W124 wiring harness issues (Long)...
 

Just left my franchised MB dealer after getting knocked up again on a 124 wiring harness. They told me on the last car I did it on that on over 100k cars, they could get goodwill parts but no labor. Cars out of warranty, but under 100k, get goodwill parts and labor. Took my 95 E320 in with 91k. Guess what? That's right, they charged me the labor again--7.7hours worth! All the reputable Benz wrenches with 100 miles of here claim that they can do the job on a 6 cyl in about 45 to 75 minutes. Good wrenches should make excellent money--but beating the book by 5 hours?! Here's why this MB scam works--you are forced, if you want any help, to take the propreitary wiring harness from the MB parts department by having it installed at the dealer. Then, whilst they tell you of how big a favor they are doing you, they are billing you labor at a rate equal to FIVE HUNDRED PERCENT of what a reputable wrench would charge. I'm so frustarted I could spit blood. This is so typical of the "new" MB...pass the buck. I called for the first time in my 25 years as an MB customer, the customer support 800 number and vented. I explained to them that I am a second generation MB customer, had bought 3 new Benzes in the past 18 months, and had a new Benz at the port. I further passed on to them that this flet like the last straw, what with the lousy quality on the new cars and the "don't care attitude" from New Jersey. I predict no response. Guys, be aware of this situation before you get beat up on it. If you haven't had a harness yet, you will need one. Just be prepared. Thanks, I'm done now.

...wow! stuck between the proverbial 'rock and a hard place' with very little -if any- clear legal remedy to seek....maybe a class action?-, but I'm not aware if any in this flavor stirring (lots of work)

seem to recall there are some parts of the country that are still honoring 'good will' on both wiring harness and labor (if mileage is under 120k, Benzmac?)....and it may be worth a weekend trip or day trip to savor the oh so sweet remaining goodwill

also, I'm wondering what the wiring harness costs at mercedesshop (maybe a volume buy from MB would lower the part cost, then we can all buy it inexpensively and take it to be installed wherever we want...

-fad

does MB monitor this forum at all? just curious as some car makers monitor the more popular forums.

i checked alldata and my car model had a safety recall for shorting of the wiring harness. when i called MB they said that based on my VIN there was no outstanding recall service to be performed and it had not been recalled for the wiring harness. i wonder how they selected the cars for that particular recall?

2.5 to 3 hours would be a fair time & that is what the techs at our shop get paid. The problem with this is; every dealer can charge whatever they want to as MB has *NO* specified time to install these wiring harnesses. ON almost all jobs MB does have a set time & dealerships are supposed to follow that.

1st question - has MB ever provided any recourse when calling the 800 number?

2nd question - if some shops are performing a "courtesy" harness replacement, who eats that cost? not exactly a cheap part plus the couple of hours labor.

3rd question - has anyone ever gotten their harness replaced under the so-called safety recall (i see it for my car at alldata)? something smells here, was that some kind of CYA action to put that record of a recall out there? how did they pick which ones were bad and how did they know my car didn't need it?

Gentlemen;

I have had the harness replaced on my 92 400E @ 80000. The dealership also replaced the harness it plugged into when they had trouble seperating the two. They did the entire repair free of any charge at all. That was 5 months ago. The dealership has been very good to me even though nothing goes wrong with the car that I haven't been able to repair myself. (Now that's going to open a can of worms.) Anyway, the same dealership has been mentioned on this forum in scathing ways. I'm guessing the people who are handling the customers are either the saints or the sinners in relationships with the dealers depending on who is speaking with whom. My father has been at the same Chevrolet dealership for 31 years this year and I have ocassionally had trouble from new people there who didn't recognize my face. Take this for what it's worth.

All I have to say is that i would try to get a hold of the local rep for mercedes-benz in your area.

Then I would arrange to have him/her meet me at the dealership to discuss the matter with the owner or service manager.

I would also notify the dealer that I have taken up the issue with MBUSA.

Personally I can understand if it was not a common problem, but it seems to me from what I have read and learned, that the wiring harness is not about if it will fail, but when, because apparently most if not all will or have failed before.

What I would like to know is what kinds of conditions these things fail under, or is it totally at random? Like if Weather affects it, driving conditions, climate, etc etc.

