I HAVE A 1994 MERCEDES BENZ C280 VIN#[XXX] WITH ABOUT 84000 MILES ON IT AND IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE MISFIRING, WARNING LIGHTS COMING ON RANDOMLY AND OTHER ELECTRICAL GREMLINS. I WAS CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD GETTING READY TO CHANGE THE SPARK PLUGS TO TRY TO MAKE IT RUN BETTER, WHEN I NOTICED SOME BARE WIRES COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS TO A CONNECTOR NEAR THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. I REACHED DOWN TO REMOVE THE CONNECTOR AND WHEN I DID THERE WAS A POP, AND A PUFF OF SMOKE FROM THAT AREA. THE HARNESS GOT VERY HOT, SO I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. UPON CAREFUL INSPECTION I FOUND THAT ALL OF THE INSULATION ON THIS AND MOST ALL OF THE WIRES IN THE HARNESS HAD DISINTEGRATED, THE INSULATION ALMOST COMPLETELY AND THE COPPER WAS ALSO GREEN AND IN POOR CONDITION. UPON CHECKING THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT 1994 AND 1995 C280 MODELS HAVE THIS AS A CHRONIC COMPLAINT. I HAVE WRITTEN MERCEDES BENZ AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. I SPOKE WITH A BENZ MECHANIC I KNOW IN ANOTHER STATE AND HE SAID HE HAD REPLACED DOZENS OF THESE WIRE HARNESSES ON THIS MODEL . HE STATED THAT MERCEDES BENZ HAD EXPERIMENTED WITH A BIODEGRADABLE WIRE INSULATION AT THIS TIME AND THAT THEY FINALLY STOPPED IN LATE 1995 ON THIS MODEL. FURTHER THAT MERCEDES IS AWARE, BUT LEAVES IT UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL DEALERSHIP TO DECIDE IF THEY WILL REPAIR IT AS A GOODWILL REPAIR. HE SAID THEY CHARGE ABOUT $1500 FOR THIS REPAIR. THE CAR SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY INOPERABLE BECAUSE OF THIS PROB