**The Frustrating World of Luxury SUVs: A Personal Experience**

I recently had the misfortune of working on a Mercedes SUV, and I must say, it was one of the biggest piles of crap luxury SUVs ever made. The car had nothing but problems with it, from Chinese wiring harnesses to an array of other nonsense that plagued its systems. One particularly frustrating issue was with the heating and air conditioning system. It would either work or not at all, never switching back and forth as it should. I recall one particular instance where the SUV's owner was driving along, enjoying a pleasant day, only to find herself sweating buckets due to the AC failing her.

The culprit behind this debacle was none other than the car's computer system, which had become muddled and confused. The problem was so severe that even basic tasks became an exercise in frustration. I took it upon myself to diagnose the issue by examining the dash and, after some tinkering, discovered a problem with the blend door system. By using a simple coat hanger as a makeshift solution, I managed to bypass the computer's faulty logic and get the car working again. However, this particular car was far more complex than that simple case, and I couldn't help but wonder how someone could design such an intricate system.

The experience left me scratching my head in awe of the manufacturer's audacity. The computer module for this SUV cost a whopping $1,200 to reprogram, which seemed like an exorbitant amount for a car that was already plagued by problems. It was a stark reminder of just how complicated modern cars have become. I couldn't help but think about the warning labels on some of these vehicles, cautioning owners to avoid electrical shocks or water damage.

The SUV's owner was considering leasing a new vehicle, and I warned her that she'd be trading one set of problems for another. "You're going from the frying pan into the fire," I told her, as I often do when explaining the potential pitfalls of luxury car ownership. Her response? She'd always wanted a Range Rover, so it seemed like a good idea to lease one instead of buying it outright.

Leasing a new vehicle can be a viable option for some owners, but in this case, I couldn't help but think that she was making a grave mistake. The top-of-the-line leases on these vehicles are steep, with prices reaching over $1,300 per month for six-month leases alone. In comparison, the cost of owning a car has always been relatively straightforward – you pay the purchase price, and you're done. With leasing, you're essentially paying for someone else's depreciation, plus interest.

My experience with this Mercedes SUV served as a stark reminder that luxury cars can be more trouble than they're worth. The problems are often hidden beneath the surface, waiting to rear their ugly heads when you least expect them. And once they do, fixing them can be a daunting task, requiring specialized knowledge and expertise – not to mention a significant amount of money.

**Lessons Learned from a Volkswagen Jetta**

Meanwhile, I had another caller on the line with a different problem altogether. Jerry called in, explaining that his 2016 Volkswagen Jetta's seatbelt warning light was still illuminated after he recharged the battery. Scottie (a fellow mechanic) helped him diagnose the issue, but I couldn't help but offer some words of caution.

Volkswagens are notorious for being money pits, and Jerry's experience was no exception. The car had a tendency to behave erratically when the battery discharged completely, causing it to trip codes. In this case, Scottie recommended a "hard reset" – essentially, reprogramming the computer system to reset everything to its default settings.

While this might seem like an easy fix, I warned Jerry that it's not always so simple. Some of these systems have become so complex that even basic repairs can trigger new problems or create new ones entirely. And in some cases, multiple resets may be required to get the car working again – which can be a frustrating and time-consuming process.

The moral of this story is clear: owning a Volkswagen can be a gamble, especially when it comes to electronics and computer systems. If you're considering purchasing one of these vehicles, make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into – or better yet, consider leasing it instead.

**Conclusion**

As I reflect on my experiences with luxury SUVs and Volkswagen's, it's clear that there are lessons to be learned from both successes and failures. In the world of automotive repair, nothing is ever as simple as it seems. The intricacies of modern computer systems can be mind-bogglingly complex, often requiring specialized knowledge and expertise to diagnose and fix.

Whether you're dealing with a Mercedes SUV or a Volkswagen Jetta, there are common pitfalls to watch out for – from electrical shocks to computer system malfunctions. And even then, the solutions may not always be straightforward.

