Just bought this wagon with 80000 miles. AC just stop working, fans and all. At the same time check engine light came on. Is it worth fixing or will I be facing thousands of dollars for furture repairs for this year car?
Only way to know is to have the problem diagnosed. It could be as simple as a fuse, or as complex as a deteriorating wire harness. Mercedes used wiring with biodegradable insulation in the early '90s, and it’s now becoming quite troublesome. Or it could be something in between.
Your first stop should be at a local auto air conditioning specialist. Have the system checked and get an estimate. Unfortunately…these vehicles are very expensive to repair and a 95’ model will be even more expensive for the most part. Good luck.
You have a 16 year old Mercedes. If you go to the MB dealer, they’ll end up taking a lot of money from you every time you visit. Your best bet is to stay away from the dealer.
I have a 22 year old Mercedes. I’ve been driving without AC for years.
I checked fuses. All look good. However is there relays somewhere to check?
Goldwing, Ok with no AC except live in florida and Summer is brutal!
If your check engine light is on, a local auto parts store may read the stored codes for free (or loan you the tool to do it, it’s easy.)
This may or may not help solve the AC problem. If the refrigerant pressure level falls too low, the AC won’t run, this may be what happened. Or the compressor may have worn out. Who knows. I’d read the codes first and see what they say. Then I’d look for a AC specialist.
Unfortunately it’s a '95, not OBD-II, so the parts store may or may not be able to read it.
texases, What is OBD-II?
OBD - On Board Diagnostics. The II stands for the second generation. It monitors the overall health of cars engine. And if there’s a problem it’ll let you know with a warning light or display. At which point you’ll need the code read to determine what the problem is.
And OBD-II was required in cars beginning in 1996, and pretty much all OBD-II cars can be read by the code ‘scanners’. With earlier cars the car parts place may or may not be able to scan the codes. You can call and see.
Ok. I guess this car doesn’t have a OBD-II. Is there another test? I know the AC has failed. Could this be the reason check engine light came on?
I think you probably have 2 different problems. The check engine like can be evaluated with a scanner compatible with your car’s system. See if you can find an independent Mercedes or German car mechanic in your area that can diagnose it.
Hopefully you got a good deal when you purchased the car as it sounds like some repairs are going to be needed. The advice that Texases gave is the best thing to do in my opinion also.
In many vehicles, the cars computer controls the AC operation, so I would get the code read first.
Here is a link to a web site on how to get the codes if you want to do this yourself.
http://mercedesforum.com/forum/mercedes-e-class-9/how-get-codes-95-e320-21789/
Once this problem is fixed, the AC may resolve itself.