Zach8131

PLEASE note that I have a 2004 CLK 500 (****ty made by Chrysler one) that is PRE-Facelift.

So, on July 2, 2013 on my brother's birthday I was driving home and swung by my shop to pick up my laptop. I turned the car off for a brief 5 minutes and when I returned to the car, it would not turn on! The car would crank, crank, crank, crank, crank but not turn over (turn on/vroom vroom--- go home) Needless to say, my girlfriend and I rode home as passengers of a flatbed tow truck that evening.

The car sat outside my house for another month while I glared at it, and occasionally kicked it. Then I decided to research the topic and everyone was saying either the crankshaft position sensor or the CAM sensor. I was able to get a Crankshaft Position Sensor from my local mechanic and replaced it, but it did not solve the problem. I am beginning to think the sensor was either faulty, incorrect, or otherwise. (luckily I did not purchase the sensor but it was given to me for free)

As for the CAM sensor, I have been unable to find a diagram pointing out its location... so it still remains a mystery.

Then I had the car towed to a place near me that had replaced the air strut on my w211 a while back. The car sat at his shop, in the back, for 6 months... and he did nothing, and still doesn't know the problem. Supposedly he had checked all the wiring and it is all good, and everything is grounded properly--- but that's all he did in 6 months. Luckily I haven't paid him more then $300.

Anyway, I need to get this car fixed! I am going to have it towed back to my place and would like to know where to start fixing. I plan on replacing all the fuses with high quality ones (just to make sure its all good)... but in terms of sensors/actual fixing, where do I start? Please respond to this and answer as if I was the dumbest person ever, feel free to over-explain with small words and pretty pictures.

Side note, I had asked why the parking lamps (left front & right front) never worked since we purchased the car and never gave an error--- and someone said that the fuse box under the hood could be faulty, could that be a contributing factor as to why the car will not turn over?

Thanks!!!

Glyn M Ruck

The car was not built by Chrysler. Cabrios were built by Karmann & Coupes by Benz.

The car either cranks or it doesn't. Your explanation is confusing.

If it does not crank then check fuse 52 & make sure it is 20 amp. Also check the starter relay in the front SAM. Then finally check starter motor. Worse case scenario is a failing EIS or front SAM or starter motor.

If it cranks over but does not start then the two likely culprits are lack of fuel pressure or CPS. Fit a new CPS & check fuel pressure at the Schrader valve on the front fuel rail. It should be 3.8 bar or 55 psi while cranking. If it is not you either have a failing fuel pump or a clogged fuel filter.

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...t-process.html

iyeoh

Had that issue before. Cranks and cranks and won't start.

Dealer installed a new "computer" the same day and it was fixed. Didn't cost too much: less than $800 all in. Towing was free. The dealer even dropped the car back to my home.

Sometimes, bringing the car to the dealer is the *cheap* way.

Patton001

I see you are down in Orange. I would highly recommend that you take you car from any shop that lets it sit for 6 months. I would suggest Beach Benz here in Huntington Beach if you want a good indi shop. Mike (the owner) is a very straight shooter. Will advise you well and tell you what needs to be done and what can wait. I do most of my own work but when I can't or don't feel like it I trust him to get it done right.

Glyn M Ruck

I would love to know what they really did. Installing a new computer in dealer speak usually means a new ECU which costs a hell of a lot more than $800 without labour.

A dealer bill of $800 means they did very little.

Rudeney

Actually, MY2004 would be built by Chrysler - Daimler-Chrysler, that is. And know that there was absolutely ZERO parts and technology sharing from Chrysler to Mercedes-Benz. Daimler owner Chrysler and pushed some technology down from Mercedes-Benz to Chrysler, but not the other way. Your car is a sophisticated network of computers on wheels. Things can go wrong in the harsh environment that it exists in. As Glyn pointed out, if the engine rotates but does not fire, the check fuel deliver and CPS (FYI, a bad CPS signal will prevent fuel delivery, by design).

