Moultoneer
Active Member
Well, that didn't take long. Anyone that saw my thread "looking for a comfortable cruiser" might have noticed that I settled for a CLK320, bought 2nd of March.
I drove it from London down to Pompey where it didn't do a great deal until my 1st trip back up to Durham a couple of weeks ago. So far, so good, and all very enjoyable.
Anyway, Good Friday started the journey back down south by stopping off at Harrogate for a couple of days. Then, Sunday morn, drove a few miles to a nearby reservoir for a swim. It was on returning to the car after my swim that the first snag appeared.
The car wouldn't start. It would just crank and crank and crank. Now I know, some of you are already shouting out the answer but this was all new to me. I felt in a bit of a fix because although I wasn't too far from my cousin's, where I was staying, I didn't have my phone with me, and besides, it was going to be very embarrassing, my new shiny Merc breaking down already!
Well, after sitting a while and several attempts, it fired up so I was able to get back, but noticed the engine light on. The hand book gave a fuel system fault but it sounded and ran OK. Would it be OK for the drive back to Pompey I was planning on doing later that afternoon though?
An hour or so later I went out and tried it and it fired straight up and the engine light was now off. Of course I now wanted to believe that it had been some odd glitch and that everything was hunky dory again. So, about 1500, I set off back to Pompey. The weather was glorious,I didn't expect too much traffic and was really looking forward to the drive.
I got about 5 miles when the engine died. I turned off the main road and sat there in silence. Tried it and cranking but no starting. Shit, shit, shit! At least I had my phone this time so I had to rummage about for the details of my breakdown cover. My Cousin's husband is a mechanic but for the reasons mentioned earlier I didn't really want them to know that I was having problems.
I ring the breakdown people and have a bit of a dilemma as to where to get recovered to. I'm heading to HMS Sultan, but if the car is knackered it need to be at a Merc garage.
Whatever, I'm told that someone is on there way and would be with me within the hr. My phone is bleeping with an incoming call as I'm being told this, and when I check it is the recovery bloke. I explain where I am and then try the car again, which now starts. I ring him back and tell him, and add that the engine light is back on.
He turns up within about 5 mins and plugs his machine into the car. I probably don't need tell you what it said, "crank position sensor". He turned it off and re-started it and re-set the fault. No engine light. I make the decision to continue the drive and, after a really nice drive get all the way to the A27, 6 or 7 miles from where I was going when it cut out again.
Not such a good place this time though, on a stretch of dual carriageway with no hard shoulder, so it's 2 wheels up on the verge. I pop the bonnet to help it cool down and ring the breakdown people again. Then, just after they had arranged another mechanic it started. I headed off and cancelled the recovery. Got to within a couple of miles of Sultan when it stalled again.
Another 10, 15min wait and I'm off once more. Got to Sultan and drove to the accom block. dropped my stuff off and went to take the car over to the CP. Wouldn't start. Wait 5 mins and it does. I have to stop outside the gate to swop the car pass over, (the CP is over the road in another section.) Car won't start. 15-20mins this time but start it does. Make it to the CP and it stalls just in front off a parking space. Made it!
But now I'm thinking that I have the problem of getting the car up to a Merc specialist, the nearest being Silver Arrow at Titchfield. However, this morning I've been on-line and replacing the CPS doesn't look too difficult. If I invest in the right tools it looks like I should be able to do it for £50-60, depending on the cost of tools.
What do people think, is it a DIY job? If I manage to replace it do I need a machine to re-set everything? There is no panic as I won't need the car for a couple of weeks at least.
Cheers,
LG.
I drove it from London down to Pompey where it didn't do a great deal until my 1st trip back up to Durham a couple of weeks ago. So far, so good, and all very enjoyable.
Anyway, Good Friday started the journey back down south by stopping off at Harrogate for a couple of days. Then, Sunday morn, drove a few miles to a nearby reservoir for a swim. It was on returning to the car after my swim that the first snag appeared.
The car wouldn't start. It would just crank and crank and crank. Now I know, some of you are already shouting out the answer but this was all new to me. I felt in a bit of a fix because although I wasn't too far from my cousin's, where I was staying, I didn't have my phone with me, and besides, it was going to be very embarrassing, my new shiny Merc breaking down already!
Well, after sitting a while and several attempts, it fired up so I was able to get back, but noticed the engine light on. The hand book gave a fuel system fault but it sounded and ran OK. Would it be OK for the drive back to Pompey I was planning on doing later that afternoon though?
An hour or so later I went out and tried it and it fired straight up and the engine light was now off. Of course I now wanted to believe that it had been some odd glitch and that everything was hunky dory again. So, about 1500, I set off back to Pompey. The weather was glorious,I didn't expect too much traffic and was really looking forward to the drive.
I got about 5 miles when the engine died. I turned off the main road and sat there in silence. Tried it and cranking but no starting. Shit, shit, shit! At least I had my phone this time so I had to rummage about for the details of my breakdown cover. My Cousin's husband is a mechanic but for the reasons mentioned earlier I didn't really want them to know that I was having problems.
I ring the breakdown people and have a bit of a dilemma as to where to get recovered to. I'm heading to HMS Sultan, but if the car is knackered it need to be at a Merc garage.
Whatever, I'm told that someone is on there way and would be with me within the hr. My phone is bleeping with an incoming call as I'm being told this, and when I check it is the recovery bloke. I explain where I am and then try the car again, which now starts. I ring him back and tell him, and add that the engine light is back on.
He turns up within about 5 mins and plugs his machine into the car. I probably don't need tell you what it said, "crank position sensor". He turned it off and re-started it and re-set the fault. No engine light. I make the decision to continue the drive and, after a really nice drive get all the way to the A27, 6 or 7 miles from where I was going when it cut out again.
Not such a good place this time though, on a stretch of dual carriageway with no hard shoulder, so it's 2 wheels up on the verge. I pop the bonnet to help it cool down and ring the breakdown people again. Then, just after they had arranged another mechanic it started. I headed off and cancelled the recovery. Got to within a couple of miles of Sultan when it stalled again.
Another 10, 15min wait and I'm off once more. Got to Sultan and drove to the accom block. dropped my stuff off and went to take the car over to the CP. Wouldn't start. Wait 5 mins and it does. I have to stop outside the gate to swop the car pass over, (the CP is over the road in another section.) Car won't start. 15-20mins this time but start it does. Make it to the CP and it stalls just in front off a parking space. Made it!
But now I'm thinking that I have the problem of getting the car up to a Merc specialist, the nearest being Silver Arrow at Titchfield. However, this morning I've been on-line and replacing the CPS doesn't look too difficult. If I invest in the right tools it looks like I should be able to do it for £50-60, depending on the cost of tools.
What do people think, is it a DIY job? If I manage to replace it do I need a machine to re-set everything? There is no panic as I won't need the car for a couple of weeks at least.
Cheers,
LG.
Also look at other videos as it helps with the actual location.