Alon

OK here's my two cents worth:

On fading quality...subjective. Yeah, I can recall the chrome and metal of the older Benzes that is now replaced with plastic and vinyl. I agree with blackmercedes...we as consumers are demanding more power, reliability, and luxury out of our vehicles, while the government puts out stricter air quality and safety mandates, and all of this has to be presented in a solid, yet aesthetically pleasing product, in a price that competes with the Toyota Camry. Since financially, this is not possible, there are razzle-dazzle financing plans that allow the regular guy to actually consider getting into an MB.

I too have seen good and bad dealerships...lately though, the salesmen used to ignore me, knowing that I already had an ample supply of their product at home and was just waiting to pick up one of them from the service department. With the economy the way it is today, they have changed their tune. I was waiting for my ML (which they were washing prior to delivering) and no fewer than FOUR salesmen came up to me. They are starving out there, so we should all witness less of the smug attitudes that were more prevalent of the dot-com era.

I can't speak for others who have had bad experiences with brand new MBs, but I know that NONE of mine that I bought brand new EVER reared its ugly head. Sure there were some warranty fixes, but other than routine maintenance, all was well.

With the used ones, I will always attribute problems there with the lack of proper care from the former owner. After all, no one sells their car because it performed TOO well! A typical well-heeled owner probably disposes of their cars the way one throws out an old pair of shoes. I always wonder who supplies the used car department with low-mileage models that are barely a year old! Answer: the earlier example who thrashes their car and then trades it in for another disposable model. It's all about how the car is cared for.

I GAVE AWAY my 1986 Conquest Turbo to my nephew after he left for Missouri. I bought it in Colorado for $3K, fixed the clutch and struts (known problems by the owner), put new tires and muffler on it and had it painted, re-decaled, valve cover and wheels polished, and brake calipers painted. The car performed flawlessly for two years under my care, and I replaced parts when I detected potential problems, which most were small...a vacuum hose here, a radiator hose there, a leaky valve cover gasket, etc.

During its six month tenure with my nephew, he did absolutely nothing to the car except drive it. Now in Missouri, total failed parts include four completely worn tires, a battery, two shot fuel injectors, a destroyed front air dam, and just found out that he has blown the head gasket (despite my repeated warnings of "don't ever let it overheat"). By the way, none of the above had actually been replaced, so now it sits in a repair shop in KC. A perfectly good driver, ruined by the antics of a negligent owner, who should have known better given the lack of income he currently generates.

OK so now I'm venting...

I guess if he had shown up the day I saw that car for sale, I would not have bought it...

The attitude of all dealers is to just sell you a new car. I have seen so much ripping off and incompetence that I have gone to doing the work myself. Parts that we not installed but paid on the bill and such. Some fix something and ignore the cause. I have found some good local independents and use them when I have to but have gone to doing my own work rather than being ripped off by the parts changers and thieves. I heard 3rd hand that the Big 3 train their techs that their job is to sell new cars. They are designed to be most difficult to repair without changing major part assemblies. The cost and lack of serviceability is designed to cause you to trade up. They want to control the customer from cradle to grave, destroying your choices and the independent service technicians as well. They may be doing it.

Regarding getting some help form MBUSA, I had a problem getting a response. I am a member of the Mercedes club (http://www.mbnz.org/) and I posted a nasty remark on the general discussion forum. I said I had called 1-800-for-Mercedes numerous times and no one ever returned my call. Funny thing, I got a call in less than 40 minutes. I thought it was odd because at that time it was after hours in NJ on a Friday evening. I asked, and the gentleman told me he knew nothing of my post, but the coincidence was too unusual. Someone monitors that site. I sent to the Webmaster and he retracted my post after I got the call back. I had felt kind of bad about it. If you try this route, make the subject line strong. Good luck.

Steve
'85 500SL Euro
No one wants to work on this one.

It appears I am joining the club on wiring harness woes too. I just had my head gasket done at my local indy(migraine #1) and was hoping to get away with not having to deal with the wiring harness issue. Of course, when the engine is all sealed up, the engine misfires and runs very rough. They discover shorting in the harness (of course) and are now trying to put some liquid insulation on the shorting pieces.

I called up MB and they say that there is no official policy and any goodwill service is left up to the dealership which will take into account the current state of the car, mileage, etc. (knew that)

I called up the local dealership who of course denied any knowledge of problems with the wiring harness. They did ask me to fax over all the info I had. I don't know what they will do about it but I did find the following safety recalls for my car which I sent to their attention:

95-0223 Safety Recall - Wiring Harness Chafing/Shorting
95V031000 Wire Harness Protecter Installation

I will keep you posted!

