E350 coupe engine cutting out

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johny5_uk

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Nov 13, 2009
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Location
in a house
Car
E class
First time happened about 3 weeks ago, got in the car, turned the key and it started for about a second then stopped. Turned key off then on again but this resulted in the engine turning over and not starting. Left it doing this for about 6 seconds then switched off and tried again, think it started after a couple more tries.
Didn't think much of it at the time but last week after I started the car and moved forward 3 car lengths, the engine died. I was in a car park and ended up embarrassingly pushing it to one side as I was blocking the entrance. This time it would not start and just kept turning over.
After about 15 minutes and me wiggling the Brabus connectors the car started.
Booked in to merc this Saturday to see what they thought.
Yesterday though for the first time the car actually died whilst I was driving it. Not a great experience but luckily I wasn't driving it fast! Just about to turn into a junction but had to abort and drove straight across the junction in front of a van and then up the pavement! Van driver not impressed but I gave him the universal shrug for my car is broken!
Turned ignition off then on and it started straight away.
Drove it for another 5 minutes and it cut out behind a bus yet again!

Took it into merc today and unbelievably there were no errors codes in the system. I am sort of thinking that maybe the Brabus chip is at fault but merc did call back and said they haven't been able to replicate the engine failing but would keep it until Monday and change the crankshaft sensor anyway.

Any thoughts? After scouring the forum it would seem this could be at fault but if it was why didn't it generate a fault code?
 
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I've done over a thousand miles with my Brabus chip and it's never done anything like what you have described. :confused:

By the sounds of it, it does sound like an air flow/fuel problem, so it could be the box?
 
I am hoping it's this crankshaft sensor otherwise they will be taking the chip off and see if it happens again.

Just a bit of coincidence though, I've had the chip installed a couple of months and now it's cutting out.
 
I am hoping it's this crankshaft sensor otherwise they will be taking the chip off and see if it happens again.

Just a bit of coincidence though, I've had the chip installed a couple of months and now it's cutting out.
I think that's your only way forward- to remove the box and try it without.

That's certainly the easiest way- start with the obvious and go from there.

Edit- It might also be because they straightened your bonnet up! :D
 
Lol at the bonnet, but it was actually myself that fixed that! :) :p
 
That sounds rather ominous, I've not had any issues at all with mine and my chip has been fitted for about 3000 miles! Hope it gets sorted sharpish, not really road worthy if it's going to cut out whilst being driven, don't even want to imagine what could happen if it cut out on a stretch of motorway!! Got to love the quality of a modern day Mercedes :)
 
There's a couple of things I'd do - firstly I'd take the Brabus box off and run the car for a few weeks.

In parallel with this, I'd speak to [email protected] to see if they could have the box and it's loom back for a look-see. They should be able to test it with ease, even it there's a few quid involved.
 
Crankshaft sensor fitted, no errors were reported.
Merc was delivering car back today and halfway back the engine light came on.
They turned round and plugged the car in, now a fault appeared something to do with the "fuel pressure" sensor.
Oh the excitement of owning a merc.
 
I suspect there is lack of fuel pressure causing the cut out issue. These tests are easily done to try and determinenthe cause.
 
Which to me suggests something adrift with the Brabus chip?
Doesn't this sit inline to the fuel management system?
So ecu says throw in x of fuel and Brabus intercepts to then say throw in x+1 of fuel. But if Brabus is faulty then it may send bogus figures?
 
New fuel pressure sensor fitted and the error light apparently went out straight away before the fault was reset.
Fingers crossed....
 
well......this is the part where I thank the dealer for cleaning my car and bringing it back like this, after all the designo leather interior was only a £4k option.

the clear marks are not where I wet my finger to clean it, the seat is actually well soiled and looks to be a combination of a couple of days in and out with a nice oily overall so I had to use leather cleaner/treat to try and find the original finish.

I particularly like the white to black stitching touch that they have mastered.


seat.jpg
 
ouch, I'd be kicking off about that! Sorry to see what they've done to your seats, I imagine there will be some more vouchers headed your way!
 
I still have £250 from the E250 nearly 2 years ago to use!
I meant to say above that I didn't wipe it with a wet finger, i did try but the seat was so soiled i had to get leather cleaner and press hard but at the same time didn't want to damage the leather.
Very very unhappy and would rather jump ship from Mercedes with all the problems I have had.
It might not seem like a big deal but "designo" leather, the way it was sold to me, and only 3 months old to be treated like this? The dirt/oil whatever it is, is in fact embedded in fairly well and was shocked how hard it was to get through anywhere near to the surface. The stitching should be white too.
They took it straight back to give it a full "professional" valet inside and out but I said if it comes back and doesn't resemble how it was when i dropped it off then they can keep it!

I am tempted to email Mercedes UK also but think it would be pointless.
I would be very interested in what they would buy it back at though.
 
Another update to my blog.

Left London yesterday to drive up to Birmingham, engine light came on just before entering blackwall tunnel, couldn't have timed it better!
Pulled over further on, switched off then on a few times but light didn't clear and engine was running in limp mode.
Started up this morning for journey back to lincs, still in limp mode but got up to castle donnington services and when i started the car up again the light had one out.
Booted it a few times and appears to be 100% ok yet again!?
I am thinking its a rogue Brabus chip but car will be dropped off tomorrow.
I am optimistic how they could possibly damage my car any more than what they have in the past, I think the only thing left for the stealer to do is maybe for the technician to leave me a walnut whipper in the boot.
 
My chip has now been replaced under warranty - no limp mode but a huge flat spot.

The dealer can check the box in minutes by disconnecting and road testing which is how they diagnosed mine.
 
I drove the car yesterday with the engine light out but when going up a steep hill and me booting it, the light immediately came on.

Report from MB today is the fuel pressure sensor is being fed duff info which could point to the Brabus chip.
ordered replacement from MB Milton Keynes and will be here and fitted tomorrow.
 
I have been looking at e350cdi coupes/conv for a while and I am seriously put off by what I read.

What a piss take that merc can't make a decent car after 125 years of car manufacturing....

Also all the injector failings is just comical...
 

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