In 2001 my father imported a S320 CDI from Austria.
Afer a year or so, the passenger window started going up and down of it's own accord. He was on holiday at the time, so called in to a nearby Mercedes dealership in Cornwall, who disconnected the relay or something, so that he could continue without the window open! He left it like that for a while, and then decided he should do something about it. So he visited his local Merc specialist (but not a main dealer) who said it was his black box (presumably ECU?) and so a new box was duly installed and hey presto - problem fixed. For a day. He took it back to them, they scratched their heads, and decided to leave it unplugged again.
A few months later, he was over in Austria again, and had become annoyed at having to open the passenger door to pay the tolls rather than open the window, so took it back to the main dealership where he oringinally purchased the car. They looked at it and declared that the 'black box' was faulty... so he had it replaced again. Guess what... as he hit the shores of the UK, the window decided that it would like to let some fresh air in...
Understandably, he's reluctant to spend a third £350 + for a box only for it not to work...
The car also does something else odd. The drivers door will start clicking, as if it's trying to lock the door, and the courtesy lights come on in the door, even though its shut. This is agian, intermittent, and easier to live with than a haunted window.

So.. what I'm looking for is advice. What should he do?

It seems to me that perhaps the black box is the symptop not the cause - ie something else is 'blowing' the box.

So.. does he :
A: Go to the local Merc Dealership (either Rivervale or Greenoaks- I forget which - in Reading)
B: Go to the original dealership in Cornwall who pulled the plug
C: Go to his local Merc 'specialist'
D: Go back to Austria where he bought the car
E: ?????

Here's hoping for a speedy reply!

Many thanks

 

Sounds like a good excuse to me. How does he cross the Channel? On the train?
I am not an expert in electronics, but if several high-tech shops failed with all the equipment they have, how much you expect from the members here, that have never seen the car?
I am not even going into the fact, that this is mostly American forum and models sold in Europe are quite different.
Good luck to your father. I would disconnect the black box and install simple switch.

 

A, B OR C

 

A and B.

i assume that the black box was central gateway? can you tell us the part number?

the problem of the car was that the passenger door control module (the switch group) is recieving a bad CAN signal. the bad CAN signal could be coming from the DCM itself front left or front right or from other sources such as the, EIS on global locking and convenience function or seat control module which may be faulty.

the car needs troubleshooting by a good MB technician... not just a guess which is could it be.

a good way also is replacing the suspected part until the problem is found.

 

No offense sleepwalker, but the guy just spend £700 (what is is today? Over $1000?) on some mechanics doing just that. You don't want him to go that route again?
I am really impress with your other advice. That must be because I have no idea what you are talking about [&:]

 

it is not him who will do the trial and error tests by using a new parts for testing. it is the technician on the workshop. we sometimes do this way to prevent long time consuming of removing parts and checking the signals. much more that you cannot simulate the problem, and it doesn't occur all the time. his problem was intermittent.
another way is to disconnect the suspected CAN and let the customer drive the car, but this too will take days or weeks to settle the problem. it will end up annoying to the end user and troublesome for the workshop.

the diagnostic computer cannot tell you now that the DRIVER'S CONTROL MODULE is faulty because it WAS assuming that the function was normal since the signal to actuate the lock or window is being recieved.

about the £700 that he spent, he must go back to that place return the wrong parts, get the refund, and ask them to check futher if the payment for labor is not returned as well. do i need to elaborate those non technical related things as well? i think it is a common sense. waggers father is a grown up man and he knows how to deal with those.

think about it more.

 

My experience is, that there are at least 2 professions on this World, that no matter of perfect job, or total screw up, get the full payment.
The first one are doctors.
You can guess the second one.

 

lawyers?

 

Weatherman.

 

a perfect answer...

and the clerk, the board of directors, the governing mayor, the traffic warden...

I think, that will do

greetings
Peter