Hi jssmith-

in the event you find there is no legal obligation to the factory to replace the wire harness (gratis), perhaps the most prudent course of action would be to attempt to negotiate with factory authorized service to have some of the cost shared by them

factory authorized service would likely be most lenient extending this consideration/goodwill to clients that patronize their services on a regular basis (for obvious business reasons/ you take care of me, I'll take care of you)

absent and/or over and above that scenario, in any form- an amiable win-win situation appears to be the most desirable strategy to implement

[after all, no business can afford to give away product/ labor gratis and stay afloat these days- and current MB reality is that warranty costs to the company have skyrocketed and consequently are being aggressively managed]

further, it wouldn't hurt to be extraordinarily likable and as flexible as possible during this whole process

good luck and let us know what turns out
-fad

PS- you may wish to additionally research the manufacturers legal safety recall obligation(s)/ time period(s) covered (expiration dates), etc. that accompany 95-0223

fad,

thanks, and point well taken. i understand very well that i should not burn any bridges anywhere. MB tells me that they are aware of that recall but according to their VIN check, my car has no outstanding recalls, even if the service was not performed. they
do not tell you outright that the recall does not apply to my car, just that they have found no outstanding recalls, which kinda looks like a legalese loophole. i think i am just within the limits of the legal obligation though. for '93 their obligation would end this year.


according to the nhtsa:

"Are There Any Limitations on My Right to Have My Vehicle Remedied at No Charge?"

" Yes. A limitation pertains to the age of the vehicle. In order to be eligible for remedy at no cost, the vehicle cannot be more than 8 years old on the date the defect or non-compliance is determined. Under the law, the age of the vehicle is calculated from the date of sale to the first purchaser. For example, if a defect is found in 1999 and a recall ordered, manufacturers are required to make the correction available at no charge only to cars purchased new in 1991 through 1999. However, consumers should realize that even though manufacturers are not obligated to remedy safety defects in older cars, a safety problem may still exist. If you receive notification of a defect on a vehicle older than eight years, take the responsibility to have your car repaired at your own expense. Eliminate any unnecessary risks...."

well, at the dealership i tried and i tried and the answer came back NO. they said that maybe if i had purchased the car at the dealership and had maintainance performed by the dealership they might have done it. as 2nd owner i am basically SOL! oh well, it hurts to get hit by this double whammy with the head gasket and then the wiring harness. but then i knew about it, just didn't expect to get hit with it right away. for anyone finding this thread, it is really just a matter of when and not if these breakdowns happen...

Wiring harness scam--I find this especially funny
 

since I'm the guy who started this thread. The most hiliarious thing about this is that these last two posts indicate that the goodwill situation is up to the dealer. Would you like to guess what my dealer told me? Yep--"this is totally out of our hands, it's all up to New jersey, blah, blah, blah." This is so typical of the Mercedes brand of the new millenium. It just makes me sad that this once proud company is just...just....whatever.

BTW, I have still received NO RESPONSE from the customer inquiry which which I intiated three weeks ago.

HEY NEW JERSEY--ARE YOU LISTENING? I told your phone drone then--and I believe it's more true now--you just DON'T CARE.

I'll say it again--here's your new corporate mantra:

Daimler Benz--we used to make the finest automobiles. Now all we make is money.

Excuse the ignorance, I'm flying blind here....
 

Can someone please tell me exactly what the failure mode(s) of these harnesses are? What's specifically goes wrong with them -- does the insulation on the wires get brittle with age and crack, or does the insulation get worn away from particular areas due to mechanical interference or vibration? Or do the end connectors fail either physically or by corrosion? Or what else???.

Also, what are the components that the failure prone harnesses connect to? Is there only one harness which connects to ALL the electrical devices on the engine? Or is there a separate harness that controls the electronic fuel injectors, a different one for sensors and/or alternator connections etc.?

The reason I am asking is that I am just now starting a hunt for a clean 94 or 95 E class, and I would like to know what to look for both physically as well as symptomatically.

Sorry for the seemingly inane questions, but like I said I really am flying blind and am in need of some basic information. Thanks in advance for your help!