Klinh

It was the fuel pump problem on my 2009 Slk5

Zach8131

I just really wish I could figure out why this was happening. I don't know if it is related, but the car had shut itself off a few times over the course of my first like 4 months of owning it. It went into "Key 2" position and stopped, causing me to have to put it in park and re-start it. This happened about 3 times total. At Caliber Mercedes in Anaheim Hills the service tech said that it sounds like a Crankshaft...

I really can't afford to tow it around everywhere.

Thanks for the responses! Hopefully I will get more on this thread and help me wrap my head around this fiasco!

Yidney

People are giving you very specific recommendations. Check the fuel pressure. If you check it and it is good, then report back. If you have no means to check it, or don't know how (not hard) then you either need to read up and buy a pressure gauge, or you are just better off taking it to a place that actually knows about Mercedes and has the STAR diagnostic tools.

Glyn M Ruck

Absolutely correct but there is no Chrysler DNA in the car as you state.

Zach8131

I appreciate everyone's input here

I keep getting shotty "information" that the place where my car has been for the past 6 months did "more work"

First it was only that he checked the wiring, now he's sure it's the neutral safety switch, now he's sure it's the ECU... then he tells me that he had already plugged in two ECU's and the car fried both of them and that's how he knows we have a "dire problem"

I should have the car back into my driveway about Friday or so and then I'll start working away. (Starting with the fuel pump and working my way to the sensors) I also plan to replace all my fuses with ones that light up when they pop, so I can easily tell if I'm blowing them.

I'll keep everyone updated & hopefully it's something simple and I don't need to "replace all the modules" like this other guy said.

Rudeney

Note that a lack of fuel pressure could still be a bad CPS - with no signal from the CPS, the fuel pump is not energized. I believe this is a safety feature, where a lack of engine rotation (which is what the CPS senses) means no need for fuel, so shut it off in case there has a been a crash.

Rudeney

I might have had a typo in there that messed up my sentence, but I did not mean to say there is any Chrysler "DNA" in Mercedes-Benz. The company was called Daimler-Chrysler, so that being written on the label would be the only "Chrysler" in a CLK. But the other way around - yes, there are many Chrysler vehicles on the road full of MBZ parts. The Crossfire was basically an R170 SLK with a different body. The 300 shares some parts with the W211 E-Class. My wife's Jeep Grand Cherokee has the same basic suspension and transmission as the W166 ML. Many models used the 722.6 transmission.

Daimler's purchase of Chrysler did nothing to affect the quality of MBZ vehicles. Most of the quality problems can be traced to suppliers. MBZ has historically done a poor job of managing its suppliers. On top of that, they push hard on them to supply parts faster and cheaper. if you want something done right, do it yourself, but if you must hire it out, expect to pay for quality. BTW, that's the basic summary of a 500+ page document delivered to MBUSI bac in 2004 from a certain group of QA consultants hired to help them improve quality in preparation for the production of the W164, based on experiences with the W163. I think they read some of it.

Glyn M Ruck

+1^ And we all know that Benz had quality issues in the early 2000's

Zach8131

UPDATE: got the car back in the old driveway, still no codes to be pulled from the computer



Now, I replaced the Camshaft Position Sensor. The Crankshaft Position Sensor, All fuses, and checked all relating relays.

Car still cranks, and I can smell gas--- but it does not ignite (I am hoping I am using the correct terminology) Today I removed the rear seating and the under-cover to expose the two chambers housing what appears to be nothing (maybe the fuel filter?) under the passenger side, and the fuel pump on the driver's side.

My somewhat knowledgeable buddy who was here with me today told me to put the key into position 2 in my 2005 E Klasse, and that I should hear the fuel pump power on, which I did... then when I tried it on my CLK I heard nothing, even when the rear seats were removed.... could it be a failed fuel pump??

