Hi.


On Saturday, my 2001 E320 did not start, at first. This was the strangest thing I ever experienced. The starter kept cranking as if stuck but the engine did not fire. After several tries it did come to life, the “check engine” light stayed on but following a few restarts it quit, the diagnostic reads “No Malfunction”. Is this some sort of relay problem?


Our dealer is some 200 miles away, a pain in the you know what, but we love MB cars. Can anyone help?


Thank you
Wilf

 

It sounds like the cranckshaft sensor is dying

 

Thank you, zdzich, do you know where it is located? The reason I ask it that since then after start-up for a brief moment a funny sound can be heard, coming from the direction of the fuse box. This made me suspect that it might be a sensor issue.

Thanks again and I'll investigate further.

Regards
Wilf

 

Thanks again, zdzich, this was indeed the problem. The dealer send me a new sender unit for a mere $247.96 Can. (grrr), and I had it installed locally.

One more question: Somewhere I read that this problem will not leave a code, but it did, according to the shop here in town. Is he right? I just noticed that he did not record it on the bill, I need to follow this up.

Thanks
Wilf

 

I'm glad that you got it fixed. However, if you did some research on the internet you would find a better price, under $50 for OEM sensor. Check this out Your Parts Search Returned 1 Part(s)
I do shop before buying from a dealer. The sensor is located on the top left side of the engine near bell housing. If you open the hood all the way up go to the left side of the car and you will be able to see it and access it with your hand. Takes 15 minutes to replace it. After replacing the sensor you have to go through adaptation process. Check the sticky notes. There is a simple procedure how to do it. It requires driving on a specific gear for a specific amount of time. I had this in pfd format but I misplaced it somewhere. Good luck.

 

For others needing this DIY.

Crankshaft Position Sensor Replacement
Pelican Technical Article: Mercedes Benz - Crankshaft Position Sensor Replacement


Roy@PelicanParts.com

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