S Class problems/queries

[mr. shr]

Hi All,
Well I've had my W220 (S430 year 2000) for a couple of months now so I've been out and about in it quite a bit (only really drive it a few times a month)

Anyway, I've used it enough to find out it has a couple of problems. Thought I would list them here to see if anyone might have some suggestions before I go and speak to my indy or stealer:

1) Headlamps; it has Xenos but it seems the beams are aiming right in front of the car (i.e. not lighting up a sufficient distance ahead of the car). My W208 (CLK320) also had Xenon and they were brilliant (quite literally). I could see the whole road up ahead on unlit country lanes, by my S Class just seems to light up the road immeadiately in front of the car and not give me the distance I got on the CLK.
Anyway, can the level be adjusted by me or Indy or Stealer? I understand Xenos are supposed to be self leveling. Does that mean they can't be altered?

2) Climate control; when I select a temperature (eg. 22 deg both sides) warm air comes out of the vents to begin with, but then after a short time, it starts spitting out cooler air. Not really cold air, just cool air, to the point that you feel cold inside the car. So then, I turn the temp up to compensate. The cycle continues and before long, the display is reading 28 or 29 degs and you are still not very warm.
Any ideas on how to sort this? Is it a common fault with a simple solution?

3) Heated rear screen; I noticed yesterday that the heated screen doesn't seem to be working. The little red light came on in the button but the screen didn't clear. Could this be a fuse? I haven't had a chance to check the fuses yet. I'll do that tomorrow if it's likely to be a cause?

Any input on any of the abovt would be a great help?
Many thanks.
shr.

[Geoff2]

Originally Posted by mr. shr

Hi All,
Well I've had my W220 (S430 year 2000) for a couple of months now so I've been out and about in it quite a bit (only really drive it a few times a month)

2) Climate control; when I select a temperature (eg. 22 deg both sides) warm air comes out of the vents to begin with, but then after a short time, it starts spitting out cooler air. Not really cold air, just cool air, to the point that you feel cold inside the car. So then, I turn the temp up to compensate. The cycle continues and before long, the display is reading 28 or 29 degs and you are still not very warm.
Any ideas on how to sort this? Is it a common fault with a simple solution?

Many thanks.
shr.

I too have recently purchased an S Class 320 and had the same problem. It is sorted by popping out the two auto buttons and rotating them so the white light is at 3 O'clock. This open the top and bottom air vents to warm air, mine was set on bottom only. Then push the button back in.

[mr. shr]

Originally Posted by Geoff2

I too have recently purchased an S Class 320 and had the same problem. It is sorted by popping out the two auto buttons and rotating them so the white light is at 3 O'clock. This open the top and bottom air vents to warm air, mine was set on bottom only. Then push the button back in.

Thanks for that, I'll give it a try.

But I thought that if the two buttons are pushed in, it puts the system in to Auto mode, and so it doesn't make a difference what position the dials are in? My understanding is that if in Auto mode, the vents and temperature are automatically adjusted according the to the temperatures set on the display.

I appreciate the suggestion, and will try it out.

Thanks again.

[mr. shr]

Update:
I've been to the Stealers and they have suggested that my airmatic pump is on it's way out and so the front of the car is not quite at the right height. Therefore, the headlights are pointing down to compensate. Will cost about 500 pounds for a new pump plus how ever long it takes to fit.

But while we were there, they checked the number on the back of my instrument cluster and confirmed that it was on their list of recalled units.
So they changed it for me for free. I wasn't expecting this. I didn't even mention the cluster or the recall that I'd read about here. They told me about it.
Some of the lights on the new cluster are different. For example, the parking break is no longer the little red circle with an exclamation mark in the middle. It's now comes up with the words, 'parking break.'
The engine light is no longer a light with an engine type picture, it's the words, 'check engine.'
Don't really like these changes, but not worth crying over.

But I've noticed some differences in the actual menus. For instance, the old on used to tell me the amount of fuel in the tank and the range of miles I had left. Now it ONLY tells me the range and not the contents.
Also, I now get a digital readout of the car's speed which I didn't have before.
One of the options is to fold the mirrors in when I lock the car. I set this to active, but the mirrors do not fold in when I lock the car, so my car obviously doesn't support this. The option shouldn't really be there in my opinion, but hay ho!!
There are other similar differences. The changes are minimal but I suppose I can live with it.

Anyway, just thought I'd mention the free instrument cluster as I know there is or was an issue for some people convincing the stealer that there's a recall.

Interestingly though, I asked the service manager bloke, is this new cluster covered for 2 years under warranty? (Like any other parted fitted by Benz).
He said no, cos I didn't pay for it, I am not entitled to the 2 year warranty.

This surprises me. Maybe I should have refused the new cluster and waited for my existing one to fail, and then claimed on the recall?

Anyway, just thought I'd share my experience.

[richard]

Originally Posted by mr. shr

Update:
Some of the lights on the new cluster are different. For example, the parking break is no longer the little red circle with an exclamation mark in the middle. It's now comes up with the words, 'parking break.'
The engine light is no longer a light with an engine type picture, it's the words, 'check engine.'
Don't really like these changes, but not worth crying over.

But I've noticed some differences in the actual menus. For instance, the old on used to tell me the amount of fuel in the tank and the range of miles I had left. Now it ONLY tells me the range and not the contents.
Also, I now get a digital readout of the car's speed which I didn't have before.
One of the options is to fold the mirrors in when I lock the car. I set this to active, but the mirrors do not fold in when I lock the car, so my car obviously doesn't support this. The option shouldn't really be there in my opinion, but hay ho!!
There are other similar differences. The changes are minimal but I suppose I can live with it.

All of those items are actually coded in software. Dealers can change some of them, but not all of them.

I suspect some of these settings got lost/changed as the new cluster was fitted. I also suspect someone previously has specifically enabled the 'fuel contents in tank feature; as I dont think that has ever been turned on by default.

The folding mirror menu needs new door controllers to make it work .. (or the menu turning off!)

My suspicion is that the new cluster has been set up as a different country to the old one (i.e UK or Rest-of-world) resulting in the word symbols instead of the picture symbols. Although I can't recall which country does what and you need to be careful with UK mode incase you lose the ability to display temperature on the screen all the time (and get the digital km/h speed)

Which dealer is this ? (so everyone knows how to get clusters changed without a fight)

R