The “CL” in Mercedes-Benz’s CL-Class stands for “Coupe Leicht,” German for “Coupé Light. This reflects the Mercedes-Benz intentions to design a luxury coupé based off of their already popular S-Class, which was a full size luxury sedan. The first generation CL-Class, the W140, saw production between the years 1992 and 2000, and became the company’s flagship vehicle. Not infrequently, W140 owners report that they experience problems with their Engine wiring harness.
The wiring harness is a cluster of cables and wires that transmit electricity to all parts of the car. Normally, each of these wires would be hanging loose in the engine, easily damageable, and taking up tremendous amounts of space. The wiring harness collects all of these disparate cables and collects them into one tightly wound area, reducing their propensity to damage, and freeing up space in the engine block. Usually, the harness prevents any major electrical problems from occurring, but sometimes the harness malfunctions and electrical problems are created.
The most common experiences are with things like dash lights and a draining battery. If the battery dies every time you leave your W140 for longer than a few days, of if the lights on your dashboard begin to randomly light up while you are driving, there is a good chance that something is wrong with the engine wiring harness. It could also be that the fuses have worn out or that the connectors are damaged.
Because of the dangerous electrical nature of wire harness replacement/repair, we highly suggest that you schedule an appointment with an independent German auto repair specialist who can pinpoint the exact point of malfunction and get you back on the road in no time at all.
Search for a local, independent Mercedes-Benz repair shop with Mercedes-Benz mechanics that have dealer-level expertise at a fraction of the expense.