Clunk Noise, White Smoke, Fuel Smell When Trying To Start C55?
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2003 W211 E500
Clunk Noise, White Smoke, Fuel Smell When Trying To Start C55?
I am very frustrated with my C55. I just changed the intake because the lower vacuum hose was broken and that is when my trouble started.
When I started the car for the first time after the intake was installed it ran perfect with no CEL light. I drove kind of hard for about a mile to test it and everything was ok.
The next day I set out for a nice drive. The car was driving perfect on the freeway for about 30 miles and that is when the CEL light went on. When I got off the freeway I noticed that it did not want to idle correctly and wanted to die at low RPM. I pulled it into a parking lot and shut it off. When I tried to start it again it took three long separate cranks (like it was starved for fuel) before it finally started. I noticed immediately that there was white smoke coming out the tail pipe, popping sound (maybe vacuum) from the back of the intake and the smell of gasoline. The car was not running hotter then usual. I had it towed home.
The next day I tried to start the car and immediately the cranking stopped with a loud clank that sound like its getting stuck on something. I tried it again and the same thing happened. The third time I tried to start it, the car cranked perfect and started up (it also took a while to start like it was not getting fuel). The same symptoms were present including immediate white smoke and the smell of fuel. I have not started it since.
Before I put anymore time into the car I have a couple of questions.
Do I have a blown head gasket? White smoke? I cannot see the oil because there is no dip stick.
What is causing the clank on start up? Did I ruin the starter from so much cranking or did I screw up the motor?
What is causing the popping sound from the back of the intake? I was told that it might be a bad or clogged EGR.
What is causing the fuel smell? (EGR).
I had the CEL codes read and they were as followed.
misfire in cylinder 1
misfire in cylinder 3
misfire in cylinder 4
Open 02 circuit bank 1
I know its a lot but I got it all out there. What do you think? Please no sarcasm. This is not my first form of transportation and I do not have the money to take it to a professional.
When I started the car for the first time after the intake was installed it ran perfect with no CEL light. I drove kind of hard for about a mile to test it and everything was ok.
The next day I set out for a nice drive. The car was driving perfect on the freeway for about 30 miles and that is when the CEL light went on. When I got off the freeway I noticed that it did not want to idle correctly and wanted to die at low RPM. I pulled it into a parking lot and shut it off. When I tried to start it again it took three long separate cranks (like it was starved for fuel) before it finally started. I noticed immediately that there was white smoke coming out the tail pipe, popping sound (maybe vacuum) from the back of the intake and the smell of gasoline. The car was not running hotter then usual. I had it towed home.
The next day I tried to start the car and immediately the cranking stopped with a loud clank that sound like its getting stuck on something. I tried it again and the same thing happened. The third time I tried to start it, the car cranked perfect and started up (it also took a while to start like it was not getting fuel). The same symptoms were present including immediate white smoke and the smell of fuel. I have not started it since.
Before I put anymore time into the car I have a couple of questions.
Do I have a blown head gasket? White smoke? I cannot see the oil because there is no dip stick.
What is causing the clank on start up? Did I ruin the starter from so much cranking or did I screw up the motor?
What is causing the popping sound from the back of the intake? I was told that it might be a bad or clogged EGR.
What is causing the fuel smell? (EGR).
I had the CEL codes read and they were as followed.
misfire in cylinder 1
misfire in cylinder 3
misfire in cylinder 4
Open 02 circuit bank 1
I know its a lot but I got it all out there. What do you think? Please no sarcasm. This is not my first form of transportation and I do not have the money to take it to a professional.
Last edited by sidewayzgt; 12-31-2014 at 08:13 PM.
#2
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2003 W211 E500
First of all, Happy New Year everybody!
Before I assume that the fuel and smoking issue is the bad or clogged EGR, and the starter clank is caused from trying to crank it so much the other day, does anybody else have any input?
The starting issue and issue more in depth;
1st turn of the key I heard it trying to start then a clank like a propeller was getting caught on metal.
2nd turn of the key, same thing.
3rd turn of the key, very slow crank like the battery is going dead then turn into a regular (fast) crank. No clank this time and car starts like its starved for gas (surging and wanting to stall at lower RPM but will rev fine at higher RPM)
The white smoke and smell of gas is instant.
Again, all that I did was change the intake because of a rotted lower vacuum hose and clean the injectors which included changing the filters.
I had the CEL codes read and they were as followed.
misfire in cylinder 1
misfire in cylinder 3
misfire in cylinder 4
Open 02 circuit bank 1
Car ran fine for almost two days and the problem started on a 30 mile drive with it running at normal temp.
Thanks in advance!
Before I assume that the fuel and smoking issue is the bad or clogged EGR, and the starter clank is caused from trying to crank it so much the other day, does anybody else have any input?
The starting issue and issue more in depth;
1st turn of the key I heard it trying to start then a clank like a propeller was getting caught on metal.
2nd turn of the key, same thing.
3rd turn of the key, very slow crank like the battery is going dead then turn into a regular (fast) crank. No clank this time and car starts like its starved for gas (surging and wanting to stall at lower RPM but will rev fine at higher RPM)
The white smoke and smell of gas is instant.
Again, all that I did was change the intake because of a rotted lower vacuum hose and clean the injectors which included changing the filters.
I had the CEL codes read and they were as followed.
misfire in cylinder 1
misfire in cylinder 3
misfire in cylinder 4
Open 02 circuit bank 1
Car ran fine for almost two days and the problem started on a 30 mile drive with it running at normal temp.
Thanks in advance!
Last edited by sidewayzgt; 01-01-2015 at 10:50 AM.
#3
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2003 W211 E500
Well, I guess I will re-trace my steps. I just wanted opinions to see if I was wasting my time and had a blown head gasket. There is no way to check the oil for milky residue unless I look at the oil cap and that was ok. I guess the white smoke and the fuel smell could coincide with each other? It just does not make sense to have blown head gasket because the car was not being raced and wasn't running hot. I will just start off with checking the EGR valve and replacing the gaskets.
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