benzinoben

Once again this site rocks. Check it out

www.autopartsauthority.com

1999 Mercedes Benz
CLK 320 Cabriolet
Reference Sensor
Crankshaft position Interlock single
Bosch $62.32

Free shipping...yea babeee.... There is a double one as well but I am not sure which one to get...

Any comments..

MarcusF

Does anyone make an aftermarket code checker for these cars? With my Rx7 I can run diagnostics, so it seems likely that the same would be true for a Mercedes.

benzinoben

If you mean "code checker" by being able to read engine diagnostics...buy an OBDII unit. I got mine from Ebay...helped me diagnose my MAF sensor error...Saved me about $300, which paid for the sensor and a night out on the town.

guanabara

Isn't it embarassing having a MB stall in the middle of traffic?
It happened to me too recently several times. All you need is an outside temperature above 95F and run the engine for a while. Even the idle speed seems to be unstable and lower than usual. There are way too many people reporting this problem.
This is a safety issue. Imagine the crazy thing stalling while you are driving on a highway...
I am reporting my problem to the NHTSA.
If enough people do that they will investigate as to why MB has not recalled their cars for what looks to be a blatant design fault or a bad production lot for the CPS.

None of my other US built cars have had this embarassing and dangerous problem.
see:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

software

I had crankshaft position sensor failure today in my 99 CLK 430. Rush hour traffic of course. Traffic was backed up for miles behind me before it started again. How embarrasing. I filed a complaint as recommended by guanabara

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

My advice - don't fix this without filing a complaint with nhtsa! MB owes us for this defect.

Safet

I submitted a complaint for my CPS. I suggest other people do the same.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

Whodat

We prolly need to report the CPS problem AND the MAF problem. Benz knows about both of these problems I'm sure. How can they NOT?

guanabara

Those sensor problems are typical of the problems MB experienced with bad manufacturing quality by 3ed parties.
In any case it reflects on MB poor construction monitoring qualities in the recent past since around 1999. They seem to have failed to have proper lot acceptance test procedures and quality control monitoring defficiencies.
In my view they make their cars reliability be worst than a Yugo.
Any company that lets the customers suffer with this at their own pocket expense or even take profit from it at their repair stores has a short sight and just hurt themselves, as not many people are blind enough not to see that there are other alternatives in the marketplace from Japan and soon Korea.

To their credit they finally woke up and realized it was not going to work well that way for too long. Had they seen the problem earlier their dealers would not need to go out of their way to clear their new car lot with fire sales sending me discount coupons of up to $15k.

Safet

Guys,

Just to let you know, I've received the following email from NHTSA regarding CPS failures. If you haven't already done so, please submit a complaint to NHTSA at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ to add steam into this inquiry.
There is NO reason why we should have to replace this part ourselves if it is a SYSTEMATIC issue across all of our cars.

Regards,
Safet



Dear Safet,

Thank you for reporting to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerning engine stalling (due to crankshaft position sensor (CPS) failure) in your 2000 CLK430 Mercedes vehicle.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of NHTSA has received a number of complaints on the subject issue. To assist us further in evaluating the issue, please scan and email the repair invoice for the CPS replacement. Also, if you have the old CPS and no longer need it, please let me know and I can email you the shipping information so you can send the CPS to us free-of-charge.

1. Was there any warning prior to the CPS failure?
2. How difficult was it for you to control the vehicle after the engine stalled?
3. Were you able to re-start the engine right-the-way? If not, how long did you have to wait before the engine was able to be restarted? If the engine restarted, did it stalled out again?
4. Please email the links of any internet forums you know of where the subject matter was discussed.
5. Please provide the vehicle identification number of your vehicle as it was not on your complaint to NHTSA.

Motivation

Mine wouldn't start one hot day about 2 months ago. I waited about 20 min and it fired right up and I haven't had a problem since, like nothing at all. Was it just a fluke or might the sensor in my car be on it's last leg?

Safet

Motivation,

I had the same problem as you, just a short time before the CPS went bad altogether. This is a problem that is known to Mercedes, and between parts and labor, could cost you more than $200 to address.

Motivation

Thanks for the heads up

99c43

Apparently this isn't a rarity, and I will file a complaint as well to hopefully do my part in moving the ball a bit. Just got back from the dealer, and apparently in the state of California, or maybe in Southern California, or just maybe at Hoehn Mercedes in Carlsbad they have what is called "Fair Market Price" on SERVICE. I know this part is relatively easy to install (I am talking about the Crankshaft POS Sensor) and the dealer wanted to charge me 3.3 hours labor, and 120.00 for the part. (The service manager told me that book time is .8 hours, the extra time addes was the FMV price of service),The labor charge here is 120.00. So you can do the math. But it was two grips of cash to fix. I professionally let them know that I wasn't at all amused by the charges. SO

I didn't have them do it. Luckily enough the car had been sitting for an hour or so while I pleaded my case to them that this is robbery, I left there without paying the Diagnostic Fee of 120.00, so that was good.

I ordered the part from autohausaz for 80.00, should arrive by Thursday. I'll install myself....

Oh, same symptom, we have been having a heat wave here and after a short stop on Sunday the car didn't start. Called the tow truck, told to wait patiently in the 102 degree heat, of which my black C43 was adding another 20 degress I am sure to my heat index. And after telling me that it would take about 90 minutes for the tow truck to get there I had nothing to do but wait. Perhaps the tow place was busy picking up Benz's with CPS problems. Well about an hour into the wait I turned the key and wooohoo it started. Then it happened again, and again, logged into this forum and found that I am not the only one.

Well I am off to enter the complaint...........

sdh

J Lucas

LOL this problem has been going on for 7 years.. You think they are going to do something now? At least they gave us the pulley for free ... Take your car in for the pulley and see if they change the sensor as well...