I have a 55 plate clk270cdi with 140k on the clock. I was driving down the motorway when the temp gauge started to rise & went onto the red so I limped to the next exit about 1/2 mile & I just got off the slip road & the engine cut out so I coasted into the edge & lifted the bonnet & there was lost of steam & the engine was very hot. I waited to get towed home for about 40 minutes during which after 30 minutes when the engine had cooled down I tried to start the engine but there was nothing on the key, I also did this a few more times when the engine was cold but still nothing on the key so I assumed that the engine had seized due to the engine overheating but today I got a socket on the bottom pulley 7 it turned quite freely & the belt was turning all the other pulleys so I am quite puzzled now! Can anybody shed any light on this please?
clk270cdi overheated engine
- Thread starter alf1956
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Merkaholic
Active Member
Im no mechanic or claim to have any in depth knowledge but i had a similar problem in a c200 cdi. It turned out to be the water pump leaking.
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Hi,
so, when you opened the bonnet at point of overheating, was the engine spewing out water or was it just steam? Hopefully just steam, it might be that the thermostat has seized in the closed position, so you will need one of those on your shopping list. If it was spewing out water, then possibly head gasket and as above a water pump or even a hose.
You state that you tried to start the engine " but nothing on the key ", was the engine seized at that point ? or did it turn over and just not fire?
If it was seized and now free, then you might be lucky, you might be not.
I would fill it full of coolant ( was there any left, had it all boiled away? ) and try to start it, make sure your battery is good, a squirt of easy start might help and just see what happens. Check your oil level also, is there any water on the dipstick? Does the oil smell sweet, ie mixed with antifreeze. Check the diesel fuel lines in case the heat has damaged any of them.
If it starts then let it idle for a while and check coolant level, and keep your eye on the temperature gauge and of course look for water coming out of anywhere. I would probably remove the radiator cap and dip my finger into the water to see if it is getting warm ( that should mean that the water pump is pushing water around ) and at some point the thermostat might open and if it does then put the radiator cap back on and see if the engine gets up to temperature.
If it was a petrol engine then I would probably do a compression check on all cylinders, a diesel, I might put a vacuum test on it, just to test the cylinder head gasket.
If everything turns out o.k. I would change the oil and treat the engine to a new thermostat. If not o.k., then it is a head off job to replace the gasket and check the cylinder bores for scoring.
You might have cooked the engine, you might have got away with it. If you are unsure about anything, then get a competent mechanic to have a look and put you right. I might have missed something, but you get the general idea, use your nose as well as your eyes to check things.
Best of luck.
Steve.
so, when you opened the bonnet at point of overheating, was the engine spewing out water or was it just steam? Hopefully just steam, it might be that the thermostat has seized in the closed position, so you will need one of those on your shopping list. If it was spewing out water, then possibly head gasket and as above a water pump or even a hose.
You state that you tried to start the engine " but nothing on the key ", was the engine seized at that point ? or did it turn over and just not fire?
If it was seized and now free, then you might be lucky, you might be not.
I would fill it full of coolant ( was there any left, had it all boiled away? ) and try to start it, make sure your battery is good, a squirt of easy start might help and just see what happens. Check your oil level also, is there any water on the dipstick? Does the oil smell sweet, ie mixed with antifreeze. Check the diesel fuel lines in case the heat has damaged any of them.
If it starts then let it idle for a while and check coolant level, and keep your eye on the temperature gauge and of course look for water coming out of anywhere. I would probably remove the radiator cap and dip my finger into the water to see if it is getting warm ( that should mean that the water pump is pushing water around ) and at some point the thermostat might open and if it does then put the radiator cap back on and see if the engine gets up to temperature.
If it was a petrol engine then I would probably do a compression check on all cylinders, a diesel, I might put a vacuum test on it, just to test the cylinder head gasket.
If everything turns out o.k. I would change the oil and treat the engine to a new thermostat. If not o.k., then it is a head off job to replace the gasket and check the cylinder bores for scoring.
You might have cooked the engine, you might have got away with it. If you are unsure about anything, then get a competent mechanic to have a look and put you right. I might have missed something, but you get the general idea, use your nose as well as your eyes to check things.
Best of luck.
Steve.
