wiring harness problem on SL600
 

Have inherited 95 SL 600 v12 from my late husband, 30K. The ASR lamp comes on periodically...engine looses power. One service center said needed Both Right & Left actuators and possible the control box..to the tune of$8,000! Another told me needed new wiring harness..that the harness was defective in models 92 to 95 and Mercedes did not recall. Anyone have this problem..Any suggestions to solutions. Don't really want to sell however can't really afford such repair cost. 1st center said SELL this car, this big engine will continue to cost money. Is beautiful white vehicle and would love to keep..any suggestions from experienced owners would be appreciated. Thanks!

I think you answered your own question,,,, "Can't really afford such repair cost ". This vehicle has the potential to make those costs' like a monthly payment. Sell.

Use the forum search tool to find out more about the wiring harness problem. MB used a bio-degradable insulation for a few years to try to comply with European enviormental regulations. Not all engines were affected. Also lots of info on the actuators in past posts as well. They can be rebuilt, but it seems unlikely both would fail and at so low a mileage is rather unheard of. But you need to find a good independent service shop which specializes in Mercedes. The 600SL is a bit more expensive to maintain than a 500SL, but it is not particularly more trouble prone. The real problem with a vehicle like this is that it is so unique and expensive to purchase that everyone thinks you are a millionaire and have bottomless pockets when it come times for service.

Your mechanic is correct.

The wiring harnesses are all bad on all 1993 - 1995 Mercedes cars, and some 1992 models.

The wiring harness is surely bad and needs to be replaced. I think it would be impossible to diagnose anything else until the engine wiring harness is replaced.

If you are worried about the cost to maintain and repair this car, then you should probably sell it.

The 600 motor is a 6.0 liter V12, and it is one of the most expensive motors Mercedes ever built.

Engine should loose power when the ASR light comes on. Both actuators are good and so is the engine control box.

Bad wire harnes is a very expensive guess, but a possibility.

Suggest you bring vehical to an MB dealer and have codes read on a Star Diagnostic System. Get there opinion and come back here and tell us what the codes are. Do not leave the dealer without codes in hand. This should cost about $125.00.

John Roncallo

Please read the following posts:
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/1389171-post5.html
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/1964936-post7.html
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/1413777-post3.html
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r129-sl-class/1200476-defective-wiring-harness-identification.html?highlight=wiring+harness
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/2568322-post5.html

Mercedes wiring harness defect
 

The ineptitude of this once mighty company is only matched by their arrogance and disdain for customers in handling this issue with the defective wire harnesses. Over 1.5 million vehicles are estimated to be affected and it's not a matter of IF but of WHEN your harness will fail.

Safety Defects have no statute of limitations. This has nothing to do with warranty, it's an engineering error that creates a potentially hazardous condition (engine fires, sudden stoppage in traffic, stranding in dangerous locales, etc). Mercedes is well aware of the problem they created and refuses to do the right thing which is recall all vehicles affected, not wait for the NHTSA to do it, nor count on naive customer/victims not to do anything about it erroneously thinking that the age of the vehicles is a factor.

I am collecting a list of like affected owners to pursue action against Mercedes for this safety defect.

Contact me at flyer_boy@hotmail.com

here are more details on this dangerous safety defect which Mercedes to this day is recklessly ignoring due to cost: http://www.mercedesdefects.com