My car is 2006 S55 (north american).
I can't tell if what followed a car wash is related or not. Last week I had my car washed using one of those newer steam wash. Both internal and external.
When I picked up the car, everything was normal except my steering wheel buttons were not working. Neither the left one nor the right one (where the volume control is. I don't use phone controls since it is disconnected). I thought I would give it few hours in case steam had condensed into water inside. My mechanic's suggestion was the same.
The steering wheel buttons continue to malfunction:
1. Neither of the left side buttons mostly won't work.
2. Sometimes when they work intermittently, all four buttons function.
3. If press the telehone related buttons on the right side of steering wheel and simultaneously press any of the left side button, all four work.
4. My volume buttons don't work. Actually if I switch on the Radio the volume continues to rise up as if someone was continuously pressing the button to make volume go up. This is the default behavior. Only way to stop is the going up is to either press the volume down button on the steering (this always works as intended) or press the telephone related buttons below it, which always holds the volume at whatever level it is!
5. Sometimes intermittently all the buttons will behave normally. But this happens only 10% of the time.
I am suspecting something is shorting the connection and short goes away when I press the telephone buttons on the streering. Also the volume high button seems to be permanently on. My plan is to open up the steering, remove the airbag and see what's going on behind.
Two days after above happened, I suddenly lost my battery. For past two years I never had a battery problem. I recently returned from 4 weeks out of country trip. My car had started without any problems.
This is my daily driver and I drive almost 400-500 miles in a week. I never had to open the trunk with manual key. When my battery died, try as I might the manual key wouldn't turn and I was stuck. I finally accessed the positive point under the front passenger side foot well after reading up. Charged it for ten minutes which then allowed me to open the trunk electrically. Jump starting the battery didn't work. And finally towed the car to mechanic who replaced it with new battery.
After the new battery was installed, I again had to jump the next day. I asked my mechanic to check for the battery drain. When I returned to pick up the car, the mechanic had removed all CD Changer, AGW and Amplifier in the trunk. He disconnected them and ask me to drive for a day or too. He showed me some software which showed that navigation/audio was very common reason for battery drain on these cars. It was not clear to me if he had checked any other circuit systematically. With all the connections removed at my mechanic's it was showing .500 amps drain. I knew normal drain had to be less than 40 milliamps. We check the drain on his S550 and it also showed 0.5 amps drain! Thinking back now I think it was because we still had our keys on us.
I had him reconnect all the audio at the back and drove home. Bought a clamp digital meter capable of reading both DC and AC voltage and Current. Monitored the parasitic current drain during the night. It was 6 amps consistently. In the morning strangely it showed only 0.100 amps. But I had to jump start the car again.
Continued to monitor at work and later at home. Still consistent 6am drain after 30 minutes. The battery was losing about 1 volt every three hours or so. I noticed that the lights on the Navigation DVD unit were on even after 2-3 hours. There was no DVD inside. Pressing the buttons confirmed it was powered as the ejection mechanism moved.
Finally I got hold of fuse chart for 2006 S55. As soon as I remove F22 fuse for navigation the parasitic current dropped from 6 Amp to 2.5 Amp. On removing F24 for Audio the parastic current dropped to less than 40 milliamps. I tried various combinations. Finally put all fuses back in and only withdrew F24 fuse related to audio. Disabling the audio (I suspect it is the AGW?), doesn't wake up the Navigation unit. The car battery shows full 12.7 volts or there about after 12 hours. No problems.
So now I have three problems to solve:
1. Is the AGW still usable? What if I go for aftermarket Andriod Head Units with MOST adapter. Will the AGW cause any problems? (I am going to get rid of the navigation and DVD changer)
2. How do I solve the problem of steering wheel buttons malfunctioning. That also results in volume going to highest level unless I hold the volume down button or the telephone buttons on the steering wheel.
3. Opening trunk with manual key. I have tried dousing it with WD40 for a week now. No go!
Thanks.
P.S. Is the chassis type on this car 220.074 or 220.174? 174 indicates long wheel base.
