w168 a160 gremlins have struck

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

My wifes A160 has been well and truly attacked by the gremlins . On a couple of recent (short ) journeys , the car has gone into limp mode , with the "f" (appropriate code) light on the dash. After stopping and restarting the car runs normally for a while , then does a repeat performance. Put an OBD2 meter on and came up with 2 codes ;- P0705 Transmission range sensor A circuit PRNDL input , and P0443 Evaporative emission system purge control valve circuit.
Late last night the alarm went off . Rushed outside , could not open the car with the remote. Opened it with the key , disconnected the battery , alarm still blaring away . Obviously a backup battery in the alarm/immobiliser. Frantic few minutes trying to locate the whereabouts of the alarm , but could not find it. In the end i connected a battery charger and reset with the remote. Then discovered the auxiliary air injection pump was continuously running , presumably the cause of the battery running flat (in turn triggering the alarm?).
This morning I rang an auto electician , only to be told "sorry mate , don`t have a programme for a 2001 model , too old , its a Mercedes only job". Short of blowing it up , any sensible suggestions please?
Unfortunately my wife has limited mobility so is almost housebound without her car.

 

[grober]

Continuously running air pump would perhaps indicate a stuck relay?
You need to take a look at Lofty's site.
Albert Rowe, Lofty's homepage, Index 'Mercedxes Benz 'A' Class w168,

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

Thanks Graeme. Will try to find the relay.Presumably as its only pushing air through the catalytic convertor on start up it will not affect driving it?
Oddly enough since reconnecting the battery the radio display is totally blank , not even requesting a code .

 

[grober]

Bert Rowe's-A-class, information, Fuse, relay, allocation W168 petrol

http://www.aclassinfo.co.uk/mypage.14.htm

aux air relay part no is A 002 542 1319 But check against chassis no.

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

Thanks again. located the relay , under the carpet in the front passenger footwell , replacement on order . Looks like I will have to remove the handbrake console to get at the sensors on the auto box , and clean up the contacts to try and eliminate the "limp mode" problem . In hindsight I should have got her something newer, so may bite the bullet and dump the car as she is very wary of driving it now.

 

[219]

Sorry to hear this .

However , perverse as it may sound , the newer cars get the more they tend to rely on complex electronics and the harder they tend to be to fix when they go wrong .

If you want something reliable , and simple to look after yourself , easy to do DIY repairs on if/when things go wrong then something a little older but well looked after might better fit the bill .

If you can find a well cared for 190E , there isn't much to go wrong , they don't tend to break the bank buying and very easy to look after .

Of course , if new is what she wants , then something like a new VW Up! bought on PCP before the end of this month might fit the bill ...

 

[grober]

The W168 was not one of Mercedes' finest hours.

 

[219]

I liked the innovative design : it was original thinking and very different to everything else out there . I drove one at launch and was impressed , use of space was very good .

They can be very cheap to buy now ; I know the automatics are considered time bombs - how about the manual ones ?

 

[fabes]

Would check with Mrs NoMoney before putting to much effort in

Confidence in a car for her (and you if her mobility is limited) will be a deciding factor

 

[grober]

Woman friend of mine who has mobility issues from MS loves her Fiat Panda automatic [ automated clutch] high seating position, good visibility, easy to drive, simple light controls, good accessibility thro the 4 doors. A car that's proved very reliable in service. What's not to like.

[YOUTUBE HD]ZdDiHr44FfY[/YOUTUBE HD]

https://youtu.be/ZdDiHr44FfY

 

[brucemillar]

In hindsight I should have got her something newer, so may bite the bullet and dump the car as she is very wary of driving it now.

My FIL had one of these beasties. It was a "nail" in almost every sense, apart from, it looked nice.

Over four years MB rebuilt the car with new parts, including a gearbox!! and a new steering rack & column. The "F" letter was rarely gone for long.

He ended up with my MIL not wanting to go out in it for fear of being stranded again in some desolate spot. He sold it (looking and driving like a new car) for pennies to a dealer.

Mrs M, loses confidence in cars very quickly, and it can be terminal for the car when she does ;^( But you need to know it will get you from A > B at your command.

Good luck.

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

Strangely enough , my wife suggested a Fiat Panda yesterday , which is not a car that was on my radar. Of her last couple of cars , the Freelander was just a bit high for her , the RAV4 she loved , but the auto box went after a couple of months (apparently a design fault , and there is a class action lawsuit in the USA against Toyota) , Renault scenic to be fair was well appointed and comfortable for her . Best car she had from access/driving point of view was a Hyundai Matrix , which in 7 years never let her down.
At just under 5ft tall she cannot/will not drive my C class . Her disability is the result of a stroke which affected her right side , so she is no longer able to drive a manual . I have tried to convince her to drive a classic ( as long as its not my SL ) , but the resulting arguments had to be abandoned due to the threat of airborne crockery. She even had the temerity to suggest I sell my two Mercs and spend the fifty quid on her.

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

Went out today and bought a 60 plate Kia Soul 2, 1.6 CDTI . We took the A160 out on thursday , went into limp mode twice in a couple of miles. She was not happy with keeping it , so away it goes.