1995 E320 Starter Short

[Jim Villers]

My wife's 1995 E320 failed last night. She said that it had a "dragging" sound when she drove it yesterday and just before arriving home for the last time, "the dash warning lights blinked and the engine bogged down" but she made it to the driveway. My testing reveled that the starter motor is frozen and shorted out. I pulled the starter last night. The rear rubber bearing cap appeared fried. I could not turn the armature with pliers and it has a very high capacity short. My theory is that the starter motor did not shut off after the engine started and it ran until it internally failed. My question: is this part of the "dreaded engine wiring harness" problem that affects the 104 engine or is it something else. My only other thought would be a failed ignition switch. Appreciate any comments from anyone who has experienced or fixed a similar problem.