KevinH2000

On three recent drives, my 2005 C230 sports sedan seemed to operate with reduced power and the Check Engine Light illuminated. On each occasion, the environmental temperature was above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This caused and the air conditioning operate on the "Max Cool" setting because the car had been parked outside in the sun. (I'm not sure whether the environmental factors or the AC setting are relevant, but I didn't want to leave anything out that may be relevant.) The only work I have done to the car recently was to replace the pedal covers.

The first time this happened, I scanned the car with my iCarsoft tool and had it showed the following codes:
P201d-000
P201b-000
P201a-000
P201c-000
P2014-000

None of these codes are in the iCarsoft database.

The second time this happened, I scanned the car with a generic scanner which showed the following codes:
P0238 supercharger boost sensor a circuit high
P0101 mass or volume air flow a circuit range/performance

The iCarsoft showed:
P200a-000 and P2014-000
Because these codes showed up twice, I searched the internet and found that P2014 indicates intake manifold flap position sensor: Electrical malfunction. (Intermittent.) The Internet search shows that the P200A code stands for “Intake Manifold Runner Performance (Bank 1).” The code shows up when the powertrain control module (PCM) detects a problem with the intake manifold runner control (IMRC) system.

I found this video on YouTube which shows a possible diagnosis and solution related to code P0238:

Supercharger not engaging.

His symptoms are similar to mine although the environmental factors that led to his problem are different. Before I take things apart and possibly damage something in the process, I am wondering whether anyone has opinions about the procedure shown in the video or other possible causes.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

KevinH2000

I continued to search on the internet and found this video:


Although the car is a W204 and not a W203, it appears that Mercedes continued to use the M271 in non-U.S. markets. The supercharger piping seems similar to one in my car. Watching the video prompted me to check the hose in my car and I discovered this:

Hose is damaged near the clamp at the right of the picture.

I'm cautiously optimistic that replacing the hose will solve the problem. I had a leak in the boost system a couple of years ago and the symptoms are similar to my current experience. I replaced the O-rings in the boost pipes and that solved the earlier problem.

According to the video, the part number is A271 094 1482. In a response to one of the comments, the creator of the video said that the inside diameter of the stock pipe is 57mm. He couldn't find a pipe in that diameter, so he used a 60mm inside diameter hose. Of course, that is a little bit bigger. I searched online for the part and the results were challenging. In the UK, there were several after-market parts available at reasonable prices. UK parts I couldn't find the aftermarket parts on a U.S. website. I think I will need to purchase the stock part from the dealer.

I hope this helps someone else keep their C230 running well.

KevinH2000

I visited the dealership today. I ordered the replacement hose which was an insane $72. I seriously considered using a non-OEM solution. but I decided to pay the dealership price. The reasonably priced aftermarket parts that I found on the UK website don't seem to be available in the U.S. If I didn't buy the OEM part, my best option would likely be to make a part out of silicon tubing. My goal is to keep the car for several more years, and I want to avoid "jury-rigged" solutions that could fail at a future date.

I used some tape to seal the hole as a temporary repair. I'm not sure that I want to drive the car like this, but I may consider it if I get in a bind for transportation.


Temporary Repair

By the way, the hack of the CDK-supplied dealership management system has affected the parts business. The dealership I visited was unable to use their system to look up my account and the parts specialist had to write the order by hand.

112233

The clamp is not OEM, so somebody has been there already.

KevinH2000

Thanks for pointing that out. I'm not surprised. I've owned the car almost 7 years and I've found several anomalies. For example, when I changed the spark plugs, each coil had one fastener holding it in place instead of two. I could almost understand losing one or maybe two of the fasteners, but failing to install half of them is just sloppy work.

This photo shows all three clamps on the assembly (2 on the hose and one attaching the assembly to the air box.)


I expect that a previous owner or the shop she/he used replaced all 3 clamps. I've attempted to find a diagram showing the part number(s) for the correct clamps, but I haven't been successful. If you can point me in the right direction, I will appreciate. Otherwise, I will ask the dealer when I collect the hose they ordered for me. They seemed disrupted by CDK system hack, and I want to give them as much guidance as possible.

I did take the car on a couple of short trips today. The car performed well, and the check engine light didn't illuminate. This supports my theory that the damaged hose was the cause of the earlier problem.

112233

I think it must be A0069972790 60-80 mm clamp. Mercedes clamps do not cut through the band and have beaded edges. They are high quality (one of the few high-quality parts haha)

KevinH2000

Thanks for the information on the clamp. I think the clamp on the left side of the hose could be OEM, but the one on the right side is not.

I have some good news, some bad news and some good news. The first bit of good news is that the part I ordered arrived:


The part I ordered.

The bad news is that it is the wrong part.

The part I removed from the car.

Side-by-side comparison. The part I removed from the car is on the left. The part I bought is on right.

The part I ordered has a smaller diameter than the one I removed from the car. The part I bought is also lacking the metal ring around the center and the small rubber piece extending from it at about the 5 o'clock position in the part on the left.

The good news is that the dealer accepted the return of the part, and the correct part is about $30 less expensive than the part I returned. The correct part number is A 271 094 09 82.

The source of my mistake is that I should not have relied on the information in the video I linked in the second post. Normally, the dealership software would have flagged the order because that the part number wasn't consistent with the Vehicle Identification Number of my car. Because I visited the dealership week when their system was down due to the CDK hack, they were not able to cross check the part number.

I hope the correct part arrives by Wednesday.

KevinH2000

I found this link to a parts diagram of the supercharger assembly..

The browser I use was able to translate it to English. A couple of helpful pieces of information:

The part I needed (A 271 094 09 82) has been superseded by A 271 092 06 96. The clamp I need is (as 112233 suggested) A0069972790 60-80 mm.

KevinH2000

I finished the repair except for one issue that I will explain at the end of this post.

For anyone else facing this task, here are a few suggestions:

1. The correct part is A 271 092 06 96


2. To make enough room to insert the part, you need to detach the supercharger silencer like you would when replacing the serpentine belt. The procedure I linked in the second post of this thread does not work for our cars. Here's a good video that shows how to detach the silencer:

3. Note that there are two fasteners (E10 torx) holding the silencer to the engine block. The video shown removing both fasteners from above. I found it easier to remove the lower fastener from below the car. If I had put my car on ramps before I started, I would have saved myself time and effort.

4. If you are planning ahead, you should consider replacing your serpentine belt if it is due.

When I removed the cover under the engine to access the lower silencer fastener, I found that three of the six fasteners holding the front cover in place were missing, I expect to visit the dealer later today.

Final product:

112233

Looks good!

KevinH2000

Thanks.

The new hose was "only" $32. This makes it one of the least expensive repairs I've completed.

I need to use the car today. I should know for sure whether the repair solved the problem by noon. If the supercharger doesn't engage, the reduced power level is obvious.

KevinH2000

I have been haunted by the thought that a previous owner's use of a non-OEM clamp had contributed to the demise of the hose. I visited one of the local "pick and pull" lots and sourced the correct clamp.



The staff member at the checkout let me have it at no cost. That is a small price to pay for sleeping well at night.

slammer111

Did it fix the problem?

KevinH2000

Yes. My temporary fix - wrapping the hole in the hose with tape - resolved the problem with the check engine light and reduced power. Replacing the tube, and using the correct clamps seems to be a long-term repair. You can never say "permanent repair" with a Mercedes. There is always another problem waiting to crop up.

I must say that the problem turned out to be more obvious and easier to repair than I expected.