CLK320 engine cuts out

[Margaret 207]

Hi,

I recently bought a CLK320 Elegance. Have had it anout 3 weeks and the other day the engine cut out on me. Wouldn't start again so had to push it to the side of the road and leave it there until I could get some help to get it recovered. A few hours later turned key and it started no problem - ran perfectly as always so drove it home. Thought it best to take it to the garage to get it checked out and it broke down again on the way there. Phoned mechanic and he came out to collect the car on his truck. He has changed the fuel relay switch and fuel filters but this has not solved the problem. He wants to change the wiring loom as he said that when he moves it the engine cuts out again. This sounds expensive and I'm not convinced as the car has only done 55,000 miles and when it runs it drives beautifully and the engine runs really well.

Anyone got any ideas please......

TIA

 

[zipdip]

Maybe you need a auto electrician,there are always some in the local papers who will work on your car at your home address,at least the garage has maybe found the problem the electrician might well be able to isolate the offending cable and just replace that.

 

[Margaret 207]

Thank you. That's a good idea. He says loom looks ok and has suggested that it could be the ECU but faults are not showing up on diagnostics so really difficult to know without changing everything. Think maybe I should have bought another Kompressor - the old girl has never let me down.

 

[vijilants]

He obviously doesn't have much experience with Mercs as he should be looking at replacing the crankshaft position sensor.....known issue on the Mercedes V engines

When they are faulty they fail when hot and shut the engine down, and work when cooled down.

 

[Margaret 207]

Thank you for the advice. I just spoke to him and he says that he has changed the crankshaft sensor but when he took the car for a test drive it cut out again. Thank you all for your help and suggestions.

 

[demetrios]

My friend has a problem on his 2000 reg slk320 where it starts but throttle does nothing then when he turns it off and on again drives fine

 

[markmifsud]

Still could be the CPS if the one fitted wasnt a genuine product, where are you perhaps we can recommend a decent mechanic?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

My first thought was CPS too.

 

[PobodY]

The other CPS then? - On the other bank of cylinders.

 

[Margaret 207]

I am near Heathrow. Will ask if CPS was genuine Mercedes part. Are there 2 crank position sensors then? Wish I knew as much as you guys do.

 

[markmifsud]

Heathrow, two of the best indies around are not too far from you, Terry@wayne gates in Harrow and Olly@prestige in Horndean

 

[Margaret 207]

Thank you. If still no luck today then I will give one of them a go. Always handy to know a good mechanic for future reference anyway. You need a degree in computers and electronics these days. My first Merc was a 1983 300D - nothing ever went wrong with it and even if it did it was so easy to fix.

 

[Margaret 207]

Car has now run for 2 hours without breaking down. Success hopefully- will see how it goes this weekend. Looks like it was CPS. Thank you all for your advice

 

[vijilants]

You also need to check the flywheel where the CPS gets its signal. Corrosion in this area can blank out the signal and there was a method of cleaning this area up.

Also there is only one CPS.

 

[Margaret 207]

Another Problem - Engine cuts out

Well it looks like the new CPS has solved the problem that my CLK320 had. Thanks to all of you guys for your help and advice - really appreciated your support.
Unfortunately, we now have another problem. The car is starting, running and driving perfectly until you try to use the kickdown to accelerate quickly. This results in the engine cutting out. It starts again immediately without any problems, but this is a little scary when you are trying to join fast moving traffic and need that bit of extra power. Don't know if this problem is related to the CPS or if this is something completely different. I am also wondering if there is a speed or revs limiter somewhere other than the obvoius speed limiter stick control on the steering column. The car does not appear to want to go any faster than 90mph - the engine stuttered a bit as I hit 90mph so I eased off and it carried on happily at 85mph. Didn't want to push it too hard as the last thing I want is it cutting out in the fast lane of the motorway.
Please does anyone have any ideas? Diagnostics shows no faults even though the engine management light has come up.
Thanks again for all your advice.

 

[markmifsud]

What are you using to read the codes? if you have a MIL then there must be an entry in the DTC to say what illuminated it.

 

[Ted]

Purely a guess, but sounds like the MAF.

 

[Margaret 207]

Car is going back to garage this weekend. Have had to drive it carefully for the past 2 weeks and as long as you don't use kickdown it runs and drives perfectly. Last time I had a MAF sensor fail the car would barely run but then that wasn't a Merc. Hopefully the problem will show itself this time - the garage probably think I'm imagining it as it performs perfectly whenever it is there.

 

[AMGeed]

purely a guess, but sounds like the maf.

+1

 

[Margaret 207]

Could it be TPS?