2015 ML250 Emission Issues
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Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 9
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From: Jacksonville, FL
1985 300D, 1985 380SL, 2015 ML250, 1967 Mustang
2015 ML250 Emission Issues
It all started on Tuesday after Thanksgiving (2022) when taking my son to airport. Engine started driving like it had lost power, transmission shifted hard, and could not manually downshift. I now suspect car was in limp home mode.
Returned vehicle to my independent repair (they had just replaced engine and transmission mounts) thinking it was an unplugged cable. During all this no CEL or codes. Independent tried with his computer but still no codes, no CEL. He suggested topping off DEF.
Then, CEL came on. Code was MB proprietary indicating one bank of engine running lean.
Took vehicle to St Pete (from Jacksonville), stopping off in Orlando for lunch. No problems. On return, got a CEL past Orlando and stopped at Buckee's and topped off DEF. It took 0.5 gallons.
At same time, received notice from MB to have Service Campaign 2022100016 installed to correct software issue that affected operation of water pump issue and had made appointment with local MB dealer to bring it in following Tuesday. Had the Service Campaign done, and they checked system and they found a torn boost air hose so they replaced both under the AEM warranty. Vehicle was fine all week in local traffic.
Traveled to Atlanta for Christmas, and problem came back again, and again with no CEL. Car was fine in local Atlanta driving, though it did take it a while to warm up DEF. On drive home, we detoured to visit family in Tallahassee, and about 30 miles south of Columbus, got a check engine additive - see manual warning and soon after a "10 starts remaining" warning. Stopped in Colquitt at a NAPA store and bought a 2.5 gallon bottle of DEF. Topped off tank and it took about 1 gallon.
The warning did not reset until we got home later that night, even though we stopped for about 2 hours in Tallahassee. Topped the tank again when I got home and it took about 0.5 gallon.
Took car back to MB dealer. He reported that they found that the injection pump was faulty and needed to be replaced, but that in order to do so, they had to remove all of the DEF fluid and refill it, and since they found that the DEF fluid was below spec I would have to pay for the fluid and the drain/refill man hours - about $600. The pump R&R would be under warranty.
Needless to say, I complained and told them that the fluid was to MB spec (per owner's manual (ISO 22241) and that there was no way I was going to pay $600 to drain and refill the tank.
This morning, I got a call from an individual claiming to be the service manager, advising that they were willing to absorb the labor to drain/refill the tank but that I would have to pay for the DEF, estimated at $200 more or less. He claimed that MB requires the DEF to be at 34% urea, and that mine tested at 29%. Interestingly, ISO 22241 requires the fluid to be between 31.8% and 33.2% urea, so they are full of poop.
So, after all of this, has anyone had any issue(s) with non-MB DEF? Is anyone familiar with a MB requirement that it be 34% urea?
My next move is to call MBUSA. Any other suggestions?
Returned vehicle to my independent repair (they had just replaced engine and transmission mounts) thinking it was an unplugged cable. During all this no CEL or codes. Independent tried with his computer but still no codes, no CEL. He suggested topping off DEF.
Then, CEL came on. Code was MB proprietary indicating one bank of engine running lean.
Took vehicle to St Pete (from Jacksonville), stopping off in Orlando for lunch. No problems. On return, got a CEL past Orlando and stopped at Buckee's and topped off DEF. It took 0.5 gallons.
At same time, received notice from MB to have Service Campaign 2022100016 installed to correct software issue that affected operation of water pump issue and had made appointment with local MB dealer to bring it in following Tuesday. Had the Service Campaign done, and they checked system and they found a torn boost air hose so they replaced both under the AEM warranty. Vehicle was fine all week in local traffic.
Traveled to Atlanta for Christmas, and problem came back again, and again with no CEL. Car was fine in local Atlanta driving, though it did take it a while to warm up DEF. On drive home, we detoured to visit family in Tallahassee, and about 30 miles south of Columbus, got a check engine additive - see manual warning and soon after a "10 starts remaining" warning. Stopped in Colquitt at a NAPA store and bought a 2.5 gallon bottle of DEF. Topped off tank and it took about 1 gallon.
The warning did not reset until we got home later that night, even though we stopped for about 2 hours in Tallahassee. Topped the tank again when I got home and it took about 0.5 gallon.
Took car back to MB dealer. He reported that they found that the injection pump was faulty and needed to be replaced, but that in order to do so, they had to remove all of the DEF fluid and refill it, and since they found that the DEF fluid was below spec I would have to pay for the fluid and the drain/refill man hours - about $600. The pump R&R would be under warranty.
Needless to say, I complained and told them that the fluid was to MB spec (per owner's manual (ISO 22241) and that there was no way I was going to pay $600 to drain and refill the tank.
This morning, I got a call from an individual claiming to be the service manager, advising that they were willing to absorb the labor to drain/refill the tank but that I would have to pay for the DEF, estimated at $200 more or less. He claimed that MB requires the DEF to be at 34% urea, and that mine tested at 29%. Interestingly, ISO 22241 requires the fluid to be between 31.8% and 33.2% urea, so they are full of poop.
So, after all of this, has anyone had any issue(s) with non-MB DEF? Is anyone familiar with a MB requirement that it be 34% urea?