I'd like to know before I call the dealer to take my car...

Yidney

Yes it can be a bad fuel pump. If you smell gas maybe not. But I take it you still have not checked the pressure at the fuel rail.

Zach8131

No I have still not checked the fuel pressure, I'm trying to do a little more research beforehand (just to make sure)

I wish I could afford to just make it the dealerships problem... but I can't. I build saltwater reef tanks and right now people don't really seem to think of them as 'necessities' haha

Thanks for being so calm with me guys. I'm only 20 with no mechanical experience so it's a learning process here, I appreciate every ounce of effort you guys put forth into your responses!! What I learn comes from you guys and this website/YouTube in its entirety!

Zach8131

So, I have had this problem CLK for over 2 years, and in that time frame we have only been able to drive it for about 3 months.

I have new news as of today, and was wondering if any members could shed some light on this.

I purchased a code reader from Auto-Zone today for $49.99 and it seems to do the trick for me. Now that I replaced the fuse & the car cranks, I can pull codes. So this is what I have and what was pulled. The manual/readout for the code reader isn't very helpful with these "other" items that it pulled. I added what the reader pulled up, followed by a hyphen and what the manual called it.

Actron OBD II PocketScan (CP 9125)

0 codes

MIL- off

6 INC incomplete (vehicle was not driven enough under proper conditions to complete the monitor)
Catalyst - Catalyst Monitor
Evap - Evaporative Systems Monitor
Sec Air Secondary Air System Monitor
02 Snr - Oxygen Sensor Monitor
02 Htr - Oxygen Sensor Heater Monitor
EGR - Exhaust Gas Recirculation

3 Ready (vehicle was driven enough under proper conditions to complete the monitor)
Misfire - Misfire Monitor
Fuel - Fuel System Monitor
Comp - Comprehensive components monitor

Also, I don't have a fuel-pressure test kit, but when I checked the fuel rail in the engine... it shot out about 1 tablespoon of gasoline, and that was it. (see picture)

Is my fuel pump the problem?? & if it is, is it the contraption that is under the driver-side rear seat? That seems like a pretty easy fix/replacement if it is.

Glyn M Ruck

You need to measure the fuel pressure properly.

Yes. Access to the fuel pump is under the rear seat.

Rudeney

There's a particular test procedure for energizing the fuel pump. WIS indicates the use of a special breakout box that plugs into the ECU that you jump out pins 7 and 121 and then switch on the ignition and the fuse pump will run. I don't know if there's a different "shade tree" method, but the basic procedure is to cause the pump to run so you can check the pressure.

Yidney

You let the gas out of the rail while nobody was cranking the car? You won't get much gas that way. The system is pressurized even when the car is not running. If it wasn't, it would take a while to start each time as the pump has to re-pressurize the system. But the system is just skinny pipes, so it doesn't take much to let the pressure out. So yeah, you'll get just a little gas. But if you let it all out and then crank the car again, see if you get another teaspoon full. That will at least tell you that the pump is not totally dead.

Yidney

Rodney, can't he just crank the car with fuel pressure gauge attached? I've never tried to measure on my car.

Glyn M Ruck

Yep ~ You can just crank the car with gauge attached.

EDIT: Rudeney's method is to energise the pump without attempting to start the car or without car running.

Rudeney

The problem is, if the CPS is not giving a signal to the ECU, then it won't energize the fuel pump. This jumper forces the fuel pump to run.

soon.tri

I had this same problem with my car a while back, the problem ended up being the CPS. I was able to located the sensor but wasn't positive wether I would be able to get the new one installed and put the proper torque so I opted to let the dealership install it. It was a while back and as I recall I do not think it was too outrageously priced.

but during the time I was going out, I would eventually be able to crank and start the car it took several tries but it did start up. I know you said you installed a another one, I would perhaps recommend picking a new one up from the auto part store and trying that if you can easily access the sensor. Good Luck!