Luis Cabaceira
Member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2019
- Messages
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- Your Mercedes
- E300 BLUETECH HYBRID 2014
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
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
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