I have a 1998 E320W that I have three repeating issues with.

1st the windscrean smears very badly in light rain (bloody dangerous at night. The dealer has replaced blades 4 times and washer fluid twice. They tell me that is all they can do. (I have never had the car in a car wash)

Second, Automatic Climate control either blows too cold or too hot. The dealer says that they cannot find a problem. They say that by keeping the temp at 72 I am confusing the system.

Third the ASC light comes on once in awhile. It goes off when I turn the car off. The dealer cannot find a problem.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Is the dealer that you are taking the car to very large in service volume? I have seen that low volume dealers are somewhat slow to be current on occasion.

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Benzmac:
ASE CERTIFIED MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN
LEAD TECHNICIAN FOR 14 BAY FACILITY
MERCEDES SPECIALIST 8 YRS
PARTNER IN MERCEDESSHOP.COM

As far as the windshield is concerned, here's what I would do:

1) Thoroughly clean the windshield with windshield stripping paste, Bon-Ami or toothpaste (paste not jel). You need something that is very mildly abrasive to remove the film that is there.

2) Next clean the windshield with rubbing alcohol or Windex. Always buff the windshield with a perfectly dry paper towel after cleaning it to prevent streaking.

3) Thoroughly clean your windshield wiper with Windex or alcohol. Clean your wiper each time you fuel your car to maintain it. You can just use a moist towel at the gas station.

4) For a final touch. Look for a product called "Vision Blade". And apply every 3 or 4 months.

5) Change your wiper blade each spring.

This process totally solved my smearing windshield on my E430.
Good luck.


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'98 E430
MBCA-Peachtree

The automatic climate control is designed to be set at any comfortable setting & left there. The whole idea is that you don't have to reset the temperature all of the time. There is a sensor in the dome lamp area that is responsible for most of the temperature corrections, possibly it isn't doing the "job"!! Are you using the "EC" mode alot?

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MERCEDES BENZ MASTER GUILD TECHNICIAN
ASE MASTER TECHNICIAN
27 YEARS M.B. TECH

I have only gone to EC mode when the interior cools too much with the AC. I have now figured out that if I move the temperature to 80 the AC finally shuts down.

The dealer (the largest in ST. Louis) is trying but just can't get it.

I'll bet the In-car temp. sensor isn't sending the correct info to the a/c pushbutton control unit!!

Bill, what's "windshield stripping paste," or "Bon-Ami"? Where would you get it?

The Bon Ami can be found at any supermarket(Kroger) or department store(Walmart). It will be in with the kitchen/bathroom cleaners. You should be able to find the winshield paste at Pep Boys. It will either be by the cleaning/detailing supplies or right next to the winshield wipers.

Hope this helps...Lee

I bought the windshield stripping paste in the windshield wiper section at Pep Boys (an auto specialty store). It comes in a tube like tooth paste and is marketed under the name "Wiper Mates". This same company also makes a "pen" that renews the graphite on your wiper. This particular product works ok but doesn't last very long.
Bon-Ami is a general purpose kitchen cleaner that can be found in any grocery store. You will find it in the same section as Comet, Ajax, etc. Bon-Ami is a very old product that your grandmother used to use.
Once you remove the film on your windshield by using one of these products, you won't have to resort to such drastic cleaning efforts for a long time ( unless you wax your windshield at an automated car wash ).

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'98 E430
MBCA-Peachtree