W210 199 E240 Auto Stalling & Misfiring

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m1bnk

Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2002
Messages
37
Location
Teesside, UK
Car
1999 E240 Avantgarde
Guys, I need help, big style

My old 1996 E36 has died a death and I replaced it with a 1999 E240 2.4 V6 Auto saloon, bought privately. 94K on the clock, full service history, but not all MB. Last service done by an unknown independent garage at 92K

Saw the car, drove it extensively around Edinburgh and it was fine. After a week or two though it cut out on me a couple of times at traffic lights. Full symptoms of the two (maybe related) faults

If I pull out my drive and accelerate hardish towards the bottom of the street, then when I get to the junction the car seems to try to surge off the brake. If I drive gently it's fine.

After a little bit of driving, then if I stop the car but leave it in D, then the car starts to misfire and the engine dies, I can catch it and put the car in neutral, the misfire continues for a few seconds and then the revs increase to about 1100, misfire clears and the revs settle back down to the 600 ish they are usually at tickover, until the next time I drive forward and then stop in D, and we continue same again. If I switch the ignition off (or the engine dies) then it's fine again for about 10-15 minutes of driving. If I catch the car before the engine dies and put it in neutral while it's in this misfire mode then pressing the throttle gives a delayed response from the engine - a bit like the timing is out. 1st-2nd gear change can be quite violent while it's in this mode too. No fault warnings come up on the dash.

Normal driving along the road at any speed and for any length of time is fine.

Only thing I have noticed so far is that the dipstick shows oil about a quarter of the way up the red plastic fitting on the end, but the electronic oil level display shows "Oil Over Max"

I've got no access to code readers (is there a cheap one available) and my spanner waving knowledge, while good, is limited to engines old enough not to look like hospital intensive care patients. I've got about a grand left to spend, and I'm OK about giving that to the local dealership if I have to, but it's an absolute, there's no more money in the kitty and my nightmare is getting a big bill I can't pay resulting in no money & no car -> no job

Your help would be most appreciated
 
Can noone shed any light on this, or even point me in a direction to look?

If not, perhaps some advice on getting a code reader adequate for DIY.

I'm well and truly up the creek now since even the dealership cannot look at it until a week on Monday
 
Don't take it to a dealership, a local independent will be a better (cheaper) bet.

Do a search on here for one near you.

At a guess, coil packs, or a crankshaft sensor.

Richard
 
Thanks guys, will let you know what the diagnosis was
 
Unfortunately I can't get the car booked in until next Tuesday. Now it starts and dies straight away. A quick knock on the MAF sensor with a screwdriver and it will start and run - but the continuous stalling means I daren't drive it anywhere. Left it in the work car park tonight and got a lift home.

Took a punt and went to the stealership and paid 217 quid for a new genuine MB one. Going to go back to work and fit it now - wish me luck lol
 
Try disconnecting the MAF and starting it, if its the MAF faulty the fault "should appear gone".
 
OK, wish I'd known that earlier.

Anyway, it looks like the problem is solved. I'll know tomorrow when I've had a good long sit in the morning jams.

I know the purpose of the MAF, but can someone explain to me how it works and how disconnecting it would clear the fault?
 
Arrrrgggghhhhh! Help please

OK, so six weeks ago I replaced the MAF and it looked like everything was fine.

Now, same faults again :eek:

Changing MAF every six weeks is gonna make this a very expensive car to run,

Is there something which could be poisoning the MAF, is there somewhere else I need to look? I don't see how I could have got such a sudden and dramatic change by replacing the MAF last time if that wasn't the fault.
 
OK, so six weeks ago I replaced the MAF and it looked like everything was fine.

Now, same faults again :eek:

Changing MAF every six weeks is gonna make this a very expensive car to run,

Is there something which could be poisoning the MAF, is there somewhere else I need to look? I don't see how I could have got such a sudden and dramatic change by replacing the MAF last time if that wasn't the fault.

was this a Bosch or MB MAF?
 
Mb

A genuine MB part bought from the local dealership - £217 inc VAT, that's over £40 a week :(
 
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I have suddenly got the same fault in my car.

Hesitancy on the throttle last week, then cutting out in D in traffic, could stop it cutting out if I switched to N.

Had no opportunity to take it in, but I got it serviced a few weeks ago. The air filter they got was incorrect, so while waiting to order the correct one, they put the old filter back in.

I am thinking that something in that area has affected the MAF. Hopefully will get time to have a look at this this weekend.
 
Assuming the MAF is o.k it may be down to dodgy wiring that connects to the MAF - even the connector itself as its seems pretty clear that replacing the MAF sorted the problem. Start with the connector at the MAF and work upstream, gently twisting and bending the wiring loom etc. to see if you can force the problem.
 
Disconnect the MAF and see what happens or try metering the MAF output at the ECU.

If your car has an OBDII socket next to the bonnet release then I'd buy a OBD code reader from somewhere like talktomycar.
Be aware that a MAF fault won't normally generate a code.
 
You could try cleaning the throat of the throttle body with solvent ( carburettor cleaner) in case its sticking?
 
Does anyone know what voltages and signals I should see on the MAF connector. I comfortable with voltmeter and oscilloscope. Connector or wiring problem seems most likely now since nobody's identified anything which could poison the MAF
 
HI GUYS I HAVE BEEN PULLING MY HAIR OUT WHAT LITTLE I HAVE LEFT I MIGHT ADD OVER THIS PROBLEM ,,, NOW I HAVE REPLACED THE maf (NOT GENUINE PART) AND IT RUNED FINE FOR ABOUT A DAY THEN IT STARTED TO NEARLY STALL IN DRIVE ON VERY LOW REVS I TOOK IT TO MY MECH HE SPEND WHOLE DAY N IT DID EVERY THING FROM DISSCONNET BATTERY TO CLEAN THROTTLE BODY NEW PLUGS COMPLETE FUEL INJECT CLEAN OUT AND THE PROBLEM WAS SAME ,, PLUGGED INTO DIAGNOSTICS AND WAS TOLD NO FAULT FOUND ,,,PROBLEM HAS NOW MOVED FROM INTERMITTENED VERY LOW REVS TO NEARLY CUTTING OUT IN NEUTRAL AND NO PROBS IN DRIVE THE CAR STAYS JUST ABOUT ENOUGH REVS ABOVE 5000 REVS TO NOT CUT OUT ,,,OH BY THE WAY ITS A E200 W210 1999 I,M AM AT MY WITS END I HAVE BEEN TOLD I MAY NEED A NEW ECU ,,, I,M HOPING NOT BECAUSE IN DUBLIN THE COST 1200 EURO OR CAN I HAVE THE EXISTING ONE REPROGRAMMED OR SPMETHING ,,,ANY HELP AT ALL GUYS WOULD BE GRATEFULLY APPRECIATED .......
 
ANY HELP AT ALL GUYS WOULD BE GRATEFULLY APPRECIATED .......

Ok, first off look on your keyboard and you will see the Caps Lock light is lit..press caps Lock and it will go out and your posts will be a lot easier to read, likewise you seem to have the Bold function selected.:)

Next try disconnecting the MAF as it's probably the replacement MAF gone faulty.
The only decent ones seem to be Bosch or Pierburg depending on the original fitment.
 
Does anyone know what voltages and signals I should see on the MAF connector.

Breather oil could contaminate the MAF but meter it first.

Pin2 = 12v
3 = Gnd
4 = 5v
5 = signal

Expect 2v at idle rising to 4.8v at full revs.
 

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