SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Smelling the gas(oline).... in the car.
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2003 SL55
Smelling the gas(oline).... in the car.
Hi all.
I have a 2003 SL55. I have recently had the check engine light come on. My car has started to run rough upon startup until fully warm. Then it runs like, well, an SL55! I have smelled gas fumes in the cabin a couple of times. And I keep getting a warning message about my gas cap being off. Um, it isn't. The warning is intermittent. But I really really have a hard time buying the idea that my gas cap has broken.
So, before I take it in to the dealer and bleed cash I don't have (darn economy) I wanted to see if anyone here had thoughts. The symptoms are similar to what my GF was experiencing with her GTO, and the problem was a fuel vapor solenoid.
Thoughts? Help?
Thanks
Slider
I have a 2003 SL55. I have recently had the check engine light come on. My car has started to run rough upon startup until fully warm. Then it runs like, well, an SL55! I have smelled gas fumes in the cabin a couple of times. And I keep getting a warning message about my gas cap being off. Um, it isn't. The warning is intermittent. But I really really have a hard time buying the idea that my gas cap has broken.
So, before I take it in to the dealer and bleed cash I don't have (darn economy) I wanted to see if anyone here had thoughts. The symptoms are similar to what my GF was experiencing with her GTO, and the problem was a fuel vapor solenoid.
Thoughts? Help?
Thanks
Slider
Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2010
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2003 SL55
So the gas smell was in the cabin. Didn't catch it outside.
As for the gas cap thread search. I have been trying to find threads on that really hard!! I can't seem to find the right search string to get to that! What words are you searching for that are pulling up threads about that warning? I have been going nuts trying to get the right search!!! I was sure I wasn't the first!
ARRGGG!!! The answer IS in here somewhere!!!
Thanks!!
Slider
As for the gas cap thread search. I have been trying to find threads on that really hard!! I can't seem to find the right search string to get to that! What words are you searching for that are pulling up threads about that warning? I have been going nuts trying to get the right search!!! I was sure I wasn't the first!
ARRGGG!!! The answer IS in here somewhere!!!
Thanks!!
Slider
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If you are in the habit of topping off your tank when refueling, you might have a problem with something expensive in the tank.... Has something to do with the evaporative control in the tank and fuel going somewhere where it shouldn't. Sorry- cannOt be of more help- a Friend of mine had a similar problem but the details escape me 
his problem was so severe that he could not fill the tank more than 1/3 or so. PumP was shutting off early.
his problem was so severe that he could not fill the tank more than 1/3 or so. PumP was shutting off early.
Thread Starter
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2003 SL55
Ok, so now that I am working on this, I went to Autozone and had the kid (when did I get old???) pull the codes. Got two.
P0505 - Idle Air Control System
P0455 - Evaporative Emission System, Leak detected - Gross Leak No Flow
So, new thoughts? Second one didn't surprise me. Perhaps the first one is part of the reason the car runs rough until it warms up? Or perhaps it is running rough until it cycles the gas tank vapor out, and since there is an issue, that is causing it to run rough? I haven't noticed a problem with the idle when warm. Or cold really. Put yer foot into it a bit before fully warmed up and you get a little extra grumble and shimmy that never used to be there....
Thanks for the top-off tip. I will keep my eye on that going forward. I generally don't top off as it never seems to add much to the tank!
P0505 - Idle Air Control System
P0455 - Evaporative Emission System, Leak detected - Gross Leak No Flow
So, new thoughts? Second one didn't surprise me. Perhaps the first one is part of the reason the car runs rough until it warms up? Or perhaps it is running rough until it cycles the gas tank vapor out, and since there is an issue, that is causing it to run rough? I haven't noticed a problem with the idle when warm. Or cold really. Put yer foot into it a bit before fully warmed up and you get a little extra grumble and shimmy that never used to be there....
Thanks for the top-off tip. I will keep my eye on that going forward. I generally don't top off as it never seems to add much to the tank!
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2003 SL55
Doing a bunch of reading of threads here. Seems folks with other models have had problems with the purge valve. One guy had the P0505 error code and it was a loose hose on his purge valve!
Where is the purge valve on the SL55? I think I see it on the driver's side of the engine towards the driver. A tube coming in and one going out, and a wire harness on the top. Very easily accessible. Which makes me suspicious, cause nothing that needs replacing can be THAT easy to get at!
Help?
Thanks
Where is the purge valve on the SL55? I think I see it on the driver's side of the engine towards the driver. A tube coming in and one going out, and a wire harness on the top. Very easily accessible. Which makes me suspicious, cause nothing that needs replacing can be THAT easy to get at!
Help?
Thanks
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2003 SL55
So I looked up a pic online of the purge valve. Found it in the car. It is right there...
Anyone want to give me odds on that being the problem?
I am thinking of buying a code reader, hopefully cheap, for my 2003 SL55. Any advice on what to buy? Hopefully not too much money? I want to purge the codes and see what comes back. I am also going to pay attention to filling the tank. Seems that might be related to the problem....
Thanks for any and all advice!!!
Slider
Anyone want to give me odds on that being the problem?
I am thinking of buying a code reader, hopefully cheap, for my 2003 SL55. Any advice on what to buy? Hopefully not too much money? I want to purge the codes and see what comes back. I am also going to pay attention to filling the tank. Seems that might be related to the problem....
Thanks for any and all advice!!!
Slider
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Thread Starter
Junior Member
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2003 SL55
So, been a bit, but I finally got a fuel vapor solenoid and swapped it out with the one in the car. That was absurdly easy. Too easy. Used my code scanner to delete my error codes, and went driving away. The car ran much more smoothly while cold than it had. I was feeling pretty damn good. Nice hot day took care of that.
Sitting at a stoplight, and the check-engine comes on with that gas cap warning. Get home, pull the codes, and have the same two darn codes. Huh. I suppose buying a new gas cap is a cheap piece to try replacing next, but has anyone else had these problems?
And are the two error codes related? Seems I should be looking at my idle air valve as a separate problem from my leaky EVAP system...
Help?
Sitting at a stoplight, and the check-engine comes on with that gas cap warning. Get home, pull the codes, and have the same two darn codes. Huh. I suppose buying a new gas cap is a cheap piece to try replacing next, but has anyone else had these problems?
And are the two error codes related? Seems I should be looking at my idle air valve as a separate problem from my leaky EVAP system...
Help?
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On the cl cars behind the driver rear wheel, you have to remove the wheel well liner, is a canister about 10" tall. It had to be replaced on my friend's car and the problem went away.
This canister has a filtering element in it and supposedly is easy to get clogged resulting in those two errors.
This canister has a filtering element in it and supposedly is easy to get clogged resulting in those two errors.
