Hey Bryan H., Ross and Benzmac

[Tom400e]

Sopmetime ago Bryan and Ross detailed an A/C/interior fan problem ... kepy cutting in and out. I have a '92 400e and just started experiencing what I think is the same problem. I can select EC, defrost or full on A/C and the fan will not function. If I leave any of the functions on the fan will suddenly start working normally again. I can then switch back and forth to low, high speed or auto. Then just as suddenly it will quit again. In the morning, upon initially starting the car all works fine ... then quits, then comes back on. Neither Bryan nor Ross ever posted a followup on what repair action resolved the problem.

I have checked all relevant fuses ... all are good.

As I am 2 weeks away from a Palm Springs golf outing any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Talk about timing! I just determined yesterday with the help of Bryan that the problem is the fuse strip. I had checked the the main fuse box and a small black box next to it containing 2 15amp fuses which I thought was the fuse strip, wrong!

The fuse strip is located about 12 inches directly towards the front of the car. It has two heavy guage black wires running into either side and the little plastic containter which flips open. Once you locate this, I am sure you will locate the problem, mine would still produce 0 ohms on a multimeter (meaning it was good, no "open") but as soon as I touched the strip with the probe, the grey area in the middle snapped!

Run down the Mercedes Dealer and pick up a couple, I think they run $.80 each.

Hope this is you problem.

[Tom400e]

Thanks Ross ... I'm breathing easier already ... will let you know how it turns out

Tom

[Benzmac]

roas is right on here.

[Tom400e]

Hey Ross and Bryan ... BINGO!!!

After this morning's posts and after the market caught me on the wrong side of the move up today I went out at lunch and popped the hood. Following your suggestion I located the fuse strip (on the 400e it is about 4 inches in front of the main fuse panel) exactly as you described ... a thin rectangle with 2 heavy gauge wires feeding into each of the long ends of the rectangle. The top easily pops open back towards you. What I saw was a long metallic fuse strip (inch and a half or so). It was curiously bowed upward at the center, but apparently intact. As soon as I lightly touched it, it broke!! Went to the local dealer and got 3 of 'em ... at a buck twenty five a piece, by the way. Went out to the parking lot, popped the hood and in all of about 5 minutes the fan and A/C is working perfectly!!

As someone had posted earlier in the previous thread, it seems impossible for it to work intermittently ... the fuse is either broke or it ain't, the connection is either open or it's closed ... well, we now know that isn't necessarily so. Ve 'ave vays of making the dog chase his tail!!

I'm not mechanically proficient enough to understand this curiousity, maybe benzmac or one of the other experts can illuminate us ... but, for sure, don't dismiss the strip fuse as the culprit and run for the dealer service department. First check out Ross' and Bryan's discovery ... worked perfect for me. It's cold again, can you see my breath?

Thanks Ross. Thanks Bryan.

Brrrrrrrrr

Tom