What are the problems with the 2007 Mercedes Benz S600?
By
Vroomouk
This blow will list all the problems in the 2007 Mercedes Benz S600 model. We also take a closer look at each problem and its remedies. Lastly, we take a look at the key specifications of the S 600.
What are the problems with the 2007 Mercedes Benz S 600?
The problems with the 2007 Mercedes Benz S 600 are listed below:
- Combustion misfiring
- Brake pad wear
- Sound amplifier inoperative
- Active body control leakage
- Electronic parking brake malfunction
- Low pressure in the fuel system.
Mercedes Benz launched the fifth generation of the S Class in 2006. It replaced the w220 model and set new benchmarks for the comfort and safety of premium sedans.
The problems with the 2007 S 600 are discussed in depth below:
Combustion misfire:
The S 600 is powered by a 5.5 litre M275 V 12 engine, it has two single overhead camshafts and 3 valves per cylinder. The M275 also has two spark plugs per cylinder which mean there are 24 spark plugs for all 12 cylinders.
Two ignition coils with dedicated output stages connected all the spark plugs in both the banks. When the integrated output stages fail in a particular coil, spark plugs in that entire bank do not work.
The combustion misfire in a V 12 engine is only recognised by vibration and abnormal noise as the drop in the performance is not significant. The only remedy for the combustion misfiring problem of the S 600 is to first renew the spark plugs and then replace the faulty ignition coil.
Uneven Brake pads wear
The 2007 Mercedes Benz S 600 has a 360 mm vented disc in the front and a 330 mm vented disk in the back. The brakes on the rear axle are single-piston floating callipers and on the front; it is 4 piston fixed callipers.
Many customers reported brake wear indicator lamps in the instrument cluster and the mileage of the cars was also not high. The cause of the uneven brake pad wear was identified after closer inspection of the brake discs.
Under heavy braking, the brake disc gets warped and develops excessive runout; the remedy for the uneven brake pad wear is to renew the brake pads along with the warped brake discs. Mercedes Benz later introduced brake discs made from composite materials in order to make the brake disc more durable.
Sound amplifier
The 2007 Mercedes Benz S 600 came with a Command API navigation system. The media system is the master control unit for the MOST communication network. The sound amplifier is connected to the media system with two fibre optics lines for data transfer.
The sound amplifier in the 2007 Mercedes Benz S 600 gets overheated and stops working. When the sound amplifier is not working, the MOst communication ring is broken and the Media system does not work.
No sound comes from speakers and changing the audio source to radio, CD or auxiliary does not make any difference as the speakers are connected to the sound amplifier control unit.
The only remedy is to replace the sound amplifier control unit and perform its software programming after installation is completed. The sound amplifier can usually last for years, but many customers reported problems with the sound amplifier in their S600.
Active body control Hydraulic leakage.
The 2007 Mercedes Benz S 600 used a hydraulic active suspension system called Active body control. Due to the (ABC) active body control, the suspension setup is simplified. There is no need for anti-roll or stabiliser bars as the hydraulic suspension can eliminate the body roll during cornering.
The ABC system uses a mechanical hydraulic pump and sends the hydraulic oil to the four suspension struts through the front axle and rear axle valve body. If there is a hydraulic leak from the hydraulic struts or lines then the vehicle ride height is not lowered to critical levels.
It is not possible to drive the S 600 with a leak in the active body control hydraulic system. Although there is a mechanical spring within the hydraulic strut, it is only used to absorb bumps up to a certain level.
The hydraulic fluid in the top chamber of the strut is responsible for maintaining the ride height of the vehicle. Drivers can also increase the ride height by the press of a button in the instrument panel. The active body control system is very fast compared to the Airmatic system which uses compressed air in the suspension strut instead of hydraulic fluid.
Electronic parking brake malfunction.
The Mercedes Benz S 600 has an electronic parking brake, and a dedicated control unit is located on the rear axle. An electric actuator within the control unit pulls two mechanical cables which then apply the drum brakes on the rear axle.
The control unit actuates the electronic parking brake only when the lever is pressed. Due to the electro-mechanical nature of the parking brake, the electronic actuator could only be operated 90,000 times. After the actuation limit is reached, the complete parking brake control unit must be replaced.
Low pressure in the fuel system
The 2007 Mercedes Benz S 600 has a massive 90 litres fuel tank that gives it a range of 391 miles. The fuel tank is divided into two halves, the main fuel pump is located on the right side of the tank. Fuel from the left side is transferred to the right side by a suction jet pump.
The fuel pump in the tank is responsible for generating the pressure in the low-pressure fuel system. When the pump does not work, low pressure is not built into the fuel system and the vehicle does not start.
The remedy is to replace the low-pressure fuel pump; the fuel pump also malfunctions because of dirt and sludge in the fuel tank that saturates in the dashpot as the vehicle ages.
What are the key specifications of the 2007 Mercedes Benz S 600?
The key specifications of the 2007 Mercedes Benz S 600 are mentioned in the table below
| Specifications | Mercedes Benz S 600 |
| Engine output | V 12 M275 510 Horsepower and 830 NM torque |
| transmission | 5 G Tronic automatic transmission |
| wheelbase | 316.5 cm |
| width | 187.1 cm |
| height | 147.3 cm |
| Curb weight | 2180 Kg |
| Fuel consumption combined (US) | 16 MPG |
| 0-62 MPH | 4.6 seconds |
| Top speed | 155 MPH (250 km/hr) |
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Conclusion
This blog discussed the problems of the 2007 Mercedes Benz S 600 and also explained the remedies. The S 600 was the best luxury car when it was launched in 2005. It was a new generation of S Class and the marketing slogan was ‘engineered like no other car’. Today, the S 600 is more than 20 years old and should be avoided in the used car market as repair costs are extremely high.
