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2006 e320 cdi jerking in low RPM’s

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Old Aug 31, 2018 | 08:45 PM
  #1  
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2006 e320 CDI
2006 e320 cdi jerking in low RPM’s

When accelerating out of my neighborhood, right around 1200-1300 RPM’s the car will rapidly jerk, like I’m hitting the gas hard and quickly letting off and pressing again. It does not feel like the transmission, it feels more like a quick loss/gain of power coming on rapidly. It also happens when cruising under 50 and the rpms are held steady between 1200-1500, granted much lighter but still noticeable. And it will also do this strange jerk from 2000-2400 rpms when I’m in third and fourth gear but seemingly only those gears. Jerking does not happen every time either, and as soon as the gear changes up or down to a different rpm it will stop briefly until I reach that level of 1200-1500 rpms again.

I have a CEL currently for a glow plug wire, mechanic said he had no idea what that code was as it was not the plug itself but seemingly the wire connecting the plug.

Anybody have ave any experience with this or any suggestions as to what I can do?
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Old Sep 1, 2018 | 08:40 PM
  #2  
Micah / AF1 Rac's Avatar
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From: McDade, Texas
W211 e320 CDI
Had a VERY similar issue with my Sprinter/OM642 and dealer never found issue, mine was at 1750rpm but the motors are pretty different. Intake flaps and VNT vanes are active in this region of rpm, the turbo vanes especially as the you said it was mostly under acceleration. Benz dealer thought it was a single bad injector in my Sprinter but they never pinned it down. My issue was very infrequent but I was able to duplicate for tech with me driving, nothing showed to be an anomaly in the data log however.

Im glad I got rid of all the flapper and EGR stuff years ago...it’s all just sitting there waiting to cause a problem I think. I am definitely curious as to what yours turns out to be.
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Old Sep 2, 2018 | 10:52 AM
  #3  
marc hanna's Avatar
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2023 GLK250, 1987 560SL
It could be your turbo actuator. Is it throwing any codes?
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Old Apr 24, 2020 | 12:00 PM
  #4  
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E320cdi 2006
Originally Posted by 320CDEYE
When accelerating out of my neighborhood, right around 1200-1300 RPM’s the car will rapidly jerk, like I’m hitting the gas hard and quickly letting off and pressing again. It does not feel like the transmission, it feels more like a quick loss/gain of power coming on rapidly. It also happens when cruising under 50 and the rpms are held steady between 1200-1500, granted much lighter but still noticeable. And it will also do this strange jerk from 2000-2400 rpms when I’m in third and fourth gear but seemingly only those gears. Jerking does not happen every time either, and as soon as the gear changes up or down to a different rpm it will stop briefly until I reach that level of 1200-1500 rpms again.

I have a CEL currently for a glow plug wire, mechanic said he had no idea what that code was as it was not the plug itself but seemingly the wire connecting the plug.

Anybody have ave any experience with this or any suggestions as to what I can do?
Im having a very similar issue with my E320cdi 2006,
Wonder if you ever found the issue?
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Old Apr 24, 2020 | 09:46 PM
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2013 ML350 Bluetec
I'd start with making sure ALL the pins on your injector plugs are tightly held by the sockets. A loose connection will cause issues that might not quite throw a code.
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Old Apr 13, 2021 | 06:12 PM
  #6  
busva's Avatar
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W204 C320
Originally Posted by 320CDEYE
When accelerating out of my neighborhood, right around 1200-1300 RPM’s the car will rapidly jerk, like I’m hitting the gas hard and quickly letting off and pressing again. It does not feel like the transmission, it feels more like a quick loss/gain of power coming on rapidly. It also happens when cruising under 50 and the rpms are held steady between 1200-1500, granted much lighter but still noticeable. And it will also do this strange jerk from 2000-2400 rpms when I’m in third and fourth gear but seemingly only those gears. Jerking does not happen every time either, and as soon as the gear changes up or down to a different rpm it will stop briefly until I reach that level of 1200-1500 rpms again.

I have a CEL currently for a glow plug wire, mechanic said he had no idea what that code was as it was not the plug itself but seemingly the wire connecting the plug.

Anybody have ave any experience with this or any suggestions as to what I can do?
Hello,
writing after a long time, but... have you found a solution for this? I had some issues, changed the EGR for a new one + oil sepatator, and now I have exactly your symptoms. Any help would be appreciated, it's been a money pit already :/
Thanks
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Old Apr 25, 2021 | 12:15 PM
  #7  
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e320
I just changed the EGR Valve and my 2007 e320 (OM642) and it immediately started to do the low rpm jerky thing too - usually around 2nd or 3rd gear when accelerating.

The first time it did it, I thought it was the transmission. But, it's not consistent with respect to gearing. And, the fact that it started happening the first time I drove the car after changing the EGR Valve certainly points to an EGR issue.

EGR Valve test results are a little out of wack -->




Can anyone please help me interpret these results? What could cause this with an brand new, right out of the box, EGR valve?

Any ideas please??
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Old Apr 27, 2021 | 07:53 AM
  #8  
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e320
Update -- My transmission did have a stored code in it for slipping (no check engine light ever came on). If that's the problem, it sure is odd that the 722.9 transmission would start acting up right after I put in a new EGR valve. I guess the world has a tendency to act in confusing ways. I will continue to monitor transmission codes and update this when I learn more.
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Old Apr 27, 2021 | 07:59 PM
  #9  
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R320, Astro, JSW, ST4
Coincidences, they do happen.

