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odd lose connector - HVAC ? Fuel rail and a drinking problem
Playing silly buggers with the old wreck - re its drinking problem it has developed over the last 3 years....
Decided from the state of the last engine Oil change, "it must be" a leaking injector - which in my mind likely fits as the left bank has a minute miss on tickover that is never picked up in diagnostics and utterly undetectable in driving or performance... But annual Roadworthiness test (MOT) has the emissions incredibly tight and bang on perfection... which is confusing.. but the Oil tells another story - after 4k miles was black as hell when normally it looks like new at 10k
So I went to pull off the injector rail which looks like a terrible job and as you get stuck in, feels like its getting bad enough its time to give up... As you keep fighting 2hrs or unnecessary workload, the mass of wires criss crossing and tied into everywhere is an illusion - at one point I thought you're going to have to pop the wires of the alternator to peel the loom back to get the rail off... but as you keep going its becomes clear the cam sensor stuff, air pump, coils and most sensors do not need to be touched..
of course not before I tried to take off a cam sensor plug and it exploded across the engine bay.... A203 5453028 with a single Part 904 in stock at the dealership, and 4 supplied within 4hrs, its never happened before !!!!!
Weirdly no other plug self destructed, but the same one on the other side did - when I fitted them yesterday they mostly crumble in your fingers... but the pins are held in via two elements of the pin bush. It says you have 4 but I didn’t break any others and don't see where they other two hide (at the back ?)
you only need three tools to get the rail off - torx, euro socket and a pry bar - before starting I cleaned as much gunk off the engine bay / injector area as I could with brake cleaner, but there's little room for a brush to agitate or to wipe it clean - when done I sprayed ACF50 on any multiplug and all the injectors, trying to get both O-rings and the connector liberally coated for a week beforehand. I find ACF50 the best for lubricating, helping the plastic survive and to keep weather seals happy. Wiggled each injector a smidge to see they would behave, but the connectors I couldn't reach with all the crap in place... but as you peel back layers of detritus that should never have been placed in the way, you can reach it all quite easily... Pretty sure you really only have to pull these few connectors and just to inspect there's no need to remove the fuel feed 17mm headed pipe.
Wires off - engine ECU connectors tie back on a wiper arm, injectors and most of the stupidity peels back to the right side and tie out the way - then the rail will come off leaving nearly everything in place - most of the work is the multiple euro fixings bolting the wiring loom down to the manifold and cam covers, so it can withstand a force 20 hurricane ( I know Max is 12 but clearly Merc weren't told... )
More ACF50 and more wiggling of the injectors - that whilst all feel loose, the rail isn't coming off for anybody !!! Went to get a pry bar and it will fit on every injector and you can just tweak under the plastic where the electrical connector sticks out on each one and they pop out. A tiny wiggle and small force 7 popped out as if never tight and the eighth was a bit stuck but came out with far less force than I can imagine would damage it...
Then with the wires out the way and fuel line still on - you can turn it upside down an lay on the left side of the engine bay on top of the left cam cover.... leaving you to clearly check the bit of the injector that matters... I wiped the carbon gunk off the ends and sprayed brake clearer before looking at the 8 holes that let fuel out - they all looked clean
After allowing the brake cleaner to dry out I re plugged in the Engine ECU and the other connectors (bar the injectors) and re pressurised the rail with the ignition on. Then looked to see if any were dripping, weeping or getting damp - Nothing. So refitted it all. Of course would have been wonderful to check spray patterns but I don't have the kit...
Started up no issue and it continues its 20% more than it used to drinking habit... Thought about life over night and what to try next, and all I can think of is usual Merc mischief - so many software updates on later cars it would not be normal if Merc didn't try the same misbehaviour on the W221 - After all they went insane and added three times the complexity to make it as heavy, complicated, and as unreliable as they are - yet it drives about the same as, and with the tech you now get on a Romanian supermini for US$10K...
And then a tumbler fell over in my internal hard-drive, and I recalled an incident at about the right timeline on my car (say three years back) - when on a very hot day the cluster ambient temp display went insane - as I started the car I saw a deliberate countdown to zero on the ambient temp and then it froze - Next drive it was OK again, and ever since the temp display has never misread or played up and nothing ever showed in diagnostics... And in TIPS documents there is known fun and games requiring software updates affecting certain Merc cars - related to erroneous ambient temp data and fake EML illumination.
However, as I had the engine map flashed a year back and it made no difference (except pep up the power at 2k rmp by quite a lot), and I have spent half the last decade playing with software in multiple modules, even swapping many for later hardware and flashed back and forward on iterations all making about as much difference as it was a second ago, what to try - all I can think of to try...
