Check Engine - P0380 code
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1997 E300D
Check Engine - P0380 code
My '97 E 300 D no longer shows a glow plug light when the key is turned on. I have a check engine light with a P0380 code. I am aware that that code is related to the glow plug relay. Before I replace the relay, I thought I would look for a fuse that might be blown or poorly connected. I have not been able to find a glow plug fuse. My car still starts fine, but my garage is about 60 degrees lately.
Are there any items to check that would throw a P0380 code, other than the relay being bad?
Are there any items to check that would throw a P0380 code, other than the relay being bad?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 301
Likes: 23
1997 E300D
I have not found a fuse. I will remove the relay and break into it to see if I can see what has gone wrong, when I get the time. I was hoping someone would have done this before me, and I could learn from their education.
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From: V E G A S
1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Pfutoe gave you good advise,
There is pretty good thread about the issue on http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...d-problem.html
There is pretty good thread about the issue on http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...d-problem.html
Thread Starter
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1997 E300D
Well, I fixed it, and some day I'm sure I will see the humor in the situation, but since I just wasted most of a day on the problem, I'm a bit steamed. The P0380 is supposed to be related to the preglow relay, so I pulled the plug and checked the glow plugs to make sure they were all good. They were. I then removed the relay and broke into it to see if any problem was visible. No fuses blown and no bad solder joints that I could see. I knew the bulb in the dash could have burned out, but obviously that would not set off a check engine code. I found the bulb to be burned out. I put in the new bulb and reinstalled the old relay, cleared the code, and started her up. Everything is normal. The darned bulb had to be what set off the P0380 code. How much do you think I would have paid at a dealer to fix the check engine light?
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From: V E G A S
1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Dealer quoted me $220 for cluster bulb replacement years ago. That was light bulb, so no additional troubleshooting.
But I doubt the bulb triggered the code.
More likely you had bad connection and taking it apart, you cleaned it.
Keep an eye on it.
But I doubt the bulb triggered the code.
More likely you had bad connection and taking it apart, you cleaned it.
Keep an eye on it.
Last edited by kajtek1; Feb 22, 2018 at 03:49 AM.
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Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 301
Likes: 23
1997 E300D
I understand the problem with electrical connections on old vehicles. I have four dating back to the last century. The first thing I did was unplug and re-plug everything on the relay and cleaned the 12 volt feed terminal. The erased code came back the next time I started the car. I'm pretty convinced that the bad bulb caused the check engine light. It is hard to get the display out in cold weather. If it were summer I would pull the display and remove the bulb to find out for sure.
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