FIREfreezerC250

Would this thing have 100% control over the car, aka any type of programming I would ever need?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/11397750309...txAfGInHvJhYig

Odd Piggy

That looks like a great price. I'm not an Xentry expert but I thought that the list of supported systems would be longer. I don't see ECM, TCU, EIS, etc, but maybe they just didn't list everything.I don't know the difference between the $1299 model and the $1499 model, either. The $1999 model has more brands supported. They're all by the same supplier. I do know that the tuner at my local shop uses something different to get access to the ECM software, but I don't think you want to go there.

FIREfreezerC250

The engine light has gone away and the car is acting fine. I'm sure it will eventually come back so I'm still going through with replacing the throttle body.

spb147

what part(s) did you replace that the car is acting fine now?

FIREfreezerC250

I haven't done anything. The car had the P0172 code since I bought it last month. I'm going to have it scanned for DTC's again because I bet the codes are still there, just not bad enough to warrant a CEL. Like I said, I'm still going to get it replaced, just for peace of mind.

FIREfreezerC250

Question. How hard would it be to replace the fuel injectors?

FIREfreezerC250

Even though Mercedes says it's the throttle body, I really feel like its the fuel injectors. This is why:

When I start the car in the morning it has a slightly rough idle, so I will give the engine 2 or 3 good revs and it clears the rough idle up. That really sound like the fuel injector are clogged to me. What do you guys think?

alynch

For the engine to run smoothly, it requires the correct mix of air and fuel (and spark). You could have a sticking throttle body that "unsticks" when you rev the engine a few times. So, the problem could be fuel or air. You should connect a diagnostic tool and look at short-term fuel trims.

FIREfreezerC250

That's a good idea, I just don't have any scanner yet. I've been trying to find a scanner to buy but it's so confusing. I want to buy one with bi-directional communication and that is capable of activating all modules in the car. What would you recommend?

@Odd Piggy was mentioning a system I could buy and install on my laptop, and I can just plug the car straight into my laptop, do you know the name of that one and where I can get it?

Odd Piggy

I think I was referring to the WIS (workshop information system) which is the repair manual. Copies are available on eBay. It comes on a CD that you load on the PC. Xentry diagnostics and programming also can load onto a PC. I know it’s available through MB at the Xentry Shop, probably expensive. But for your computer, you’ll still need the multiplexer to interface the OBDII to the PC.

There are Chinese and Vietnamese sites that claim to have Xentry and various versions of the Mercedes Star diagnostics for very low costs. I’m skeptical of those. But you’ll still need the hardware to interface with the car.

If you’re ready to jump in, Amazon has an Autel TS608 & MK808 scanners for less than $700. They’re newer models of mine and have more capabilities. There are still a couple of modules that can be added, but you may never use those.

If you’re not ready to commit, you can get a $30 Autel code reader at Walmart that can get the codes an display real time sensor data. Hope this helps.

BenzNinja

iTrader: (4)

or by a real system, for only a little more than Chinese junk


https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ce-coding.html

FIREfreezerC250

@BenzNinja I read that entire thread yesterday and I went to your website and did the "contact us" form. It said somebody will reach out to me soon.

Can you show me what multiplexer/program I can get from you? I would like to purchase, not rent.

BenzNinja

iTrader: (4)

done

FIREfreezerC250

So I have a few questions. My car is going in tomorrow to get the throttle body replaced.

So I scheduled this appointment 2 weeks ago and a couple of days after I scheduled the appointment the check engine light went off and the car drove just fine for a week. Then about 5 days ago the car was having symptoms. Here's the thing, it only has any problems for the first 5-10 minutes of being on, after which the operated perfectly normally, idling at 600 RPM and no acceleration jerks. Why would the throttle body only be malfunctioning during the first 10 minutes the car is on? That doesn't make sense to me.

And does anybody know where we can order the little Mercedes symbol things that snap on the center of the rim? Mine are all faded and you can't even see the Mercedes symbol. I don't know what to call them, I've tried online.

And here is the main reason why I wanted to post again. Remember the transmission job that was done by Mercedes, replacing the valve body? Yes, they did a good job and the transmission does feel buttery smooth, except for upshifts 1>2 and 2>3. There is a pretty significant jerk when the car performs those two shifts. Based on what I've read the only thing I can think of is they got the solenoid screens dirty for those two shift solenoids, causing a delay in the amount of time it takes for those valve lines to fill up with oil. The transmission job is under a two-year warranty, so I'm pretty sure I can get this fixed for free, I just wanted to consult with some more experienced minds first before moving forward. Am I way off? Is it not the solenoids? Have you heard of this before?

