Fuel Pressure W221 S500
I am experiencing fuel pressure issues with my 2006 W221 S550 (M273 Engine).
At the Fuel Rail when measuring the pressure it goes up to 12+ BAR, and this is my 4th fuel pump as my guess is they keep burning out due to high fuel pressure.
I have this style Fuel Filter in my car and when I took off the cover I noticed that there are no wires plugged in in to the sensor and it acts like just a Plug, I also was not able to find any electrical connectors that should plug in to this thing apart from the main plug.
Could someone let me know if there should be a plug connected to this sensor for the S-Class, or its an issue with the fuel regulator which is attached at the bottom of this filter?
The VIN Code of the car is: WDD2211711A005110
obviously its designed so pump pressure being enough, pushes fuel through the white plastic body - which is a clean top secret fuel filter (they pretend you don't have) - and the regulator outlet diameter and the spring make the rail pressure the manu wants
too much pressure is interesting - are u fitting the correct spec pump ? or is there a muddle up on pipework ? some brands just squirt out back in the fuel tank - others do a detour for some reason
Is this pressure sensor being used in the S-Class? Like I am not able to find electrical plug for this sensor and this sensor just acts like a plug for a hole

all the wires we need is to run the pump
if you wanted to measure the pressure to inform the engine management whats really going on - you'd do it at the rail under the bonnet not at the back of the car where its fairly irrelevant - but then its a merc and Germans never understood engineering....
Wiring on my car only has a plug for this main plug, no separate 3 wires for the sensor:
all the wires we need is to run the pump
if you wanted to measure the pressure to inform the engine management whats really going on - you'd do it at the rail under the bonnet not at the back of the car where its fairly irrelevant - but then its a merc and Germans never understood engineering....
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But for sure this is not the correct fuel filter for my car as I have bought it from the dealer and the fuel ports don't match up in size with fuel lines.
I have ordered the correct fuel filter with the regulator from MB dealer which was 220 euros... will arrive on Tuesday, but now I am wondering if the issue is that this plug is missing or if its that regulator

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I don't know if I still need to dig to find that plug for the sensor or if its just a faulty regulator, as if I install that new Filter on Tuesday with the new regulator and it doesn't help then its 220 euros down the drain (I guess the filter will be new atleast
)I can see a direct injection car 278 would need a far high fuel pressure and likely would need to vary the pressure based on combustion pressures (aka high load)
whereas a 273 is a basic thing where anything dribbling out of the injector will be enough
then we get to the drawings and the descriptions...
is part 55 a sensor ? or really the mechanical fuel pressure regulator - the assembly of an early 273 engine's "fuel pump" likely breaks down to a eleccy pump, a mechanical regulator and the filter - and a new regulator would likely be a needed part
the filter might changes, but is this just a parts housing change during builds or really a capability change / different set up for other markets etc.?
I don't get the wording..... from low vin number and too a higher Vin number sounds back to front to me....
I can see a direct injection car 278 would need a far high fuel pressure and likely would need to vary the pressure based on combustion pressures (aka high load)
whereas a 273 is a basic thing where anything dribbling out of the injector will be enough
then we get to the drawings and the descriptions...
is part 55 a sensor ? or really the mechanical fuel pressure regulator - the assembly of an early 273 engine's "fuel pump" likely breaks down to a eleccy pump, a mechanical regulator and the filter - and a new regulator would likely be a needed part
the filter might changes, but is this just a parts housing change during builds or really a capability change / different set up for other markets etc.?
I don't get the wording..... from low vin number and too a higher Vin number sounds back to front to me....
Ok so now when I check EPC with full VIN entered it throws me a fuel filter with this part number A1714700690:
Here is a picture of this Fuel Filter:
I have bought this Filter from MB Dealer yesterday, as they searched for this part by my VIN and it didn't match the fuel filter that I currently have.