I have another HVAC module running dealer online tool SCN flashed facelift approved software that was updated in 2020. I'd replaced it with later HW running its original 2007 software chasing another anomaly - So I threw that in yesterday and found a small loose 3 wire connector under the dash on the passenger side... I'm not sure if its meant to be unplugged (unlikely) - but what’s it for... its on the passenger side close to the tunnel and a very short lead - so can ONLY be (if used) something very close - which seems like either an air flap modulator - but I can't see where it would go, there are two close by. But they already have wires and can't see a spare socket... or at a push it might just reach the HVAC module - but that had as far as I ever knew 4 distinct multiplugs and this is very different...
anyone have a clue where this 3 pin connector goes? this picture you are looking directly upwards from the floor
HVAC module is almost hidden behind the pollen filters in a gap that doesn't appear to exist and looking at it that connector can't go here
so there doesn't seem to be much there this plug could go on
but these would required something similar I guess - 105 is about the right area but I would have thought the wrong side of the car... as I guess the HVAC box of trick is the same - or do they have a LHD and a different RDH unit .... which surprises me, but I guess must, as mine is the other way around to this pic
100 TEMPERATURE SENSOR EVAPORATOR 001 A 22 083 007 72 - $66.84
105 TEMPERATURE SENSOR BLEND AIR TEMPERATURE 004 A 22 183 008 72 - $32.09
N22/1 ACC control module - the bit I swapped
I guess I need to fire up wiz
B10/31 Left side outlet temperature sensor
B10/32 Right side outlet temperature sensor
B10/35 Left footwell temperature sensor
B10/36 Right footwell temperature sensor
the world of insanity continues I’m struggling with current spec O2 sensors for my Merc they must have the small square pin male connectors - The blade type cannot fit the car engine loom – but ALL parts show the blade ?
You know better than to rely on parts-selling websites!
One must only ever use the official EPC program from MB - and search by VIN, not by make/model/type.
checked with a spare bosch sensor - can you believe in my senility I forgot to grab a picture of the one I refitted....
they aren't square pins but def much smaller 1.2mm vs of the pattern part's 2.0mm it can't fit - but on ebay must be 20 sellers pushing these - they look exactly like the bosch ones but with wider pins..
this is the Merc part number - MERCEDES-BENZ O2 SENSOR A0035427018
this is Bosch's own website https://ap-ecat.boschaftermarket.com...cts/0258017016 and when you put in the Merc part number it returns this Product Name: Wideband lambda sensor Product Number: 0258017016 Short Code: LS 17016 Details Parameters Number of wires: 5 Recomm. replacement interval: 250,000 km Type of connector:Connector, flat contacts Type of Lambda sensor: Broadband Overall length: 560 mm
Shame they can't say the actual size of the Pins - on the Merc parts list it gives the gibberish - meant to be but doesn't make sensr MLK 1.2
I just found the original - so I'll refit the Denso Part - it measures different across the pins !!! - I'll come back with if I see a difference
Bit worries about some codes I have - the CAT O2 sensors are there if you just clear and drive - heater circuits dying can't magically fix themselves
So either
it looks like the ECU met its expected time to death
or worse the crooks that rechecked / re flashed the engine map when I wasn’t there (after the idiots at Fuchs told a garage the wrong gearbox oil was compatible and it transformed its change points - since back to std) swapped me over to a known broken ECU (likely !!! everyone seems to be a crook these days)
checked with a spare bosch sensor - can you believe in my senility I forgot to grab a picture of the one I refitted....
they aren't square pins but def much smaller 1.2mm vs of the pattern part's 2.0mm it can't fit - but on ebay must be 20 sellers pushing these - they look exactly like the bosch ones but with wider pins..
this is the Merc part number - MERCEDES-BENZ O2 SENSOR A0035427018
goodness know what these morons are doing using connectors that can't fit
I have a picture of what they should be - when I put both together I'll post them side by side - but in the means time the pins are meant to look like this
FYI goodness knows why any one attempts from above the connectors are clipped into metal brackets beneath the gearbox at the front of its sump
Is the only difference in the pins (i can't really tell) or is the shape of the plastic different?
the plastic parts fit perfectly and start to go together but as the pins are much wider wrong 2mm vs std 1.2mm - the electrical bits can't connect together
Sorry to hear that...Even "OEM" parts are being knocked off these days. I have even heard of the OEM parts from OEM MB auth dealers being bad from git go or not fitting making one suspect they are knock offs too...."Bosch" seems to be one of those suffering more than others...
seems the "correct" bosch MAP sensor was part of the problem - its def picked up 15% better since I put back the original Denso part !
