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Hi there, my son has an 03 E500. Last week, after re-fueling at a gas station, he noticed a strong gas smell & drove straight home. I took a look under the car & saw some of the fuel was dripping from the top of the gas tank on the left side which is the side where the fuel sending unit is at. I did some research & found out it's a known problem for this model & it's considered a safety issue so MB has extended the warranty to 15 years. The next day, we took the car into a local MB dealer (House of Imports, Buena Park, Ca). They later called & informed us both fuel sending unit & the gas pump (located on the passenger side) are bad & in need of replacement, however it'll cost us $2K as the 15 years warranty has expired since the production date of the car was in Dec 02 (8 months out). I've contacted the MB's Vice President & he assigned one of his managers to work the case. He said based on the age & mileage (110K miles) & as a goodwill gesture & brand loyalty, they'll chip in $500 so it's still $1.5K. I've priced & can get both of these OEM parts for about $300 & will do it myself but before I buy & replace them, would like to know what is the root cause of the leak & can it be repaired instead of replacing the entire assemblies. Could it be just the big o-ring seals? Thanks for your inputs in advance.
Last edited by superfast; Aug 7, 2018 at 10:01 PM.
Konigstiger, I've talked to the previous & original owner. He said he wasn't aware & didn't receive the star bulletin. I know how to repair/replace the faulty fuel sending unit & pump but was hoping MB would cover the repair for only being out of warranty for 8 months but they won't pay for the entire bill. This weekend, I'll pull the back seat & take a look then order part(s) & replace it myself. Thanks.
This past weekend, I priced the OEM fuel sending unit & fuel pump & I can get them both for about $300, however before I set out to buy the parts, I felt I should take a look at the condition of them first instead of taking the stealer's words for it. Once the back seat were out, I can see both components, fuel sending unit on the left & fuel pump on the right (see attached pics). Upon inspection & with the car running, I've found a hairline crack on the plastic part of the fuel sending unit assy right next to the outlet hose (the fuel pump is fine). Next, I pulled the fuse in the trunk & let the car ran to empty to reduce the pressure in the line then sanded & spray cleaned the area w/ brake cleaner. Once cleaned, I potted it really good w/ Scotch Weld epoxy & let it fully cured for 24 hours. The next day, started the car up & guess what? It's bone dry. Mission accomplished & I've saved $2k. Btw, Scotch Weld epoxy is 100% resistance to water & gasoline when it's fully cured.
Here's a lesson learned: Never take your car back to the dealer for any types of repair unless it's still under warranty otherwise they'll rob you blind!
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