Lots of steam but I could see where the water had been coming out from & I will attach a photo of the area. It will not start as there is nothing at all on the key ie its not cranking over at all but the battery is fully charged up. If you look at the attached photo the thing with the white cross on is where the water is leaking from
Attachments
I have been advised to check out the starter circuit ie fuses relays etc but i have not got a clue where to look can anybody advise please? i have also been advised to try to run a jump lead from the positive teminal straight to the starter motor to see if the starter engagaes.
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- 2006 320 CDI Avantgarde . 1997 312d Sprinter
Hi,
In the photo you have attached above, is that at the front or at the rear of the engine where the water/ steam was coming from?. I am not at all familiar with the inside of a CLK 270 engine bay, but if that is at the rear, near side, it might well have been over the top of the starter motor, and the steam / water might have damaged the starter motor, and in which case I would get the car on some ramps and remove the starter motor.
It is possible to jack up the car with a trolley jack and a lump of wood and get some ramps under the front wheels, as I had to do it with my E300TD. I always feel safer working under a car on ramps rather than axle stands. With the starter out you can test it across a battery and if it does not work then problem solved. You either get another starter or strip out the solenoid, it just might be that.
Do you know where your fuse boxes are? if you are lucky then inside the fuse box you might find a folded up piece of paper with the locations of all the fuses and their values. If not you will need to search the net for a copy of this and download it, so you can check the fuse just in case one has blown.
Steve.
In the photo you have attached above, is that at the front or at the rear of the engine where the water/ steam was coming from?. I am not at all familiar with the inside of a CLK 270 engine bay, but if that is at the rear, near side, it might well have been over the top of the starter motor, and the steam / water might have damaged the starter motor, and in which case I would get the car on some ramps and remove the starter motor.
It is possible to jack up the car with a trolley jack and a lump of wood and get some ramps under the front wheels, as I had to do it with my E300TD. I always feel safer working under a car on ramps rather than axle stands. With the starter out you can test it across a battery and if it does not work then problem solved. You either get another starter or strip out the solenoid, it just might be that.
Do you know where your fuse boxes are? if you are lucky then inside the fuse box you might find a folded up piece of paper with the locations of all the fuses and their values. If not you will need to search the net for a copy of this and download it, so you can check the fuse just in case one has blown.
Steve.
brucemillar
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Get a meter across the battery terminals check for any voltage before you go any further. Make sure that the earth and the positive terminals are tight on the battery and cannot turn by hand.
Assuming you have 12v + then the starter "should" turn the engine?
When you attempt to start from the ignition have a friend look at your meter across the battery terminals to see if the voltage drops?
It sounds like the car may have blown a relay or a fuse but I have no idea which ones to check - sorry.
It is also possible that you flooded a fusebox or SAM.
It is also possible that the car a thermal cut out (somewhere) you safest and best bet is to get it to a MB Independent garage. Do you have any breakdown cover?
Any Independent garage with a STAR machine should be able to diagnose this very quickly for you.
Assuming you have 12v + then the starter "should" turn the engine?
When you attempt to start from the ignition have a friend look at your meter across the battery terminals to see if the voltage drops?
It sounds like the car may have blown a relay or a fuse but I have no idea which ones to check - sorry.
It is also possible that you flooded a fusebox or SAM.
It is also possible that the car a thermal cut out (somewhere) you safest and best bet is to get it to a MB Independent garage. Do you have any breakdown cover?
Any Independent garage with a STAR machine should be able to diagnose this very quickly for you.
Joderest
Active Member
I agree that starter motor could have shorted owing to water, blowing a fuse
I have had the AA out to the car today & the AA man tried all the fuses, checked the battery was ok which it was, put his jump pack on just to make sure he then took out the starter motor relay & by passed in by looping wires in the terminals but still no sigh of it cranking over so he diagnosed the starter motor is the problem & having had a look where its is situated it looks a right ball ache to remove as it looks as thought there's a few things in the way like a engine mounting so tomorrow I will be towing it up to my friends garage to get it up on a ramp to male life a little easier & hopefully get to put a positive feed to the starter to see if it cranks. Any tips / advice on this issue will be greatly received
they aren't too bad to change, much easier once it's up in the air. also make sure the engine earth is still OK, most mechanics and breakdown guy's forget to check it, it gives all the symptoms of a stater motor failing. easy to test without looking if you just put a jump lead from the battery negative to a good solid bare metal part of the engine block or head.
Starter motor removed !
