C200w203 errors and so solution

[Ana]

Hello,

I am sorry to bother you with my problems, but I am almost desperate.. I have had a c200 w203. I know it is 'old', but I have had it since 2010, it has 150 000km, I drove it around Europe over the last 2 years and had no issue with it. It looks great, I always keep it in a garage in winter when it snows and not drive it, the inside/outside is great so why change it?!!
Anyway, over the last 3-4 months I have had a lot of errors coming on my display, with a climax 6 weeks ago. This summer has been extremely wet and rainy where I am, something I have never seen before and the car is outside. 6 weeks ago, on such a day, I drove my car. I had the engine light on (check the engine) for a couple of days, but my mechanic said it was ok so I was going to see him anyway in a couple of days. So, it was raining, and I was driving, AC on. I forgot to mention that a couple of weeks before this incident, my stereo started to act weird. It was turning itself on and off, no light was displayed on it, but it was playing, I was trying to switch it off and, again no light, but then played. And then it switched on by itself. A ltitle bit like King's novel/film, Christine So, I had stopped using it. So, in the rainy day, I decided to put the music on. I was about to go in a couple of days on a longer drive outside the city so I thought, let's see what would happen. After a few kms, I stopped to talk with a friend, we stayed like 10 minutes in the car, engine and AC on, rain, switched off the music. Then I left and 7 or 8 errors appeared on my display. Really scary. I stopped it, switched on and off, and then they disparaged. I drove to a shop, stayed there in the parking around 30-40 minutes, and then when I left no errors. The rain had stopped in the meantime. After less than a km, the errors showed up again. The 'scariest' were the fact that the water engine looked like it was going towards 120C degrees, and the speed meter was going from 20-40/50 kms without me pressing the anything. Also, it was going very difficult from one gear to another one. It is an automatic. Anyway, I stopped it at a traffic light and it did not want to start again. After 5 minutes it did, but it was making a lot of strange sounds, the water was red like 120, so I managed to crawl in the nearest petrol station. Stopped. And it literally did not start.Stayed there like 2 hours. Disconnected the battery for 30 minutes, put in on. Nothing. A guy tried to give me power directly. Nothing. So, I called the guys to take it to the mechanic. He managed to start it up and got all these reports when he scanned it. See attached. He tried to sort it out and he said, after a week, that it found some wet/damp connectors around the gear stick. I don't know exactly where so I may be wrong. I took the car, it went perfect, then in 3 weeks started with EPS and no brakes errors. I took it again, he scanned it, less errors, removed them. He was going on a holiday. I drove it inside the city for 2 weeks, everything perfect, no rain, no errors. Then, on a Sunday it rained like made for 45 minutes. On Monday I left with the car. It started and then it made a strange sound and stopped. I started it again, it went ok. Drove 3 km, stopped for 30 minutes, left the car. Got back in the car, drove 0.5 km, Esp ON, then Brakes, then the engine, the all. Switched it off and on. Everything disappeared. In 5 minutes, everything on. Again, the speed meter was going crazy and so on. Stopped it and didn't want to start again.I was in the middle of a small road. Beg it to start, as I was 500 m from my home. It did, after I kept the key toward the right side for more than 10-15 seconds, slowly drove it home, the water again 120C, red on the display, the gears jumping, if can put it this way, strange sound, as that done by a computer when the fan stars because the computer does too much work (only that this one was louder). Manged to park it. It did not start. I left it in peace. It did start in 5 hours. I started it for the next 5 days and let it run for 5-10 minutes. I did not go away with it. The mechanic came back on Monday so I went to him. 20 kms of beautiful driving. No errors, only the engine light was on. He is still trying to see what is happening.... it usually starts with esp... the wheels are aligned, the direction is ok, but I can say that rain, water etc seems to be a pattern.
I am attaching the pictures. Sorry for such a long post, but I am really frustrated. I trust this chap, he has been dealing with our cars for the last 30 years, never done anything wrong .... only that I am really frustrated that I have a good car that I cannot go anywhere with it .....

Have any of you lived through this?
ps I wanted to say No not so in the title ... it seem I cannot change it

 

[markjay]

C200 CDI (Diesel)?

Or

C200 Kompressor (Petrol)?

And what year? From the dash photos it seems like 2000-2003.

 

[markjay]

On a general note....

A multitude of seemingly-unrelated electrical faults is likely to be one of the following:

Faulty battery (even if it measures 12v)

Bad or corroded earth strap (negative battery pole)

Faulty front Signal Acquisition Module (SAM)

 

[markjay]

The overhearing issue is probably unrelated, most likley causes (if there's no coolant lose) are stuck thermostat of failed water pump or belt.

If the car is also losing coolant then there are other possibilities including failed pressure cap, leak, or failed head gasket.

 

[markjay]

And last... the car needs to be connected to MB STAR diagnostic computer and checked for fault codes.

