Thanks again, Gilly. As usual, you were right on the mark with this problem.

The fact that the "overengineering" that Mercedes is famous for has backfired on them and caused MB to slide down a few notches in the reliability ratings ladder (JD Power, for one) is emblematic of what has happened to my truck (transponders?? geez...) and who knows how many countless others on this forum who come for solutions scratching their heads because they can't pinpoint problems in their newer MB's anymore, not like the good old days.

Another piece of engineering w/c comes to mind that I think Mercedes could have avoided is the A/C pushbutton switching system on their 126's and 124's. I have them both and they're both broken! They're either blowing fuses or not engaging the A/C. On the other hand the "dial" control switches in my ML is an example of simplicity and effectiveness.

I heard on the news the other day that Mercedes Benz has recently recognized that they have gone maybe a bit too far in infusing sophisticated technologies into their automobiles and because of this, too many things can break down, and they do.

Glad to know that they admit this and looking forward to simpler, tried and proven technologies in future models.