bbullins

So i took my 1999 w210 e320 in because the EIS was clicking and when it was doing that the horn nor the sunroof worked. If you pushed up on the keys it was fine. So $1600 later I pick it up and there is a light on the dash for engine fan. The fan is running wide open and it is throwing a code P1181 which supposedly means Engine fan current. They told me the parts would be $600 and for $400 in labor they would be glad to fix it. Seems awfully coincidental but I realize it could happen to break while there. Is this simply change the fan control unit and Im good or is there something that the new EIS and coding could have caused here? Thanks

Plutoe

Did you have the work done at an authorized MB dealer or by a person that said" Oh I have loads of experience with MB EIS and transmissions"

bbullins

local MB Dealership as they are the only ones who can do the Electronic ignition

Plutoe

Yes at first look it appears to be just that, but to be sure post your VIN!!

bbullins

WDBJF65H4XA835851

The original fan control unit part no. is A018 545 99 32 i found one on a 98 e320 at the junk yard, "Looks" the same but the part number for it is A 025 545 32 32 from what I have seen it should have worked fine but does the same thing. Turn on engine and its fine for 1-2 mins then fan comes on wide open and the light comes on the dash.

I did find on a website iATN for MCE mechanics the exact scenario of Paid dealer to replace EIS and then got car back with P1181 engine fan errors but I cant read it as I am not a MCE or linked to that site. seems very odd it only happened after they programmed the new EIS to the car.

Plutoe

I think you got your numbers mixed up--the 018 545 99 32 is for model 170 and 202 or you got mumbo jumboed by the seller who did not know what he was doing!!

The 025 545 32 32 would be good if your chassis number was less that 698xxx, yours is A835xxx-----therefore


The correct part is 025 545 33 32 and if you use something else you will be back whining--- I have a fault bla bla-----but it's your choice!!

bbullins

The A018 545 99 32 is what is on the car as long as I have owned it with no issues. I haven't bought it from anyone, unless they swapped it at the dealer to create the issue? The one I just pulled myself off of a 98 e320 at the junk yard was the A 025 545 32 32. I have them both in front of me. Both behave the same way. Are you saying neither is what should be on the car? If so why was the A018 545 99 32 fine before i took it in and had the EIS replaced?

Plutoe

I don't know you. I don't know the car. I don't know the dealer you visited.

To confirm or refute my findings visit any MB dealer and have him put your VIN in EPC and then you ask the same questions----What answers do you get and post the results!!

bbullins

ok, I ordered the part number you suggested. if the 025 545 33 32 doesnt solve the Engine fan light , code P1181 what would be your next try.

The temperature gauge seems to work fine, no Air conditioning issues I can tell of all is working normal, I checked all fuses. All the things that seemed to be normal procedure for this code and everything was good. What would you look to next if the new 025 545 33 32 doesnt resolve it. Thanks

Plutoe

If you are sure about the fault, I can't think of anything else except clearing the fault!!

bbullins

got the 025 545 33 32 part and engine fan message on dash hasn't gone away.

With cold engine, start engine after about 10 seconds fan slowly runs up to what "seems" about 80-90% then as engine warms fan slows down. it seems like it is regulating the fan speed, I don't know if that is normal but I do hear it change speeds. Seems odd it comes on fast with cold engine but as engine warms slows down, is that normal? AC System seems to function completely normal, all fuses ok.

Any suggestions? can the fault be cleared with a standard OBD2 , also is there a number of miles you drive and it auto resets like some cars.

Thanks

Plutoe

If you haven't cleared the fault, then the fault still resides in the ECU----Clear the "P" fault with a homey OBD scanner!!

bbullins

ok, will give it a try. Thanks

bbullins

no luck, strangely the OBD2 tool only showed one code a IAT P0110 code. it did not show the P1181

bbullins

I wanted to followup in case someone had this issue later.

It was indeed a issue that was created by the EIS and the dealer.

When replacing the EIS the tech is asked the question "Does the car have Auxiliary fan". Apparently the models before me had the standard fan and the aux fans. The 99 has a single electric fan that can look like an Aux fan but indeed is not. The tech answered yes when he should have answered no so this created a constant .4 volts out of the sam into the fan control unit. it is expecting 2-11 volts to control speed. The .4 volts throws the code for the fan and makes it run wide open.

So after weeks of being told they had nothing to do with each other and paying my tech to diagnose it for a day, replacing coolant temp sensor, replacing fan, replacing fan control unit it turned out they had done it wrong.

After telling the dealer what my tech had found 2 days later they had my car back, only to go home and find that now my trunk and the rear headrest release no longer worked. Guess what I was told once again? " I Cant see how those are related!" I responded "that's also what you told me about the fan". So I took the car back to the dealer an 45 minutes later they had it fixed. This time he told me that when he changed the programing for the aux fan that created the fan issue the body type code reset to a coupe instead of an e-class and since the coupe didn't have a trunk or rear headrest the car didn't know anything about them.

this was a nightmare and hopefully if someone encounters it and get the usual "I cant see how that would be related" responses you can see from this programing the EIS affects far more than just the car starting.