The Mercedes S430 sedan was introduced to offer those interested in a more economical vehicle than the Mercedes S500 series. The S430 is still a luxury sedan that includes a premium sound system and power push-button features that are expected with a Mercedes. The S430, however, has been known for its slew of electrical problems, particularly with the radio.
The radio for the Mercedes S430 has a digital display and either a single disc insert in the head deck itself, or a six-disc CD changer located in the truck. Sometimes the radio will not turn on, leaving the CD function locked on the radio. This seems to happen only with the CD-changer versions of the S430. Turning the car off and back on seems to rectify the problem, but will happen randomly after that.
The CD changer that is part of the radio in the Mercedes S430 will not respond to the CD changer remote in some cases. Instead, the CD changer shuffles through the songs in order. Even though the radio is part of this factory package, the CD-changer remote is the only way to change the songs on the CD changer. The CD changer can be switched to the radio, however, from the function on the radio itself.
Mercedes radios have a unique feature that allows you to program nine stations into your radio for quick play, displaying all nine stations so that you can easily maneuver to the station you want to listen to. At random points when operating the vehicle, the radio will go into auto shuffle, bouncing between the stations rapidly. Normally, shutting the radio off for a period before turning it back on seems to fix this problem.
