W202 C43

[noogieman]

It's running great thanks, when I actually get to drive it of course between 80hr weeks at work .

My boot spring brackets are both fine. 1 spring was broken when I bought the car so fitted 2 new genuine springs, the mounts are fine though and intact.

You're right that it's a very common W202 failure though!

Went for a drive yesterday.

Before I start my car I turned on the ignition.
My fuel gauge went to the top showing the full tank which I had filled up approx 60L a few days ago, then I start the car and my fuel gauge stayed on low and the yellow light for low fuel began to illuminate.
It took about 1 or 2 minutes before my fuel gauge started climbing to max level.

I suspect there is something going on with the new E10 fuel?
On August 1st - 2021, swedish petrol stations by law selling E10 and after this date my fuel gauge started acting like a weirdo.
I suspect my fuel gauge dislikes E10?

 

[RogerSausage]

Can you not get E5 at all anywhere now then?

I don't know if it's necessarily the fuel; back when the W202 was a current model and I worked at a Mercedes-Benz workshop, I used to change a lot of fuel level sender units in them. It might just be a coincidence and you have a sender unit starting to go bad?

 

[noogieman]

Can you not get E5 at all anywhere now then?

I don't know if it's necessarily the fuel; back when the W202 was a current model and I worked at a Mercedes-Benz workshop, I used to change a lot of fuel level sender units in them. It might just be a coincidence and you have a sender unit starting to go bad?

Yes we have E5 at Shell petrol stations, I never buy from them because their fuel price is higher compared to unattended stations which only has E10.
You get what you pay for!
I will try the E5 next time to rule out my suspicions.

My car is a low mileage at approx 70,000 miles and 23 years old, might be a concidence fuel sender acting up?
I don't know?
$tealership do they still have senders in stock for W202?

How many fuel senders is it in our cars?
One or two?
Some cars like old Jags with split tanks have two senders?

Do you replace sender from the boot below the protective plastic cover?

 

[RogerSausage]

If it's the original sender at 23 years old then it could well just be a coincidence yeah! There are 2x senders underneath the plastic covers at the bottom of the tank yes. From memory the right hand one is the scavenge/transfer pump, and it's the left hand one that sends the level signal with the float. There's a large retaining ring that has to be knocked round with a special tool or a punch/drift, but they can be really tight.

I'm not sure if Mercedes supply them still, especially in Sweden. Might be worth a call to your local dealer.

 

[noogieman]

Yup it's still the original sender.

So if I understand correct, one sender is accessed from the boot the other one is fitted under the car?

Do both senders come as one kit or do I have to purchase each part individually?
Does both parts need to be replaced or only one?

 

[RogerSausage]

No, they're both fitted and accessed from underneath, one each side of the tank.

They will come separately yes. For your problem, it's only really one that needs replacing by the sound of it, but whilst you're under there and the tank is drained etc it'd make sense to do both.

 

[noogieman]

Requires a lot of work to drain the full tank and replace both units.
The fawlty sender does it throw away a code?

 

[RogerSausage]

To be fair, whether it's a full tank or 1/3 a tank, providing you've got enough room to store it, the effort is the same.

No you won't get a code from a duff sender unit, not that I recall anyway. It can be the tracks for the level pick-up that get worn or dirty, but without removing the units it's impossible to say.

So there is a level float and wire on each side that monitors the level (it's a saddle tank due to having to clear the exhaust and propshaft). From memory the right hand side unit transfers fuel to the left side of the tank, the left unit then sends the fuel to the engine bay. Both levels in each side are monitored by the floats, but it's the left one that calculates the average level somehow and sends the signal to the instrument cluster. It's usually that one that goes down I believe, but I only can recall replacing them in pairs. It's a bit of a fiddle passing the pipes over the top inside the saddle tank but not a nightmare job by any means. The hardest bit is probably removing the retaining rings.

 

[noogieman]

OK, thanks for explaining.

Retaining rings are they getting sticky by rust, I have my car waxoiled underneath probably no rust under the gunk?.

 

[RogerSausage]

Not rust as such, but corrosion yeah. Hopefully yours is sweet under there then

 

[noogieman]

Not rust as such, but corrosion yeah. Hopefully yours is sweet under there then

It has never been used in winter as long as I have owned it, soon to be 20 years.

So far never touched the sills like others had to do put new metal and weld in the new ones.

 

[RogerSausage]

Wow, sounds like you've got a really nice one there then!
Mine is solid now but it had sills, floorplans and a rear chassis leg on it about 5 years ago by a Ferrari restoration specialist

 

[noogieman]

Wow, sounds like you've got a really nice one there then!
Mine is solid now but it had sills, floorplans and a rear chassis leg on it about 5 years ago by a Ferrari restoration specialist

I thought Italians only knew how to cook spaghetti Bolognese, probably restaurant specialist made some good welding?

This is mine.
It's still in good shape for it's age.

 

[RogerSausage]

Yeah it looks great Genuine Brabus rims too?

 

[noogieman]

Yeah it looks great Genuine Brabus rims too?

Thanks.

Yes, rims are genuine Monoblock V, the split versions 8,5 in front and 9,5 in the rear.
Rims grew on me over the years, they look fabulous on the car!

 

[RogerSausage]

Yeah they look great. Unfortunately they're no good in the UK, the diamond cut finish would last about a week with all our rain and salty roads

 

[noogieman]

My wheels still hold the clear coat.

Over the years wheels getting tortured in motion, there will be stone chips and tiny scratches scr*wing up the paint.
I hate gravel and stone chips laying on the road or w@nkers being lazy still using their studded winter tires in Spring and summer!
Studs coming of tires flies like projectiles hitting your front.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Not your car and might not even have the same fuel pump fixing but at 11:40 he uses a universal tool that might be easy to make DIY that could save you breaking the (now probably brittle) plastic ring by hitting it with a punch. Good luck . Nice car

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[Skd884]

I have yet to see a wheel thats beats the oem monoblocks on the c43, they look epic.

 

[noogieman]

Not your car and might not even have the same fuel pump fixing but at 11:40 he uses a universal tool that might be easy to make DIY that could save you breaking the (now probably brittle) plastic ring by hitting it with a punch. Good luck . Nice car

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Thanks for the link

Will take my car to the mechanic and let him check the fuel sender gremlin.