Sadly, everything is coded after 2003, so it is not like you can get on Fleabay to buy a TCU for $80 bucks. The only way is to buy one of these aftermarket MB car testers that can read the old code, and recode the used part. Those testers are $6k to $10k..

One has to just bend-over. Wait till you have a car with a 722.9 Transmission everything is the low four figures. Your suspension is in the Low four figures per wheel every 70k to 100k...

several W140's S600's are looking mighty cheap before a single W220.

Stay under 2002

Martin

I absolutely LOVE my '97 CL600. I couldn't ask for a better automobile. I was getting a haircut yesterday and when I came out a black lady was sitting on the steps in front of the car. She wouldn't stop raving about how good looking my car was. I've never got that kind of praise ever on a car! Of course the full size coupe is pretty remarkable.
Anziani

Classic W220 problem.......the reed valve is most likely plugged solid. The water that runs down the windshield rises and gets into the cabin via the fresh air intake. I'll bet the blower motor is wet too. The water gets under the RF floor carpet and runs all the way to the rear SAM/fuse box under the RR seat. Get the seats and carpet removed and see what else got wet............

Remembering that I live in the desert and hardly ever see rain, I ask how do enough leaves get in the engine compartment to plug anything up? They certainly can't come in through the grill and the underside of my last three Mercedes engine bays have been pretty well sealed.
Anziani
'97 CL600 56K

I will have to look up how to remove the rear seat and check under it for water. The door locks and door close assist do not work, either. It seems to be a common MB issue where the pump motor burns out and needs to be replaced. I should have no trouble finding a used replacement for that, though. After I check that power is getting to the pump at all.

__________________
1991 F250 super-cab 7.3 IDI. (rebuilt by me) Banks Sidewinder turbo, hydroboost brakes, new IP and injectors.
2003 S430 - 107K
1983 300SD - Tanoshii - mostly restored ~400K+.
1983 300SD - Good interior. Engine finally tamed ~250K.
Monark Nozzle Install Video - http://tinyurl.com/ptd2tge

The leaves seem to enter through the cowl and get washed down by rain; clogging the drain. We had a lot of rain this year, so I can see how this happened. I got the impression the TCU incident happened sometime in the spring or early summer and the PO stopped driving the car once it went into limp mode.

Since I am paying the tech $500 to spend 5 minutes plugging in a TCU, I hope he has the decency to at least clean the drain out. I'm not sure if there was a recall for this but I asked my service adviser to check into it.

__________________
1991 F250 super-cab 7.3 IDI. (rebuilt by me) Banks Sidewinder turbo, hydroboost brakes, new IP and injectors.
2003 S430 - 107K
1983 300SD - Tanoshii - mostly restored ~400K+.
1983 300SD - Good interior. Engine finally tamed ~250K.
Monark Nozzle Install Video - http://tinyurl.com/ptd2tge

I beleive the door lock pump is also coded to the car

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Damn. Hopefully it is not a circuit board issue, then.

__________________
1991 F250 super-cab 7.3 IDI. (rebuilt by me) Banks Sidewinder turbo, hydroboost brakes, new IP and injectors.
2003 S430 - 107K
1983 300SD - Tanoshii - mostly restored ~400K+.
1983 300SD - Good interior. Engine finally tamed ~250K.
Monark Nozzle Install Video - http://tinyurl.com/ptd2tge

I want to add closure to this thread, so my status with this car is as follows. The dealer replaced the TCU and re-coded several of the other computer systems on the car. $1100 later and the car is driving nicely so I can focus on the smaller issues like the air bag sensor, PSE system, missing brake pad wear sensor wire, and new tires.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions here!

__________________
1991 F250 super-cab 7.3 IDI. (rebuilt by me) Banks Sidewinder turbo, hydroboost brakes, new IP and injectors.
2003 S430 - 107K
1983 300SD - Tanoshii - mostly restored ~400K+.
1983 300SD - Good interior. Engine finally tamed ~250K.
Monark Nozzle Install Video - http://tinyurl.com/ptd2tge