RTH

runningtoohot,
i think you actually won't see any symptom unless you move the harness (or if the harness has been moved) at which point the individual wiring insulation disintegrates. in my case my local indy was doing the head gasket, so of course he had to do something with the harness. the failure is this case was that the engine would just start stumbling when they touched the wires to the fuel injectors. they tried to chase it down by wrapping the exposed wires that they found before they realized how bad it all was. you won't see how bad it is because the wires are all within the harness. check out the wiring harness picture thread where the inside of a harness is shown.

RTH - I have my '95 E320 for sale if you are interested. The head gasket and wiring harness have alreadby been changed. Email me if you want more information. Car is at 110,xxx miles and is in excellent condition with many new parts.
Let me know.

allenjdmb and all concerned,

venting is all well and good and i participate in that sort of activity myself, BTDT. it would be a shame if we can't leverage the collective influence of the members of this forum to get a rise out of MB if anything. i am making a collection of threads about leaking head gaskets and faulty wiring harness. maybe we can send it in along with an appropriately worded communique to the VP for customer relations, if not the CEO of MB in the US. i mean, hands down, this is the source for information on MB in the US if not the world. that's got to have some kind of weight in terms of public opinion don't you think?

what do you say?

I bought my first M B, in 1997, a 1995 C280, that spent more time in the shop then my garage.
I sold in January 1999 about 3 hours after the ad hit the street. I gave the customer all the service records,and she still bought it.
I sold it for 25,000 about 6,000 more than the dealer would give me.
We bought a 1999 C 280 that has been great,except for the dealer.Recently they replaced the windshield and left the interior covered in black dust with glass shareds on the mats.
In July we bought our 1991 560 SEC from them.They said they did a134 point check on the car. Just out of there 30 day warranty the front breaks went. 1,000 miles since there so called check and the brakes were worn out.
In four years I have bought 3 cars from this same dealer. Well never again.The SEC has such low milage,and is in such great condition that I couldn`t resist. But never again from this dealer.
There Service Dept. has been repeatedly terrible,they use a shawalla to wash cars!!!!
I can get parts cheaper and quicker from Caliber Motors in California,3000 miles away!!!!!!!!!

I`ve heard Kia has great service and a 100,000 mile warranty!
John

It`s a rotateing scruber attached to a rod which in turn is attached to a garden hose. The thing scratches like crazy. It`s advertised on TV.

They have standing orders not to wash the outside of my cars.

John

In my most humble opinion and theory. This is what happened (is happening) with the harness. In the late 80s there was a large push by environmental concerns primarily in Germany to make more parts of the automobile recyclable, including the harness. You all must have seen the lettering on the plastic parts which identify the type of material (PA-GF) etc. What has most likely happened is the compounds used in the insulation were changed to allow the plastics to be removed from the copper wiring chemically in some sort of vat. I am sure there was lots of testing prior to the release of the new wire but something was missed obviously. I have no proof of this, it is just a theory but it all adds up.

Problems in the vehicle due to the harness defect vary greatly. Misfire, damage to control units and actuators etc. If you even suspect a bad harness replace it, the HFM, TT/LLR, EGAS units are expensive. BTW, the short harness to the throttle actuators also often exhibit the insulation failures.

As far as the automaker.....there is no way in hell that anything will be published by them officially, putting them on the hook for millions of dollars in repairs and bad press. Push them to sell you the harness at the absolute bottom line price, even at cost if you can. Install it yourself. On a 104 motor it takes less than an hour.

how long does it really take
 

an hour? the dealer quotes 2.5 and my indy 3.5. the list price on the part is $516. i got a break on the part through my indy as he probably gets some kind of special pricing through his connections. is this really a DIY job? i'd love to do it and save a few bucks but i threw my back out a couple of weeks ago and i can't spend any time under the hood these days...

As the guy who started this thread, I say again....
 

that this whole thing is just hilarious. This last post just bears it out even more. 2.5 hours at a franchised dealer to install the thing is not really that bad, considering that many shops in the system charge up to 8 HOURS! This is reason for my anger in the first place, and hence the title of this thread--SCAM continues. By offering you the harness under goodwill, they force you to take their labor--which according to dealers, NJ or various customers is A: the dealers sole discretion B: NJ's sole discretion or C: however much they can get by with until you scream. In my last case my dealer charged me 7.7 hours. Delaerships have large investments and should make money. But any honest tech can tell you that this install takes an experienced tech about 50 minutes.