Fuel Filter Part Number which is installed in my car is A2214701390 which is this:
As you can see the first fuel filter doesn't actually have a sensor (which by VIN should be installed in my car), also the fittings on this filter are different for attaching fuel lines.
The one that is currently installed does have a fuel pressure sensor at the top.
I know that my car was rear ended in the past as the paint work on the rear bumper is not great, what I am wondering is that the Fuel tank may have been damaged and it was replaced from a different year model hence why I don't have any wiring for this Pressure Sensor.
Part 55 states that its a Pressure Sensor to Pump.
I hope that this makes sense
my brain is no longer functioning tbh after full day looking at parts/diagrams.I would think the early car didn't get an electronic pressure sensor and only builds 5 bar and regulates down to 4
I can image the 12 bar u see is the wrong pump for your car (and as you say these had an electrical pressure sensor)
if it had a crash that warranted a fuel tank - I'd have thought you'd need a whole car not a fuel tank.... so we end up back on connectors - seems highly plausible to me the person fitting the wrong pump also swapped you to the wrong (matching) connectors
I would think the early car didn't get an electronic pressure sensor and only builds 5 bar and regulates down to 4
I can image the 12 bar u see is the wrong pump for your car (and as you say these had an electrical pressure sensor)
if it had a crash that warranted a fuel tank - I'd have thought you'd need a whole car not a fuel tank.... so we end up back on connectors - seems highly plausible to me the person fitting the wrong pump also swapped you to the wrong (matching) connectors
As MB Dealer wants 700 Euros for the original..
Specs show that operating pressure is 3-4 Bars, I guess I will just install the new fuel filter which matches my current by code and will go from there, maybe that fuel regulator at the bottom of the filter will solve this issue.
Changed the Fuel Filter, with a new fuel pump from a different brand, the issue stays the same it goes over 3-4 BARs to approx 10-12, to be honest not sure what to check next.
as early M 273 cars get something like a 5 bar pump and regulate mechanically down to 3 to 4 bar
and M 278s get a high pressure pump to suit direct injection with a different pump that is electronically controlled (I guess based on when engine management calls for it)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_M278_engine
JohnLane, there are 2 fuel pressure regulators on the Fuel Rail but I doubt that they are at fault:
'
- you got the car with a pump with an extra electrical socket (with nothing connected to it) and that pump burnt out - three more of the same type also keep burning out
- during investigation (after 3 failures) you find the car is getting >12 bar fuel pressure - when the docs you have shows its meant to get 4 bar
- you then found this extra connector (you don't have a wire for) on the pump present in your car is meant to be part of an electronic fuel pressure regulator
- then you started to believe its possible the car has the wrong pump and dealers parts dept want stupid money for the other type so hadn't yet tried one
after some back and forth posts with me, you found videos of cars with the connector wired up - and then documentation from merc saying its an electronic pressure regulator on later cars
'
- you went back and had further discussions with a dealer about what pump you need - and they say you need the other type, but its costly
- I also proposed it needs the simple one, you then looked but struggled to find conclusive evidence on parts docs, then after another attempt found it needs the simple pump the dealer has been telling you this chassis number needs - but are reluctant to buy it
- and last intended to give the wrong later pump yet another go (and now this weekend you report this one is also doing the same 12 bar pressure)
? am I muddled....
Last edited by BOTUS; Sep 1, 2024 at 05:47 AM.
'
- you got the car with a pump with an extra electrical socket (with nothing connected to it) and that pump burnt out - three more of the same type also keep burning out
- during investigation (after 3 failures) you find the car is getting >12 bar fuel pressure - when the docs you have shows its meant to get 4 bar
- you then found this extra connector (you don't have a wire for) on the pump present in your car is meant to be part of an electronic fuel pressure regulator
- then you started to believe its possible the car has the wrong pump and dealers parts dept want stupid money for the other type so hadn't yet tried one
after some back and forth posts with me, you found videos of cars with the connector wired up - and then documentation from merc saying its an electronic pressure regulator on later cars
'
- you went back and had further discussions with a dealer about what pump you need - and they say you need the other type, but its costly
- I also proposed it needs the simple one, you then looked but struggled to find conclusive evidence on parts docs, then after another attempt found it needs the simple pump the dealer has been telling you this chassis number needs - but are reluctant to buy it
- and last intended to give the wrong later pump yet another go (and now this weekend you report this one is also doing the same 12 bar pressure)
? am I muddled....
