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E320CDI 2003 immobiliser problem

abellemed

New Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2015
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13
Car
E320CDI Estate
Hi - My car won't start
I was the proud owner of a E320CDI Estate automatic (2003) but suddenly it died. (Keys both didn't start it, AA man bypassed something with his jump leads and got it to fire but it wouldn't turn over.) Then his AA vehicle towed it on a "dolly" to a local garage who had it 10 days but said after their diagnostics it has "an immobiliser fault" and I should take it to a Mercedes dealer. Well, I've researched them and chose the Loughborough one as they have good reviews locally. They are willing to take my car in when I can get it transported to them.
Reason for my query on this thread is that I want to know whether it's the EIS unit (OM648DE32LA) that's at fault or is it something else?
Answers would be most appreciated!
 
Could be the ESL (Electronic Steering Lock)? Without a diagnosis we could be guessing, but these have been known to stop working on your model (assuming W210). The dealer should diagnose it, however will will be at around double the price of an indie. Where exactly are you based?
 
Speak to Mark at RMK vehicle services, he will come out and can sort out any issues with EIS or key/ECU
 
It's actually a W211 model and I have rung an independent MB firm in Leicester, who suggested I got it towed to the MB (Inchcape) garage in Loughborough, who they always use when there's a difficult electronic problem, in preference to the Leicester or Coventry MB dealers.
 
Hi - My car won't start
I was the proud owner of a E320CDI Estate automatic (2003) but suddenly it died. (Keys both didn't start it, AA man bypassed something with his jump leads and got it to fire but it wouldn't turn over.)

Can you please describe the car behaviour better. What happens when you try to start the car, does the key turn in the ignition slot? If yes, can you hear any click from the engine bay (a louder one or a minor one)?

Do you actually mean that the AA guy managed to make the engine turn, starter motor work, but the car did not fire up (engine did not start running)? Or do you really mean it fired up ("ignited") but did not remain running when the jump leads were removed?

If the key turns in the ignition slot, then the key is fine.
 
As I said, the AA man got it to fire, ie "ignite" but it didn't turn, ie "run". It was raining and I was holding a brolly over the poor man's head, so I can't be sure if it stopped when he removed his battery/jump leads. I suppose he was ruling out a starter motor problem, which he did, as it tried to start. As I also said, both keys were tried and both turned in the ignition slot, however I heard no click from engine bay. Apart from saying there was an injector leaking (had been for some time, filling the injector tray and overflowing into the absorbent sump below, which he thought had also become full of fuel, causing my son to notice smoke the day before, which must have come from fuel dripping onto the exhaust), the AA man thought it was an immobiliser problem and towed it to the Hinckley garage. Today they are getting a neighbouring garage called Autolec to have another look at it, and if they can't sort it we are taking it to the independent Loughborough Merc specialists. I think it could be a loose connection from some component which prevents the EIS communicating fully, thus putting it into immobile mode....? But that's just my uninformed guess from reading lots of forums!
 
As I said, the AA man got it to fire, ie "ignite" but it didn't turn, ie "run".
I did notice that but to me the engine must turn before it can "ignite", i.e. to me at least it was difficult to interpret a contradictory description.

As I also said, both keys were tried and both turned in the ignition slot, however I heard no click from engine bay.
I may be a bit blind (or even more) but I did not notice you saying that both keys turned in the ignition slot. Didn't find anything about the click either.

With that additional information I would first check the starter relay and fuse. If those are fine but there is not start command, then check with SDS.

Fuel leaks and injector leaks may prevent the engine from firing and running (too low rail pressure) but first you have to solve the starter issue.
 
Sorry for being so muddled, I didn't read through what I'd put on original post, had been talking to garage, my son, another place in Leicester (Autotronics) and researching other forums etc all day...
What I meant about the AA man getting it to ignite, not being a technician, was that it made engine-trying-to-start noises, which caused me to rejoice at the time, as I hadn't heard a peep from the engine all that rainy morning. What I never asked the AA man was Why it didn't turn over.
Many thanks for your comments, they are most helpful - but I must just ask what does SDS mean, please?
 
Sorry for being so muddled, I didn't read through what I'd put on original post, had been talking to garage, my son, another place in Leicester (Autotronics) and researching other forums etc all day...
What I meant about the AA man getting it to ignite, not being a technician, was that it made engine-trying-to-start noises, which caused me to rejoice at the time, as I hadn't heard a peep from the engine all that rainy morning. What I never asked the AA man was Why it didn't turn over.
Many thanks for your comments, they are most helpful - but I must just ask what does SDS mean, please?

I think you've just got the terminology wrong. It's turning over (the starter motor is turning the engine over) but it's not igniting (that's what happens next).
 
