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2003 S500 4Matic

3K views 12 replies 4 participants last post by  louisbr 
#1 ·
Hello All,
I just bought a used Mercedes with 64,000 miles...it runs beautifully, but a few annoying problems.
1. Outside temp reads 140 sometimes, -140 sometimes and no display sometimes. Is it the sensor? Can I change it myself?
2. Trunk lid requires quite a bit of pressure to close. When close, the hydraulic closes it shut, but there is a hydraulic sound for about 20 seconds before the handle goes back in.
3. The middle rear headrest is down, but the other two rear headrests are up and won't go down with the pushing of the button on the dashboard. I hear a sound, but nothing happens.
4. The parking brake handle is unattached from the brake cable. For my car inspection, the station was able to see that the parking brake worked by just pressing enough on the foot pedal, but not up the first click.

Can I repair any of the above items myself? I am not very mechanical.
 
#9 ·
PPI is shorthand for Pre-Purchase Inspection. You should always have a thorough PPI before you buy any used Mercedes, and especially if you buy a used W220. They are extraordinarily complex so you want to make sure you know exactly what needs repair before you buy it.

If you have power door assists, you have a power trunk closer. Is there a red button on the bottom edge of the trunk lid that you see when the trunk is open? If so, you close the trunk by pushing that button--not by forcing the trunk closed manually. That's why it is hard to close; you are pushing against the hydraulic cylinders that open and close it automatically. Never mind that you'll bugger up the system so it really won't work if you keep closing the trunk lid that way.

You have to push the headrest button and hold it for a second or two. Just having a jab at it won't make it put down the headrests. Try that.

Do you mean the parking brake release is not attached to the parking brake pedal? That should be an inexpensive fix at practically any repair shop. Your description is of a parking brake pedal hanging in the air, which certainly would not pass inspection.

The ambient temperature sensor is a $17 part on my R129, and it is a simple replacement. It may well be more expensive and more complicated in the W220, but I wouldn't think it would be much more so.

Your car is a W220 chassis. You should scroll down to the Mercedes Sedan Forums and find the W220 forum. The good folks there own various flavors of the W220 chassis and can help with any questions you may have about your new purchase.

Please take time to fill our your profile information so we'll know where you are from. We may be able to recommend repair shops and the like near you.
Thanks much for your detailed response.
I have power assisted doors and trunk, but no power trunk closer....no red button. Holding the headrest button doesn't help. The parking brake pedal is attached, but the plastic release handle on the dash has been detached from the cable. With the temp sensor, I'm worried it could be some other problem since the display sometimes shows nothing.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Thanks much for your detailed response.
I have power assisted doors and trunk, but no power trunk closer....no red button. Holding the headrest button doesn't help. The parking brake pedal is attached, but the plastic release handle on the dash has been detached from the cable. With the temp sensor, I'm worried it could be some other problem since the display sometimes shows nothing.
The sensor sometimes reading nothing and sometimes reading 140 argues the sensor is bad or there is a short in the wiring. I'll bet on the sensor. It should be a cheap fix. It's almost certainly not the display which would be much more complicated. I could be wrong, but I'd start at the sensor end of the chain.

I'm a little stumped with the trunk problem. You have an automatic trunk release, but it doesn't open the trunk full open and there is no power assist to close the trunk? Maybe it's a model year issue; my '04 has soft-close doors and power trunk opening and closing assist as part of a single option. So the trunk latches okay and unlatches remotely, but it's hard to close by hand? Don't know why it would be difficult to close by hand unless you are pushing against the hydraulics that open and close it.

The headrests are also a mystery. Their release isn't hydraulic, it's an electrical switch, I think. Could be a fuse. Shouldn't be overly complicated to figure out and fix.

The parking brake release may be as simple as reattaching it. It may involve replacing a part or two and one end of the cable or the other, but it should be straightforward. It's a mechanical piece; no hydraulics or pneumatics involved.

I'd find an indie shop that specializes in MRZ cars. Shouldn't be hard in your area. Let them trouble-shoot the problems. I really don't think they are going to be expensive fixes. None of those problems are likely symptoms of some sort of massive electronic systems collapse. A couple of hundred bucks and you're back in perfect shape.

I see you have a Silver Arrow as well. The R129 forum on this site is very friendly and very savvy about the R129 chassis. People will want to steal your SA, but you'll get lots of good advice from them.

Did you take my advice and check in with the W220 forum? They may have a $10/5 minute fix on the tips of their fingers. I would check there rather than this forum anyway; the W220 is not common enough that readers of this general forum would necessarily be able to help. It is also the flagship car, so it usually gets new electronics and drivetrain changes first so people will smaller versions may not be familiar with the new stuff.
 
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