Odd Piggy

I see your point about the throttle body, but 5-10 minutes too long. It is only in open loop for about 2 minutes, so it’s got to be something something where all the sensor inputs are read and the emission systems are all working.

Mercedes symbol at the center of the rim? Is this what you mean? Many design are available.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4PC-Set-For...edirect=mobile

As far as the 1>2>3 upshifts, with a new valve body, the TCU has to relearn the fill times and rates for the respective solenoids and clutch packs. This could take around 200 miles. 1>2 is a big step but 2>3 is not. Kickdown from any gear to 1 is really hard on an untrained transmission and they should have told you to take it easy for a week or two. If it doesn’t get better, go back and get the service advisor to ride with you and show them.

FIREfreezerC250

Here's a video of what the car is doing.

https://imgur.com/a/chYv5Sb

FIREfreezerC250

My car is at a Mercedes repair specialist right now. It's sputters pretty bad at startup but it goes away after the car warms up. They diagnosed it and said "it's the MAPsensor", so then they replaced the MAP sensor and it didn't change anything. Noww they are recommending replacing the valve cover. That sounds expensive. Are they BS'ing me or can this actually fix the issue?

alynch

The valve cover (cylinder head cover in MB lingo) forms part of the PCV system in this engine. A bad gasket could be allowing unmetered air to enter the system causing the engine to stumble. However, I would expect an air leak here to persist after the engine warms up. As OddPiggy recommended, you really need to read the codes rather than just reloading the parts cannon.

FIREfreezerC250

Thank you for the quick response. The currently active DTC's on the car (as of noon yesterday when I pulled into an Autozone to check the codes before dropping it off at the mechanic) are:

P0171
P0068
P0106

And that's exactly what I was thinking. A vacuum leak in the valve cover gasket wouldn't suddenly disappear 5 minutes after the car has been running. Unless the heat is like... causing the gasket to expand and fill the leak or something...

alynch

Excellent! Now we're getting somewhere. Based on those codes and the fact that the shop replaced the MAP sensor, my guess is a vacuum leak. The proper method is to examine all the vacuum and air hose connections looking for a loose or cracked hose. The quick and dirty method is to carefully spray WD40 around each of the hose connections in turn, and if the engine rpm rises, then you've found the source of the leak. I would also spray around the valve cover to see if the gasket might be leaking. Use the small straw that comes with the WD40 to carefully direct the spray. Just go slow and do one hose at a time.

Odd Piggy

You had already replace the MAP sensor, if I remember, and that didn’t help. Doing it again was unlikely to fix anything. Unless the valve cover is cracked it should only need gaskets. I think they’re guessing.

It does sound like an air leak behind the airflow sensors. That leaves the crankcase vent valve, the EGR system, the vapor recovery system, and their valve cover leak as possible causes. Leaks in the vapor recovery will turn on the CEL. The crankcase vent will not. And the EGR has an external hose that can crack and leak.

My final wild guesses:
A problem in the wiring between the MAP sensor and the ECM. Maybe that’s why the MAP keeps showing up as the problem.
Some input [but I have no idea what] is causing the ECM to stay in open loop for up to 10 minutes. It should go to closed loop in less than 2 minutes unless the outside air temperature is very low.
Beyond that, I am as stuck as you are.

FIREfreezerC250

They just called me back. They say that after further investigation they have found that the PCV valve is "giving wildly incorrect numbers" and needs to be replaced. Apparently the PCV valve is integrated into the valve cover on this engine, so the entire valve cover needs to be replaced.

$1035.

It just never ends. I'm approaching what I paid for the car, in repair fees (well. about 4k in repair so far, car was 8.5k)

FIREfreezerC250

@Odd Piggy Should I move forward with the job?

alynch

That seems pretty steep. Here is a link to the $209 part : https://www.mercedespartscenter.com/...w0LWdhcw%3D%3D

You can swap this out and replace the gasket (including clean-up) in about an hour.

FIREfreezerC250

Yeah your right, that's a lot of money saved. I'm just scared that I'm going to mess something up if I do it, and cause even more money to be spent. Although it looks pretty straightforward.