C270 Estate 2003MY - Cutting out

[MBFan1968]

Hi there, I appreciate any help you can give with this one.

Had this car for 6 months now and it's not missed a beat. FSH, very clean and tidy and serviced 2k miles ago.
C270 Estate - 124k miles

Whilst driving for around 30 minutes at say an average of 50mph,
it just stopped and coasted to a halt. 15 mins later it started and drove with no issues.
Drove another 20 mins and then it stopped again.
After 30 mins it started again
Drove for approx 25 mins and it stopped again.
After 1 hour it started again but as too scared to drive, a friend towed us home.

Every time I tried to start it, it would crank fine with power but would not fire up.

When it was running, it drove with no issues, no juddering or jumping etc. it just stopped and all the dash lights came on as if I'd turned the ignition off.

Oil fine, coolant fine, no smells or signs of leaks. The battery is showing a green light and says fully charged.

The only thing I can think of is that 2 mins before the first cut out, we drove up a very steep hill and it was a long one, the car managed it fine but at the top of the hill was when it cut out, after 60 seconds into the flat part.

I test drove it yesterday locally and done a 6 mile trip to Tesco and back and it was fine. Too scared to go any further.

Has anyone had this before and is there anything I can check?

Thank you for any help/advice you can offer.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Hello and welcome . The first thing to do would be to have the codes read. Does it show anywhere on the service history that the fuel filter has been replaced ?

 

[MBFan1968]

Hello and welcome . The first thing to do would be to have the codes read. Does it show anywhere on the service history that the fuel filter has been replaced ?

Hello and thank you.

The fuel filter ( and feed pipe) was last replaced in Oct 2019 at 110k miles.

 

[m80]

By the description it cuts out when warm, and restarts when cooled.
That's typically the CPS failing.

 

[Petrol Pete]

m80 points out crank position sensor as a possible culprit, not expensive to change and often easy (or fiendishly difficult) to get to depending on car . CPS failure can also show itself a the car having a hard time starting when hot.

 

[m80]

On a C320 CDI I found mine on the top of the bell housing, n/s.
A bitch to get to but I managed to peel back the thin metallic cover and use a (17mm I think) long reach socket to remove. Then bent the cover back.
Removal of the cover would have been a real pita.

 

[MBFan1968]

On a C320 CDI I found mine on the top of the bell housing, n/s.
A bitch to get to but I managed to peel back the thin metallic cover and use a (17mm I think) long reach socket to remove. Then bent the cover back.
Removal of the cover would have been a real pita.

Thanks Petrol Pete and m80 - I'll delve a bit deeper and see if I can get one fitted. Appreciate your comments.

 

[MBFan1968]

Does this look right, I think this is the part!

 

[m80]

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But I think I would prefer to go to a Mercedes parts dept with the vehicle VIN.
I seem to remember I paid £36ish years ago. A few quids extra would be worth it to my mind.

 

[MBFan1968]

FOR MERCEDES C-CLASS S203 C270 2.7 CDI DIESEL (2001-2005) CAMSHAFT CAM SENSOR | eBay

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But I think I would prefer to go to a Mercedes parts dept with the vehicle VIN.
I seem to remember I paid £36ish years ago. A few quids extra would be worth it to my mind.

That's great, thank you.

 

[AMGeed]

By the description it cuts out when warm, and restarts when cooled.
That's typically the CPS failing.

+1 Crank position sensor.

 

[Petrol Pete]

We are now discussing two different sensors (which need to handshake for the engine to run properly) Camshaft position sensor(s) and Crankshaft position sensor. Both worth changing.

 

[ChipChop]

Euro Car Parts and Car Parts 4 Less sell Bosch CPS's for good prices.

 

[horatio]

My 270 had trouble starting when hot - yes crank sensor!

Unfortunately it’s a pig to replace so got garage to do it (from underneath car). I changed the cam sensor as well myself just because it’s 2 secs to replace and I found a Hella part for next to nothing.

 

[ChipChop]

My 270 had trouble starting when hot - yes crank sensor!

Unfortunately it’s a pig to replace so got garage to do it (from underneath car). I changed the cam sensor as well myself just because it’s 2 secs to replace and I found a Hella part for next to nothing.

+1 for replacing a CPS being a pig of a job. Even more so on a straight 6 engine.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Changing the CPS sensor on a C55 is a pain. That V8 engine was never supposed to be in that tiny space and it is a mother of a job.

 

[Stefan71]

Hi there, I appreciate any help you can give with this one.

Had this car for 6 months now and it's not missed a beat. FSH, very clean and tidy and serviced 2k miles ago.
C270 Estate - 124k miles

Whilst driving for around 30 minutes at say an average of 50mph,
it just stopped and coasted to a halt. 15 mins later it started and drove with no issues.
Drove another 20 mins and then it stopped again.
After 30 mins it started again
Drove for approx 25 mins and it stopped again.
After 1 hour it started again but as too scared to drive, a friend towed us home.

Every time I tried to start it, it would crank fine with power but would not fire up.

When it was running, it drove with no issues, no juddering or jumping etc. it just stopped and all the dash lights came on as if I'd turned the ignition off.

Oil fine, coolant fine, no smells or signs of leaks. The battery is showing a green light and says fully charged.

The only thing I can think of is that 2 mins before the first cut out, we drove up a very steep hill and it was a long one, the car managed it fine but at the top of the hill was when it cut out, after 60 seconds into the flat part.

I test drove it yesterday locally and done a 6 mile trip to Tesco and back and it was fine. Too scared to go any further.

Has anyone had this before and is there anything I can check?

Thank you for any help/advice you can offer.

Check for fuel lines cracked and letting air into the fuel system. I had a very similar problem there is a short 4 in rubber feed coming from the fuel tank which joins with the plastic pipe which runs down to the engine fuel filter I changed the 4in rubber hose. which had fine cracks in it letting air into the fuel system hope this helps

 

[DSM10000]

+1 for replacing a CPS being a pig of a job. Even more so on a straight 6 engine.

The OP has a straight 5 cylinder engine so possibly a little more space.

 

[Dichtung]

Check for fuel lines cracked and letting air into the fuel system. I had a very similar problem there is a short 4 in rubber feed coming from the fuel tank which joins with the plastic pipe which runs down to the engine fuel filter I changed the 4in rubber hose. which had fine cracks in it letting air into the fuel system hope this helps

And check oil level.. Too low or too high.