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ML430WAU
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
Hi to all,
I thought that maybe one of you good folk could suggest to me a possible cause and or possible fix before I towed my ML430 to the Mercs mechanic shop.(Dread this because it just came from there after it's last major service, last week)
My ML430 simply , just "died" when I pulled up to the traffic lights and it stalled. Everything just turned off and just stopped there without ANY warning.
Everything that was on inside the car just turned off.
So I hit the hazard light......it wouldn't work.
The headlights and the stop lights work, the horn works, BUT none of interior lighting works, trip meter is off. No radio no window and no central locking or side mirror control.
The key immobilizer transmitter dosen't lock remotely and when I put the key in to pre-start up position : at the point just before the starter motor usually turns the engine over. the only lights that DO come on momentarily are the SRS and AIRBAG OFF lights that usually come up on with all the other warning lights on the the instrument panel.
Tried another battery in the car.......still no go same problem. No sound nothing.
David Di
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ttaleric
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| Re: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
Fuel Pump? AAM ?
I know a guy here in NC that had that happen to him and it ended up being his fuel pump. Not sure the whole story, just know his ML died at a stop light and he was stranded for a bit. |
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ML430WAU
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| Re: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
Thanks for the response ttaleric,
I actually had the fuel pump fail on me about two weeks ago BUT the engine still did crank over....luckily.
Maybe the fuel pump might still be the culprit, in one way or another, I will check it just in case.
I did try swapping the K12 relay like it said to if I had the AIRBAG and SRS lights come on only (info O got from another MB site) BUT no luck with that.
This one has got me truly stumped.
What is the AAM? |
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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| Re: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
ML430WAU - 5/14/2007 8:20 AM Thanks for the response ttaleric, I actually had the fuel pump fail on me about two weeks ago BUT the engine still did crank over....luckily. Maybe the fuel pump might still be the culprit, in one way or another, I will check it just in case. I did try swapping the K12 relay like it said to if I had the AIRBAG and SRS lights come on only (info O got from another MB site) BUT no luck with that. This one has got me truly stumped. What is the AAM? All Activity Module. You really don't want it to be that. |
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ttaleric
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| Re: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
Not sure about this one. Sounds like a good one for the dealer to diagnose. Could be a AAM problem... Not sure... Have you tried a different key? |
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Marcelc
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| Re: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
This is not an easy fault to diagnose remotely.
I would measure the 12v from the battery into the fuse box and see where it goes, if you have a fine probe you can measure the voltage on the various fuses and see if you can isolate the problem to a cable (if you are lucky) or the AAM if you are not.
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ML430WAU
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| UPDATE: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
The mechanic that I brought the ml430 to yesterday (up on a car trailer pulled along by my ever so trusty 1988 GQ LPG powered SWB patrol) worked on it most of yesterday and some this morning.
He plugged the the Merc onto his Dell PC diagnostics console, but could NOT access anything due to the fact that there was not ANY form of pre ignition connection . He managed to by pass this, by shorting two points in the fuse box to gain access to the on board controller. It had him stumped(confused) 
It all SEEMS to point to the AAM............. but it may still not be it.
He told me that he was only capable to do repairs upto a certain point and suggetsted I take the vehicle to the main Mercs Benz dealer here in the city of Perth Western Australia.
I put the winched the ML430 back up onto the trailer and towed it there this morning.
When I got there I spoke to the service manager and told him that I had come there because the people who I would have usually gone too( the only other MercsBenz dealer in town who is owned by the same person/s) had let me down by installing a MAS that was meant for a ML320 into my ML430, which I then replaced with a MAS for the ML430. He went on to inform me that sensor part from bosch is the same in both vehicles  . I don't agree BUT hey, I'm only the pleb customer
Gee one can learn something new every day, BUT I wished they, the other dealership had told me that they had made this change in the first place.
He and the chief mechanic to, seemed a little perturbed when I indicated the problem.
They both started doing exactly the same thing the first mechanic started to do.........try to activate/deactivate the immobilizer with the keys.
Not once or twice but a lot of times(must be the industry "magic wand" or something they think they know BUT I don't 
NOW SEEING THAT, IT HAD ME SCRATCHING MY HEAD 
Fingers crossed I will hear from them tomorrow.
