Hi - new to the forum and new to owning a mercedes - 1999 SLK230 kompressor. I've had a number of problems (which may or may not be interconnected) and wondered if anyone else had experienced the same
First of all on a long journey on the motorway coming up the slip road the engine stalled (its an automatic so not a case of user error) but restarted with no difficulty. Then after journeys of around an hour or so, after stopping the car and leaving it for between 10 mins to 1 hour, I found that it wouldn't start. Although at no time has the temperature gauge suggested it was overheating, the main engine cooling fan was running as soon as I turned the ignition to try to start it. I found initially that on running the internal fans on hot for a few minutes and then leaving it for 10 mins switched off, that it did then start up (the main engine fan was no longer running).
Then last week I was driving along (cold wet day, not stopped in traffic so no question of overheating - radiator is still full of water and temp gague was normal) and I suddenly lost power before engine cut out completely. On trying to restart the car again, the fan was again on. Checked the temp sensor - nothing wrong there and in fact having sat in the car for over an hour in the rain it was definitely a cold engine and no need for the fan to be on. Car wouldn't restart until almost 2 hours later after I had been towed to the garage. It then ran for about 10 mins and then cut out. Code reader was attached and wasn't even recognising the car at first. Car was then left switched off for a further hour or so before it was able to start. Code reader again plugged in and this time did recognise all faults - came up with Cam timing fault and two supercharger faults. These were cleared off and the ECU was disconnected and then reconnected. It then ran fine. My problem is that the garage have now told me just to run it around until such time that the fault recurs - which is a pretty scary prospect - I don't want to be on a motorway and lose all power again which means i'm frightened of taking the car very far at all.
Has anyone else experienced similar problems? It has had everyone completed stumped as to the possible cause, which has done little to restore my faith in the car!
Sorry for the length of the post but felt it best to give the history of the complaint as the garage seem to think that it has been a cumulative effect. Possible suggestions are that the air conditioning unit is somehow interfering - on this model it is on all the time (with the air dehumidifier) unless the EC button is pressed to turn it off.
First of all on a long journey on the motorway coming up the slip road the engine stalled (its an automatic so not a case of user error) but restarted with no difficulty. Then after journeys of around an hour or so, after stopping the car and leaving it for between 10 mins to 1 hour, I found that it wouldn't start. Although at no time has the temperature gauge suggested it was overheating, the main engine cooling fan was running as soon as I turned the ignition to try to start it. I found initially that on running the internal fans on hot for a few minutes and then leaving it for 10 mins switched off, that it did then start up (the main engine fan was no longer running).
Then last week I was driving along (cold wet day, not stopped in traffic so no question of overheating - radiator is still full of water and temp gague was normal) and I suddenly lost power before engine cut out completely. On trying to restart the car again, the fan was again on. Checked the temp sensor - nothing wrong there and in fact having sat in the car for over an hour in the rain it was definitely a cold engine and no need for the fan to be on. Car wouldn't restart until almost 2 hours later after I had been towed to the garage. It then ran for about 10 mins and then cut out. Code reader was attached and wasn't even recognising the car at first. Car was then left switched off for a further hour or so before it was able to start. Code reader again plugged in and this time did recognise all faults - came up with Cam timing fault and two supercharger faults. These were cleared off and the ECU was disconnected and then reconnected. It then ran fine. My problem is that the garage have now told me just to run it around until such time that the fault recurs - which is a pretty scary prospect - I don't want to be on a motorway and lose all power again which means i'm frightened of taking the car very far at all.
Has anyone else experienced similar problems? It has had everyone completed stumped as to the possible cause, which has done little to restore my faith in the car!
Sorry for the length of the post but felt it best to give the history of the complaint as the garage seem to think that it has been a cumulative effect. Possible suggestions are that the air conditioning unit is somehow interfering - on this model it is on all the time (with the air dehumidifier) unless the EC button is pressed to turn it off.