How long since trans fluid replaced? Might be worth having new filter and refill. And reset transmission procedure.
If you see transmission speed sensor faults is also worth a try to do the 5 liter swap a couple of times just to be sure the sensors are washed down well.
Last time I changed the fluid (not completely, just the 5 liters), it wouldn't come out of 1st gear for quite a ways. Then shut car off, did trans reset, and it shifted normally again.

Trans too smart for it's own good, sometimes I think.
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Old May 3, 2021 | 09:11 AM
  #10  
flbiggs's Avatar
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e320
Transmission

Good advice b34chbum. Transmission pan gasket was not seated correctly (of course) right in the spot where it nests into the trans motor mount. Over 5 months the fluid weeped out leaving it too low.

what surprises me is the that when the transmission would slip or mis- shift it would pull engine rpms down below 1000 on the tach. That made it look to me (non pro obviously) like loss of power was the cause instead of the effect.

and it only threw the slip code once in a while even though there were numerous rough shifts.

all good now.

Others with hesitation issue might consider trans.
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Old May 3, 2021 | 10:06 AM
  #11  
B34chBum's Avatar
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R320, Astro, JSW, ST4
>Trans too smart for it's own good, sometimes I think.

I'm half joking, really. I would presume most of the intent with the various sensors and failure codes in the trans is for self-preservation.
Glad you were able to figure it out!

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Old May 4, 2021 | 10:02 AM
  #12  
argon3030's Avatar
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All Diesel: 2014 GL350, 2012 S350, 2011 E350, 1998 E320 Turbodiesel
Not sure if this is the same kind of jerking, but a stretched chain in the transfer case of 4matic models can result in erratic jerking during acceleration when the cog skips a tooth on the loose chain.
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Old Feb 9, 2023 | 03:19 PM
  #13  
joegreen's Avatar
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e320 CDI
Originally Posted by 320CDEYE
When accelerating out of my neighborhood, right around 1200-1300 RPM’s the car will rapidly jerk, like I’m hitting the gas hard and quickly letting off and pressing again. It does not feel like the transmission, it feels more like a quick loss/gain of power coming on rapidly. It also happens when cruising under 50 and the rpms are held steady between 1200-1500, granted much lighter but still noticeable. And it will also do this strange jerk from 2000-2400 rpms when I’m in third and fourth gear but seemingly only those gears. Jerking does not happen every time either, and as soon as the gear changes up or down to a different rpm it will stop briefly until I reach that level of 1200-1500 rpms again.

I have a CEL currently for a glow plug wire, mechanic said he had no idea what that code was as it was not the plug itself but seemingly the wire connecting the plug.

Anybody have ave any experience with this or any suggestions as to what I can do?
I had a similar problem that turned out to be the EGR opening / closing erratically. Test by disconnecting the connector to the EGR and see if the jerking goes away.. With the EGR disconnected it will throw a code pretty quickly but disconnecting the connector aided in the diagnosis.
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Old Oct 31, 2025 | 04:48 AM
  #14  
Yannic's Avatar
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S210 E220CDi 2001
2001 E220 cdi jerking in low RPM’s

Hello, i have the same issue as OP, my car has a 6 speed manual so the whole automatic transmission issue can be excluded. I have this issue since I got the car, since then I have replaced the engine because the original one lost a main bearing cap screw and the crank sheet bent… I also replaced the injectors and this made the car a lot more powerful at low rpm’s and it bearly smokes, also replaces the high pressure pump because mine had a damaged plunger which caused it a uneven idle every 3 combustions. Apart from all of that, last year on the old engine I had a lot of heavy missfire issues under hard acceleration just below 2000rpm which in the end turned out to be the my fault by replacing the turbo cartridge without properly carrying over the VNT adjustment from the old turbo, but this is another issue all together which is now solved because the new engine came together with the turbo. I disabled my EGR with the transistor mod and currently have a intake manifold without swirl flaps on, I already tested the fuel pressure regulator and it’s a new Bosch replacement and not the culprit for the low rpm jerk, also fuel pressure sensore I have 2 units, my original and the one from the replacement engine, both work fine and it’s not the issue, map sensor is new, when I unplug the swirl motor my car strangely has no errors/protection whatsoever which I find quite strange. Oh also, e checked all the vacuum values from the turbo actuator and it’s all fine, all filters are new, diesel line Orings are fresh, I also just checked the transfer pump but both the high mail age original one and the one from the replacement engine are fine, I really don’t know were to look anymore for this issue, I will put the swirl flap manifold on when I have time the next few days just to see what the car does, but idk we’re to look anymore, I worry it’s a electrical issue but it’s so strange, it’s exactly like the issue OP has, only at light throttle 1200+ RPMs until like 1700-1900, then it stops, 1, 2 and a little bit in 3 gear, very annoying in traffic, it starts as a light shaking and then turns into a missfire and engine knocks and everything, to avoid it i drive at very low rpm in traffic like 1100rpm in 3, but very annoying and idk were to look anymore
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