OMG, you would not BELIEVE all of the crap (leaves, twigs, paper, etc)! that came out from under the fuse box area. There is one thing that looks like a relay at the bottom that was covered in like 2 inches of leaves/twigs. Its a wonder this car has not burned up years ago! I never dreamed there was that much debris in there.

I had been meaning to vacuum it, but kept putting it off. Apparently part of the A/C heater blower components are under there and heat up... I started the car again and felt of that relay and it was hot, so its a wonder it had not ignited when all of those leaves were under there. Just when I thought I was finished, I would find more and hear it sucking more leaves/twigs. I could not get so much directly under the fuse box itself, as that seems impossible, but I dont think there is anything actually under the fusebox itself in the way of relays? That one relay I mentioned... I was able to get my finger to drag out more crap, but the vac would not get anymore out... I am sure there is still maybe some wedged under there, but I dont see how one could get it, but I think I got as much as possible and it should be OK now. What a crappy design on an otherwise well designed MB.

This is my mothers car, she is 55 and she uses this car to take my baby nephew to therapy 3 times a weel (which is 60 miles per day round trip) and I dont want a fire to break out on her... she would have no idea what to do. Maybe the smell had been there all along, even without the A/C fan on, but we had never had the hood up with it on to smell it.

Hopefully its OK now.