R230 (SL500) Clicking relay in boot and strange dash noise.

[Orb the Impaler]

First of all - hello! I'm new to this forum. I've recently graduated to a 2002 SL500 from a SLK230 and Mrs Orb(s) has a C220 CDi Panorama Evo

I hope it's not bad form to post a question as a first post.....

I've noticed a couple of odd things about my SL. First of all there is a clicking noise coming from the boot/trunk from the region of the consumer battery (it could be the battery cutoff relay). Basically it goes "click-click....~10 second gap ... click-click etc" It seems to do this for around half an hour and then stops. While it's doing this I've noticed that the CD changer (in compartment behind left hand seat) makes a small click-whirr. If I jack out the cd cart the little green "eject" button flickers. This happens on every second "click-click". Does this sound even remotely normal? I suspect not.

Next up: when the car is stopped there is a noise coming from the little vents between the left and right temperature knobs (below the Comand unit). I can best describe it as a constant, low "rrrrrrrr" noise (sort of like a car purring). I'm not sure but I think I can also detect a faint bit of air blowing - however it's hard to say. This seems to carry on all the time the car is stopped. Can any other R230 owners tell me if this is normal either?

Any help appreciated. Especially if it doesn't involve spending thousands down at the MB dealer for their fitters to take random guesses and replace all the electronic boxes!

 

[television]

First of all - hello! I'm new to this forum. I've recently graduated to a 2002 SL500 from a SLK230 and Mrs Orb(s) has a C220 CDi Panorama Evo

I hope it's not bad form to post a question as a first post.....

I've noticed a couple of odd things about my SL. First of all there is a clicking noise coming from the boot/trunk from the region of the consumer battery (it could be the battery cutoff relay). Basically it goes "click-click....~10 second gap ... click-click etc" It seems to do this for around half an hour and then stops. While it's doing this I've noticed that the CD changer (in compartment behind left hand seat) makes a small click-whirr. If I jack out the cd cart the little green "eject" button flickers. This happens on every second "click-click". Does this sound even remotely normal? I suspect not.

Next up: when the car is stopped there is a noise coming from the little vents between the left and right temperature knobs (below the Comand unit). I can best describe it as a constant, low "rrrrrrrr" noise (sort of like a car purring). I'm not sure but I think I can also detect a faint bit of air blowing - however it's hard to say. This seems to carry on all the time the car is stopped. Can any other R230 owners tell me if this is normal either?

Any help appreciated. Especially if it doesn't involve spending thousands down at the MB dealer for their fitters to take random guesses and replace all the electronic boxes!

Your problem sir is the the Comand is not turning off, or should I say going to sleep, the clicking is the CD changer and the noise in the dash the Comand cooling fan.

I have the same problem on mine and am at this point in time waiting to hear from a firm that can fix these faults.

The effect will be that it run the rear battery down to 11.75 volt and then shut off.

I will post back shortly

 

[Orb the Impaler]

Malcolm

Thanks for your prompt reply
i am thinking that this definitely has got something to do with my clicking relay in the boot. From what I can tell (I've not taken the trim out for a look yet) it sounds like its the cutoff relay - and the symptoms would appear to confirm this.

Could be something simple with the relay - however I bet it's something horribly expensive

Keep me posted!
Cheers - Robert

 

[television]

Malcolm

Thanks for your prompt reply
i am thinking that this definitely has got something to do with my clicking relay in the boot. From what I can tell (I've not taken the trim out for a look yet) it sounds like its the cutoff relay - and the symptoms would appear to confirm this.

Could be something simple with the relay - however I bet it's something horribly expensive

Keep me posted!
Cheers - Robert

As above its all to do with the Comand not shutting down and it is a well known fault on the Comand 2. The clicking in the boot is all the same thing.

 

[colechelle]

two software updates since that car was built, one for this reason!!

 

[television]

two software updates since that car was built, one for this reason!!

I have not heard of this being solved by a sofware update, is that by STAR or CD disc Cole

 

[Orb the Impaler]

If this was a software problem then surely it would have been a problem since the car was built?

Obviously I'd be quite pleased if it was so easy!

Dumb question - how do you update the software? Can the updates be downloaded? I suppose I'd better trog off and have a Google....

 

[television]

If this was a software problem then surely it would have been a problem since the car was built?

Obviously I'd be quite pleased if it was so easy!

Dumb question - how do you update the software? Can the updates be downloaded? I suppose I'd better trog off and have a Google....

As far as I know if the Comand starts up with the MB Star on the screen, this id the latest update

 

[Orb the Impaler]

Well mine has the Mercedes logo on startup, and that tallies with my Googling.

I'll hang fire for the moment and see what your repair people come up with.

 

[Orb the Impaler]

Update

Cured the problem.

I can only assume there was a dodgy connection - last night I removed some of the trim so that I could have a look, and I pushed whatever plugs I could reach in as firmly as I could (around the consumer electrics control box - silver thing. I was going to do a proper job today. Anyway it's stopped, so I'll leave it alone unless it starts again.

