E320 cdi w211 no power before 2000rpm

[bini-q]

hi everyone, i have a E320 cdi 56 plate v6 with some power issues that it drives me mad.
since i bought this car it was a bit lazy and the turbo actuator was diagnosed as faulty, i had that fixed and the car started running considerably better but still not enough power and i thought maybe its just me asking too much and the car is fine so i decided to get it remapped at MSL Performance. i booked it and went there put it on a rolling road and voila the car was producing 160bhp when it should be around 220-224bhp, after some diagnostics acid@MSL couldn't find anything and he did the remap but he could only get it to 180bhp, checked and cleaned the egr and done some more rolling road runs still the same . Acid took it for a drive and yes it was better than before the remap but the car just doesn't have nowhere near enough power especially before 2000rpm.
any help would be greatly appreciated as i really like the car and it fulfills my personal and family needs but the no power thing its basically driving me nuts, its the only thought that is constantly on my mind every day

 

[BIG_G_1979]

A mate of mine has the same issue and it was diagnosed as a failing inlet shutoff port motor and everything is great now worth looking at

 

[bini-q]

i hope not as the inlet shutoff port motor was replaced by mercedes dealer some 12k ago and also its not showing any fault code on the diagnostics

 

[Lit91]

i hope not as the inlet shutoff port motor was replaced by mercedes dealer some 12k ago and also its not showing any fault code on the diagnostics

There should be a 2 year guarantee on all parts & labour from the dealer.

 

[streethawk]

Has the orange turbo inlet seal been replaced and has it been leaking down onto the shut off motor? Common fault apparently.

 

[bini-q]

things that have been replaced at the same time according to the invoice are:
intake port shutoff motor, multi hole seal, flange gasket, green turbo o-ring, setting motor multi hole seal, large turbo seal, ball socket and some other gaskets as well.
I have just booked the car for a check at my local Mercedes Specialist for tomorrow and see what he says, hopefully not something that would require a mortgage lol.
i will keep you updated

 

[bini-q]

after my visit to my local so called specialist i came home none the wiser as all he did was plug it in and came up with air mass sensors which i recently replaced and i know that's an old stored fault, and i told him to get the car for a drive after he clears it and see how it behaves and take it from there but nope i was told you need to change them first and after we'll see if it cures the problem, so in a way spend £400-£500 and we'll see.
so in a way i was disappointed and i have booked it for tomorrow at a turbo specialist in Birmingham area, who says if we diagnose and undertake job and the problem is not fixed you don't pay, which seems fair enough so we'll see what happens

 

[mbenz1]

I'd be careful when replacing MAF sensors as the general consensus is that only genuine ones should be used on Mercedes, or a Bosch (not sure if they made these for MB V6 CDI or am I stuck in the late '90s ?)

Did you get the codes cleared after changing the MAFs also?

Correct me if I'm wrong but MAFs are on the 'to check list' with the 320 CDI V6?

Sent from my GT-I9505 using MBClub UK

 

[bini-q]

I'd be careful when replacing MAF sensors as the general consensus is that only genuine ones should be used on Mercedes, or a Bosch (not sure if they made these for MB V6 CDI or am I stuck in the late '90s ?)

Did you get the codes cleared after changing the MAFs also?

Correct me if I'm wrong but MAFs are on the 'to check list' with the 320 CDI V6?

Sent from my GT-I9505 using MBClub UK

yes genuine MAFs were used, and even after clearing codes no change

 

[bini-q]

Firstly sorry about the delayed update as i have been very busy with work. So i had the car checked by e turbo specialist, and at first he suspected the actuator, removed it and had it tested and it came back perfect, also he checked the turbo itself and he said that the turbo seems fine but could not find the fault with the power loss, he suggested that i change the exhaust back pressure sensor, which i did, that improved things slightly and the car hasn't gone into limp more since but still if i accelerate hard before 2500rpm nothing happens and then it livens up a bit but still not as it should be.
seriously its p***ing me off, and i dont know what to do with it

 

[BlackC55]

The key to finding this issue is to look at the live data. I would put it down to unmetered air somewhere, a failing sensor or a possible blocked exhaust. Fault codes are only a tiny bit of the info.

 

[bini-q]

The key to finding this issue is to look at the live data. I would put it down to unmetered air somewhere, a failing sensor or a possible blocked exhaust. Fault codes are only a tiny bit of the info.

the problem is that merc specialists around me are quite unhelpful as all they seem to do is plug it in and the first code that comes up say change this and we'll see

 

[a111r]

the problem is that merc specialists around me are quite unhelpful as all they seem to do is plug it in and the first code that comes up say change this and we'll see

Avantgarde have a great rep. They aren't far down the M5 from you.

