I have a 1998 C230 with about 88,000 miles. The car was parked for about 3 months without use. Before that it ran but the battery had to be jumped a few times. When I went to start it this week we found the battery completely dead. We replaced the battery but the engine would not turn over. It would try to start but die after a second or 2. The Mercedes dealer now has it. They first tried to replace a relay (I think they said it provided power to the EIS) but that didn't fix it. They now ordered a new EIS which we are waiting for. I'm starting to feel like they are just changing parts until they get it right. Any suggestions?

 

Mine has had the same problem only it happened over night, god knows how. Theres a fuse in the fuse box under the hood, it was labeled wrong on my car it says front dome light and head restraints and what not. I want to say its #25 or 15 ( on my 1997).It was blown and I replaced it. but go through and check every single one of your fuses. Dad kept telling me to check them and I kept putting it off until I got fustrated 3 hourslater and it was a simple 15A fuse [:@]

 

My opinion would be this: Sitting here, I don't know what is going on with your car. But, if the Mercedes dealership has your car and they are trying to fix it, the first thing they should do it DIAGNOSE the problem and call you with an estimate on what it's going to take to fix your car. They obviously have the equipment to figure this out without a guessing game. That's why you took it back to a dealer, right? Right. Any, repeat, ANY part they take off and replace that does not need to be replaced to fix your car for what you took it in there for is NOT to be paid for by YOU. Period. You need to make this very clear with the service manager right away. You want them to only fix what is broken, not rebuild your entire car, right? Right. Anybody can randomly replace parts, thinking that they know what it is.
If there is a code that is showing on the scanner, and that is usually the first thing they or anybody at any shop would do, then they need to address that. And figure out what's causing the code to be stored. Then fix that. Simple. So, talk to them right away and make sure you have this understanding. Of course, being a dealership, you should not have to have this conversation. But you need to.