reverendcolin

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I'm posting this anywhere I can....help
....help
I hope this is the right form... I'm a NUG here (New Useless guy)

I picked up a 98 SLK230 last year and it's been great. A couple small problem like a few dash lights out and the alarm seemed to be intermittent.

It's got 42K on it and hasn't seen a winter to the best of my knowledge.

The other day I decided to take it to work. I jumped in and got to the end of the drive way and turned the windshield washers on...but they didn't work. Nor did the wipers, turn signals, power windows, locks, and I find out the top isn't working either.

I've checked all the fuses and the grounds and find all seems well. I popped the top of the control box to see if anything was loose but all seemed to be find.

I've got a CD with the wiring diagrams but I seem to be overlooking something.

Could it be the control box unit itself? Am I missing some relays

All the fuses are fine. There's power through all the fuses.

The four terminals at the rear left fuse box (eng. compartment)all have power to them (2 all the time) the other two with ignition on.

I followed the wiring harness to the right side under hood to the box that holds the control box, and whatever else is in there. There;s 4 or 5 fuses there and they are fine too.

All the wires seemed to be plugged into three (3) large modules which look like ECU's.

Are there breakers or modules in these boxes that can be checked?

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Colin

etyu

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battery or the alternator?

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Eddy

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Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package
Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, (
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Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, Mod. R170 ant., EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, bilateral rear fog lamps enabled.

DansSlk

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Have you had a chance to check the battery condition? Voltage with the car shut off and with the engine running.

I would have thought that if there was insufficient power however then the engine would have failed before the turn signals.

Are any of these functioning again now or have they failed and remained dead?

These are a few things on the 170 prone to failure but the things your having problems with are all located in different control modules.

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reverendcolin

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To update one and all. It was the PSE module located in the trunk. Apparently this happens often because of where and the way it was mounted in the 98 and 99 models

I replaced it with a new unit (they can be dried out and cleaned & many times reused.) this one had a lot of corrosion.

I got a good deal on the unit from Duval (sp) in Fla.

I installed the new unit with the modification I found on another Mercedes site. Work perfect.

Till I went out an hour later and lo and behold...I had the same problems.

I find that if I disconnect the battery and wait a few minutes and reconnect all works for a while.

Of course this is not something you want to do without a surge suppressor.

Somewhere in the hot wire to the PSE there's a module or something that's acting as a breaker.

Anyone have any ideas?

DansSlk

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I know the PSE units are prone to fail but the problems your getting are not all the PSE's fault it does not control half of the things you mentioned.

It should be getting a live feed if its failing you probably have a failed wire or a fault in the unit, the unit takes power from the fuse box so you could trace the wire if need be.

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reverendcolin

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Sorry I haven't been able to get back here nor play with the car.

All the fuses are fine.All the major grounds (all that I can find) are good.

I disconnected the battery a few days ago when I got home from work this morning I hooked it up, started the car, put the top down and went for a ride. Everything worked fine.

When I got back home I turned it off and took a nap. Hopefully it will still be working when I go out this afternoon.

I talked to an Mercedes mechanic (originally from Germany) he tolde me I'll have to start pulling fuses till I can isolate the problem.

As my youngest daughter used to say (once) Whatever!

DansSlk

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Hope it stays working for ya mate.

Its a PITA pulling fuses especially one at a time to test for problems.

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reverendcolin

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I agree with the PITA .....

but I have to isolate just where the problems coming from.

I find that all systems work (after I reconnect the battery) until I turn the car off.

Went out for a long ride and all was fine, stopped at my BIL's and had to disconnect, wait and reconnect.

DansSlk

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Sounds like wiring to me, something wants power and can't get it so it fails.

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