I can't tell if what followed a car wash is related or not. Last week I had my car washed using one of those newer steam wash. Both internal and external.
When I picked up the car, everything was normal except my steering wheel buttons were not working. Neither the left one nor the right one (where the volume control is. I don't use phone controls since it is disconnected). I thought I would give it few hours in case steam had condensed into water inside. My mechanic's suggestion was the same.
The steering wheel buttons continue to malfunction:
1. Neither of the left side buttons mostly won't work.
2. Sometimes when they work intermittently, all four buttons function.
3. If press the telehone related buttons on the right side of steering wheel and simultaneously press any of the left side button, all four work.
4. My volume buttons don't work. Actually if I switch on the Radio the volume continues to rise up as if someone was continuously pressing the button to make volume go up. This is the default behavior. Only way to stop is the going up is to either press the volume down button on the steering (this always works as intended) or press the telephone related buttons below it, which always holds the volume at whatever level it is!
5. Sometimes intermittently all the buttons will behave normally. But this happens only 10% of the time.
I am suspecting something is shorting the connection and short goes away when I press the telephone buttons on the streering. Also the volume high button seems to be permanently on. My plan is to open up the steering, remove the airbag and see what's going on behind.
Two days after above happened, I suddenly lost my battery. For past two years I never had a battery problem. I recently returned from 4 weeks out of country trip. My car had started without any problems.
This is my daily driver and I drive almost 400-500 miles in a week. I never had to open the trunk with manual key. When my battery died, try as I might the manual key wouldn't turn and I was stuck. I finally accessed the positive point under the front passenger side foot well after reading up. Charged it for ten minutes which then allowed me to open the trunk electrically. Jump starting the battery didn't work. And finally towed the car to mechanic who replaced it with new battery.
After the new battery was installed, I again had to jump the next day. I asked my mechanic to check for the battery drain. When I returned to pick up the car, the mechanic had removed all CD Changer, AGW and Amplifier in the trunk. He disconnected them and ask me to drive for a day or too. He showed me some software which showed that navigation/audio was very common reason for battery drain on these cars. It was not clear to me if he had checked any other circuit systematically. With all the connections removed at my mechanic's it was showing .500 amps drain. I knew normal drain had to be less than 40 milliamps. We check the drain on his S550 and it also showed 0.5 amps drain! Thinking back now I think it was because we still had our keys on us.
I had him reconnect all the audio at the back and drove home. Bought a clamp digital meter capable of reading both DC and AC voltage and Current. Monitored the parasitic current drain during the night. It was 6 amps consistently. In the morning strangely it showed only 0.100 amps. But I had to jump start the car again.
Continued to monitor at work and later at home. Still consistent 6am drain after 30 minutes. The battery was losing about 1 volt every three hours or so. I noticed that the lights on the Navigation DVD unit were on even after 2-3 hours. There was no DVD inside. Pressing the buttons confirmed it was powered as the ejection mechanism moved.
Finally I got hold of fuse chart for 2006 S55. As soon as I remove F22 fuse for navigation the parasitic current dropped from 6 Amp to 2.5 Amp. On removing F24 for Audio the parastic current dropped to less than 40 milliamps. I tried various combinations. Finally put all fuses back in and only withdrew F24 fuse related to audio. Disabling the audio (I suspect it is the AGW?), doesn't wake up the Navigation unit. The car battery shows full 12.7 volts or there about after 12 hours. No problems.
So now I have three problems to solve:
1. Is the AGW still usable? What if I go for aftermarket Andriod Head Units with MOST adapter. Will the AGW cause any problems? (I am going to get rid of the navigation and DVD changer)
2. How do I solve the problem of steering wheel buttons malfunctioning. That also results in volume going to highest level unless I hold the volume down button or the telephone buttons on the steering wheel.
3. Opening trunk with manual key. I have tried dousing it with WD40 for a week now. No go!
Thanks.
P.S. Is the chassis type on this car 220.074 or 220.174? 174 indicates long wheel base.
