Folks who have had this code.... what was your outcome? CEL came on about a week ago and cleared it. Came back on after about 350 miles and taking it to the shop tomorrow. I am not sure if I should expect to be replacing the DPF or if it just needs a good cleaning.

In those 350 miles, I used archoil treatment and drove several trips on sport mode. I have already replaced just about everything on this car except the DPF and engine itself 😵‍💫. Currently at 155k miles and have not been able to located a reputable shop to perform a delete. Advice? Experience? Anything?

 

Fisherman?

 

Nope!

 

Has your Bluetec had the AEM work performed? Check your VIN here: https://bluetecupdate.mbusa.com/home

 

Yes, had the NOX sensor and all of the EGT sensors under the dieselgate warranty. Unfortunately, I'm about 10k miles outside of that warranty so DPF replacement cannot be covered under it any longer.

I took it to my shop this past week and had them initiate a forced regen which cleared it, but came back on the very next day. Their next step is to replace it as they don't do DPF cleanings. I would likely need to ship it off somewhere and reinstall.... this car has been a NIGHTMARE!

 

It should have also gotten a new DPF, along with those other things. I know mine did, and it says so under the hood where the dealer placed the AEM sticker.

You might just need a new DPF sensor somewhere in the system, and not a new DPF. You might need to find a better Euro diesel shop to diagnose exactly which sensor is acting up.

If the above doesn't work, then it might be time to do one of 2 things: (1) find a reputable tuner and turn most of the exhaust treatment "off", then remove the DPF, or (2) reset the error and drive it straight to a dealership and trade it in.

If you live in an area that doesn't require emissions testing for tag renewal or registration, you can live without the DPF. Finding a good tuner will be more difficult these days, as the EPA seems to be cracking down on them. Ironically pointless, since passenger diesels account for probably 0.0001% of all vehicles on the road, and as such are not responsible for tailpipe emissions like we've been warned about.

 

Got an update.... ran more Archoil additive through the tank and continued to clear the code and it seems to have resolved the issue for now. It's been driven over 1,000 miles and CEL has remained silenced!

Definitely looking into that. Got a few more problems on my hands with the shop recommending a replacement of the rear sensors for blind spot assist as well as the module behind the steering wheel with the gear shift, cruise, and blinker stalk (for an outrageous price of $3,600 *eye roll*). When blind spot is inop., blinkers follow.... if you know anything about this I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I had them provide me with the codes they pulled for those 3 issues if you are knowledgeable on that as well. It's out of my wheelhouse.

 

Dealerships have been replacing blind spot detect sensors for free due to a voluntary recall. I have had mine replaced twice at no cost. Maybe go ask your local dealer first before dropping money on sensors.

 

+1 on the blind spot sensors being recall work. If yours are original, the local MB stealership should be replacing them for free. Here's a PDF that shows MB knows about it and should be fixing it: repair. If you have an active fault (ie, trouble codes present) they should do the right thing and replace the corroded sensor(s) and wiring harness in that rear bumper.

As for the module in the steering column: that's another known failure point, the electronic steering lock or ESL. If yours is working fine still, I suggest a preventive fix before you get stuck somewhere and have to get it towed. There are some DIY fixes you can find on YouTube and the part(s) are cheap enough. It's just awkward access and tight to get to but can be done if you're careful.

 

Unfortunately, my vehicle is not included in BSM recall so I'm not sure that my local Stealership would honor that. In past experience, had a lot of diesel-gate work done and they even gave me a hard time on that by trying to tell me that wasn't the issue (it was and they finally ended up fixing it under warranty).

What is the likelihood it could be a common issue between those 3 codes? I find it hard to believe all three failed simultaneously.... guess it is possible just seems unlikely. Shop seems to just want to throw parts at it (shocker).

 

The codes could just be intermittent, not active, which means some components might be on their way out and are causing errors which the ECU is recording. I seem to remember my BSM was acting up intermittently, especially after heavy rains when the car was parked outdoors. Once the sensors and wiring harness were replaced, I haven't had an issue. But before that, sporadic issues were definitely a telltale sign things were amiss.

The ESL issue is a lot more common, and especially prevalent on the C-class W204 cars. Since the GLK shares the same platform (X204) they use a lot of the same parts, including the steering lock mechanism. When you put your key in the ignition, you always hear a motor mechanism unlocking the steering. It's an electric part that fails for whatever reason, probably supplier-related when they first built the cars. Anyway, when it fails, you won't hear the steering column unlock anymore when inserting the key in the ignition. You basically can't start the car without the steering column able to unlock, which means a tow to a shop to have it fixed. In my case, about 10 years ago now (wow, it's been awhile...) I had to get it towed to the MB dealer and they did the repair for $2500 (plus tow fee). It was an eye watering experience out of the blue.

As I said, you can preemptively replace those parts pretty cheaply, there are how-to videos on YT. Then you won't have to worry about it dying and leaving you stranded.

The BSM components can be DIY, but they aren't cheap. Those radar sensors are several hundred each and you need a new wiring harness as well. A lot of the work involves removing the rear bumper which is royal PITA.

I recommend buying a scan tool that can read codes, reset errors, check various components and such. It's definitely worth it if you plan on keeping the car long-term and would be doing most of your own maintenance and repairs. At the very least, you can read codes and get some sense of what's wrong before going to a shop and getting bamboozled.