Jessica90

These past 2 weeks, I've been experiencing some problems with the CLK. It was mostly acceleration problems.

According to a majority of people, it sounded like it was the MAF.

Gave the car to my dad today to get everything checked out.
I had a check engine light so my dad pulled the codes and he said there were A LOT of codes that came out. I'm hoping its not all true, maybe fault codes?

Wish me luck

gregory13lil

Well just so you know...car systems sometimes give out multiple codes for one thing that might be wrong.

So I would start out with the most likely thing to go wrong with these cars..ie: MAF sensor. But before you buy one just clean it first. There is a
How-To posted on this forum. Now I didnt read your original thread but once again start with the most likely fault first.

Greg

Jessica90

Still can't seem to find the problem with the car. We checked the MAF, but it's still fine for now.

I also have another concern. When you drive the car for awhile, there is some distinct smell coming from it. You can smell it from the inside & outside. I can't even describe the smell, like a burned gas or rubber smell. The smell makes me sick. Any ideas what it could be?

Leandro

Perhaps you need a new catalytic converter. Sounds like too much bad exhaust is coming out at the end, and perhaps this is why your car is going into "limp mode" as the computers read the exhaust gas is not getting burned up in the catalytic converters.

John 99CLK430

Sorry to hear about your problems Jessica, hope you get that stuff taken care of ASAP.

Also check your Air filters as well, they play a role as well, if all else fails...then Sprint Booster FTW!

I get that same smell sometimes from my car, I have no idea if I need a new catalytic converters or not, how can I tell if it's bad or not...besides the smell...can we see it visually?

Jessica90

I don't think its the catalyic converters. They were replaced 2 years ago. Doubt it would go bad in 2 years?

Air Filters were replaced last month during Service B maintanence.

We're trying to take care of these problems asap

I haven't had my CLK this whole week, hopinig to get everything resolved soon & get the car back already!

SoCalCLK

CLK Cats can fail after 35,000 miles. Check the fuel and brake lines and have the interior dust filter changed too. Best of luck, Jess!

Jessica90

It's only been about 20k miles with the new catalyic converters. Will def. check out the fuel & brake lines, and replacee the interior dust filter.

I got my car back today. Unfortunately, the problem wasn't solved. They can't seem to find the problem. Might have to take it to the Mercedes stealership

But on another note, while my car was gone, I got new rear tires & fixed my bumper

John 99CLK430

I'd take it to a Mercedes mechanic if anything, you can't just give up and go straight to the stealership, I'm sure you know a few people around town that can check into the problem, MB stealerships FTMFL!

Chauss

I hate to say it...but sounds like the wiring harnesses are going bad.
Talk to your mechanic about this- MB apparently used the same company to produce the harnesses that Volvo used a few years back. I was told the harnesses dry rot and cause intermittent shorts which cause all kinds of fault codes. I hope this is not the issue...but if it is it can be fixed.

Good Luck!

MarcusF

The bad wiring harnesses affected mid 1990's MB's, and Porsches, Audis, BMW's, and every other car built in Germany 1994/1995.

Post the codes.

Jessica90

I took my CLK to an independent shop on August 21. I picked it up today.

So they were supposed to diagnose the system for the check engine light.

Here are the results;

Job 1:

Found fault codes P1491- Refridgerant pressure too high. Codes P0150- Oxygen sensor left side front. P0300- Misfiring damges multiple cylinders, P0305- Misfire cylinder 5, P0306- Misfiring cylinder 6, P0307- Misfiring cylinder 7. Removed spark plugs to check for cracks and proper gap. Reinstalled spark plugs. Cleared fault codes. Road test vehicle. Recheck fault codes.

Job 2

Asked to get an allignment done.

Job 3

Installed caster correction kits on both front wheels.

They told me I need to replaced my left motor mount. Will probably bring in the car to the shop next week.

Everything seemed fine with the car today. No severe shaking/galloping.

Main problem that bothered me was that when I pushed the pedal hard, the car would hesitate and not speed off, then like 7 sec later, it would speed off.

Anyways, today I pushed hard on the pedal, the car reacted faster than it did when it had problems, but then my check engine light started blinking again & became solid after

Looks like the car is going back to the shop sometime next week.