Thank you for correcting my terminology! I haven't had to post enginy things like this before and, due to stressing about how to get to work with no courtesy car (garage needed it back today), being stuck in a village with no other transport, I guess I came over a bit wrong. Also, money or lack of it being a big factor, I am loath to part with a thousand to any Merc(enary) dealer. I bought the Mercedes as I have 2 grandsons, a son living with me (courier with his Iveco van, goes all over UK/Europe) and a German Shepherd, so needed another estate after my previous '54 reg Vectra which I bought for £1,500 but started to go downhill. The Mercedes was in mint condition, having FSH but with 192K miles and cost £2,500 in March this year. It passed its MOT with no advisories in May. Never missed a beat and went brilliantly till this happened. I'd no qualms about buying a high mileage Mercedes as they are famed for going on forever. Surely this one hasn't immobilised itself for good, has it? Someone must be able to get it going again...
Once again, please may I ask what or who do you mean by SDS?
I do appreciate your help and am hanging on to this thread!
 
Haven't called them yet, as pursuing former routes via local garage/Autolec in Hinckley, but if they can't sort it and my son gets it towed to Loughborough Merc dealers, can Mercland get the required data from Mercedes to fix what appears to be an immobiliser problem, not a key problem as both keys turn in ignition slot?
 
SDS (Star) is the official Mercedes-Benz diagnostic equipment which will be able to talk to your vehicle in more depth than most (all) other generic equipment and help diagnose your problem.

Mercland are a very good independent who know their stuff, Jay is a member here.

As suggested earlier, another option is to talk to RMK (see my link in my earlier post). They specialise in these very issues and are based in Birmingham. Very knowledgeable and may be able to point you in the right direction over the phone
 
Many thanks, bob6600 - I'll ring Mercland on Thursday!
This is turning out to be quite a learning curve, thanks to this thread I've found out things I would never have, just going on Google. (Mercland didn't show up on that and Nuneaton is an easier tow than Loughborough). If I had known about all that and the SDS diagnostics I probably would have got my car back by now! I'm keeping all fingers crossed and all chins up!
 
Well, local garage spent all day on it but were upset they couldn't sort problem. They said the only "fault" they could find on their diagnostics was "glow plug sensor", said there were none in the country, would cost £250 approx, so might still not be the answer so didn't order one, thankfully. So I rang Mercland who didn't want to know, so have arranged to tow it to the Loughborough Merc dealers on Monday with my son (who knows a lot about car mechanics but not so much about the devious and mysterious electronics involved in such a complicated car. Wish I could go back to the days when you ground the valves with grinding paste on your ancient Morris on the garage floor and found when it fired up and went you were left with loads of bits that never went back on! I despair....
Really, I loved this, my first Mercedes, but it is too complicated and posh for me. Now it has voluntarily committed suicide I think I'll go back to my beloved LandRovers where a Meccano attitude is more appropriate in dealing with their problems! I just can't believe that such a beautiful and immaculate vehicle (my Mercedes) has just died on me. Gutted.
 
Update

Well, local garage spent all day on it but were upset they couldn't sort problem. They said the only "fault" they could find on their diagnostics was "glow plug sensor", said there were none in the country, would cost £250 approx, so might still not be the answer so didn't order one, thankfully. So I rang Mercland who didn't want to know, so have arranged to tow it to the Loughborough Merc dealers on Monday with my son (who knows a lot about car mechanics but not so much about the devious and mysterious electronics involved in such a complicated car. Wish I could go back to the days when you ground the valves with grinding paste on your ancient Morris on the garage floor and found when it fired up and went you were left with loads of bits that never went back on! I despair....
Really, I loved this, my first Mercedes, but it is too complicated and posh for me. Now it has voluntarily committed suicide I think I'll go back to my beloved LandRovers where a Meccano attitude is more appropriate in dealing with their problems! I just can't believe that such a beautiful and immaculate vehicle (my Mercedes) has just died on me. Gutted.

Not towed to L'boro Merc dealers as have found another MB indy there, so if they get it on Thursday they have SDS so maybe.... fingers crossed!
 
Finally - I GOT IT SORTED!!! My son towed it to another garage in Hinckley (AMG in Nutts Lane, Nick Vann is the proprietor, an old schoolfriend of my son, coincidentally). Well that was on Tuesday morning and this morning my son phoned me to say it was ready to collect this afternoon! (I got a cheer from my work colleagues.)
Turns out it was the automatic gear selector bushes which were worn, so the EIS or whatever electronics involved, thought the car was not in "Park" (although it was), therefore would not start! AMG just replaced the bushes and I gladly paid their modest bill of £120, shook their hands and my son mentioned something like ?"beers" for them....
The supposed injector/fuel leak was also investigated by them during that time and they said the injectors were fine, so no work required, but just to watch out for a small fuel line leak near the tank, above the exhaust, in next few weeks.
So, a happy ending to nearly 3 weeks of nail-biting angst and I have my lovely posh luxurious pale blue Merc back as good as new! I couldn't recommend too highly the intuitive brilliance of this garage over all the ones I've phoned and gloom/doom comments which I've had to mull over. Sometimes it's the little things......
 

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