W216 CL500 passenger windows saga. Anyone know how these sync together?

[Submariner1]

All windows worked beautifully.
Then main dealer bodyshop replaced the broken front window! (One morning discovered it was cracked horizontally ... no visible signs of vandalism).

The problem started when I noticed the front and back windows worked, but were not level. It looked like the front window was as if, the car door was not pulled closed. And at high speed horrific whistle.
I rejected the repair, and they said they would fix it. Still not right, and wind noise. They said they would have to take out the back side interior, and realign the rear window. As there was not adjustment on the front window?
( Hmmm I expressed severe concern! Why adjust a perfect window to make it fit, with a defective one!)

This worked in that both windows operated, and looked at the same level, but at very high speed there was a slight whistle, and I kinda imagined the windows motion were a tad slower ??

Then the real problem started, shut the front window and it goes up and drops immediately, 1/2” , and then later 100mm, OK trying it say 4 to 5 times got the desired result.
car went back again .... this time they fiddled with it a bit, and on handover all worked, except now the rear window didn’t do that final 1/2” up and forward action.
Booked in again, this time they said they had fixed it with Krytox a super expensive grease.
Then the rear window started playing up, and took say 7 or 8 times for it to close. It could stop 1/2” from the top or 2” from the top. Or go all the way up and then drop down 2”.
Now, it takes maybe 12 attempts for the front window to go all the way up into the channel. And maybe 6 attempts to get the rear window up all the way up, except for the last 1/2” up and forward action. So it ain’t rain proof! Now sealed up with 2” wide electrical tape.

Note after some attempts, all the control is lost of the left windows, until you open the front door, then the control works again! But still needs loads of goes to shut it.
Note: With the door open, the passenger side window switch will always let both front and back windows go up first time! But won’t do the last 1/2” up and forward action to lock the back window.

If however you want to shut the door with the front window fully up, you manually have to lower it 1” or the window would shut “outside the channel” ... and probably snap the window! As it has self closers.

Last week I could not get the front or back windows to shut at all.
So I had a look on my MB11 and it showed a fault code with the left door controller DCM, deleted this code and it worked fine, for a day, then the MB11 said both left and right DCMs had a fault and I think something about a ”Voltage ...” Deleted both and windows worked.

Yesterday put on the MB11 and saw the same fault codes ... I think and deleted them but it did not cure the issue.
Looked again and “No fault codes on both doors”.
So there is a lesson always photo these codes!

Sorry for the saga ...
but has anyone had this issue on a CL or similar coupe?
Car goes back to the dealer on Monday ...
They say they will pay for “the diagnosis” and then if its their fault they will fix it free, or if not their fault we can talk.
Note this Dealership since the initial job, has been taken over by a group, and everyone in Management and their absolute best engineer have left!

what snookers me is the word “diagnosis” ... does this guy mean slap it on Star and read the faults. Or put it on Star see the fault codes and then take off the door card and really “diagnose it “ if it says check continutiy on this then do that Etc.!

My suspicion is one of the LH microswitches telling the RH door controller the status of the door, was temperamental and has now failed, or is failing more frequently. Possibly explains how the window broke initially. I.e. did it at some time pull the door shut when the front window was not dropped?
Or could this replacement front window be defective .. wrong profile or curve, and they have adjust the back to the point everything is too tight and has burn out a controller?

Another question, any idea why the MB11 could see the fault codes before, but now can not see them?
If one of the microswitches or DCMs has died completely, would that not show as a fault?, or does the MB11 only show a fault in a controller that is partially working?

 

[robin.large]

No idea if your car acts like mine (CLS) but window drop is fixed by running offending window down fully and holding switch for 10 secs, then fully up and keeping switch up for 10 seconds.
Resets the limit switches. Which for some reason seem to go off after a while?