Daimler Benz: We don't make automobiles. We just make money.

hilarious?
 

and MB is laughing all the way to the bank.

they get you either way. 8 hrs @$78/hr is still about $700 with tax etc if the part is offered gratis. it's costing me about the same with my part discount and all...

NOW you are getting the picture!!
 

Becomes clearer!....

My experience is that the dealer is as important as the manufacturer in the relationship. I am one of those who has had to contend with ongoing woes from a '92 300TE 4matic (89,000mi). My dealer has been courteous and reasonable throughout, negotiating on my behalf with MBUSA on certain aspects of repairs. The latest was a transfer case failure about 1 year after a transfer case replacement. The first replacement was partially covered by MBUSA and/or the dealer. My share was not small but I saved about $1000. The second repair was done essentially the same way, with a smaller share for me, given the relatively short time since the last repair (but it was still more than a year). One of the things that bears on this is that I have bought 10 or 11 cars from the same dealership over the last 17 years. When I insist that my loyalty be reciprocated, they usually respond. But they do have an overall attitude that the customer is important, and I keep going back precisely because of the service department. Many dealers should learn from this as a way to increase their overall business instead of making one-shot sales to customers who will not return. And MBUSA should learn too that the way they can gain repeat business is to earn it by standing behind their products. They ought to look at every satisified customer as an auxiliary saleperson.

jsmith,

Take a look at the thread I started to try to find out if my harness had been changed:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?postid=127615&t=1654#post127615

I went to my local dealer and had them run a "Vehicle Master Inquiry" report. This item came up under the "Campaigns" section. The service advisor just told me on the phone that if the repair hadn't been done that the printout would show it as open(mine says closed). This would give you some additional leverage with them if you get the report and it shows that they ran an active campaign but yours is still open. Maybe you've been down this path, but it's an idea.

Clarifying questions, please...
 

Precisely what years and what models are affected by the wiring harness problem? Is it only cars built from 1992 to 1995?

Also, if the plastic sheathing on the harness in back of the engine is falling apart and disintegrating, should the plastic sheathing be replaced? If so, can I buy an inexpensive sheathing that is slit along its entire length to use as a replacement sheathing (instead of the expensive sheathing from MB which is not slit, and probably therefore difficult to install)?

Thanks very much for any help.

Mike

We have a 1996 C220, when I went to our dealer/service department I was told the wiring harness alone as in with out labor and before taxes would be over $1000. I was afraid to ask what it would total with installation. My husband is checking to see if we can fall under the goodwill policy, but I don't have high hopes.

TMWing

TMWing,
I don't think your year model is affected. The cost for W124 harnesses is in the $500 range. How was your car diagnosed to have this problem?

Saguaro2000,
Not sure what sheathing you are talking about. The wiring harness is a bundle of wires that is sheathed in a tough fabric tape. The problem with the wires is in the individual insulation which gets brittle and falls off.

JSmith, Thanks for the reply. My harness is encased in a piece of thin plastic tubing, which is now very brittle and actually falling apart at the tough. It does not have tough tape around it. I am wondering if I should replace the thin tubing to protect the wires and their insulation.

My car is a '90 300CE. Does that mean that I have avoided the harness problem? Thanks again.

Mike

jsmith

We were having a starting problem, which we are still having. I went in to buy a OVP replacement. When I was explaining my problem to the mechanic he said to replace the OVP and if the problem continued to replace the harness, since they were cause similar problems. Now that we have replaced the OVP our car started great for about a week, now it doesn't want to start again. Not sure what else it could be....

TMWing--yes, unfortunately....
 

you are in the group. It affects cars all the way up to the 98MY (when the V6 was phased in). The two most frequent symptoms are recurring check engine light and difficulty in starting. Sorry! But as the originator of this thread about two months ago, it still holds true--

"Wiring Harness Scam continues--this stinks"..

And it still does.
allen

S'2000,
someone posted sometime back that this started in '92 as a result of switching to a different insulation material for the wires which unfortunately does not stand up well to heat and time. the sheath itself is not at issue although in your case you would probably do well to replace it if it is crumbling. i think one would use a heat resistant wrap for this purpose. i do not know how it is in your 300CE but the harness runs all over the engine, that's why it is a time consuming though not difficult job.

JSmith, thank you very much.

Just had the W124 harness replaced
 

Thanks to all you guys here on this forum, I think I got an okay deal.

I've read some horror stories here, so I was armed with stuff when I took it to the dealer.