As I finish writing this article, I'm reminded of the importance of being aware of these potential pitfalls and taking steps to mitigate them. Whether you're a seasoned mechanic or an inexperienced owner, it's essential to stay informed and prepared for whatever challenges come your way.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhy your engine today I'm going to show you why it's not such a good idea to buy a used Mercedes sports car especially when it's thundering outside now granted they're beautiful looking cars my wife even thinks this is a beautiful car she'd love to have one until I tell her how they fall apart this one's got the University of Texas horns on it no it has a beautiful car but it's a 2006 CLS 500 anat aureus money pit now you might notice that it says CLS 550 but that's a lie my customer wanted it on press for possible boyfriend's so she had me heat up with a hairdryer the old CLS 500 take it off and put the CLS 550 not 550 this is a 500 but for all intents and purposes they look the same they fall apart the same - check this out I got my scare tool hooked up they come all the trouble cards that it has there's 42 of them now in this case she doesn't care about a bunch of them but she does care about the air conditioning system because as you can tell this is a Texas car it's hot and humid here and her air conditioning just turns it's awful off every once in a while that's working fine today she took it to Dallas it worked fine but every once in a while it just shuts itself off so let's hope that the computer system can show what's wrong with the computer air conditioning system it does have a code in the automatic air conditioning system we'll check it out it's making all kinds of noises here it's turning things on and off trying to figure out what's going on it gives the code 9211 store to that supply voltage of the control module is too high so somehow the control module is getting too much electricity to it and obviously it's shutting the whole system up but it's only doing it once in a blue moon so let's check out the live data it's working now but look for any module stuff we can check out but try the multifunction sensor well that's working okay except that it's taking the ambien from under the hood so it's way higher it's only 8500 and it says it's 123 but that's typical these things get squirrely as they age try some active tests here and mainly complex look you can do actuator motors which is push this here it tells you the stuff that you have to make sure is working it's supposed to be 791 and this is 791 all the numbers are matching up and yes that's how complex the air conditioning system is in the sky and this is a 15 year old Mercedes the newer ones are even worse so you buy one of these things use your messing around with all this insane data and it's not like an Alexis where they rarely break these things break down all the time so we're gonna go to my trusty all data and I'm gonna look up some information about the HVAC control module so we can at least check it out see if wires are loose corroded ground wire who knows it turned out that this German pile of over engineered junk has two two computer modules that run the HVAC system the heating ventilation and air conditioning system not just one but two separate computers that are inside the - now this is the total absurdity of these cars they are that complex to have two separate computer modules to run the air conditioning and a heating system now granted my wife's Lexus also has a very complex computer on heat in an air conditioning system like the Mercedes it's got dual controls for one side before the other all temperature compensated with sensors but there's a big difference between this and the Mercedes I've been working on cars for 52 years you know how many computer modules I had to replace for air conditioning systems and Lexuses zero none it's not a single one but a Mercedes Benzes I have seen scores than the breakdown so here's a difference Mercedes Benz has the image of quality oh it's a Mercedes well alexis has both an image of quality an actual quality so if you want to bask in the image of quality in Mercedes go right ahead but if you want real quality get Alexis getting back to the Mercedes in the AC system shining off and you go inside with my meter and sad I'm DC voltage then do a bunch of testing I tested the grounds I tested the power everything is off to snuff it's got plenty of ground it's got plenty of power so in this case guess what the main computer modules going bad for the HVAC system no surprise and these lack of quality Mercedes Benzes as the age after all you remember my fancy scan tool what did it fun 42 trouble codes and it's just typical on these things as they age now this thing is so complicated I'm not gonna try to rig it like I did her previous car years ago she had a Mercedes SUV again one of the biggest piles of crap luxury SUVs ever made where they had nothing but problems with them they had Chinese wiring harnesses all kinds of nonsense in them in a case of hearse it would either have heat or air conditioning but it wouldn't switch back and forth and her SUV was a lot older than this thing there wasn't quite as complicated what I did was I took the dash and they got a coat hanger yes a coat hanger and I found that the blend door system was all messed up from the computers and I figured out which doors did which so I put a coat hanger on the blend door latch so when she wanted heat she could push up on a coat hanger and when she went an air conditioning she could pull down on a coat hanger just to make the stupid thing work now this particular car is way more complex than that and I suppose there's a warning could rig it but really she's gonna get rid of this thing soon so there's no sense scratching my head trying to bypass this nonsensical insane design that's the computer module for this pile of junk it's $1,200 that it has to be reprogrammed to fit with the system everything has to be reprogrammed on these you know just absolute absurdity it is working occasionally it goes up well she's gonna be getting rid of this piece of junk soon strangely enough she's talking about getting a Range Rover and I told her hey you like going from the frying pan into the fire she said well I always wanted a Range Rover I said look here's an idea for that lease one don't buy it lease it then you'll get it out system it probably won't break cuz its brand new and if a Dodge you don't have to pay for it cuz you're leasing the vehicle and she thought yeah I never thought of that so who knows next time shows up here maybe she'll be driving one of those crappy Range Rovers I looked at the top-of-the-line leases around here it's about $1,300 a month for leasing those things which if she does do it six months she would pay more money leasing that Range Rover for a six month period then I paid for every single car that I bought from my personal use in the last 50 years that I've been driving cars you know my spend that kind of money be my guest but as you can see by one of these things used you're just playing with dynamite where the fuse has already been lit especially if it's got more than a hundred thousand miles on it having to not just one computers top rate the air conditioning system that's bad enough but there's plenty more things wrong with this guy according to my computer 41 other things wrong which tells you buy any one of these things use it's a madman's world if you try to do something like that in this case looks can be deceiving just like in the rest of life beautiful looking cards endless and I mean endless money pits as they age because in the case of this Mercedes and many others I've worked on people buy them to impress people but if your condition he cuts out randomly like this one does you're not gonna be impressing too many people drenched in sweat because the AC doesn't work anymore and here's some bonus questions and answers Larry Larry crank Jerry says Scottie helped me I got 2016 Volkswagen Jetta now my seat like restraining light is on after the battery went dead and I recharged it I had the battery tested on it's okay help well if you really want help get rid of that Volkswagen get a better car but you got the Volkswagen when the battery discharge went to zero Volkswagens are European money pit cars you know they're not the old VW beetles when I was a kid in the 60s that were simple easy to fix nope they're not when it discharged like that it does squirrely things does it compare now it's tripping codes I see it all the time what you want to do is pay a Volkswagen mechanic to do what's called a hard reset he will put his fancy computer on plug it in and reset everything and it'll probably go away and not come back that's just others I've seen them work sometimes you do that and all of a sudden if you have a sunroof the sunroom for working well then you got to do another reset for that to make the sunroom for the software on those things and hardware have such weird relationships and the Germans have such strange minds anyways I know I'm about 3/4 German one of the reasons I don't drive German cars I know how they think and I think rather strangely but have a hard reset done it should solve your problem entirely so if you never want to miss another one of my new car repair videos remembering to ring that Bell\n"