Most likely issue?
I am helping out a sibling who owns a GLS50 that is throwing a CEL with errors: P0299,P1670. Unfortunately I am about 1200 miles from him and the advice from a local mechanic was to trade the vehicle in. I have looked up the codes and it sounds like a bad vacuum line, boost hose or possibly a problem with the waste gate. I know he has a aftermarket piggyback ECU, which maybe contributing to the issue.
My question is, has anyone seen this and if so is there one hose or connection that typically has an issue?
Thank you!
- P0299 – Turbo/Supercharger Underboost
- Means the engine control unit (ECU) detects less boost pressure than expected.
- Common causes:
- Vacuum leaks in lines controlling the wastegate
- Boost leaks in intercooler hoses or charge pipes
- Faulty boost pressure sensor
- Wastegate actuator issues (sticking or weak)
- In rare cases, turbocharger wear/damage
- Vacuum leaks in lines controlling the wastegate
- Means the engine control unit (ECU) detects less boost pressure than expected.
- P1670 – Turbocharger/Wastegate Control Fault
- Often linked to communication or control problems between the ECU and the turbo actuator.
- Common causes:
- Defective wastegate actuator or solenoid
- Electrical wiring/connectors to the actuator
- Vacuum supply problems
- Defective wastegate actuator or solenoid
- Often linked to communication or control problems between the ECU and the turbo actuator.
I am helping out a sibling who owns a GLS50 that is throwing a CEL with errors: P0299,P1670. Unfortunately I am about 1200 miles from him and the advice from a local mechanic was to trade the vehicle in. I have looked up the codes and it sounds like a bad vacuum line, boost hose or possibly a problem with the waste gate. I know he has a aftermarket piggyback ECU, which maybe contributing to the issue.
My question is, has anyone seen this and if so is there one hose or connection that typically has an issue?
Thank you!
- P0299 – Turbo/Supercharger Underboost
- Means the engine control unit (ECU) detects less boost pressure than expected.
- Common causes:
- Vacuum leaks in lines controlling the wastegate
- Boost leaks in intercooler hoses or charge pipes
- Faulty boost pressure sensor
- Wastegate actuator issues (sticking or weak)
- In rare cases, turbocharger wear/damage
- Vacuum leaks in lines controlling the wastegate
- Means the engine control unit (ECU) detects less boost pressure than expected.
- P1670 – Turbocharger/Wastegate Control Fault
- Often linked to communication or control problems between the ECU and the turbo actuator.
- Common causes:
- Defective wastegate actuator or solenoid
- Electrical wiring/connectors to the actuator
- Vacuum supply problems
- Defective wastegate actuator or solenoid
- Often linked to communication or control problems between the ECU and the turbo actuator.
A month or two later took the vehicle to tale of the dragon and back, 2k miles and no check engine light.
Hoping someone has tried that already.




To the best of my knowledge none of the plastic piping has been replaced. He has been taking it to a local mechanic who is "a nice guy" but not necessarily a Mercedes guy. I would hope that if it was as obvious as just a piece of cracked plastic he would have caught that, but maybe not... I know on my GLK 250 the hoses too and from the intercooler are prone to leaks because of where they are located and that they rub, does the GLS 550 have a similar issue?




Ah...I am intimate with that car. Yes, the plastics LOVE to break. Hell, I broke one in the past month just changing plugs/coils. There is one on the drivers side that is prone to fracture (and quite easy to replace). I have even added silicone cooling lines to ours to resolve the water lines from doing the same cracking fun.
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Complicating things, if the vacuum pump check valve has been broken for some time, is the migration of engine oil from the vacuum pump, through the broken check valve, to the boost control solenoid, to the wastegate actuators:
Keep us posted.