Sent from my KB2000 using Tapatalk

 

[Submariner1]

No idea if your car acts like mine (CLS) but window drop is fixed by running offending window down fully and holding switch for 10 secs, then fully up and keeping switch up for 10 seconds.
Resets the limit switches. Which for some reason seem to go off after a while?

Sent from my KB2000 using Tapatalk

Thanks tried that and so did Mobilo mechanic and the main dealer
Sadly does not fix the issue.

 

[brandwooddixon]

It sounds to me as if they didn't get the windows correctly positioned on initial install and compounded the problem by altering the back window.
As we know they should drop by about 10mm when you pull on the door handle in order to clear the seal along the roof edge.
For this reason when the door is open the door window will remain down by the same amount until the door is shut.

Perhaps the initial wind noise was because the windows hadn't raised fully into the seal.
The fact that the windows may now stop and drop a large amount when closing suggests that they are meeting resistance and triggering the safety mechanism to prevent trapped fingers/limbs etc.
I occasionally get this if I haven't used a window for a bit and suspect that it may be triggered by friction with the outer seal along the top of the door/bottom of the window caused by dirt build up.

As there is no upper door frame channel for the windows to run in then the issue must now be internally within the door/body panel - hence the use of some expensive grease - or the seal along the top of the door.

I suspect that after continued issues the DCM disables the window as a safety measure.

Your thoughts on microswitches could be part of the reason for the lack of synchronisation between the two windows and may not be due to a faulty one, but not being refitted correctly in the door when replacing the glass.

 

[Submariner1]

It sounds to me as if they didn't get the windows correctly positioned on initial install and compounded the problem by altering the back window.
As we know they should drop by about 10mm when you pull on the door handle in order to clear the seal along the roof edge.
For this reason when the door is open the door window will remain down by the same amount until the door is shut.

Perhaps the initial wind noise was because the windows hadn't raised fully into the seal.
The fact that the windows may now stop and drop a large amount when closing suggests that they are meeting resistance and triggering the safety mechanism to prevent trapped fingers/limbs etc.
I occasionally get this if I haven't used a window for a bit and suspect that it may be triggered by friction with the outer seal along the top of the door/bottom of the window caused by dirt build up.

As there is no upper door frame channel for the windows to run in then the issue must now be internally within the door/body panel - hence the use of some expensive grease - or the seal along the top of the door.

I suspect that after continued issues the DCM disables the window as a safety measure.

Your thoughts on microswitches could be part of the reason for the lack of synchronisation between the two windows and may not be due to a faulty one, but not being refitted correctly in the door when replacing the glass.

I spoke with MBS, who have really good mechanics.
He highlighted your point ref the rear window. No point in adjusting that - just get the front window aligned properly.
Luckily they are open despite Covid.
So if Mercedes don’t agree to sort it out properly and achieve a result first time, I shall take it to them to sort out.
I would pretty much agree with you conclusions. If the windows gave problems a good wash and clean with meths, and then Krytox did helps get them working a few times, so I would concur it is likely they are hitting too much resistance.

Not much point of having glorious coupe openings, if you cant even open the windows!

 

[Submariner1]

Update: Solved?
Just before taking car to Mercedes. I inadvertently pulled the door handle of the taped window and the window started to drop!
Luckily I ripped the electrical tape off Just in time. And the window did then close properly.
Took car in and technician found the windows were not dropping to open door properly and once it failed to shut both window .
So he found there was an update for the window controllers, and he Updated it.

It now all appears to work perfectly!

It also appears it updated the Command system, so now the fake analogue clock matches the Comand Navi system in Summer time!
This went out of sync at a BST change over 2 years before - i.e. a non connected issue.

No charge, which was nice.

Do I trust its cured? Hmmm a teeny bit sceptical - so the electrical tape will stay in the boot ... just in case!

Anyway might be useful for other W216 CL owners to know, that there is a SW update for the Window-Door controllers and possibly Comand, as it had lost all the stored seat, & wing-mirror positions.