E300 HYBRID PROBLEMS FROM THE FIELD

[ajlsl600]

It's all about taxation and marketing.

dont make it good for us tho ?

 

[LostKiwi]

dont make it good for us tho ?

You can thank the accountants and marketing men....

 

[Blobcat]

dont make it good for us tho ?

Depends if your paying or receiving...

 

[Blobcat]

You can thank the accountants and marketing men....

More likely the lobbyists

Accountants just tell you how much and marketeers work how to sugar the turd so you’ll swallow it

 

[LostKiwi]

More likely the lobbyists

Accountants just tell you how much and marketeers work how to sugar the turd so you’ll swallow it

No.... Marketeers define the turd they want you to buy then accountants ensure the turd really is unfit for purpose by cutting corners at each opportunity.

 

[ajlsl600]

No.... Marketeers define the turd they want you to buy then accountants ensure the turd really is unfit for purpose by cutting corners at each opportunity.

bout right......

 

[John Laidlaw]

That’s what I can’t fathom the engine you have (and I had) gives much much much better real world economy. Problem is it’s based on legislation rather than facts...

The road to hell is paved with good intentions and forcing petrol and diesel off the road for hybrid and battery is wrong (right now)

That particular vehicle was (poorly) designed to exploit a personal tax loophole in its day , since been closed over .
As you rightly say the engine itself should have been enough , the pathetically feeble hybrid train was indeed largely pointless ( although entertaining when ‘sailing’)

 

[John Laidlaw]

100% in agreement, this hybrid is silly and not really usable at all. You can electric drive for some meters and if you gentle with the accelerator pedal you may be able to do a mile or so. Now, this is still mainly a diesel car. I asked MB if i could just turn-off the hybrid part of the vehicle and use it only as a diesel and all i got was a big NO.

Unfortunately this design has the hybrid drivetrain, transmission and battery pack inextricably linked so no chance ....

 

[John Laidlaw]

Im thinking indeed in checking outside MB options. Would like to know more on fixing hybrid batteries.

http://www.ukhybridautomotive.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqcS1p7Tx4gIVLrXtCh049QrgEAAYAiAAEgKZVvD_BwE
Might be a place to start....

 

[Frontstep]

I certainly wouldn't condemn the battery or even think of fixing it without good reason and specific fault determination.
The batteries knackered diagnosis will unfortunately be the new norm for many who simply do not know.

It sounds a very expensive bit swapping till it or you goes exercise

 

[Luis Cabaceira]

I certainly wouldn't condemn the battery or even think of fixing it without good reason and specific fault determination.
The batteries knackered diagnosis will unfortunately be the new norm for many who simply do not know.

It sounds a very expensive bit swapping till it or you goes exercise

Indeed very expensive to replace but after searching there are shops that are specialised in reconditioning/repairing hybrid bateries for an acceptable cost. I will call them tomorrow to see if i can get a quote.

 

[davidsl500]

It would be really awful if the hybrid battery started some sort of electrical fire and wrote the vehicle off....

 

[Headhurts]

I cannot for the life of me fathom how a hybrid battery could cost this much.

It may be worthwhile writing a letter to Mercedes Customer Service to appeal their decision.

This amount of money could potentially make a repair unviable which would be a shame.

Good luck.

Robin


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[JBell]

I cannot for the life of me fathom how a hybrid battery could cost this much.

Simple

Battery costs £1000
Sell to MB for £2000
MB sell it for £8000
Fitting costs are £2000

 

[jp williams]

I've just acquired a used E300 HYBRID WAGON from 2014 with 97000 KM verified by MB. The only MB i've owned previously was a 1981 Caravan that made me in love with the brand. Reliability, Durability, Confort and "some" security is all there, on my 1981 MB Caravan (will upload a picture to this thread).

It was that time where i needed to change my car (given my old VW Passat 2002 to my 19 year old) and i choose MB as i could not wait to try the technology advancements since 1981. The car started to show a RED BATTERY when ever i took the key out of its socket. Next days it started to have some difficulties in getting to the green READY mode, so i can engage a gear (D,R). After i try a couple of times it eventually gets to READY and i'm currently using the car daily with that glitch.

I took my "baby" to MB as i was worried on those warning signs and i wanted to get rid of them so i can truly enjoy my new ride. My local MB dealer done an initial assessment by hooking the car into a diagnostics unit that showed (as described by them) a very unusual glitch that they could not understand. The local dealer, very politely, asked my permission to take the car to the nearest MB technical dealer that had a hybrid technician. Hybrid technicians have specific training, namely on security and other hybrid specific areas.

The car was on this location for 2 days and the daily communication i got from MB was that it was in-fact a very un-usual glitch (they called it intermittent) and that they also were not sure on what to do. They told me it could be either a simple case of software update of one of the components, or the replacement of the hybrid battery charge regulator part, reported as being faulty by MB hybrid diagnosis tools. I've waited other 2 days with no real news on the nature of the problem, i was only told that they had logged a ticket to MB engineering or similar, so they could proceed with either option (software upgrade or regulator part change).

After one more day of no news, i've started to contact the dealer as i needed to have at least a rough estimate on when i could get my car back, all this process took 2 weeks.

Final statement from MB dealer was that the car needs a new hybrid battery that costs 15.000 euros !

They said they would open a case with MB international to see what the brand could do as the car was always assisted in MB. When validating the car assistance plan, because the car was stopped (previous) to my acquisition for some months, one of the services was not executed in the correct date (due to days, not mileage) but sometime after and this, according to MB, broke any kind of possible warranty, so the most they could do is a 20% discount on the price of the hybrid battery. I would still have to pay 13.000 euros.

