Mercedes based central locking problem

Liam,
        look forward to hearing what you have found out at Willersey regarding central locking issue.
Don

padraigpost wrote:Liam,
        look forward to hearing what you have found out at Willersey regarding central locking issue.
Don

Just got back from Willersley. They have rewired the central locking and tomorrow I go to Mercedes to have a new SAM unit fitted at AS expense, this should cure the problem and have everything locking again.

Hooray for Plato2012. I hope all is working well for you after this? Do keep us posted please.

With a bit of luck Liam's Merc locking system is working OK too?

I'm looking forward (as will be all Merc AS owners) to getting mine repaired at the local Merc repair workshop. With a bit of luck, perhaps I'll meet up with Don, Padraigpost on the same day?

Dared I mention the gas tank? My dash mounted indicator said "Empty - red light". I refilled at a garage, the 25 litre tank took a whopping 10 litres!!! Accuracy? No way, totally unreliable. Perhaps I had better talk to AS?

plato2012 wrote:

padraigpost wrote:Liam,
        look forward to hearing what you have found out at Willersey regarding central locking issue.
Don

Just got back from Willersley. They have rewired the central locking and tomorrow I go to Mercedes to have a new SAM unit fitted at AS expense, this should cure the problem and have everything locking again.

As mine is a mid 2013 Merc chassis do I need to contact AS to rewire before I get a failure ?

Jaytee, I believe in the old adage "It never hurts to ask or check", so if I were you (and I'm not) do go ahead and ask AS. The worst they can say is "No, yours is OK"

I can only imagine there are several AS Merc owners with the same worry on their minds.

Yes, we had a successful  call in to AS Willersey last week - in that they fitted the "wiring patch" mod which apparently overcomes the potential of a SAM failure. All now works as advertised and hopefully it will not happen again!
As I understand it this type of failure has only occurred on the 2014 face-lifted sprinter Motorhomes and has not been seen on any previous versions. Indeed I think this is borne out by the reports on this thread - as all such failures appear to be on recent 2014 models and has occurred fairly soon after delivery. 
I believe investigations are ongoing between AS and Merc to try and establish precisely what has changed in the electronic design/build of the Sprinter to cause this problem - as nothing has been changed in the AS design/build.
So my advice would be if your Motorhome falls into the recent 2014 category it might be worth a call to your dealer or AS but for earlier models you should be OK - if it ain't broke don't fix it!  Liam

Plato2012 and Liam,
       Many thanks for your updates regarding the A/S patch for the central locking problem on the Mercedes, look forward to getting mine done as I am sure everyone else is, Barry hope to see you again at the Mercedes dealers.
Don

It seems to have been several days now since a couple of members have had rewiring carried out on their vehicles. I wonder when mine might get done?

I've heard nothing from the Merc garage, nor from my dealer or A/S. Have you heard anything Don?

Sorry to moan, but I'd be happier if I could be sure my vehicle is safely locked and alarmed (which I'm not certain about) against unwanted intervention from thieves.

Called in at Marquis motorhomes yesterday and service reception told me they had been speaking to A/S regarding patch and were told that the patches were being made and despatched to dealers when ready, I know that there are quite a few vehicles in front of both Barry`s and my own so when ours will be ready I do not know I was just told that when the patch for mine was ready I would be notified, regarding vehicle security I just lock the cab and habitation door manually and I have checked that the strikeback alarm is working as normal so the vehicle is as secure as it would be if the central locking were working.
Don

Thanks for your above comments Don.

For manual locking I have done the same as yourself, and it's a darned nuisance that I'm unable to unlock the passenger door from outside. But "Eric" in my brain still niggles away about vehicle security, just as he does when I lie down in bed at night and as you settle he asks, "Are you sure you shut and locked that window/door" etc..

It's comforting to hear that at least Marquis are on the ball with this situation.

As a production engineer, had I been making up the wiring loom, I would make up a board with all apropriate switch etc positions pinned. It would then be simply a case of running wires to the right places, fitting connectors, and forming up the loom insulation to hold all in proper shape. Next one please. All takes only a short time after the board has been set up, reels of wire, connectors obtained etc. You see..? I just want to get in there and get on with it myself.... ha ha. A couple of dozen made up, tested, passed, then sent to customers.

Hopefully, it won't be too long now.

Hi Barry,
             I think you will find that one of your outside locker keys will fit your habitation door, it does on mine and all of my previous vans, try it and see. 
Don

Sorry Barry just seen it was the passenger door you were referring to not the habitation door

That's okay, Don and Peter, nice to hear from you both. I know you are trying to help with constructive comments

I'm looking forward to meeting you again sometime, Don. Maybe, if you are a member of either, via the Motor Caravanners Club? or the Camping and Caravanning Club?