 

[Ana]

Hello and thank you for your comments. I answered on Saturday but it looks that the message was not posted.
The car is petrol, 2001, it has no mechanical problems, the coolant is ok and it does not lose it etc. My mechanic says that the overhearing issue may be because the car 'believes' it has problems so it behaves as such. The sound is pretty much as that of a computer fan when the computer works too much and the fan starts loudly. Once i switch it off and hopefully one, the sound is no longer present. The battery is 5-6 years old, it tests ok, but yes, it may be faulty. I have already suggested what you told me to my mechanic. We'll see. Excuse my ignorance, but what is a STAR tester. I mean, my mechanic has a kind of tablet-like device, connects it to my MB, inputs the serial of the car and so on and scans it. I attached the picture. Is STAR a particular software? And would it say more things that the ones in the above pictures?

 

[HITECH]

Yes STAR is the Mercedes Dealership diagnostic software. Will it tell u any more than your mechanics software. Most likely it will NOT tell you any more and come up with the same false error codes ( if they are false error codes ). for the age of your car i would save your money for parts if required and not waste it on a STAR diagnostic because in this instance im quite sure it will be a waste of money. It definetely sounds like an earthing problem or water is getting into the control modules or into the ECU itself or all of the things I suggest. The ESP/BAS errors going by the age of your car might not be related and possibly 1 faulty suspension/brake part. Check your boot for water. Pull out all the boot covers and if you come across a pool of water then you have found your fault. Its a long shot but check it. If you are actually losing coolant than take any plastic covers off the bottom of the car and see where it is coming from. Hopefully not an engine core plug or freeze plug as they are more commonly known. I had to get one replaced last week and it was a complete nightmare to get access to then was even more of a nightmare to cut out as it was a recessed threaded plug which screwed into the block unike the typical plugs that are more like just caps and are hammered into place.

Hello and thank you for your comments. I answered on Saturday but it looks that the message was not posted.
The car is petrol, 2001, it has no mechanical problems, the coolant is ok and it does not lose it etc. My mechanic says that the overhearing issue may be because the car 'believes' it has problems so it behaves as such. The sound is pretty much as that of a computer fan when the computer works too much and the fan starts loudly. Once i switch it off and hopefully one, the sound is no longer present. The battery is 5-6 years old, it tests ok, but yes, it may be faulty. I have already suggested what you told me to my mechanic. We'll see. Excuse my ignorance, but what is a STAR tester. I mean, my mechanic has a kind of tablet-like device, connects it to my MB, inputs the serial of the car and so on and scans it. I attached the picture. Is STAR a particular software? And would it say more things that the ones in the above pictures?

 

[Ana]

Hi there,

It seems that every time I want to write the post does not show up.

Anyway, thanks for your kind reply. I will check the boot once it rains. It does not lose coolant or anything, so this is not a problem.
I called the mechanic, he says he has been testing it up and down, reset all the errors, drove it several days to and from home, put a lot of water on it, to create 'rain' (so I get a washed car) several times, for long periods, checked all the cables, in the car, under the bonnet, etc... and he cannot find anything and the car did not show any signs of errors. Checked the battery etc. So I am going to get it tomorrow and see how it goes or until it goes. He did not check the book, I will check it after the first rain.
He said that some drainage wholes under the wipers where blocked and he the unblocked them... but they did not cause any problem when he 'washed' the car. Maybe there is a difference between real rain and washing up the car, even for a lot of time....
So, we'll see until next time what is happening.
Now, I was thinking about something. My car is the old type, like the one in the picture.
I have not paid attention to this before, so I don't know if this is the rule, but now it makes me think.

So, I came to realised lately that the car wouldn't start unless the key is in a particular position. So, if I put the key in one position, and turn it it won't start. I don't know if this is how is has always been, but I remember clearly that before it did not make this problem. I mean, I would get in the car, place the key and start the car. Now, for a couple of months, maybe longer, it happens that sometimes it does not start, I take out the key, turn in in the other position and then it does start.
If this is how it should be, then I must have been very luck for many years to always put the key in the right position and now something is happening to me that every now and then I put it the other way around.
If this should not happen, maybe something is wrong with the key or with or with the ignition or with both and if yes, could this affect the car in such a way as to go completely crazy? The key batteries are ok, they are new and working.

Thank for your help.

 

[Ana]

Hi,

Reading posts to see if the car should work in any position (still did not find an answer to this dilemma) I realised that my little son washed his hands over my key maybe last year or so. I don't remember if was the spare key or the one I always use, but the chances are it was the one I use on a daily basis as he won't have access to the second one. And I was really amazed that it still worked ... I also remember that definitely the last time (two weeks ago) when the car went crazy it did not start from the first attempt. So, could the key or the ignition cause all this havoc?

 

[HITECH]

Very doubtful.

Hi,

Reading posts to see if the car should work in any position (still did not find an answer to this dilemma) I realised that my little son washed his hands over my key maybe last year or so. I don't remember if was the spare key or the one I always use, but the chances are it was the one I use on a daily basis as he won't have access to the second one. And I was really amazed that it still worked ... I also remember that definitely the last time (two weeks ago) when the car went crazy it did not start from the first attempt. So, could the key or the ignition cause all this havoc?

 

[barel]

Hello
can anyone help me with this error please

 

[HITECH]

Hello
can anyone help me with this error please