Odd wire in fuse of C280
 

While looking around to familiarize myself with my 'new' 95 C280 I opened the fuse box in the trunk next to the battery and found to my wonderment a wire stuck into fuse slot #6 which according to the chart was supposed to be vacant. I gently pulled it out and heard the whir of some kind of electric motor eminating from somewhere. I couldn't tell where exactly. My curiosity is arroused, but I'm leary of messing around too much. Is there any reason I shouldn't pull that wire out and see if it stops something from working? I really looks like someone has put some kind of rinky-dink fix or aftermarked hookup on something, but I'm not familiar enough with auto electrical systems to proceed confidently and I sure don't want to do something that would risk serious consequences.
Bob H

Yeah, that would make me curious too... I checked fuse number 6 on my 95 C280... vacant too. Just double checking.

I would take off the fuse panel and look for the wires underneath fuse number 6... maybe that would be a lead.

Also, do you have an aftermarket alarm? Seems like there could be a correlation because of hissing sound you heard (possibly vacuum pump; operates central locking system), and an aftermarket alarm.

Keep us posted!

Mystery wire update
 

David
Today when I attempted to lock my care via the remote it wouldn't work. However, when I used the switch in the car it did work. I decided to check the wire stuck into #6 fuse slot and sure enough it was not making a good connection. I stuck the wire back into #6 and the remote door locks started working again. It looks like you were on the right track with respect to the after market alarm system except I don't think its a after market system. I noticed that the fuse for the original equipment alarm system is supposed to be plugged into slot #11 in the fuse box in the trunk. Fuse #11 is missing in my car. Since I think that the remote locking system is standard (that may not be correct though)equipment I'm assuming that the previous owner had some problelm with it and jury rigged this solution. I'm concerned because if there was a problem and he 'solved' it by bypassing the fuse box somehow without fixing the real problem, isn't that somewhat risky because not there is no fuse to blow if something short out or whatever? Thanks Bob H

Robert,
Glad you updated us! Even if your C280 (95) came standard with the alarm, it would not have remote keyless entry. This was NOT an option on 95 C-classes. Remote and alarms were standard in 96 (maybe not on the 220 though..?). What I think is that the ghetto-rigged wire in that fuse holder was put in by the alarm guys... and for what reason I don't know! And I am still curious why they would ever wire it through a fuse box, WITHOUT the fuse!

Leave well enough alone?
 

Thanks David
It sounds to me if I leave things alone there isn't likely to be problems associated with it. And since it seems to be working, however inelegantly, I'm inclined to leave well enough alone for now. Do you agree with with this or should I disconect the remote entry system altogether? Bob H

I think you're fine leaving it just the way it is! :D

Run it "through" fuse #11 at the box, or at least make sure wire is well secured, and appropriate guage, and run an inline fuse (Radio Shack or Autozone) just to be safe.