Mobile MB Star diagnostics in Milton Keynes area.. HELP!

[miggit]

Hi all, I hope that one of you fine chaps might be able to help.... My car wont start

Has played up a few times in the last few months, but taking the key out and trying again did the trick.

Last week it totally died at my parents, and I thought it was just like the time that low pressure pump failed (which turned out to be the O rings) So I had a quick L/P pump change on the drive and still no joy, changed the fuel filter and success!

BUT 36 hours later it totally refused to start.... then I found the High Pressure pump was leaking... So I ordered a rebuild kit and waited.
The seal kit arrived and was fitted, not a hard job if you have good eyes... mine was rebuilt on the office table with the magnifying lamp!! Refitted it and hey presto... wont start. So I was left thinking that the H/P pump rebuild kits aren't as easy as the video made out, so I brought a Bosch Service Centre rebuilt one and fitted that.

And it still wont start... has the odd cough, but never more than 2 injectors firing. My mate came over with a Texa diagnostic tool as the iCarsoft thing I've got refuses to talk with the CDI ECU, the fuel rail is going up to 400 Bar on cranking, so that can't be the fault... I'm beginning to think that I've got a major ECU fault, either the security ECU or the CDI ECU and both will only be accessed by MB Star. And there is the problem...

My local MB specialist wants £60 to read the faults and I've got to take it to them, but the biggest kicker is that they can't do it for a week... by the time I've had it recovered there and back I'll be another £200+ out of pocket and still have a broken car, which if I'm honest is only worth £600.

So I'm trying to get the faults read here, only I can't find anyone!

Cos from where I'm sitting the car is worth way more in bits, but I will miss it!

What does the key transponder chip knock out? Is it everything or will it allow cranking without starting?

I know that I've got fuel pressure, the engine will start on brake cleaner, but it just wont stay running... from what I can see the problem is now with the injectors not firing...Help!

 

[bob6600]

If I'm right, a faulty transponder chip in the key wouldn't unlock the ESL and you would not be able to turn the key. Could probably do with a leak off test although if you can get it on STAR, the injector values can be checked

 

[amazighman]

Sometimes when u disturb the high pressure pump or lines it may take a lots of cranking to start .

 

[miggit]

Trust me it's been cranked to death, I've killed the battery twice with jump leads on from another diesel.... so much that I'm surprised that the starter motor is still working and hasn't caught fire! Can I point out that the pressure got to 400 Bar, the car requires 260 Bar to start.

As far as the transponder chip goes, the ML has an old fashioned type key (long thin metal) and is unlike most of the stubby plastic keys that most of you sport, for some reason Mercedes gave us the inferior US key even in the cars that were build in Europe.... But on the up side we can disengage the steering lock with or without a battery, flat or otherwise...... Does this mean that electrical failure was expected ??

 

[Mercedes man]

Hi trying spraying some Bradx easy start in air intake while some one cranks it’s if it then fires you know it’s fuel related hope this makes sense

 

[Naturalwaster]

hi I have star/xentry diagnostics...but im in b.s.e..which is 75miles away ..
..check each electric injector plug ,is on secure

 

[miggit]

I quote myself ....

" the engine will start on brake cleaner "

Brake and clutch cleaner is highly volatile and is a good substitute for easy start on a diesel, and only in small doses, otherwise the engine will run away with you doing untold damage.... It is widely used in the trade, especially amongst diesel fitters of a commercial background. We had the engine running for about 30 seconds, and then it just died.

Yes it is a fuel issue, it's not getting into the cylinders! But everything up to the injectors is working perfectly and all the injectors have been rebuilt with new nozzles and valves about a year ago and while I could accept that one or two injectors might have failed, there is no way that all 5 have gone instantly. So it would try to start, but this isn't trying at all.

It could be key related or worse the main ECU, either way it has the potential to get very expensive very quickly, on a car the that is worth £600 at best.... it's scabby, dented and covered 288500 miles... for the last 4 years it has been worked very hard, and from what I can tell, I wasn't the first person to use it for business.... It has had a very hard life, but it has been a wonderful and a great work horse!

 

[miggit]

Naturalwaster, I can say that hand on heart I'm 100% confident that the injectors are connected properly at the engine end of the loom! But what I can say is that the Texa didn't register anything for the injectors, it just showed 0 v for all five... So I'm now left wondering is it a security issue or a main ecu thing?

The last time I had major problems with it, it ended up in Suffolk, at Alex Crows, it kept going into limp mode... sent it to a local Mercedes Specialist who said to change the MAF sensor and that was the problem... having fitted an aftermarket MAF and then a genuine MAF and still going into limp mode, I took it to Alex... Who very quickly found that the problem was a blocked air filter! And now you can see why I'm reluctant to recover it back to the specialist who miss diagnosed the first hiccup! That and the fact that I'd be £200+ out of pocket, add that to the cost of the fuel pumps and it's well over 50% of the value of the car...