Thanks for that info Peter, it is not a matter of extreme urgency it's just inconvenient more than anything else,
And Barry yes I am a member of the camping and caravanning club
Don

I paid a visit to A/S repair workshops on Manic Monday 18th Aug. Help was offered straight off by those excellent chaps, Pat and Mark, via the boys from the workshop who would modify my vehicle's "wiring in a manner AS knows works, then when the Merc garage fits the new SAM unit, all will work properly, as per originally" as Pat said. Winnie Winchcombe was moved to the top of the priority list to enable my hasty exit for an appointment elsewhere and we left Willersey a mere 2.5 hours after first arriving there!

Magnificent assistance, I call that! Thank You A/S.

I contacted my Mercedes garage next day (19/08/14) but am still awaiting their contact (28/08/14) to say they have the SAM unit. I'll write again after the repair to let you all know how things are.

Barry.

Thanks for the update Barry, I have not heard anything yet from Marquis regarding the wiring patch but as I will be away for a few weeks I will contact them again at the end of September, hope you hear from Brynn soon.
Don

We have a new Mercedes Bourton and have been told that Auto Sleeper / Mercedes will be doing a re call at some point to sort the Central locking problem or potential problem.

Hi LesleyJD, welcome to the forum where you will find a mine of information, the problem or potential problem with the new Mercedes vehicles [we believe it is only the ones with the new face lifted cab] is that somehow the way Autosleepers have wired the habitation door Central locking is causing a SAM unit to fail on the base vehicle and will need a wiring mod to be fitted by Autosleepers and then a visit to a Mercedes dealers for a new SAM unit [but only if it has failed], If your Bourton is brand new if May have had the mod fitted at the build stage and not require any action on your part, but I would ring Autosleepers and speak to Mark a give him your build number [on a label in the glove box] and he should be able to help tell you if it has or if not register you for the mod, hope this is of some help to you, I am waiting  for the mod to be done on my own Bourton as well.
Don

Hello, to let you know we have had a re call from the Motor Home supplier, we are trying to find out if we have to take it back there or if another supplier nearer to home  can do the work. I will pass onto my husband the information you have put on here , thank you.

Just heard back from Alan at AS and ours requires the patch. Bought Nov 13 but chassis was dated approx May/June 13 so looks like the earlier ones also need doing.

Plato2012 had his vehicle's SAM electronics box replaced on 5th August. I was hoping he might have updated us to how things are now with his central locking system?

My Winnie is at last booked in for a replacement SAM box on Tuesday 16th Sept. I'll make sure to keep this forum posted with developments from there on. What a saga from my first visit to the local Mercedes repair workshop seven weeks ago! They certainly can't be accused of rushing this repair, even after I advised them I had been back to A/S at Willersey for rewiring of the central locking circuit some three weeks ago.

Has any other forum user had this work done yet? How did it go? Is everything working OK now?

Booked in to Willersley later this month. Not had any issues but Alan wanted to sort before I did.

Your a lucky chap that your central locking still works by the sound of it Jaytee. I take it A/S will rewire your vehicle as preventative maintenance? ie repair it before it goes wrong? This means you won't need to go to a Mercedes repair workshop for the expensive SAM box replacement, good.

I hope before you set out on your journey you don't set your sat-nav for Willersley (Herefordshire!) as you have spelt it above. Set it for Willersey (Gloucester, 62 miles to the east). It may help to double check with the postcode too?

Barry.

Thanks Barry, been there before so only my incorrect spelling ha ha.
Yes, all working fine at mo and Alan has asked me to lock and unlock hab door by key for now to reduce risk of failure before they do the mod.  Quite happy to do that.
It costs them over £400 each time one takes the SAM box out. Ouch.

As an early recipient of the "patch" and thus keeping forum members updated -  I can confirm that all is well so far on our Malvern (7 weeks old when the unit failed), with no problems encountered on our many subsequent trips. As you may recall our SAM unit failed on the 7th July whilst we were on holiday in Ireland, it was replaced (free of charge) by Mercedes in Dublin on the 11th July and the patch was fitted at Willersey on the 30th July. So fingers crossed that the mod continues to do its work (I understand it effectively reduces the pulse seen by the SAM unit from 2+ amps to 0.1 amps or even less) and we have no more problems. As Jatyee reports above, it now seems likely that some earlier models may also be affected and require this mod but it could also be that AS are treating it as a precautionary/preventative measure - particularly if Mercedes UK are now refusing to fund replacement SAM's. Liam