I took my car home, and i've been riding it every day (it has been only 2 weeks) with the same glitch. I out the key out and in a couple of times and the car works 100%. After the green READY light is on, using the car dashboard i go to vehicle assistance to check for any error messages and its completely OK, with 0 messages. All systems (AC, ABS, ESP, etc) work perfectly until now.

I wanted to share this and hopefully hear some opinions back to what/how would you proceed. I promise i will be updating this thread if/once there are updates on my car issue.

I have a couple of options :

1) Just change the battery, pay 13K and forget about MB as a brand as their two main advantages are suddenly gone (Reliability, Durability)

2) Wait until the car stops working completely (i'm more inclined to this). This is, after all, a MERCEDES BENZ and she will not let me down. It MUST be, as least as reliable as my old 1981 caravan.

Opinions wanted, photos will follow.

See My caravan

View attachment 50773

Send an email to Olly at PCS in Horndean UK and ask for his advice.
He is possibly the best Merc Indie in UK
info@prestigecarservice.co.uk

Regards
John

 

[Tony Dyson]

I've just acquired a used E300 HYBRID WAGON from 2014 with 97000 KM verified by MB. The only MB i've owned previously was a 1981 Caravan that made me in love with the brand. Reliability, Durability, Confort and "some" security is all there, on my 1981 MB Caravan (will upload a picture to this thread).

It was that time where i needed to change my car (given my old VW Passat 2002 to my 19 year old) and i choose MB as i could not wait to try the technology advancements since 1981. The car started to show a RED BATTERY when ever i took the key out of its socket. Next days it started to have some difficulties in getting to the green READY mode, so i can engage a gear (D,R). After i try a couple of times it eventually gets to READY and i'm currently using the car daily with that glitch.

I took my "baby" to MB as i was worried on those warning signs and i wanted to get rid of them so i can truly enjoy my new ride. My local MB dealer done an initial assessment by hooking the car into a diagnostics unit that showed (as described by them) a very unusual glitch that they could not understand. The local dealer, very politely, asked my permission to take the car to the nearest MB technical dealer that had a hybrid technician. Hybrid technicians have specific training, namely on security and other hybrid specific areas.

The car was on this location for 2 days and the daily communication i got from MB was that it was in-fact a very un-usual glitch (they called it intermittent) and that they also were not sure on what to do. They told me it could be either a simple case of software update of one of the components, or the replacement of the hybrid battery charge regulator part, reported as being faulty by MB hybrid diagnosis tools. I've waited other 2 days with no real news on the nature of the problem, i was only told that they had logged a ticket to MB engineering or similar, so they could proceed with either option (software upgrade or regulator part change).

After one more day of no news, i've started to contact the dealer as i needed to have at least a rough estimate on when i could get my car back, all this process took 2 weeks.

Final statement from MB dealer was that the car needs a new hybrid battery that costs 15.000 euros !

They said they would open a case with MB international to see what the brand could do as the car was always assisted in MB. When validating the car assistance plan, because the car was stopped (previous) to my acquisition for some months, one of the services was not executed in the correct date (due to days, not mileage) but sometime after and this, according to MB, broke any kind of possible warranty, so the most they could do is a 20% discount on the price of the hybrid battery. I would still have to pay 13.000 euros.

I took my car home, and i've been riding it every day (it has been only 2 weeks) with the same glitch. I out the key out and in a couple of times and the car works 100%. After the green READY light is on, using the car dashboard i go to vehicle assistance to check for any error messages and its completely OK, with 0 messages. All systems (AC, ABS, ESP, etc) work perfectly until now.

I wanted to share this and hopefully hear some opinions back to what/how would you proceed. I promise i will be updating this thread if/once there are updates on my car issue.

I have a couple of options :

1) Just change the battery, pay 13K and forget about MB as a brand as their two main advantages are suddenly gone (Reliability, Durability)

2) Wait until the car stops working completely (i'm more inclined to this). This is, after all, a MERCEDES BENZ and she will not let me down. It MUST be, as least as reliable as my old 1981 caravan.

Opinions wanted, photos will follow.

See My caravan

View attachment 50773

It's a crying shame that Mercedes have started to run with Hybrid Vehicles before they learned how to walk with them first and I believe they're making the same mistake with the announcement of their new EQE for 2022 with a battery that currently only exists in their 'wish list' of capabilities as announced in a previous thread. How can they possibly make a car and not know how to fix it? How dare they suggest to a customer to spend 15k Euro's on a battery plus fitting and let's see what that does? What chance does anyone stand when dealing with attitudes like that?, I've looked on my iCarsoft MB v2.0 and the E300 isn't even listed? I sympathise with the OP, I wonder what information exists on WIS for the E300?

 

[Frontstep]

Indeed very expensive to replace but after searching there are shops that are specialised in reconditioning/repairing hybrid bateries for an acceptable cost. I will call them tomorrow to see if i can get a quote.

You want to know if they can test them first.

 

[Frontstep]

There are some hybrid batteries on ebay but I wouldn't know how to test them.

 

[dry run]

So, would anyone buy an "out of warranty" Merc hybrid? I don't think so. So second hand values will surely reflect that. Given what I've read on here, I'm not sure I would buy a new (in warranty) MB hybrid

 

[Blobcat]

So, would anyone buy an "out of warranty" Merc hybrid? I don't think so. So second hand values will surely reflect that. Given what I've read on here, I'm not sure I would buy a new (in warranty) MB hybrid

I commend those willing to fund the research...