Which module is the starter relay on? What is the letter of the starter relay? Where is it located? I pulled and tested all of the relays in the fuse box located on the drivers side at the firewall and did not find any issues. The AutoLogic Sales rep is supposed to be here Thursday or Friday.

Based on reading through the internet it sounds like, for sure, this action takes the alternator out. I will pull it off and test it to see if it is bad over the next day or so.

I had the AutoLogic guy come by and hook up the their scanner and came up with the following code:

Battery Control Module
B1014
Event consumer shut off is active.

That is the only hard fault we got.

I'll do a search on it here shortly and see what else I can come up with.

I should have WIS on the S550 first of next week along with a laptop/scanner I picked up. If I can get my hand on schematics/location layout I'll be fine. I used my laptop/scanner I picked up for BMW's today on an 03 745i. I had a hard fault of ECM cooling fan and ran diagnostics on everything else. It was towed into the local repair shop after a no start. That was the only time it had a no start issue. Other than that the owner wants the oil leaks fixed (at ~116k miles) which reading up on the net sounds common for this car. I told the shop owner to give him my number and I'd try to help out.

On another note I am going to the high end body shops within about a 30 mile radius and let them know I can help out to some degree in regards to doing adaptations, etc.... on MB and BMW. The opportunity for import repair is wide open around here. I don't plan on working more than about 2 or 3 days a week so I'm only going to set up about 30 clients and let that be it.

Getting a little closer
 

Got the necessary information I need and I'm finally back in the hunt on this one. Pulled the last relay on the line to the alternator and found a short with minimum resistance in that circuit. I'm going to pull the alternator off, test the wiring and then have the alternator tested. I'm thinking I'm going to find a fried alternator:).

Since picking up my new "tools" I am excited about having it the box. This is some good stuff that I am finding quite easy to use. The electonic schmatics are somewhat cumbersome to maneuver but I'll get there. I did have to break down and pick up a wireless router. It kinda reminds me when I used to wring out circuits on controls for steam boilers/turbines but everything is closer to where they terminate. On those systems the sensor may be 15 stories from the terminal strip where the wire terminates at the computer end.

I'm impressed with the electronic stuff but again, I think they will be in the junkyards sooner than the old 123/126/124 cars because of the electronics. I guess someone will be rebuilding these modules soon enough, kinda like the old cruise control units.

I feel like such a dumbarse
 

Come to find out relay kH is bad. I learned that just because you can take it out of the car, put 12 volts to it and get 0 ohms through the circuits DOES NOT MEAN that the relay is any good. My electrical engineer friend helped me on this one. He pointed out the fact that just because a relay test good on the bench does not mean it is good. Swapped it with a good known spare and the car starts. Now if I can find a replacement relay today.

Will have to pick up a relay on Tuesday. I have attached a pic of the bad spot on the relay that came out.

Nice work Jim, I'm sure your customer will be pleased. (and I'd guess you too!!)

Is the alternator OK?

Do not understand. There must be some way to check the relay on the bench. Got to be.

The particular relay that was bad has been updated to p/n 002 542 76 19. It is the same relay as used for the suspension air pump if I read correctly. There is a diode on one of the circuits of this relay.

Now I'm in the process of trying to find out why the windshield wipers don't work. I'm getting 12 volts out of the proper terminals of MR3 but nothing is getting to the wiper drive motors. It actually looks like a rat has gotten up in there and eaten some of the wiring insulation underneath the drivers side wiper arm area. I've got a puller coming for the wiper arms and will find out more when I get them and the cover off.

Finally got back around to resolving the windshield wiper problem and found the drivers side wiper motor bad.

I meant to mention that yes, the alternator was bad. Sorry it took so long to confirm that.