Engine stalling during throttle lift off
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Chennai, India
Mercedes Benz E220
Engine stalling during throttle lift off
Hi,
This is my first post in this forum. I drive a 1995 E220 W124 (petrol) in India, done only 30000KM so far.
My problem is that my engine quits when I lift off the gas pedal and step on the brake pedal. I am not sure if this is a idle problem as the engine quits well before it reaches idle, infact almost instantaneously and smoothly. It doesn't quit at idle and no problems re-starting the engine. If I am on a highway, I just down-shift to start the engine again, but then the A/C stops working. To get the A/c to cool, I would have to stop the car and re-start the engine as done normally.
I have taken it to the service station and they want me to change the fuel pump cause there is a mild whizzing (and some times gurgling) that can be heard from it. No checks on the pump pressure where done and frankly even they aren't sure if that's going to solve the problem. I don't want to change the pump until I know it's the solution to my problem, for reasons that the pump unit is expensive and elsewhere in the forum, somebody pointed that it didn't help in a similar case.
Can someone throw some light on this? Is this an electrical issue or just a pump on it's way out? I can try my luck again with the service station, provided I have some sort of checklist that I can run with them.
Thanks
This is my first post in this forum. I drive a 1995 E220 W124 (petrol) in India, done only 30000KM so far.
My problem is that my engine quits when I lift off the gas pedal and step on the brake pedal. I am not sure if this is a idle problem as the engine quits well before it reaches idle, infact almost instantaneously and smoothly. It doesn't quit at idle and no problems re-starting the engine. If I am on a highway, I just down-shift to start the engine again, but then the A/C stops working. To get the A/c to cool, I would have to stop the car and re-start the engine as done normally.
I have taken it to the service station and they want me to change the fuel pump cause there is a mild whizzing (and some times gurgling) that can be heard from it. No checks on the pump pressure where done and frankly even they aren't sure if that's going to solve the problem. I don't want to change the pump until I know it's the solution to my problem, for reasons that the pump unit is expensive and elsewhere in the forum, somebody pointed that it didn't help in a similar case.
Can someone throw some light on this? Is this an electrical issue or just a pump on it's way out? I can try my luck again with the service station, provided I have some sort of checklist that I can run with them.
Thanks
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Belfast, N Ireland
93 320CE, 72 280SE 3.5, 55 220A, 05 E280CDI, 88 Mini Mayfair, 90 Peugeot 205GTI, 04 Mini Cooper
Don't know for sure but I may be able to help with eliminating possibilities.
My fuel pump needed replacing but it never caused the car to stall, it idled roughly in time with the pump "sticking" I would count the pump out.
Fuel pump relay if faulty will cause the engine to die so it's not that.
Sounds like an electronic problem with idling / fuel / air mixture, sensor or relay. If you can try and find a garage who will let you "swap" good relays to eliminate the problem.
My wife had a problem with the airflow meter on her peugeot which caused it to die as soon as you lifted off the throttle to slow down. I cleaned it out and it works fine. Don't let mechanics replace stuff for the sake of it, if they replace something and it does not work, make them put your old parts back. That's what I do anyway.
Good luck.
My fuel pump needed replacing but it never caused the car to stall, it idled roughly in time with the pump "sticking" I would count the pump out.
Fuel pump relay if faulty will cause the engine to die so it's not that.
Sounds like an electronic problem with idling / fuel / air mixture, sensor or relay. If you can try and find a garage who will let you "swap" good relays to eliminate the problem.
My wife had a problem with the airflow meter on her peugeot which caused it to die as soon as you lifted off the throttle to slow down. I cleaned it out and it works fine. Don't let mechanics replace stuff for the sake of it, if they replace something and it does not work, make them put your old parts back. That's what I do anyway.
Good luck.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Chennai, India
Mercedes Benz E220
Hey thanks,
In the last hour or so, I have been reading a lot of posts on engine stallings. They seemed to point to all that you mentioned, and more, sadly. I really wonder if we are talking about a Mercedes here. I guess, true to this, the Mercedes Formula 1 team has had 3 engine blow-outs in the first three races in the 1994 calender, adding zero points to their total, zero points.
From the various posts, I have got a small list down which I am going to have to run through, with whom and how, I have still gotto figure out.
In any case, all inputs are appreciated. This is one nagging problem and I am certainly not going to replace parts just like that, thankfully have a standby vehicle to get to work.
In the last hour or so, I have been reading a lot of posts on engine stallings. They seemed to point to all that you mentioned, and more, sadly. I really wonder if we are talking about a Mercedes here. I guess, true to this, the Mercedes Formula 1 team has had 3 engine blow-outs in the first three races in the 1994 calender, adding zero points to their total, zero points.
From the various posts, I have got a small list down which I am going to have to run through, with whom and how, I have still gotto figure out.
In any case, all inputs are appreciated. This is one nagging problem and I am certainly not going to replace parts just like that, thankfully have a standby vehicle to get to work.
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 595
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From: Middlefield, CT
1994 E320
One thing to check is the deceleration fuel cut-off switch on the throttle body. When the throttle is closed (by releasing the accelerator pedal) the microswitch is contacted and the idle air control valve assumes control of air metering for idling. If the switch is defective this IACV will not function as it should, and the engine will stall.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,905
Likes: 0
From: Belfast, N Ireland
93 320CE, 72 280SE 3.5, 55 220A, 05 E280CDI, 88 Mini Mayfair, 90 Peugeot 205GTI, 04 Mini Cooper
The fuel pump relay is under the plastic cover behind the battery.
The car will not start if it fails tough, you tell if it is gone as all systems will work but you will not hear the pump charge up.
Cost £78 in the UK
The car will not start if it fails tough, you tell if it is gone as all systems will work but you will not hear the pump charge up.
Cost £78 in the UK
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 64
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From: Europe
E420CDI 2008, GLK220CDI 2009
Originally posted by Jer
One thing to check is the deceleration fuel cut-off switch on the throttle body. When the throttle is closed (by releasing the accelerator pedal) the microswitch is contacted and the idle air control valve assumes control of air metering for idling. If the switch is defective this IACV will not function as it should, and the engine will stall.
One thing to check is the deceleration fuel cut-off switch on the throttle body. When the throttle is closed (by releasing the accelerator pedal) the microswitch is contacted and the idle air control valve assumes control of air metering for idling. If the switch is defective this IACV will not function as it should, and the engine will stall.
I have the same bad faulty functionning of my car. changed a lot of things.
I checked the throttle switch on my 260E 1988 euro with ohmmetre, found that
- with closed throttle: contact between 1 and 2,
- with full open throttle: contact between 3 and 2.
Do you know what should be the resistance ( or contact) with the throttle in an intermediate position?
Should there be no contact at all between 1,2 and 3?
