I took too long editing my typo's & so couldn't post - this was the edited version!!
I am so glad my old W124 is none electronic . Mercedes have you over a barrel .Most new parts will need programing .Still your getting there bit at a time .
Agreed on that and adding to that point; with having the car on the diagnostic, I noticed the car's PSE (air pump in the boot) was bleating about a timeout on the boot closure mech. When I was originally viewing the car, the seller said "It's not got soft-close!". I remember thinking "that was odd?" but I thought nothing more.
A minute later, I noticed that the panel gap on the boot was wider toward the bumper that it was toward the roof, I asked him about that & he just said he'd never noticed...I ended up moving the hasp a little later to line it all up properly - but I shook have clicked then but I didn't.
So now, with that DTC in the diagnostic, I wondered if he'd lied. I called the main dealer to check & get a quote. Whilst I suspect they all have it, turned out mine definitely has it. So the seller bullish*ted me, explains the panel gap issue (I'll have to reverse that when I fix the boot actuator. There was a few more lies in the listing text (in Autotrader) which didn't stop me buying the car but now, I should have added it all up!
230 boot actuators are prone to air leaks & can be repaired, a new actuator is circa £300 (fume)... So again, agreed your original comment re. electricals. I'd like to just order a new part as fixing them, whilst technically easy, is messy (typically done with epoxy & then the repairs may not last) but I've spent soooo much money bringing this car back, I want a break from the money I've poured into it. It's at the wheel reformers now & when it's back, I still have a new rear calliper to fit on as that's another little easter egg the previous owner broke (piston was broken when he "refurbished" the brakes - but after breaking the ceramic ring on the piston, he just reassembled the broken piston, and then the pads - which was causing a lot of squeaking (& could have been very dangerous)... I'd bought new pads prematurely so I caudal fix the squeaking for myself once & for all & on starting with the rears (being easier than the fronts) that's when I noticed broken piston (I really struggled to compress it - unlike the other side which retracted easily).
On a positive note; I'd been struggling to get the set the time (clock) that's on top of the dashboard (basically by enabling an option, on the car's MFD / dash) because the former owner had removed "Command" & not given it me with the car (fume), replacing it with a Pioneer CarPlay unit. So setting the time on the dash-clock was no longer possible - except for pulling the battery power & restoring it @ 12:00noon - quite annoying (to me anyway..).
Reading a forum post somewhere, somebody said that it's possible with Star in "Developer mode". So on that note; I asked a specialist with SDS to do it for me, providing him with instructions from the poster & well, he couldn't do it even with the instructions (& somehow my reverse gear passenger mirror-drop function stopped working after that which I initially thought was actually the battery being pulled & replaced - for my setting the time & yes, I'd gone through the store function - def. stopped working - it was actually his SDS session that did it). Anyway, I then asked if I could pay the Merc dealer to do it - but they sent me packing.
So after trying a few other leads which turned out to be dead-ends and that I'd been unable to secure my own SDS from a diagnostics equipment seller (2 weeks of excuses after I'd paid for it so I just asked for a refund), I researched a non-Merc specific / generic all brands (but still half-decent) diagnostic for general stuff (my daily is an much more modern Audi) and wouldn't you know it, I was able to do it with that (plus some other changes too & fix the reverse mirror thing too) really easily. I was really pleased - taking the battery off annoys me for all sorts of reasons plus it's a little risky with the BCM in the R230.
So If anyone reads this & needs to have the set their clock function on their MFD when they no longer have Command & are in the Cheshire area, I'll happily do it for you (for free!). It's only a small thing but god, so annoying. I'm also going to turn off the "Nav" function on the MFD as it serves no purpose & removes a button push when traversing the car's menu's. May do the same for "Phone" as well plus pull the fuse for the module (these can sometimes hang & cause parasitic battery drain).
The CD changer behind passenger plus the comand-nav DVD rom/player/drive is still in the boot whirring away are both redundant too - so I may research how to de-power those, preserving originality of course (so leave them there & wiring left dis-abused).
Also!! Noticed the drivers wing mirror (which tints when a car with lights is behind at night) *may* be leaking - noticed a funny looking mark through the glass at the bottom. So I gt a quote - just for that glass £325!! CHOKE! Last one too (ever - they're not maufacturing it any more) so I think I'd like to get a used one for that - albeit, it's not gone yet.
I’m literally starting it now - so your timing couldn’t have been any better!
Noticed on drivers seat under a cloth (fume) hey ho! 
