thetonka

Hi.

I have a new to me 2009 R320 Blutec. I have had it for 3 weeks now and twice on my commute it has suddenly lost power. Both times I was going uphill and a moderate speed. It would not accelerate past 55 mph. Once I pulled over, shut it off, and restarted it the power returned. Neither time a warning light went off, and there are no OBD codes.

I really love this car, but this is concerning.

Any thoughts or help?

thetonka

This is disconcerting. It happened again.

user 823908234

Going into "Limp home mode"

Our 2007 320CDI (not blue-tec) did that a month ago. Component Y77/1 showed many faults after clearing diagnostic several times. This is the turbo boost pressure regulator, I guess like a waste gate. Want a new one? Only comes with complete turbo charger, $2,500 msrp. My indy found a company that rebuilds regulators, and sent it out, ~$730. This may or may not be your current problem.
(rant on)
Have to dismantle a LOT of parts to get to the turbo at the rear of the engine, so labor will be high; more than the cost of the part.
We had a leaking oil cooler, so while the car is literally torn open, did that, and replaced the servo motor. All this stuff is really inaccessible at the rear of the engine (did I already say that?) The 'genuwine' MB servo motor, after installation, proved to be faulty, so indy has to remove all the stuff again. (I should have taken pics) He won't be making much, if any, profit on this job. Haven't had the car for a month.
Indy is cleaning all the carbon out of the parts (manifold, EGR port, etc.) at no charge, and there was a lot.

Car has 96,000+ miles. Bought off-lease, auction w/ 66,000 mi., no warranty.
With all the money spent on tailgate motor/latch repairs, airbag replacement, steering wheel replacement, and now this almost $3,000 in repairs, this was not a good deal. But, when it's running, we really like the R for handling, utility, comfort, looks.

Oh, steering wheel replacement?? -- One day the horn starts blowing, won't stop. Indy traces problem to the tiny computer behind the air bag. Give part # to dealer, dealer gives price, $68. OK, I need one. Oh, can't buy it separately, only comes with new steering wheel, for $1,100 msrp. Oh, OK, old wheel was showing wear anyway (feel my sarcasm).

In summation, this beautiful car has been/is a money pit. We have so much invested we can't afford to get rid of it, and anyway, what would we get that is as useful (when we actually get to use it).
(rant off)

thetonka

I have read about some who have had bad luck with the R320. Most of what I have found is positive or neutral so I was not too concerned with my purchase. I needed a car that had a lot of capacity, and would handle a lot of miles without falling apart.

From my research it appears this problem is likely diesel soot clogging the EGR valve or the DPF. The car sat for a while before we bought it.

So I have taken it on some high load runs to clean out the exhaust, spent time on the freeway to get it into regen, and will be pulling the EGR soon to clean it.

We shall see, still love the car.

user 823908234

(Re-reading my previous post: when I said we haven't had it for a month, that's how long it's been in the shop. We let our indy take his time, because he's a stickler for accuracy. We've owned it just over 4 years. )

Don't get me wrong...we love the R styling (a bit quirky & not many around), ride height, utility, luxury, etc. But even if we got a 'newer' one it would still be a 'used' car. So with this one we know the history; if we figure the purchase price of a newer one, plus low trade value on this one, plus extended warranty, plus unknowns ... well, we'll just budget for repairs and keep it. We really do love the car. One trip last year I drove for 13 hours straight, and felt perfectly relaxed when we stopped for the day. Plus, up to 29 mpg on the highway, 22-23 in town.
And yes, upon opening the engine, there was a lot of soot, especially at the EGR hole.
Should be ready at the shop this evening or tomorrow morning. Just in time... I have to pick up some lumber for a home project, and the CLK can't handle that.

Hard not to love the R. Gee, my wife isn't perfect, but after 50 years, I haven't traded HER in! (-OW! ouch!) -- Wait... I was wrong! She is perfect!
(oooh, that's gonna leave a mark)

thetonka

My thoughts as well. I have a 100 mile a day(round trip) commute. The prius I was driving was good, and reliable, but the car around the amazing drivetrain was falling apart. I need something that will be reliable, efficient, and not fall apart.

The R320 was not my first choice as the mileage is lower, but after spending time in it I do not regret my decision. I know the engineering behind this will make it far more likely this thing will be running and in one piece in 20 years than most everything else I have owned.

We try to make the drive from SoCal to my mom's in Oregon a couple times a year. With the Prius the trip was cheap, but exhausting. The seats, the size, and the ride made a half way stop mandatory. With the R I am sure I could make the 1,000 miles trip in one day.

So, even if there are some minor problems, I am sure there are work arounds and I the benefits far out weight the problems, at least so far.

user 823908234

Picked it up this AM. Runs better than ever! He had to send the manifolds to a specialist to hot tank clean/ultrasound all the carbon out.
You're gonna love your Oregon run.

thetonka

Excellent. I'm going to have to look into doing that.