trunk closer. I know I have the "ventilated" seats, but it doesn't blow cool air up like the Lexus, it draws air down. (which is dumb) If your are going to have AC seats, make the AC seats, no?

you can't install ABC on this model because of engine design. the ABC pump is tandem with the power steering pump and talking about changing the whole suspension is a terrible thing to do. the engine control unit is getting data from ABC,ESP, ETC, and other control modules to control the whole car and suspension. a big conflict.

the handle on the door has a resistance sensor on which the doors will unlock by inserting your hand even if you don't pull out the handles. could there be anything between it that change the signal?

the power trunk closing can be installed, but it will cost you much.

i thought the seat vent blows air upwards? it was installed on the purpose of ventillation and not to draw air down from somewhere....

have those tire pressure sensor monitor calibrated. if they can't, i'll teach you how to do it. easy.

It is rare that you will be able to get the car you ordered, unless you are willing to "wait". It usually takes a couple of months to see your car in the dealer.
So what the dealer does is they'll try to sell you a car that is "similar", with different options.
(This maybe a vehicle that has been ordered and then cancelled by one of its customers. )
The free maintenence program has been cancelled for 2005 model years, which means owners will have to pay for things like oil change. Things that break down are still covered by the standard 4 year / 50,000 miles warranty.

ABC is only available on S600.

ABC is available on the S430 here in U.S. for $ 3090 extra

thats far too cheap. a good deal.

in here, that is only the price of front and rear valve, pressure valve and 8 liters of pentosin CHF for bleeding. i have done this job several times whenever they found their car down on the ground in the morning.

before we replace it for free, but now we charge $2800. i just can't imagine how much it will be if all 4 hydraulic shock absorbers is included, 4 leveling sensors, 2 yaw rate sensors, 1 ABC control unit, high pressure hoses, instrument cluster, switch, reservoir, and pump is included.

here's a story:
during the 2001 APEC meeting in shanghai, germany provided 86 new S600 for their promotion and by request of the shanghai government. it's an advantage for our dealer because the car came in tax free! we can sell it at the same price of S280. it's almost sold out before the ship arrives. two of those are pullman (the long one) and another two are code7 armor vehicle ehre the windshield alone weighs 350 kilos. two germans came in to train me because it is a very high secured matter. should bin laden have contacted me, i must have done the best job.
i was to do the PDI (pre delivery inspection) on all of them with hardly 2 people to assist me. now the panic, 88 cars and 5 days to go. on the second day, 64 of them got leaky valves and was down flat on the ground and cannot be driven!
the hydraulic oil and valves are all to blame...faulty. i need 1000 liters of un-contaminated pentosin, 120 valves, and 60 pressure valves including the reservoir!!!
lufthansa and other airlines will not fly it in because it needs special permit for being a dangerous goods. Juergen Schrempp's private plane can only go as far as thailand and from there another chartered plane slip inside china with special escorts and permit. 6 best german technicians (trainors) from other parts of the world came in together one by one and we work 24 hours a day on end.

from that moment on, they improve the quaility of ABC and we replaced all that has been sold earlier.

nobody knows this first story of ABC. it's very internal matters.

all i know is that we ordered the car with ABC and it is available here in US. The dealer said they couldn't install trunk closer, that that had to be done in Germany as well. We have waited 2 months for the car and no one monitored to make sure it was what was ordered. SO, now we start over again and wait 2 more months for the '05. Does anyone know if the body style is the same? Do they have the "kink"s out of the Comand system? Does the ABC work?

trunk closing aid is more simple to install compare than ABC.
basically, the Sclass body of the same model year is the same chassis. the only difference is what you got under the hood and few inside. they are all pre-wired for future additional equipments like tele-aid, park distance control, distronic, etc.
i haven't seen the '05 model yet. it will start coming in china this coming october.

http://www.q45.org/comandbsodfinal.jpg

Just to lighten things up. :)

Jesda, it was too small to read.

can you write down what it says?

was it an intermittent or permanent problem now?

your car is under warranty, have you let the dealer check it?

what's the result?

No no, it was just a photoshopped image of a Windows "blue screen of death" in the COMAND display. Just making a silly joke. Sorry.

-Jesda

hahhaha... it really looks to me like a boot up problem in windows. your comand will only have black background and orange font on update mode. i thought you have pressed the two secret buttons while turning on the ignition.

i have seen your site, looks neat. haven't much of those Q45 around, are there?

i have seen the newer models and it's a beauty.

I don't know if this is related but maybe someone could help. I have a 2002 S430 with a message that keeps coming up when I start the car: " Tire Press. Control. Visit workshop". I took it to a small dealer, and they said that the computer that controls the tire pressure sensors needs to be replaced. This is, needless to say, a very expensive proposition. The only alternative at the moment is to press the reset button to clear the message. This is very irritating. Has anyone encountered this before, and if so, how was it fixed?
Any help would be appreciated

thanks