W204 electrical gremlin help

[Mikerileyw204]

hi guys
Sold my Bmw last week and have always wanted a w204 since my prevouse job before going self employed having one as a company car.

Found mine c200 cdi sport in black good miles perfect on bodywork private sale, went to view it tiny bit of negotiation and it was mine! Last night had to travel 60 miles and went straight away in mercedes, half way there had stereo headlights heaters etc on, and headlights went extremely dim. Then when I pulled over wouldn't turn off, the blue main beam light was on instead of the green headlights, even though they weren't on. Traction control not working came on, wipers stopped working. Had to bring it back on fog lights and they kept flickering,

Put a new battery on today hoping it would solve it, went to come home in dark same thing dash flickering and the brake lights came on and won't turn off, even with key out and car locked!
So had to come home and explain to wife iv been "had"

Has any one any idea what it can be I am slightly mechanically minded which also makes me fully aware what a auto Sparky costs! I don't really have to time or money to be sending it in
Preclude owner phone off!

Car is a 2008 c200 cdi sport
Any help is really appreciated

 

[Dec]

This is a W204?

Might be the front SAM, you could spend money on diagnostics or you could take a chance on a used unit from e bay… https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.TRS0&_nkw=w204+front+sam&_sacat=0

That’s just a guess but a lot of those faults will be relate to the front SAM.

Dec

 

[Mikerileyw204]

Cheers Dec
I'm thinking exactly the same I'm just trying to see if they are coded

 

[Dec]

I think, on a W202, you can just stick it in and it works, not sure about a W204, the sellers on e bay may know, if you can contact them.

You would need to look at yours to get the part number (Take pictures) and while you are at it have a good look for Green corrosion/signs of damp/poor connections on the connection plugs, maybe you might get lucky.


Dec

 

[Mikerileyw204]

I had a discovery do the same sort of electrical gremlins a few years ago and that was body control module, which is the same thing as Sam from what I can tell. Didn't need to be coded as long as you got the same part code I wonder if it's the same.
Im not working tommorow, so will get tools
Out and remove it, have a look for water ingress and have some circuit cleaner to hand.
Will update if find anything

 

[Dec]

The have circuit boards inside them too, there is so much electronic stuff inside them its not surprising there are always some kind of fault going on.


See… w204 front sam corrosion - Google Search


Dec

 

[Mikerileyw204]

Well I'm now 90 percent sure it's water ingress in the front Sam, just removed it, not a terrible job little bit fiddly, but there's a lot of oxidisation on relays, and board.
Iv attempted cleaning it, with lots of circuit cleaner, blowing it out, it's currently sat on dash board of one of my recovery trucks with heaters on drying (leant heat gun out!)
Will assemble shortly and see if it's helped.
Taken lots of pics but can't work out how to upload them

 

[Dec]

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Go to time line 12.34 seconds in video above, it explains how to Drag & Drop.

If you can get the pictures on to your Desktop or in your Picture folder on your computer you can then drag them into the text box to post them.


Dec

 

[Mikerileyw204]

Well and this is unbelievable bad luck...
Fitted it all back in everything working as should ... YES!!!!

Took it on a test run to make sure all ok... went to pull out of a junction and BANG
Gearbox gone... ran it to a mates garage hoping would be something cheap as sounded like prop had dropped out a bit , and no sounds more like main bearing gone in box!!!!!!
Left it there on way back for it in one of my recovery trucks, to take it to a speacilist been quoted 300 to 750 and any where in between they won't know till it's there.
Massive clunking noise gets deeper higher the gear don't think Mercedes ownership is for me if I'm honest iv always had bmws and never had a fault with one

 

[Dec]

That’s some bad luck, two faults so close together. I hope it’s not as bad as you think it is.

Dec

 

[Mikerileyw204]

So do I really do it's loaded on truck and going first thing in morning.
Will update tommorow hopefully with a verdict

 

[Dec]

Good luck tomorrow.

Dec

 

[Wolfie1]

Now, depending how the for sale ad was worded you may be able to get your money back

 

[Mikerileyw204]

It was a private sale and along way away and shockingly now there phone off.
It's been at gearbox speaciilists since Saturday got the dreaded phone call yesterday with a price, second gear was shredded (no teeth) and 2 bearings had gone with a couple of other worn bits ,
I do actually deal with them a bit and at a bit of a discount £550 for box re conning not terrible as a second hand box was 450, and at least I know now this a good one.
Going to pick car up in a hour so see how it goes! Now I just need to work out how I make the auxilllery louder on stereo! (My only gripe with car when first bought it )

 

[Yugguy]

Aux volume is on the Comand screen, Audio, Aux, then Audio, Sound.

 

[Mikerileyw204]

No think it's the basic crappy one

Got it back and it's driving well, still nervous or the front fuse box (Sam) and I'm not totally in Love with the car just hoping I grow to like it as at the moment don't hqv much choice lol

 

[Smart320]

Hope it now proves to be reliable and you grow to love it. Just to cheer you up I paid top price for a 2007 low mileage ML with FMBSH from a second hand dealer and last week it cost me £ 750 for 6 new glow plugs and two wheel sensors at an MB Indi . This is only 3 months and 2000 miles after buying it, so I think the cost of your reconn gearbox sounds very reasonable, at least it should drive nicely now.