W211 E55 boot opening problem

[GreetMe]

Hello.

I've got a strange boot opening problem on my W211 E55. The boot opens fine with the release button in the cabin, the button on the fob or the handle when the metal key is inserted. But the boot handle doesn't work to open the boot when the rest of the car is unlocked.

Am I doing something wrong or is it just a failed microswitch? (I can hear the microswitch clicking when I press the handle so it sounds like it's doing something.)

Thanks.

 

[John]

I only ever use the button on the fob to open my boot normally so I had to test this.

If I walk up to the car, unlock it from the fob and then try the boot handle, it opens the boot.

So I don't think you are doing anything wrong if the boot doesn't open when you try that.

As to the cause - it sounds like it has been set that way in COMAND but I don't recall seeing that setting.

I'd have a shifty in the manual (in the fold down armrest in the back seat normally) to see if it something you can set...

 

[GreetMe]

Thanks John.

That's what I'd expect to happen: you unlock the whole car with the fob and then the handle opens the boot.

I had a look through the manual and the bit about the boot was very strangely-worded which made me think that maybe there was a setting that I didn't know about. I haven't had chance to sit in the car and look through the settings yet.

 

[GreetMe]

I've been doing some reading. There are quite a lot of instances of this happening on the W211 and the cases I'm reading about seem to indicate a problem with the wiring loom to the boot. But when this is the culprit the release switch in the cabin and the fob button don't work either. My release switch and fob button both work.

Is this my introduction to the wonderful world of Mercedes W211 electrical systems?

 

[developer]

I've been doing some reading. There are quite a lot of instances of this happening on the W211 and the cases I'm reading about seem to indicate a problem with the wiring loom to the boot. But when this is the culprit the release switch in the cabin and the fob button don't work either. My release switch and fob button both work.

Is this my introduction to the wonderful world of Mercedes W211 electrical systems?

Hello C, did Stratstone supply any warranty, just in case you get the gremlins?

 

[GreetMe]

They offered me one but it was £1000 and one of the conditions was that I take the car back to Manchester for any work needed. I declined.

 

[developer]

They offered me one but it was £1000 and one of the conditions was that I take the car back to Manchester for any work needed. I declined.

And I would have done too - not exactly helpful.

 

[GreetMe]

They offered me a different warranty (Abraxas?) which would have allowed me to take it to any Stratstone franchise but that was almost double the price.

 

[TDE1]

C, have you pursued the Warranty Direct avenue? It won't be retrospective, but may be worth a look.

I tried my boot earlier, and seems ok thank goodness. Incidentally, does yours have the lazybutton inside the boot lid that closes it? Maybe they all do

 

[John]

The supplying dealer has to provide a minimum of 3 months cover by law I understand...

Two other things cross my mind.

Firstly, if this is related to the wiring loom, is yours the one with the manually-fitted wiring loom (mesh grill) or robotically-fitted wiring loom (slatted grill)?

Secondly, is it worth just opening it with the fob each time like I happen to do anyway?

Alternative is getting it to a good inde I suppose but I'm not sure I would bother personally if workarounds are available...

 

[GreetMe]

C, have you pursued the Warranty Direct avenue? It won't be retrospective, but may be worth a look.

I'm undecided about whether to go for a warranty or not. I know that probably sounds like lunacy to some (most?) but I can't make my mind up whether to just stockpile the cash for repairs as I go along and hope for the best or cough up now and then argue with them if/when they try to wriggle out of a claim. The bloke I spoke to was an idiot TBH so it doesn't bode well for their customer service.

I tried my boot earlier, and seems ok thank goodness. Incidentally, does yours have the lazybutton inside the boot lid that closes it? Maybe they all do

No it doesn't; no they don't all have it.

The supplying dealer has to provide a minimum of 3 months cover by law I understand...

Really? Wouldn't I have to prove that the fault existed before I left the dealership though? I'd have a hard time with that I think.

Two other things cross my mind.

