I have a 1998 C230 with about 88,000 miles. The car was parked for about 3 months without use. Before that it ran but the battery had to be jumped a few times. When I went to start it this week we found the battery completely dead. We replaced the battery but the engine would not turn over. It would try to start but die after a second or 2. The Mercedes dealer now has it. They first tried to replace a relay (I think they said it provided power to the EIS) but that didn't fix it. They now ordered a new EIS which we are waiting for. I'm starting to feel like they are just changing parts until they get it right. Any suggestions?
RepairPal Certified shops can diagnose and repair your 1998 Mercedes-Benz C230. They provide transparent pricing with a minimum 12-month or 12,000-mile warranty on repairs and services.
Believe it or not, jump starting a modern vehicle with several computers can cause a lot of problems. it can corrupt the software in 1 or more of the major computers. I know this because I was a lead diagnostic tech at major German and European Dealerships and Independent Shops. If you don't feel confident about the work being performed at the dealership, go to a MB owners forum online and find out ask who the best MB shop is in your area and who specializes in sophisticated electrical and computer trouble shooting. Excellent independent shops have the where with all to reprogram the computers with the HHT ( the MB diagnostic and reprogramming capable laptop ) Typically if a car has been jump started several times, ( many tow truck drivers are very behind the times in this area ) the computers need to be reprogrammed which can take many hours but should not require too many parts other than an over load relay or 2.