My next move is to call MBUSA. Any other suggestions?
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 482
Likes: 140
GLK250 ML350
It all started on Tuesday after Thanksgiving (2022) when taking my son to airport. Engine started driving like it had lost power, transmission shifted hard, and could not manually downshift. I now suspect car was in limp home mode.
Returned vehicle to my independent repair (they had just replaced engine and transmission mounts) thinking it was an unplugged cable. During all this no CEL or codes. Independent tried with his computer but still no codes, no CEL. He suggested topping off DEF.
Then, CEL came on. Code was MB proprietary indicating one bank of engine running lean.
Took vehicle to St Pete (from Jacksonville), stopping off in Orlando for lunch. No problems. On return, got a CEL past Orlando and stopped at Buckee's and topped off DEF. It took 0.5 gallons.
At same time, received notice from MB to have Service Campaign 2022100016 installed to correct software issue that affected operation of water pump issue and had made appointment with local MB dealer to bring it in following Tuesday. Had the Service Campaign done, and they checked system and they found a torn boost air hose so they replaced both under the AEM warranty. Vehicle was fine all week in local traffic.
Traveled to Atlanta for Christmas, and problem came back again, and again with no CEL. Car was fine in local Atlanta driving, though it did take it a while to warm up DEF. On drive home, we detoured to visit family in Tallahassee, and about 30 miles south of Columbus, got a check engine additive - see manual warning and soon after a "10 starts remaining" warning. Stopped in Colquitt at a NAPA store and bought a 2.5 gallon bottle of DEF. Topped off tank and it took about 1 gallon.
The warning did not reset until we got home later that night, even though we stopped for about 2 hours in Tallahassee. Topped the tank again when I got home and it took about 0.5 gallon.
Took car back to MB dealer. He reported that they found that the injection pump was faulty and needed to be replaced, but that in order to do so, they had to remove all of the DEF fluid and refill it, and since they found that the DEF fluid was below spec I would have to pay for the fluid and the drain/refill man hours - about $600. The pump R&R would be under warranty.
Needless to say, I complained and told them that the fluid was to MB spec (per owner's manual (ISO 22241) and that there was no way I was going to pay $600 to drain and refill the tank.
This morning, I got a call from an individual claiming to be the service manager, advising that they were willing to absorb the labor to drain/refill the tank but that I would have to pay for the DEF, estimated at $200 more or less. He claimed that MB requires the DEF to be at 34% urea, and that mine tested at 29%. Interestingly, ISO 22241 requires the fluid to be between 31.8% and 33.2% urea, so they are full of poop.
So, after all of this, has anyone had any issue(s) with non-MB DEF? Is anyone familiar with a MB requirement that it be 34% urea?
My next move is to call MBUSA. Any other suggestions?
Returned vehicle to my independent repair (they had just replaced engine and transmission mounts) thinking it was an unplugged cable. During all this no CEL or codes. Independent tried with his computer but still no codes, no CEL. He suggested topping off DEF.
Then, CEL came on. Code was MB proprietary indicating one bank of engine running lean.
Took vehicle to St Pete (from Jacksonville), stopping off in Orlando for lunch. No problems. On return, got a CEL past Orlando and stopped at Buckee's and topped off DEF. It took 0.5 gallons.
At same time, received notice from MB to have Service Campaign 2022100016 installed to correct software issue that affected operation of water pump issue and had made appointment with local MB dealer to bring it in following Tuesday. Had the Service Campaign done, and they checked system and they found a torn boost air hose so they replaced both under the AEM warranty. Vehicle was fine all week in local traffic.
Traveled to Atlanta for Christmas, and problem came back again, and again with no CEL. Car was fine in local Atlanta driving, though it did take it a while to warm up DEF. On drive home, we detoured to visit family in Tallahassee, and about 30 miles south of Columbus, got a check engine additive - see manual warning and soon after a "10 starts remaining" warning. Stopped in Colquitt at a NAPA store and bought a 2.5 gallon bottle of DEF. Topped off tank and it took about 1 gallon.
The warning did not reset until we got home later that night, even though we stopped for about 2 hours in Tallahassee. Topped the tank again when I got home and it took about 0.5 gallon.
Took car back to MB dealer. He reported that they found that the injection pump was faulty and needed to be replaced, but that in order to do so, they had to remove all of the DEF fluid and refill it, and since they found that the DEF fluid was below spec I would have to pay for the fluid and the drain/refill man hours - about $600. The pump R&R would be under warranty.
Needless to say, I complained and told them that the fluid was to MB spec (per owner's manual (ISO 22241) and that there was no way I was going to pay $600 to drain and refill the tank.
This morning, I got a call from an individual claiming to be the service manager, advising that they were willing to absorb the labor to drain/refill the tank but that I would have to pay for the DEF, estimated at $200 more or less. He claimed that MB requires the DEF to be at 34% urea, and that mine tested at 29%. Interestingly, ISO 22241 requires the fluid to be between 31.8% and 33.2% urea, so they are full of poop.
So, after all of this, has anyone had any issue(s) with non-MB DEF? Is anyone familiar with a MB requirement that it be 34% urea?
My next move is to call MBUSA. Any other suggestions?