Firstly, if this is related to the wiring loom, is yours the one with the manually-fitted wiring loom (mesh grill) or robotically-fitted wiring loom (slatted grill)?

Robotically-fitted (slatted grille).

Secondly, is it worth just opening it with the fob each time like I happen to do anyway?

This is basically what I've decided to do if it doesn't get any worse. I'll investigate properly next time I'm out in it but if it's only the handle that doesn't work then I have two other means of opening it. I'll just get it looked at when it goes in for a service. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing an obvious setting.

 

[TDE1]

WD Customer service isn't outstanding, granted!

So.. given the clement weather we had today... did you manage to fit in a fun drive? Mine is seven months with me now, still raises the old eyebrows

 

[John]

Incidentally, does yours have the lazybutton inside the boot lid that closes it? Maybe they all do

Mine doesn't either - I guess you have the 'comfort close boot lid' or whatever MB call it.

Really? Wouldn't I have to prove that the fault existed before I left the dealership though? I'd have a hard time with that I think.

I mis-construed the situation there. Apparently the car must be of merchantable quality - which is a subjective issue so scratch that!

Robotically-fitted (slatted grille).

I wonder if this is the kind of gremlin that you might get with it...

Might be something really simple to fix on the other hand.

 

[TDE1]

Don't let it panic you GreetMe. Enjoy the drive. You've a lot of car to play with there

 

[GreetMe]

WD Customer service isn't outstanding, granted!

So.. given the clement weather we had today... did you manage to fit in a fun drive? Mine is seven months with me now, still raises the old eyebrows

No, it won't be coming out to play until the weekend now. My girlfriend gets her first go in it: I'm driving her to the airport at about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday so it'll be a good test of the comfort settings. I did the same run a few times in the RS4 and the M5 and she said it was like being onboard an angry animal at that time in the morning.

I wonder if this is the kind of gremlin that you might get with it...

Might be something really simple to fix on the other hand.

Don't let it panic you GreetMe. Enjoy the drive. You've a lot of car to play with there

I'm not panicking... yet.

I knew it was a risk buying one of these.

The RS4 needed a knackered oil line and a boost leak fixing not long after I bought it so it's par for the course really.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

It's not what's in the boot, it's what's under the bonnet pal...

If all else fails, I generally use a big hammer for most car related problems. Not with my current car though...

 

[TDE1]

she said it was like being onboard an angry animal at that time in the morning.

My other half said the same thing at the same time yesterday morning ?

 

[corned]

Before condemning the car, please will you have a quick look into this?

Have you got the 'one touch unlock' enabled or disabled? By that I mean that you can set, via the cluster, to open just the driver's door at the first unlock button press, or the whole car in one go.

If you have it set just to open the driver's door only (and you therefore need to press the unlock button again to open the rest of the doors) then the boot will not open from the catch after only one press. Pressing the unlock button on the fob a second time should then enable this.

If if still won't open from the catch after pressing the unlock button twice, then I believe there is likely a problem somewhere with the catch and its wiring.

 

[GreetMe]

I'm not condemning the car! The whole point of the thread was to find out if it was a setting that needed changing or a fault.

Is this what you mean? (From the manual.)

Individual settings
If you frequently drive alone, you may wish to change the function of the remote control. Pressing the unlock button will then only unlock the driver's door and the fuel filler flap.

Press the unlock and lock buttons simultaneously for about six seconds until battery check lamp 1 flashes twice. The remote control will then function as follows:

Unlocking the driver's door
Press the unlock button once. The turn signals flash once. The locking knob in the door pops up. The anti-theft alarm system is deactivated.

Unlocking the vehicle centrally
Press the unlock button twice. The turn signals flash once. The locking knobs in the doors pop up. The anti-theft alarm system is deactivated.

 

[corned]

I didn't mean that you should go and weigh it in - just don't necessarily condemn it has having a fault until you know it is definitely a fault!

Yes that is the feature I meant, although I forgot that you do it on the fob, not the car.