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Biodegradable wiring the techs nightmare.

Home Forums Stay Dirty Lounge Girls in the Garage Biodegradable wiring the techs nightmare.

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  • #539880
    JaneJane
    Participant

      Renewing the wiring on a Mercedes. Mercedes like many manufacturers design the wiring to be biodegradable. After 10-15 years the insulation starts to breakdown. This is not good news to anyone with a classic car. Some symptoms… voltage drops in supply to electronic systems. P0221 which after investigation has nothing to do with parts. Its because of the error in voltage to the ECU.

      Would love to know your thoughts.
      Jane

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    • #539937
      Wyatt TalleyWyatt Talley
      Participant

        Time to sue some auto manufactures lol

        #555600
        HikaruHikaru
        Participant

          I have the same problems in my car, some voltage drop, bad grounding, and insulation problems
          the car is 13 years old, and I buy it second hand.
          most cause by bad untrained mechanic, they usually just cut the wire and put it on again only with spins most of it without duct tape ><, and very dangerous, even more for the positive wires. So I have to re-wiring some cables and grounding. So now I do it my self for the wiring saver and know it better. and for original cable insulation, looks OK for now if I left it un touch, perhaps it will ruin the insulator when I touch it hard (looks more fragile time to time):D , and I know there is a resistant problem in the cooper wire. but still the biodegradable wiring are dangerous for untrained owner and extreme weather.

          #555646
          college mancollege man
          Moderator

            Really its a problem with any vehicle that ages. wiring drying
            out from countless heat cycles. I know some company’s make wiring
            replacement kits for classic and muscle cars.Maybe even Mercedes?

            #558187
            BluesnutBluesnut
            Participant

              This problem seems to be worse with European cars and I’ve owned 2 SAABs with wire harnesses in which the insulation started turning into powder and the copper wire charring. One of them was only about 6 or 7 years old when problems first started popping up.

              Good thing they don’t do this with aircraft…… 😉

              #587092
              JaneJane
              Participant

                Thanks, you can still buy new wiring looms for many older Mercedes. They are not that expensive. Some looms more older models however, will require some maintenance and replacing the wires in the loom is not that complicated just time consuming. A case in point is the engine loom on the old Mercedes SL.

                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W113

                #587145
                Jonathan StiverJonathan Stiver
                Participant

                  I know my 96 C220 came with one of these harnesses originally. They used like soy based insulation, not good for a hot greasy mess. The previous owner of my car had a new harness installed but there are a lot of people rebuilding harnesses for a fraction of the cost.

                  #610227
                  KenKen
                  Participant

                    [quote=”onyx” post=68291]Time to sue some auto manufactures lol[/quote]

                    Lol.

                    But is this a joke? Is this a prank? Are you kidding me? This is planned obsolescence at it’s finest. You have got to be kidding me. I’m not sure I believe this, Someone give me a link. I am telling all of my co-workers about this. Yet another reason to hate European cars, as if we needed any more. Oh man this is insane.

                    #611383
                    JamieJamie
                    Participant

                      Volvo’s were bad for this. Countless breaks in rear hatch harnesses and steering column wires.

                      #614126
                      dandan
                      Moderator

                        [URL=http://media.photobucket.com/user/espadaone/media/e52ee8c64384fe25558b51855b9bfb22jpg.gif.html][IMG]http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt217/espadaone/e52ee8c64384fe25558b51855b9bfb22jpg.gif[/IMG][/URL]

                        i know this is the ladies section, but i saw this and just had to see it for myself, why… why would you make something that could cause a short circuit and catch something on fire, have its insulation be bio degradable? GENIOUS!

                        #614333
                        Jonathan StiverJonathan Stiver
                        Participant

                          It was the 90s in Germany… Going through a huge “green” movement like the US has had the last few years. There was a lot of incentives for auto manufacturers to use more environmentally friendly materials. They just didn’t have any research on what 15-20 years of heat and grease do to break down the soy based insulation

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