Help! 2004 ML430 Suddenly loses power for split second while driving
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Joined: May 2013
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ML-430
Help! 2004 ML430 Suddenly loses power for split second while driving
So I was driving the other day on the highway, on the way home, about a 20 minute commute. 5 minutes away from home, and the car suddenly loses power for about a second, then it resumed like nothing happened.
I believe this happened twice within about one minute. When this happened, the yellow triangle light 
in the middle of the console did come on for that one second when it lost power. I was accelerating when it happened, and I lost acceleration, I felt the steering wheel tense up, and then it was fine. This was a few days ago, and I have only driven it a quarter mile away since then a couple times to go to the post office. The driving did seem fine for those trips.
What could this possibly be? Do you think that it has the potential to just lose power and not come back again? How much will this cost me
Will I be fine going to work tomorrow, which is a 20 minute drive there, and a 20 minute drive back, or should I call out?
I don't know who to ask, so I joined this forum specifically for this.
I believe this happened twice within about one minute. When this happened, the yellow triangle light in the middle of the console did come on for that one second when it lost power. I was accelerating when it happened, and I lost acceleration, I felt the steering wheel tense up, and then it was fine. This was a few days ago, and I have only driven it a quarter mile away since then a couple times to go to the post office. The driving did seem fine for those trips.What could this possibly be? Do you think that it has the potential to just lose power and not come back again? How much will this cost me
Will I be fine going to work tomorrow, which is a 20 minute drive there, and a 20 minute drive back, or should I call out?
I don't know who to ask, so I joined this forum specifically for this.
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
'99 ML430, '84 380SL, '04 XC90, '12 X5
Yellow Triangle
I would have the codes pulled to see if you can identify the sensor that is not happy.
I tried to isolate a similar problem by TEMPORARILY turning off the ESP. With this important SAFETY feature off, no issues. Then I tried to determine which sensor .... lateral acceleration, something else and wheel speed sensor. Fortunately it was the cheapest and easiest sensor to replace ... the wheel speed sensor. Glad I didn't have to tear out the console to get to those other expensive sensors.
Is your tire inflation correct, all around?
I tried to isolate a similar problem by TEMPORARILY turning off the ESP. With this important SAFETY feature off, no issues. Then I tried to determine which sensor .... lateral acceleration, something else and wheel speed sensor. Fortunately it was the cheapest and easiest sensor to replace ... the wheel speed sensor. Glad I didn't have to tear out the console to get to those other expensive sensors.
Is your tire inflation correct, all around?
Last edited by YuCrew; May 18, 2013 at 08:38 AM.
