El Power Control Fault message

[ChrisEdu]

So, yet again, my incredibily reliable (NOT!!! ) E320CDi has gone wrong. This time a fault message has been displayed showing EL POWER CONTROL - VISIT WORKSHOP.

This first happened as the car kicked-down to join a dual carriage way. The car went to limp mode and I pulled over the the roadside. After switching off, and then restarting, the fault seemed to have cleared and the car continued to run fine until about 12 miles later when, again as it kicked-down, the same message came up and I lost power. I got a mechanic out, but he didn't have a diagnostic test, and when the car was started up again the message had gone, so he didn't know what to suggest. I decided to leave it to see if it would happen again.

All was fine for several hundred miles, until I had to refill. Shortly after refilling, I pulled out quickly (kick-down again) at a roundabout and the message came back, although the power level seemed to remain fine. Since then, I've done another hundred or so miles without and trouble.

So, any ideas what might be going on? Does this sound like an urgent problem? Is it just coincidence that it has happened twice after refilling? Any ideas folks?

Thanks for any help / ideas.

 

[DieselE]

Sounds more like a kick down problem to me. For the definitive answer, take the car to a dealer or at least an independent with a Star diagnostic kit. The car will be logging the fault.

 

[pammy]

Agree with DM - the common denominator from your description is kickdown. Needs the formal diagnostic. I'm guessing the breakdown guy was not mobilo life?

 

[Traveller]

Could be an engine sensor fault, even though the car seems to be running normally, because the kickdown input to the ECU will maybe have to satisfy some pre-requisites in the programme to allow full power output.
Only star will know, full diag reqd.

 

[BlackC55]

I will second that:bannana:

 

[ChrisEdu]

Thanks for the ideas folks. The guy was sent from mobilo life, but wasn't from a Merc garage. Do you think it is likely that the problem will wait until the car's next service before attention, or should it be looked at sooner? Next service is due in about 4000miles.

 

[BlackC55]

Get it looked at now. It sound a little unsafe to drive when it happens?