JamE55

Jessica,

To fix all of those problems you listed is going to cost you $345.00? wtf? Is that correct? Damn that's cheap. Do it.

Jessica90

Yes, it cost me that amount.

This is an independent shop owned by my dads friends. My dad has been working with them for 10-15 years already.

Jessica90

I went to run an errand, turned on the car, and check engine light was gone.

Chauss

It effected mine and it was a 99 model CLK...the mechanic is a trusted friend of mine. I do not think he would make this stuff up! He said the wiring harnesses were built by the same company that Volvo used...
Went thru spark plug changes, O2 sensor changes, MAF changes and still kept throwing the same codes. Then we took the wiring harness in the engine compartment apart and found the insulation GONE on a few of the smaller wires which was causing shorts and faulty codes. I sold the car...

w208

hi i had a almost similar problem the enginelight would come on and i had mechanic reset and even put the computer and all it would do is turn the light off for a while so after spending a lot of money i decide to take it to the dealer and it came out to be that the fuel sensor was broken.so they replace it. it cost me about 800 dollars

TresX

How did they "check" the MAF? Do they have a star diag.? Or did they use a regular ODBII? I'll bet you they don't have a star.....You can not check for the proper air/fuel ratio w/o a star diag.... Why don't you ask them how they know your MAF is ok? Your car is doing the exact same thing mine was when the MAF was bad (CEL coming on and off and the "missing" power for a few seconds then all being well....usually when the car is cold). Do you lose power at WOT? I bet you do....

Jessica90

I didn't ask how he checked it. I'll ask him whenever I bring the car to the shop sometime this week or next.

My CEL doesn't come on and off, it's been solid. It starts blinking for 30 sec when it's misfiring and becomes solid again. My car acts up the most when cold, it struggles to get past 2k rpm's & starts shaking severely. When the car is warm, it still acts up, it drives smoothly, but when you want to floor the car, it doesn't let you, it takes 7 sec for it to finally react (usually reacts after 3.5k rpms), then the check engine light starts blinking, and once you come to a stop, the car shakes severely, and doesn't go away until you restart it...

benzover

.
I have read where you say the cats aren't very old, so they're not the prob/or one of the probs but(love that word ,don't you), there is a simple test to rule them in or out . They remove a O2 sensor install a test probe and it gives you a value for back pressure. Slow out of the hole/little or no performance, all could be(only could be but not always)a sign of plugged exhaust, if you aren't removing exhast gasses quick enough, the engine doesn't breate very well and can act exactly as yours. bmw has a tester for this exact problem, I don't know if we(MB) do. The difference between working and not is only a couple of PSI. Not sure if this is any help or not but a car that is malfuntioning ,is no fun at all.

aintME

We had a similar issue on one of the MLs awhile back. Try changing something as simple as the spark plug wires (cheap fix). If that doesn’t work, it might very well be the coil packs that have gone bad (not a cheap fix). I believe when the CEL is triggered, the car puts itself into a “safe” mode of some sorts and just dumps fuel and runs rich. That might be the gas smell you are experiencing. I’m not at all a mechanic; I’m just speaking from experience. Good luck.

DevilsAngel

It definitely sounds like a MAF problem and/or spark plugs or coil pack. With my boyfriend's Audi we have experienced those symptoms plenty of times and the case was always one of those 3. Its easy DIY stuff.

Jessica90

I doubt it's the spark plugs, I had the wires and plugs changed 2.5 months ago during service b maintanence.

I guess its either the coil pack or MAF. I'll have a talk with my mechanic. I feel like he just took my money and didn't do sh*t. The only positive thing he did was my allignment.

When I bring in the car, I'll just tell him to replace the MAF.

This is the first time he let me down. He's done great mechanical work on my BMW and CLK before.

Jessica90

Since I got my car back, I haven't experienced that weird smell.

On my next fill up, I will be putting in a can of fuel injector into the gas tank.

John 99CLK430

That Chevron stuff right? Good stuff right there.

Wow I feel for you Jessica, but don't be disappointed it might be the MAF, so don't get mad at your Mech yet, if all this time he did alot of things for you then suddenly turn around and take all your money, then that's when you consider looking for another Mechanic, but that's if all else fails.