Hello all I have recently purchased a 1998 C280. Well after week one...the engine light came on. I took it to mercedes and was told it was a software issue and they reset it after 100.00.

Week 2...light on again back to merecedes.......100.00 again same issue but did not find any problems. You guessed it 3 day later...same thing back to mercedes which is a 1.5 hr trip each way....and same issue. They could not find anything wrong.

Hub cap is tight, car was not filled while engine running. Using high test. I have been reading all the threads for days now. How can I reset this light myself.....but better yet...how do I find out what the cause is.....mercedes cannot seem to find it nor care...except for the money.

I have seen disconnecting the battery as an alternate...but do not know if this is correct since it was said....in such a derogatory manner. I could sure use some help here if possible........as I do not want damge to the engine nor do I want to keep paying 100.00 for nothing more than turning off a light. Thank you for any assistance.

 

where are you located ?

 

...for CEL? If you're here in the US, Autozone will scan your car for free and give you the codes. classic MAF codes are:
P0170 fuel trim malfunction- Bank 1
P0173 fuel trim malfunction- Bank 2

Any other codes, post them here and someone can tell you what needs to be replaced. That Mercedes Stealership you're going to sounds worse than most---most will at least give you the codes and diagnosis for the $100!

 

eddie hit the nail on the head. i would check for anything loose under the hood, and basic tune up stuff first. and yes, pulling the battery cable off to reset things is just fine. as long as you have the security code to reprogram the radio. does the car run rough? if the light is coming on it's throwing a code. autozone does pull them for free, or maybe you have a buddy with a obd2 scanner, either way the code will corespond to some malfunction. i got a long drive to the dealer too, i guess i am lucky, the deler i take mine to is superb. good luck with the car.

 

This is what I use to pull codes & reset the light:
http://www.iequus.com/item.asp?cid=10&pid=3100
It'll be the best $ 140.00 you'll ever spend.
This works on any vehicle ( from 1996 on ), NOT just M-B.

 

Hey i just go tone of those but didnt have the books bought it off the truck wink wink newayz i havent used it yet do i need the books or does it tell me whats wrong??

 

Meanie, 13Benz and Ediie045, thank you very much. I will go to autozone, and see if they help. Also I was under the impression that the obd has to be connected to a computer for it to work?

I do have the radio code...from the dealer provided it is trhe original radio. Just do not want to test it out though. Would rather know what is wrong and why light comes on. The car runs wonderful, not rough at all no hesitations.

I will have a tune up done and all emmisions items replaced as you said and see if that helps. Thank you all for the help.

 

it's posible that the radio has been replaced, but unlikley if it says MercedesBenz on it. more unlikley still if it's a tape deck, i belive that was standard issue. autozone can turn the cel light off, but unless what was tripping it in the first place is fixed it will come back on. they can look up what the codes mean. if they don't know what to make of it try calling your dealer's parts department or post the codes on the board someone will know. most scanners are hand-held units that plug into the car's computer to read what is stored on it. there are several kits avaliable to turn a laptop or a palm pilot into a obd2 scanner. the plug to attach a scanner to is under the driver's side of the dash in my 98 c230.


gamma have you tried the company that made your scanner's website?, short of that just hook it up to someone else's car and start hacking :v

 

Don't know if you have fixed your problem, but mine had the same issue with the check engine light. The problem was the O2 sensors. Had both replaced, lines cleaned, and no more check engine light. Good luck!

 

what'd that cost, 95? and did your gas mileage improve?

 

my check engine light resulted in a new whole engine wiring harness

 

Cost $200 Labor - purchased the parts from Performance Products.com

Gas mileage improved significantly!

 

I wonder if O2 sensors would improve MY mileage....(my CEL isn't on; new MAF put it out).

 

Hi guys,

My 220 has problem w/ p0170 on n off for the last 2 years. I reseted it today but seems like I have to solve the problem for SMOG. Both O2 sensor has been changed, the MAF has 1000 miles... fuel pressure regulator has 400 miles. But right after changing the fuel pressure regulator, the light came on... I'm using the Autozone scanner to erase the code. could there b anything else that would cause this problem? How about fuel filter? fuel tank cap? plz help...

By the way, the throttle sometimes hestitates, rpm revs up a little but drop to bottom, often happens at idle. Also, when accelerate to the floor, feel like the fuel pumps arent strong enough and hestitates. Other than that... it average about 360-380miles per tank.