I had the car serviced for a bunch of things by a MB Dealer and they said that the 4matic problem I had was related to the bad battery I had and that there was nothing wrong with the 4matic system. Now about a month later the light is back on and $WD is off. Is there anything obvious I should check or a decent refernce book on the 4matic? I tried the MB CD Rom but it had no information at all.

Find a new dealer. Not every MB dealer has someone that can spell 4matic, let alone service them. MB only imported 400 Es and 400 TEs per year for 4 years so they started with 3200 cars and attrition started at that point. The 4matic system does have a diagnostic module that the HHT can access. Some dealer techs use a digital impulse counter and convert the codes with the manual to tell them what the pulses mean. Either way works, the HHT is easier but it costs more $$$.

If they never checked the diagnostic codes when they told you about the battery problem, they aren't worth going back to tell them they're incompetent. You haven't mentioned exactly what your 4matic problem is, we might be able to help if you offered some details.

1989 300TE 4matic, 5spd manual

The car worked fine for several months and then the battery started to go dead. The ABS and 4matic packed it in at the seame time. One ignition lead was arcing so I had the lot replaced and there wasa problem with a fuel pump as well. After breaking down on the road due to a fule pump, I had the dealer go through the car from top to bottom, they also replaced the battery as they said there was nothing wriong with the charging and there were no shorts. All was well for a month or so and now the 4matic light has returned to haunt me and it is definitely in 2WD.

Am I likely to cause damage driving it in this condition?

The fact that I am located in Luxembourg and the service staff are not exactly fluent in English and my French and German is virtually non-existant doesn't really help much.

Thanks again,

Ed Healey

As soon as I saw "5 speed 4matic" I knew it had to be a Euro. Many 4matic owners in the US have wished for the 5 speed, but I like the slushbox just fine for the family car. If you want a sports car, don't buy a 4matic.

I still think you should find a dealer that has experience in the diagnosis and repair of 4matics, even if you have to drive a little to find one. There are so many inputs to the 4matic computer that can cause trouble codes, you'll go broke doing the "throw parts at it" approach. You may have even toasted the control unit, who knows with the electrical transients you have described.

I don't think you'll do any more harm to the system driving it if it isn't binding or giving you any trouble on the road. You can always shift the test valve under the hood to test position just to be safe. That isolates the hydraulics from the rear of the car.

I'll be hunting for the answer from the dealer. Maybe bring an interpreter this time! It is faily complex from the looks of things. The CD I bought didn't even go into it!