Television - I'll be interested to see how yours turns out.

Robert

 

[television]

Cured the problem.

I can only assume there was a dodgy connection - last night I removed some of the trim so that I could have a look, and I pushed whatever plugs I could reach in as firmly as I could (around the consumer electrics control box - silver thing. I was going to do a proper job today. Anyway it's stopped, so I'll leave it alone unless it starts again.

Television - I'll be interested to see how yours turns out.

Robert

Was that in the fuse box behind the drivers seat

 

[Orb the Impaler]

No - the control box situated near the consumer battery.

It has come back again though - however I'm certain it's a dodgy connection since I moved a couple of wires around this morning and got the "Consumers Offline" message. I'm going to have to pull all of the trim off and do the job properly.

 

[television]

No - the control box situated near the consumer battery.

It has come back again though - however I'm certain it's a dodgy connection since I moved a couple of wires around this morning and got the "Consumers Offline" message. I'm going to have to pull all of the trim off and do the job properly.

The consumers off line is because the Comand has drained the battery bellow 11.75 volts

 

[Orb the Impaler]

Well I give up Consumers offline again this morning.

I'm trying to find an auto electrician, but I fear that the car is going to have to go to a MB main dealer, where they will randomly replace little black boxes (at £000's a time) until my problem is solved. Not a good introduction to ownership; now I know why the previous owner sold it. Not happy.

 

[television]

Well I give up Consumers offline again this morning.

I'm trying to find an auto electrician, but I fear that the car is going to have to go to a MB main dealer, where they will randomly replace little black boxes (at £000's a time) until my problem is solved. Not a good introduction to ownership; now I know why the previous owner sold it. Not happy.

I dont understand your problem, you know that the Comand is not turning off until the consumers turn it off and shut it down, I have had the same fault for 18 months, but I fitted a shut off circuit that turns it off in ½hour, and my Comand is going away this week to be fixed

 

[Orb the Impaler]

*** UPDATE ***

Problem now fixed.
It was the battery control unit that lives in the boot with the consumer battery.

This was indeed causing COMAND to keep spinning up the CD, as well as the little fan in the heater control unit oin the dash. The heater control unit also needed replacing while I was at it since the fan was really making a lot of noise.

So all is now well with my SL

 

[television]

Thats an interesting solution,, did the fault come up on Star,,do you have any water leaks in the boot that could cause it to fail

 

[television]

In view of your post I took my control unit out and it was all clean with no water marks.

Doing a current check with the Comand disconnected the current once locked was 51ma,, once the car had gone to sleep circa 20 mins it drops to 11 ma and that is very good.

Since my Comand will not talk to STAR It should be the Comand head unit though I will do some CAN checks shortly.mainly as the battery module is also on the same CAN lines and connectors. But always so much to dismantle

There are firms that fix the Comand for not shutting down and they are on Ebay

 

[nickmod]

Comsumers Offline on R230

Hi, this is my first posting on here. I've been reading Malcolms posts regarding R230 consumers offline issues. I have been experiencing the same problems with my car for the past year and it has become progressively worse to the point where after being parked up overnight the keyless door entry doesn't work. I have had water leaking issues in the boot previously too. Following on from your advice...I removed fuse F77 yesterday evening and so far all appears fine...so it appears that the problem is the Comand not sleeping. I shall test again this evening...but I was wondering a few points....on one of your postings you say that you have installed a 30 minute shut-off circuit on the Comand system....how did you do this? Was this instead of having the Comand repaired or as a temporary measure...any help would be appreciated. thanks Nick

 

[television]

Hello Nick and welcome to the MB forum.

There are 3 known reasons for the battery drain on the 230

1 this is the battery converter module that sits in the offside boot side panel.
2 the overhead control panel, this is where the mirror is fitted.
3 the Comand itself

All of the above are on the wake up circuit, if it was the comand itself, when the rear battery dropped to 11.75 volt, then the Comand would be turned off, along with all consumer items. The keyless go card would still work with the consumers turned off.

Before any test are done, you do need an ammeter to see what is going on, the problem here is the the ammeter has to be in series with the rear battery. I bought a clamp meter so that the battery dos not have to be disconnected.

These cars have a wake up circuit, that also goes to sleep once the engine has been turned off, the Comand and central locking and SBC brakes are on this circuit. When going to sleep the initial drain is around 8 amps, and then to 3 something, and finally down to below 45ma. With the Comand unplugged F77 the battery drain needs to be checked to see if the wake up circuit is still active, I feel that in your case it still may be running although pulling F77 may have slowed it down and the battery converter could be the fault.

To start off with the rear battery needs to be charged to a full 12.5 volts before checking starts. Even without doing a current check a volt meter is still needed, just to see the voltage after the car has been parked up for say 12 hours or so.

Do you have any form of an ammeter so that checks can be made