Please Help! 1999 C240 Sport problems

[theonewhosmokes]

Hello!

I'm new here and I've just bought a 1999 MB C240 Sport Automatic and I have just encountered some problems which I hope someone can help me with please.

It started yesterday when I started the engine and selected Drive, the car had hardly any power. It was intermittant for a few yards then was ok. It happened today also. But, the difference today was that as I was stationary, and then the engine just cut out. It did re-start after and was fine.

Am I worrying over nothing or is there a serious problem with my car?

Also, there is a ticking sound coming from the engine when it is laboured, usually when going up-hill. Is this a problem?

I hope someone can help me.

Thanks

Paul

 

[bdabdabeav]

sounds like the ticking noise could be an injector leak or an compression leak from somewhere. the lack of power could be an airmass sensor but that would generally be across the whole rev range. maybe a gearbox fault with the torque converter slipping its best to get it on a star and have a look at engine actual values

 

[theonewhosmokes]

Thank you for your help.

Will this cost a lot of money to sort out do you know? I have no idea of costs for these cars as I've never owned one before.

Thanks again.

 

[recycled]

ticking is the purge regeneration valve. normal, next to the Abs unit.
Lack of power could well be MAF. Unplug it and try again

 

[lynall]

Ticking cant be the purge valve as the op can hear it whilst driving along sounds like pinking.

Advice as above get the codes read and then post back for some advice.

What recylced means ref the maf is unplug it and go for a drive if it seems better it needs a new one.

Also google mercedes crankshaft sensor.



Lynall

 

[theonewhosmokes]

Thank you all for your help - I really appreciate it very much!

So the best advice is to get my car on a star machine to have the codes read then go from there???

I must say though, I drove my car today in W mode (rather than S (which I understand as W for Winter and S for Summer)) and it seemed fine! No loss of power at start-up or anything. Does this narrow down the possibilities?

Thanks again for your help!

Paul

 

[renault12ts]

Thank you all for your help - I really appreciate it very much!

So the best advice is to get my car on a star machine to have the codes read then go from there???

I must say though, I drove my car today in W mode (rather than S (which I understand as W for Winter and S for Summer)) and it seemed fine! No loss of power at start-up or anything. Does this narrow down the possibilities?

Thanks again for your help!

Paul

Winter and Standard.

 

[stevesey]

Ticking cant be the purge valve as the op can hear it whilst driving along ...

Also I believe the purge valve only operates at high vaccum/light load.

W skips first gear - if the problem really only exhibits itlsef when in S - then it could be a 1st gear issue causing limp mode (but I suspect that's a red herring). Worth testing in S and W to check though (if the fault re-occurs easily).

 

[theonewhosmokes]

Thank you. It must be obvious I've never had an MB before haha!!

Paul

 

[theonewhosmokes]

Thanks for your help.

The ticking sounds like my old Rover Sterling 2.7 V6 - which was the tappets (spelling???). Do you think it could be the same thing? It only happens if I'm going up-hill or labouring the engine quite a bit.

Paul

 

[lynall]

Google pinking, actually better google engine pinking



Lynall

 

[theonewhosmokes]

Thanks, will do.

 

[theonewhosmokes]

I Googled Engine Pinking and found some advise.

Perhaps I should change the oil and filters and also use Shell Optimax (or V Power) for a while.

Do you think that's ok?

Paul

 

[lynall]

Cant hurt but i dont think your fuel is the problem something else is causing it and needs to be found before engine is potentially damaged.




Lynall

 

[theonewhosmokes]

Cant hurt but i dont think your fuel is the problem something else is causing it and needs to be found before engine is potentially damaged.




Lynall

What if I use Slick 50 with my next oil change? Do you think that will help?

 

[stevesey]

General opinion is to avoid such products - after all if they were any good why haven't car/oil manufacturers incorporated them.

See if V-power makes a difference - if it's pinking it should - then you have to figure out why. These engine have a knock sensor so there a possibility that isn't working.

Also see if you can get the engine fault codes read - this is do-able with a £50-£80 ebay scanner with the right adaptor for your merc. Or a visit to and indy shouldn't cost to much.

 

[theonewhosmokes]

Thanks stevesey!

What is this ebay scanner? Sorry if I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm new to all this.

I'm actually disappointed to have encountered these problems as I've only had the car a week! It was a private sale, so not much I can do about it.

I have found if I drive in W mode, it's got power and the ticking isn't there really.

Paul

 

[stevesey]

See here (lynall has one)

 

[stevesey]

I have found if I drive in W mode, it's got power and the ticking isn't there really.

Paul

And does the problem re-appear when in S?

 

[theonewhosmokes]

Thanks!

Yes, the power is not good when starting from a stop and then it will go.

At the moment, I have it in W mode.

Paul