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Marcelc
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: UPDATE: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
Does anybody know how much the Immobiliser immobilises?
Is it just the motor or is it the entire electrics as in this case?
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| RE: UPDATE: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
Is this a gasoline engine? How about a defucktive Crankshaft Position Sensor? They do not set any codes when they go out. |
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ttaleric
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| Re: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
DUTCH -
I doubt it would cause all this. |
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ML430WAU
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
I just authorized the Mercedes Benz dealer to replace the AAM and a completetly new fuse rack due to the fact that there is a un-repairable single pin in the main connector that attaches the AAM to it. Extrordanry waste of time and money I feel BUT what does one do.
They too are of the belief that the AAM is the cause of the problem in this ML430 BUT are not completely sure until they receive the new AAM from Singapore.
What they can not tell me is the root cause that made the AAM fail. So it could easily happen again.
Bottom line is AUD$4000 with a two year warranty to get it back on the road.
I asked for the replaced parts to be retained as I wish to inspect them. NOT sure what I will find.
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ML430WAU
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| Re: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
cmich and Mercelc, you were both right on the money when you made reference to the AAM being the possible cause and that I should hope that it wasn't.
Can either of you or maybe anyone else tell me what could possibly be the cause of the “mysterious death” of the AAM in an ML430?
Mercedes Benz in Australia are somewhat puzzled and are saying that my USA built ML430 has never had any problems regarding the AAM failure, let alone the possible cause of such a failure.
In fact they said that I should expect things like this to fail in a vehicle that's around 8 years old.
Edited by ML430WAU 5/30/2007 11:03 AM
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cmitch
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Ala-Tenn
Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew
Posts: 3412
| Re: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
ML430WAU - 5/30/2007 10:01 AM cmich and Mercelc, you were both right on the money when you made reference to the AAM being the possible cause and that I should hope that it wasn't. Can either of you or maybe anyone else tell me what could possibly be the cause of the “mysterious death” of the AAM in an ML430? Mercedes Benz in Australia are somewhat puzzled and are saying that my USA built ML430 has never had any problems regarding the AAM failure, let alone the possible cause of such a failure. In fact they said that I should expect things like this to fail in a vehicle that's around 8 years old. This is a known issue with the early ML's. The 1998 through the 2000 model years had the AAM integrated with the computer, hence the expensive price. I understand my '02 ML320 has the AAM2, which I found a brand new one on ebay for $199 (list $420). Usually the first symptom of a bad AAM is that they stop recognizing keys. As you order new ones and replace them, they, too, go bad. I guess this means you now have a fresh compliment of keys for your car (8 available per AAM). Did they issue you 2 new keys with the new AAM?
Edited by cmitch 5/30/2007 11:16 AM
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Marcelc
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| Re: My ML430 died when I pulled up to the traffic lights....
cmitch - 5/30/2007 4:13 PM
ML430WAU - 5/30/2007 10:01 AM cmich and Mercelc, you were both right on the money when you made reference to the AAM being the possible cause and that I should hope that it wasn't. Can either of you or maybe anyone else tell me what could possibly be the cause of the “mysterious death” of the AAM in an ML430? Mercedes Benz in Australia are somewhat puzzled and are saying that my USA built ML430 has never had any problems regarding the AAM failure, let alone the possible cause of such a failure. In fact they said that I should expect things like this to fail in a vehicle that's around 8 years old. This is a known issue with the early ML's. The 1998 through the 2000 model years had the AAM integrated with the computer, hence the expensive price. I understand my '02 ML320 has the AAM2, which I found a brand new one on ebay for $199 (list $420). Usually the first symptom of a bad AAM is that they stop recognizing keys. As you order new ones and replace them, they, too, go bad. I guess this means you now have a fresh compliment of keys for your car (8 available per AAM). Did they issue you 2 new keys with the new AAM?
In addition to cmitch's comment I would add that voltage spikes from a dodgy voltage regulator or jumping the ML from another vehicle, or jumping another vehicle from the ML are all potential causes of failure, maybe running an ML without a battery would be another.
Anything that might cause voltage spikes should be avoided which is perhaps why the dealer said such failures might be expected in 8 year old vehicles, not perhaps due to AAM longevity, but because the longer it survives the more likely is something will kill it - hope that doesn't sound like rubbish.
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