CLK fuel gauge issue

[dom]

Hi.
JUST JOINED! ..this is my first post here, ..so be gentle with me!

Lookin to buy a 2001 CLK Komp soon. Ive seen one I like but the fuel gauge is at the bottom (yes, there is fuel in it) and the check engine light is on. Are the two issues related, ie, is the check engine lamp on due to the fuel gauge problem?

Ive read several posts on here and now know the tank senders to be an issue. Is it ever needed to change the main instrument cluster or just the senders?

Also, if MB know about this, should this car have been recalled? If they havent been changed already, can I chance going to a dealers and just expecting them to do it for me as a recall?

Cheers,

Dom.

 

[Alfie]

Hi.
JUST JOINED! ..this is my first post here, ..so be gentle with me!

Lookin to buy a 2001 CLK Komp soon. Ive seen one I like but the fuel gauge is at the bottom (yes, there is fuel in it) and the check engine light is on. Are the two issues related, ie, is the check engine lamp on due to the fuel gauge problem?

Ive read several posts on here and now know the tank senders to be an issue. Is it ever needed to change the main instrument cluster or just the senders?

Also, if MB know about this, should this car have been recalled? If they havent been changed already, can I chance going to a dealers and just expecting them to do it for me as a recall?

Cheers,

Dom.

Welcome to the forum.

It might just be a faulty sender unit or a faulty component in the dashboard. Or then again it might be a serious/expensive fault.

I would walk away from it if you still can. Alternatively get the vendor to take it to a dealership where they will be able to plug it in to the diagnostics and tell you straight away whats wrong with it.

There are lots around for sale so take your time to pick the best one can afford.

Remember - Always always always an automatic if you ever want to sell the car on one day.

Good luck

 

[Shude]

The check engine light is probably unrelated to the fuel gauge issue. If you call MB HQ in Milton Keynes and give them the VIN they will tell you of any recall events for that car. IIRC the sender units are quite cheap but the labour brings the cost up quite a bit, expect a repair to be £100-200 probably.

The instrument cluster *could* be faulty, but it's unlikely.

I don't know why people try to sell cars with warning lights on the dash etc, unless the car is substantially cheaper than "perfect" examples who would buy it?

 

[Paul Grainger]

The CLK fuel senders cost approx £80 each (there are two) and are known to fail after approx 5 years. I replaced both of mine two years ago (1999 car) after the fuel guage stopped working and said permanently empty.
If you are prepared to do a bit of DIY it's an easy job, the sender units are located by ring clamps and can be both changed in about 30 minutes. Your tank needs to be empty (or nearly so), one of the senders is a bit fiddly and has to be 'threaded' through the hole in the tank - but it is certainly not a job that can only be done by your local stealer.

I don't think that you 'check engine' light is connected with this problem.


Paul G

PS Recall for this problem? You must be joking! It might cost them something! Of course they know it's a problem! How come my local stealer doesn't keep basic things like floor mats and touch up paint in stock, but, surprise surprise - they stock fuel sender units. Go figure.

 

[Steve_Perry]

... Also, if MB know about this, should this car have been recalled? If they havent been changed already, can I chance going to a dealers and just expecting them to do it for me as a recall?

MB are fully aware of the fuel sender problem unfortunately they blame the poor quality of fuel supplied in the UK. I think, from what I have read in past posts that MB blame the levels of sulphur in the petrol for causing the contacts on the sender to corrode.

S.

 

[dom]

Cheers guys!

Got the CLK checked out with one of those diagnostic dooflie thingies (technical term ) that plugs in under the bonnet. It turns out that the 'check engine' light WAS on due to the fuel gauge issue. It needs the tank senders.

Well at least its not as bad as I was expecting.

PURCHASE IS IMMINENT!! :bannana:

 

[saorbust]

Cheers guys!

Got the CLK checked out with one of those diagnostic dooflie thingies (technical term ) that plugs in under the bonnet. It turns out that the 'check engine' light WAS on due to the fuel gauge issue. It needs the tank senders.

Well at least its not as bad as I was expecting.

PURCHASE IS IMMINENT!! :bannana:

I've owned 3 208 Series CLK's - each had the fuel sender issue. NONE ever showed the fault like this. Buyer beware.

 

[1998K]

sometimes this kind of "wrong indication" (tank all full or completly empty) happens also to my W202 ... "check engine" light never light up!

pay attention

 

[DITTRICH]

My W202 (6/99) also suffered fuel sender problems - came and went - never any other warning lights. How can the fuel tank sender be in any way classed as an 'engine' fault? The engine doesn't need to know how much fuel is left in the tank!
Seems strange to me too.
Les

 

[Alfie]

I've owned 3 208 Series CLK's - each had the fuel sender issue. NONE ever showed the fault like this. Buyer beware.

I've owned two now and neither has so far shown the fault at all. I'm just lucky in this regard I guess.

 

[saorbust]

I've owned two now and neither has so far shown the fault at all. I'm just lucky in this regard I guess.

I think its just a better class of petrol in Surrey (I'm in London!)

 

[Paul Grainger]

On my car the guage said 'full' when you filled 'to the brim', but after approx 50 miles (when the guage would normally start to move 'off full') the needle plummeted down to empty.

I never had any engine warning lights come on.

Paul G

 

[dom]

D'oh!

Well, I've just bit the bullet and done it!! (as the sig says). Its mine now.

Will hopefully have an update in the next week or so.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[glojo]

D'oh!

Well, I've just bit the bullet and done it!! (as the sig says). Its mine now.

Will hopefully have an update in the next week or so.

Thanks for all the replies.

Good luck,
I am very curious about the warning light. Did the dealership realise you were about to buy this vehicle?

Regards,
John

 

[agriff]

Sender Unit

Is there a clever cloggs out there who has done, or could do a HOW TO on removing the fuel sender unit?

 

[EndaCLK]

CLK Fuel Gauge problem

Hi,
have read a few posts but I have a slightly different problem.
My LEDs failed in my 02 CLK 230K. I replaced the dash with a secondhand unit and it works fine except.... the fuel gauge reads in reverse i.e when full, it reads empty and vice versa and the needle goes in reverse and sends the data to the main display - it increases in fuel and mileage left in the tank !

Surely this cannot be the fuel sender unit as it worked fine in the car prior to replacing the dash. Is there a reset required for the new dash, Id value any advice please.

Enda

 

[EndaCLK]

Any ideas how a replacement dash could cause the fuel gauge to work in reverse - from empty to full movement sending reverse data to the display screen too ?

 

[MancMike]

Polarity reversed from the sender unit?

 

[BlackC55]

You may need it coded with a Star.