W221 M273 facelift and pre-facelift use the same Fuel Pump but different Fuel Filters (not sure why merc changed the part between facelift and pre-facelift
). The thing is that EPC and MB Dealer states that my car should have a different Fuel Filter which doesn't have that sensor at the top of the Fuel Filter, but Fuel Lines in the fuel tank that connect to the filter are different between the facelift fuel filter and pre-facelift and you can't install another type fuel filter.
So that's why I was guessing previously that the fuel tank must have been changed from Pre-facelift to Facelift type hence why I have a Fuel Filter which has the sensor at the top but no wiring on the car. Unless I am missing something obvious here
.now it seems the car and motorbike industry moved to these "hidden" jokes for cheap assembly at point of manu - on a 20 year old toyota I've been driving and it turns out on my BMW bike the white thing is really
a fuel pump
a fuel filter
a fuel pressure regulator
and where the gauge sender unit clips on
on a toyota its all stripable and individually replaceable... and why the "bit of plastic" is so costly when buying everything as one unit
https://toyota-general.epc-data.com/.../2211/23249/#2
now it seems the car and motorbike industry moved to these "hidden" jokes for cheap assembly at point of manu - on a 20 year old toyota I've been driving and it turns out on my BMW bike the white thing is really
a fuel pump
a fuel filter
a fuel pressure regulator
and where the gauge sender unit clips on
on a toyota its all stripable and individually replaceable... and why the "bit of plastic" is so costly when buying everything as one unit
https://toyota-general.epc-data.com/.../2211/23249/#2
, on one side of the tank there is a fuel pump which just has 2 simple wires going in to it, on the other side this "Fuel Filter" stands which has that fuel regulator and on Facelift that pressure sensor.Fuel tank from scrapyard costs 400+ Euros in my country so I guess this will be my next expense and a project on replacing it and resolving this issue..
I was just reading about my bike - it has a strange non electric fuel pump to move fuel from the wrong side to the one where the pump is....
looking forward, I imagine its the same dumb set up on the 221... the right "pump" gets the fuel over the propshaft back to the "left real pump"
maybe I'm an idiot, but I believed I've read people always playing on the left side with the "fuel pump" and if not, why would we have a mechanical pressure regulator in the wrong place
early S550 / Europe S500
left side (but isn't this really the main fuel pump too ?)
050 FUEL FILTER UNIT FUEL TANK 001 A 17 147 006 90 - $83.99
050 FUEL FILTER UNIT FUEL TANK Replaced by: A 221 470 17 90 001 A 22 147 013 90 - $126.55
050 FUEL FILTER UNIT FUEL TANK 001 A 22 147 017 90 - $133.42
055 PRESSURE SENSOR TO PUMP Replaced by: A 000 905 11 00 001 A 00 354 275 18 - $49.54
055 PRESSURE SENSOR TO PUMP 001 A 00 090 511 00 - $69.47
right side
080 FUEL PUMP FUEL TANK Replaced by: A 221 470 84 94 001 A 22 147 059 94 - $320.02
080 FUEL PUMP FUEL TANK 001 A 22 147 084 94 - $456.69
080 FUEL PUMP FUEL TANK 001 A 22 147 060 94 - $398.68
080 DELIVERY UNIT FUEL TANK 001 A 22 147 074 94 - $398.68
Last edited by BOTUS; Sep 1, 2024 at 09:49 AM.
JohnLane, there are 2 fuel pressure regulators on the Fuel Rail but I doubt that they are at fault:
It will likely use pulse width modulation to vary fuel pressure.