 

[coneybiller]

I presume your talking about the Merc specialist in Cheltenham just off of the Tewksbury road? I've been there once and they seemed to be very friendly, but not 100% helpful after they claimed my ticking noise was from the A/C pulley rubbing on the rad fan shroud (which it wasn't). Either way they did point out another fault which I was unaware of and even showed it to me on the ramp, so not all bad.
The V6 CDi engines were very commonly eating the swirl flap motors (intake port shut-off motor). The crankcase breather hose joins just before the intake of the turbo and not only did that be known to leak, but the main pipe to the turbo used to leak and allow oil to fall in between the heads where the motor is located. Bit of a design flaw, especially where longevity is concerned! The seal used to be replaced with a new 1 that was supposedly oil resistant to stop the leak, but it didn't really (well not in all cases anyway). Its a big job to replace the motor as the turbo has to come off to access it.

I shouldn't of thought this would be your problem though, as it would bring up a fault code if the motor wasn't able to move.
Are you getting a big surge of power after 2000rpm or does it just gradually come in?
Is the gearbox slipping?
Has the fuel filter been changed recently?
Air filter nice and clean?

 

[bini-q]

I presume your talking about the Merc specialist in Cheltenham just off of the Tewksbury road? I've been there once and they seemed to be very friendly, but not 100% helpful after they claimed my ticking noise was from the A/C pulley rubbing on the rad fan shroud (which it wasn't). Either way they did point out another fault which I was unaware of and even showed it to me on the ramp, so not all bad.
The V6 CDi engines were very commonly eating the swirl flap motors (intake port shut-off motor). The crankcase breather hose joins just before the intake of the turbo and not only did that be known to leak, but the main pipe to the turbo used to leak and allow oil to fall in between the heads where the motor is located. Bit of a design flaw, especially where longevity is concerned! The seal used to be replaced with a new 1 that was supposedly oil resistant to stop the leak, but it didn't really (well not in all cases anyway). Its a big job to replace the motor as the turbo has to come off to access it.

I shouldn't of thought this would be your problem though, as it would bring up a fault code if the motor wasn't able to move.
Are you getting a big surge of power after 2000rpm or does it just gradually come in?
Is the gearbox slipping?
Has the fuel filter been changed recently?
Air filter nice and clean?

i was talking about the gloucester one, and the intake port shutoff was replaced last year, and it doesnt come up as a fault on star and the intake hose has no cracks and no oil is leaking around there (i checked)
the gearbox seems fine no slipping, and the power after 2200rpm it comes in a surge but still not the power what it should be making as i also had the car on dyno and was producing some 60bhp less than what it should.
4k miles ago all filters were changed oil as well.

 

[bini-q]

Avantgarde have a great rep. They aren't far down the M5 from you.

i might give them a call and make an appointment and take it from there basically

 

[BIG_G_1979]

Let us know how u get on chum very interested in the root cause

 

[coneybiller]

i was talking about the gloucester one, and the intake port shutoff was replaced last year, and it doesnt come up as a fault on star and the intake hose has no cracks and no oil is leaking around there (i checked)
the gearbox seems fine no slipping, and the power after 2200rpm it comes in a surge but still not the power what it should be making as i also had the car on dyno and was producing some 60bhp less than what it should.
4k miles ago all filters were changed oil as well.

Ahh didn't know there was a merc specialist in Gloucester. Seems bizarre. Almost seems like the turbo isn't spooling up fully. It would be interesting to have the actual values read to see if it is getting enough fuel. But then again low fuel pressure would bring up a fault code.

Does it make a loud whooshing noise or any black smoke when you plant it? (either or both). Thinking possible boost leak somewhere? All purely guesses of course, but doesnt hurt to rule things out!

 

[bini-q]

Ahh didn't know there was a merc specialist in Gloucester. Seems bizarre. Almost seems like the turbo isn't spooling up fully. It would be interesting to have the actual values read to see if it is getting enough fuel. But then again low fuel pressure would bring up a fault code.

Does it make a loud whooshing noise or any black smoke when you plant it? (either or both). Thinking possible boost leak somewhere? All purely guesses of course, but doesnt hurt to rule things out!

No whooshing noise but there is black smoke if i plant it, but if i press it gradually, power (whatever is there) seems to be delivered a bit better. It just seems to me that there is some sort of boost problems. Just recently i noticed that if i drive a bit happier/harder and when i break a bit harder there is a humming noise that sounds a bit like power steering but its there even if car is in neutral, parking, drive or reverse, btw i did check power steering fluid just to make sure but the noise is there even when steering is not moving and it only happens when car is driven harder. I am going to dedicate some more time to finding and rectifying the problem as soon as i get some time as at the moment there is no chance to find time for the car

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[coneybiller]

If theres black smoke, it normally means that the fuel mixture is too rich (more fuel than air). It would point towards a boost leak IMO.
I can't remember how the post turbo pipework runs on the V6 cdi engines, but I would check the plumbing over with a fine tooth comb. I know there was an o'ring that sits in the outlet of the turbo where it connects to the metal pipe. That's pretty crucial to stop a boost leak, but other than that I'm not so sure.