I have removed the starter motor in what was a bit of an awkward job & in my opinion a must do on a ramp. With the starter motor off I put jump leads onto my battery put the negative lead to the body of the starter & then touched the positive lead to the main power connection on the starter expecting to see it throw the Bendix in but it didn't so I am thinking that the non cranking problem is the starter motor. am correct in thinking that if the starter motor was ok it would throw the Bendix in when I did the above?
I spoke to a friend who does commercial motor rewinds & he suggested it maybe the brushes need replacing
I have removed the starter motor in what was a bit of an awkward job & in my opinion a must do on a ramp. With the starter motor off I put jump leads onto my battery put the negative lead to the body of the starter & then touched the positive lead to the main power connection on the starter expecting to see it throw the Bendix in but it didn't so I am thinking that the non cranking problem is the starter motor. am correct in thinking that if the starter motor was ok it would throw the Bendix in when I did the above?
I spoke to a friend who does commercial motor rewinds & he suggested it maybe the brushes need replacing
Last edited:
grober
MB Master
this is not a bad diagram of a pre-engaged starter altho it does not show the smaller solenoid coil connection from the ignition key. when energised the solenoid does 2 things it moves a rod [ plunger] to bring the pinion gear into engagement with the flywheel starter ring gear and also bridges the gap between the the two heavy duty connections [ contacts] on the solenoid one from the battery the other the second connection to the starter motor windings. you need to touch your jumper to the second terminal to turn over the starter directly without the solenoid. If the brushes are OK it will turn over but the pinion gear won't move. I suspect your solenoid may be damaged rather than the main starter motor.
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So, success at getting the starter motor off, and confirming it is stuffed, try laying in the snow doing the same job !! Choice now, is to mess about trying to effect a repair on the solenoid / starter itself or just bite the bullet and get another starter. I know what I would choose !
With 140k on the clock, I would just get yourself a new starter motor £65 off of Ebay (mit free postage) , and there are cheaper ones also. You will be surprised how much more oomph a new starter has turning the engine over.
Once you have it starting again, do not forget some water and check everything for leaks etc...as per that which I posted previously. Good luck.
Steve
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-ML270-CLK270-CL270-E270-2-7-CDi-DIESEL-NEW-RMFD-STARTER-MOTOR-1995-06/300731581963?hash=item4604ffc60b:g:T-cAAOSwe-FU-FDN
With 140k on the clock, I would just get yourself a new starter motor £65 off of Ebay (mit free postage) , and there are cheaper ones also. You will be surprised how much more oomph a new starter has turning the engine over.
Once you have it starting again, do not forget some water and check everything for leaks etc...as per that which I posted previously. Good luck.
Steve
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-ML270-CLK270-CL270-E270-2-7-CDi-DIESEL-NEW-RMFD-STARTER-MOTOR-1995-06/300731581963?hash=item4604ffc60b:g:T-cAAOSwe-FU-FDN
Today I stripped down the starter motor as I have been advised by a few people that the problem could be the brushes & I found 2 of the brushes the wire had broken I will attach photos.
I have had a quick scan on the web & seen a brush holder plate that just fits in the top of the starter motor with all the brushes in etc but that was for another model so if anybody out there knows where I can buy a brush plate for my model I would be very grateful for the info my starter motor is a bosh 0 001 109 250
ch 0 001 109 250
I have had a quick scan on the web & seen a brush holder plate that just fits in the top of the starter motor with all the brushes in etc but that was for another model so if anybody out there knows where I can buy a brush plate for my model I would be very grateful for the info my starter motor is a bosh 0 001 109 250
ch 0 001 109 250
grober
MB Master
ACCORDING TO THEIR LISTING ON THEIR WEB ADVERT PAGE [SCROLL DOWN] THIS ONE SHOULD FIT? DO A VISUAL COMPARISON WITH YOUR ONE
TOP QUALITY 7.7229.1 BOSCH STARTER BRUSH HOLDER AUDI CITROEN FIAT PEUGEOT VOLVO | eBay
p.s. is the solenoid OK?
TOP QUALITY 7.7229.1 BOSCH STARTER BRUSH HOLDER AUDI CITROEN FIAT PEUGEOT VOLVO | eBay
p.s. is the solenoid OK?
Fitted the starter motor today & got the engine to start but the engine has developed a knock obviously due to it overheating when it lost all the coolant. My friend who is a mechanic seems to think that it may be a piston slap knock which can happen when the engine overheats. Sounds like a 2nd hand engine or a strip down.