but the fun all started 3 years back with LOTS of changes worldwide
Google (mapping) and the government planned the complete grid lock of the UK road network - and its the only bit they fully implemented
New fuel std came in across the entire country - E10 ethanol crap
The evil brigade planned the end of the world - to come into effect 2023 (Donald delayed, first time and trying to stop it this time) - but the sickness is locked in - seems your ivy league unis have sent the sickness worldwide in the last 50 years
I stopped working and use the bike for most journeys - so trying to keep the car happy have to do 2k miles a year
In last 2 month I'm now getting the heater circuits popped on the O2 sensors
Still won't need to worry - soon we'll get a white flash and nothing will exist
got bored by 2 mins jumped to 4 mins 30 and now I see that VGT actuator waste of space is the same junk Merc use... they used to make the wires fall off inside... you just soldered them back on again - std designed to fail money making scheme
I don't get the video - he says the original turbo is OK - so why was it in the workshop and having it replaced the first time... or does he mean an OEM device works OK and the pattern parts are junk?
SPOILER ALERT
Yeah the "OEM" supplier assures him multiple times that the part is good.
He checks and double checks everything and in the end the part (of the supplier that he used to trust) is bad.
Your 221 car became more thirsty at about the same time you in the UK adopted urine... er... Ethanol/Gasoline mix?
If so; welcome to the disaster we in the States got forced down our throats in 1993 or so as a big favor to the corn farmers as we grow ‘energy’ by using a lot more energy to produce it so we can burn fuels that rot from the moment delivered to the tanks at the filling stations. Less energy/gallon but apparently a less expensive way to boost octane than better quality pure gasoline. Fuel that sits in the car’s gas tank for month will play hell with how it runs.
Also... gasoline/urine (Ethanol) reduces fuel economy by a noticeable figure. But some idiot making choices for us is either getting rich/feels really smug/both or is more likely just so stupid they buy the line of garbage presented in the shiny package and went along with it.
Your 221 car became more thirsty at about the same time you in the UK adopted urine... er... Ethanol/Gasoline mix?
If so; welcome to the disaster we in the States got forced down our throats in 1993 or so as a big favor to the corn farmers as we grow ‘energy’ by using a lot more energy to produce it so we can burn fuels that rot from the moment delivered to the tanks at the filling stations. Less energy/gallon but apparently a less expensive way to boost octane than better quality pure gasoline. Fuel that sits in the car’s gas tank for month will play hell with how it runs.
Also... gasoline/urine (Ethanol) reduces fuel economy by a noticeable figure. But some idiot making choices for us is either getting rich/feels really smug/both or is more likely just so stupid they buy the line of garbage presented in the shiny package and went along with it.
yes all my cars and bikes are drinking like mad now...
they have to use more, as 10% death fuel has got 6% of the energy missing - but they seem to have engineered in about a 15% decline - the best bit all the lemmings in the UK argue there is no difference and are perfectly happy
its all a bit weird - as we stole the USA economically 110 years ago and have been using it to do our evil worldwide mayhem, lately getting someone's son to create the Ukrainian mess - and now the lemmings across the world are paying 40% of their wages in fake inflation and energy cost increases trying to stop the side that was always less sick - yet almost no one other than Donald seems to care - he's been giving enough clues for 10 years - like when he says he's giving back the country to "YOU THE PEOPLE", which is a little snub to those that edited your constitution 120 plus year back....
now the evil brigades European cousins have understood the game - they are all out trying to get a big white flash going - as its the only way they can think to get thing back to normal...
When we got Ethanol/gasoline mix forced down our throats the wizards of smrat who decided this for us told a big whopper. They told us the alcohol would lean out the air/fuel mixture for cleaner emissions. In practice every car on the road got all the ick that happily stayed at the bottom of the fuel tank since the dawn of time for that car delivered to the injectors/carburetor (right through any filter!) such that every car on the road got to have new injectors, filters, feedback solenoids for carburetors, fuel lines, fuel pumps ect. It was a disaster. But we were told to shut up as “it was for the greater good.” For whom? At the time we had cars running in closed loop with cats for minimal emissions. But the Corn farmers! Hopefully The Donald can help unwind this. Modern cars make more power with less fuel using real gasoline of the correct octane.
so today I fitted two Lucas LEB5353 Pre CAT wideband O2 sensors (which are the equiv of Bosch 0258017016 which is the non Merc name for the same Mercedes Benz part A0035427018)
I went back in Xentry
Reset the Fuel Mixture to std...
Reset the adaptions
And its less awful - but now I suspect it was mostly that Bosch MAP sensor and me resetting fuel adaptions and it all went stupid coz bosh are selling the wrong MAP sensor for these cars
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
