Can't believe this happened to me in my CLK....=(
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 8
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From: Southern California
Can't believe this happened to me in my CLK....=(
Ok guys, I have a 2001 CLK320- bought it in May 2001. I have about 9000 miles on it right now. Yesterday evening, as I was getting on a freeway onramp, my fuel light comes on (for the first time), becomes difficult to accelerate, engine starts sputtering, and then dies on me. There was no place to pull over- I just had to risk it and hazard it right there in the #1 lane- long story short- almost saw my poor car get rear ended multiple times as I wait for assistance...cop comes, calls a tow truck, tow person puts gas in, hoping that will solve the problem...car starts, but is idling terribly...goto gas station, dump some techron and more gas....car runs better, but check engine light still on and not much power on acceleration like it used to. What the hell is going on???? I'm so upset right now- but I can't do anything until Monday. Just thought I might get some feedback in the meantime.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2002
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Did you run out of gas at the very first beginning??? If so, probably yr engine has been damaged...you have to bring it back to the shop & let the techicians to see what went wrong.
You should never used up the last drop of gas anytime. It can hurt yr car so much!
You should never used up the last drop of gas anytime. It can hurt yr car so much!
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 15
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From: San Francisco
2001 CLK 430
I had experience it before on my 98 BMW M3. The engine light come on because the computer find out there are no gas go into the engine. It will go off after few hours of driving. It will NOT damage the engine. Dont' worry. The power will come back on after fews hours.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,340
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From: Southern California, USA
2003 CL55 AMG
Originally posted by Harris
Did you run out of gas at the very first beginning??? If so, probably yr engine has been damaged...you have to bring it back to the shop & let the techicians to see what went wrong.
You should never used up the last drop of gas anytime. It can hurt yr car so much!
Did you run out of gas at the very first beginning??? If so, probably yr engine has been damaged...you have to bring it back to the shop & let the techicians to see what went wrong.
You should never used up the last drop of gas anytime. It can hurt yr car so much!
Huh ? How can running out of gas cause such damage ? If you run out of fuel, the engine will stall and that is it ?!?!?!
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 8
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From: Southern California
The light actually JUST came on. I didn't go for more than 5-10 miles maximum after the light came on. Plus, when I went to fill up, there was still a couple of gallons left in the car. That's why I'm stumped! 
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Sri Lanka
COuld you have called mercedes roadside assistance? they wouold have towed it to the dealership right?
hopefully it's just a bad sensor of some sort ... it is very disapointing when something like this happens on interstate putting you in danger....
hopefully it's just a bad sensor of some sort ... it is very disapointing when something like this happens on interstate putting you in danger....
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Super Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 569
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From: Chandler, Arizona - USA
'02 SLK32 AMG
Read your owner's manual. If the check engine light comes on and stays on, it's usually an emissions related problem and it's not damaging to the engine. If the check engine light comes on and is flashing, it means you need to stop the car immediately.
The symptoms you describe sound like you have liquid gasoline in the fuel vapor recovery system. This can happen when you overfill the gas tank, but maybe something similar happens when you run out of gas.
The symptoms you describe sound like you have liquid gasoline in the fuel vapor recovery system. This can happen when you overfill the gas tank, but maybe something similar happens when you run out of gas.
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Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 8
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From: Southern California
Thanks for everyone's input- I'll post what the dealer has to say to me tomorrow. I forgot to mention that I have the MB SOS service, used that, and the person asked me where my location was. Isn't that the whole point of having this???? They should know EXACTLY where you are....and it took them a good 10 minutes to respond after I pressed the button. Anyways, enough venting...I'll save it for tomorrow. 
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Los Angeles
I had the exact same thing happen to me. I'd just gotten off the freeway and was going up a hill when the gas light came on, it started driving rough and not accellerating, then it just died. I called SOS and they sent a tow truck (although the tele-aid computer said I was a few blocks away from where I actually was). They replaced the fuel sensor and everything's been fine since. I've heard it's because of oxygenated fuel, but I don't know how accurate that is.
MBWorld Fanatic!
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This happened to me a couple of yrs ago when I had my CLK430. My car did not start even after refueling. The service advisor told me that there was something damaged in the engine (I forgot what that "something" was, I dont have the servicing invoice anymore). But I'm sure he said the engine has no fuel to supply its operation and something inside the engine was broken. He reminded me a few times that I shouldnt do that again, dont wait for the refuel light to come up to refuel. I am not a techician, he said it'll damage the engine, I am just relaying what he told me before.
