# 1989 MERCEDES BENZ 560 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
> NHTSA complaint `627905` · 2007-06-20 · Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** MERCEDES BENZ
- **Model:** 560
- **Year:** 1989
- **Manufacturer:** Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
- **Component:** ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
- **Miles at failure:** 178,013
- **Speed:** 10 mph
## Narrative
MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ARE ABOUT EARLY 1990 W124, W126,W140,W201 AND W202 MODELS. MY COMPLAINT WAS REGARDING AN ELECTRICAL MELTDOWN THAT OCCURRED ON THE 1989 560 SEL W126 LAST FRIDAY. I RECENTLY BOUGHT  A SECOND CAR AND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE HAD A LUMP OR A SURGE AT IDLE AND AT OPERATING SPEED. I THOUGHT SINCE THE CAR SAT FOR A WHILE BEFORE I BOUGHT IT THE PROBLEM WAS FUEL RELATED. I TOOK THE CAR  TO  REPAIR SHOP   FOR A NEW FUEL FILTER. TWO DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT IT THE CAR WAS RETURNED AND IT WAS RUNNING FINE UNTIL I STARTED GETTING THE LUMPY IDLE AND SURGE AT SPEED. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE CAR NEEDED TO BE DRIVEN. I DID JUST THAT, AND TOOK THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM. I NOTICED THAT WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR SEEMED TO BLACK  OUT TEMPORARILY, CUTTING IGNITION AND FUEL, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE AND CONTINUED DRIVING. WHEN MAKING A TURN LATER INTO THE GAS STATION THE CAR BLACKED OUT COMPLETELY AND SMOKE EMERGED FROM THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE CAR. I OPENED THE HOOD AND THE WIRING WAS ON FIRE. I IMMEDIATELY PUT OUT THE BLAZE AND HAD THE CAR TAKEN BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP. AS OF NOW MY MECHANIC WAS GETTING A WIRING DIAGRAM OF THE CAR, AND WILL BE INVESTIGATING WHAT HAPPENED SO I COULD  REPORT THIS TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE CAUSE E WAS, BUT WE  WERE LEANING TOWARD A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS.  ALTHOUGH  IT HAD OVER 150,000 MILES, I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN. ONE WOULD  AN ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM,
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*