hello.
i am new to this forum, but have read threads before when searching for answers on repairs...

about 10 months ago, i had my first break down which i needed roadside assistance. the battery was draining, although the MB dealership said the battery did not need to be replaced, it was all of the other parts (sorry, i am female and do not know what is connected...) connecting up to the battery which had to be completely rebuilt.
the day i picked up my 1999 ML320 from the dealership, i noticed that the radio did not turn off when the key was out of the ignition, and door was opened. i thought this would drain the battery overnight. i immediately called my local MB dealership and took this back in. they said it was a burnt out fuse, replaced it at no charge. however, it happened again a few days later, this time with the date display (up by the sunroof controls) not going on when i started the car. i took it back for repairs. i told them i have never had this problem, nor the radio problem, since i have owned the car, and that it is somehow associated with the big $3000 repair they just did. they said it was just a coincidence, comped me labor for the repair, but charged me parts, saying the computer motherboard or chip for the date/trip display was completely fried. they also still say that the date/trip display is a completely seperate issue than the radio staying on.

i have needed to take my ML320 back to the same dealership for the exact same issues (whenever the radio stays on, the date/trip display goes out) FIVE times within the last 10 months thus far. the radio is not blowing a fuse. on the 5th time this happened, they had kept my car for over a week trying to find the problem. when i picked my car up, i spoke with the service manager because when i got in my car, the issue was still happening! he took it back and hooked a laptop up to it, and admitted to me (verbally) that he could not access all of the radio functions so could not entirely fix it, so what he did was to make it shut off automatically when the car was not on (it used to stay on when the key was removed, but no doors were opened after removing the key). this was fine by me. it IS a MB radio, and a 1999 one at that with a tape deck... so it will be replaced with an after market radio anyway some time soon when i pass this car to my son.

however, even after the service manager doing those alterations, in december 2011, it is now happening AGAIN - radio will not turn off when the key is removed and doors are open, and with the date/trip display going off. on monday, i have an appointment for the SIXTH repair to this same issue in 10 months. im not happy.

i do not see why they can not access all of the radio functions from the laptop, seeing it is an original MB radio. and having this happen 6 times with the radio & date/trip display, is now more than a coincidence - i do believe they are somehow connected to one another.

seeing the problem has never been truly repaired, do i have a right to demand my money back being charged for parts & labor for these two issues?? yes, it is still under the year warranty, but SIX TIMES needing to go back to the same dealership for the same repairs in under a year is unacceptable. if i can get a refund for the money wasted on repairs, when they never really repaired anything because it keeps on happening, and the service manager telling me on the 5th repair that they can not access why this keeps happening with their laptop connected, i would then take it to a further MB dealership for repairs on the same issues. it makes me think that my local MB dealership servicers/repair men do not know what they are doing... or should i even bother taking it to a MB dealership at all? perhaps a registered MB repair shop would be better? although, i do like that the loaner car is included from the dealership.

does anyone have any ideas on what is happening to my radio & date/trip display? if its not a fuse, and the motherboard/computer chip for the date/trip was supposedly replaced with a new one, what is happening?

also, will i end up having a fight to get my money spent refunded on parts & labor for repairs that were never truly fixed.

my appointment is on monday, so any of your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

i will be purchasing an aftermarket radio from a store, and have it installed at the store, but if this is something deeper than it being an old radio, especially since the date/trip goes out when the radio wants to stay on, id like to finally have some direction on what repairs are needed.

thank you!!!