Asked for a courtesy part, but told the Service Advisor that I was aware of the game dealers are playing and that I wasn't going to pay 7 hours labor for something that takes 50 - 70 minutes to replace.

The bill ended up $579.00+tax.

I understand that the part lists for $600.

Of course a lot of bogus "checked trouble codes, reset, checked indicated components." Funny, though they charged me to check them, (EGR and Oxygen sensor,) they didn't indicate in the "comments" section of the bill that they needed replacement, because the light is back on, and when I checked the codes, (thanks, suginami) they were the same two shown on the bill.

All they put in "comments" was that my wiper didn't fit right.

Anyway, thanks guys. You probably saved me $500!

cameronscott@drumcorpsmail.com

On scam:
 

BTW:

I called the dealer to set an appointment. She asked what I needed, and I told her that I needed to get the wiring harness on my 94 E320 replaced. That was it.

On the estimate, it said, "wiring harness brittle, check-engine light on..." I never told her either thing, and she acted as though she'd never heard about the issue!

I bet she's never heard of the Roswell Incident, either! :lol:

Ah, I love a happy ending!

For what it's worth, Phil here at Partsshop charges $405.50 for a 400E harness. I plan to have mine done in the next few months but do NOT plan to take it to the dealer. My independent tech said it'd take about 2 hours to install. Sounds like a gamble to go the dealership route to me.

drumcorp,

to add value to this thread maybe you can post the name / location of the dealership where you successfully got the service.

FWIW RAY CATENA of NJ refused to perform the service with any kind of courtesy break for me. i did come to them armed with forum documentation but they took the hard line that maybe if i was the original owner and had regular service performed by the dealership, so in my case it was a firm NO! :(

I had this doen recently to my '92 400E. The past postings of the degradation of the wiring harness was exactly the same. Brought to the dealer. I was hoping they would do something about it but, did not. So, I just bought the wiring harness from the internet about $383 (it includes tax). Brought to a indepedent mechanic and had it done. The dealer did not want give me any courtesy probably due, to the fact I stopped going to the dealer about 5-7 yrs ago. Oh, I take that back. I did go back once, about two years ago but, the estimate for fixing my car was around $4500+ for things I am sure I did not need replacing. Brought to a mechanic I trusted. The problems I were resolved $450 later. I don't trust or care much for any kind of MB dealer.

Harness
 

Can you tell me where you Purchased your harness on the web. davecancu_99@yahoo.com my quotes have all be over $500.00

These harness's fail....period. In most cases a reputable indy can get you handled for about the same as the "goodwill" labor money. However, for whats its worth, Leith is pretty reasonable about it from what I've heard, somewhere around $300.00 if the car is under 100k and has least had some dealer service done.


One point I've yet to see mentioned is this, goodwill warrenty is just that, goodwill. If you use the dealer service dept., aren't a PITA about it and are reasonable in your request, they can "offer" goodwill providing you participate in the costs of repair. However, most people aren't into dealer service with a older car due to the econimics.


There is no firm policy on this and in most cases actually lies within the whims of the DSM. It used to be the DSM had to sign off on "goodwill" claims in order for the dealer to get paid.



Joe

I have seen wiring harnesses fail on 11 engines also. Similar symptoms, same fault (cracking insulation)

sorry, thats 111 engines

lack of m/b dealer coperation on recalls
 

To all concerned. You all have the option of small claims court against dealers that do not cooperate. Why afraid to taker this action? Some time spent, and may result in dealer (or M/b) taking your complaint to heart. A publized claim (complaint) will get action! Good luck Abe G PS been there!

Since this is a potential safety issue (stalling in traffic) I took my complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), who have the power to force a recall. Here's a link to their on-line form:

NHTSA Complaint Form

I believe if enough owners complain, there may be some action taken by NHTSA. After all, numbers speak. When filling out the form, don't forget to stress the safety aspect of the complaint. They're not interested in monetary issues.

what are you complaining about???
 

you are all in good hands so it seems.. i took my 94 e320 to phil smarts in seattle and didnt only get a strong no.. the total bill was quoted at 1500 dollars!. obviously i didnt fix it and am living with the same harness to this day:mad:

I replaced my wiring harness last night, and for anyone with some patience and wrench experience its not bad.

OM606
Remove intake manifold- and clean!
Remove old harness and install new one, you don't even have to route through the firewall. There was an extra plug on mine, someone had cut it off the old wiring harness.