Hey guys, I have had a fuel smell in the garage only after filling up completely. I thought it was just a few times but my wife informs me it is ever since I have had the car. I have read many threads and it seems that most people experienced the smell (leak) coming back within months of replacing everything. It seems they revised the parts several times since then. My questions are
- What you would recommend to replace?
- Has anyone done this in the last couple of years and NOT had the leak return? ie have they finally designed/made the parts well enough to actually fix the problem?
My car only has 26,000 miles so I don't want to replace unnecessary items but my E55 repair fund is pretty healthy so I will do whatever needs to be done.


Left side looks great



Right side, not so much



It seems to be leaking from below the fuel pump electrical connection. Is there a gasket here or should I be replacing the whole white pump assembly?

 

Is it possible that there remains a person on this forum that doesn't know about the fuel tank recall issue on these cars?
A quick search should yield to you the relevant Mercedes Recall notice and you can discover whether yours is covered.

 

There are probably some people, yes. I am not one of them. I even have a copy of the letter sent to other owners in 2008. My car is imported from another country and generally all of the recalls (SBS, fuel tank etc) in the US don't apply to other countries let alone if you are not the original owner and especially if the car is question wasn't even sold in your country. But yes I did plan to waste 5 minutes asking my service advisor when I ring to get parts prices to compare to overseas sellers. Anymore useful information?

 

IIRC a recall is valid no matter if you're the original owner or not. Other than that, I got nut'n. Certainly worth asking if you're covered.

 

Went through this with my prior E55 and had the tank/pump assembly replaced under the recall and had the dreaded gas smell even if the tank was only 1/2 full.

Noticed gas smell on my new-to-me E63 if I top off the tank, which....if you look inside the gas flap...explicitly states in all caps "DO NOT TOP OFF." That said, obviously you have a fuel leak issue but perhaps it is being exacerbated by the tendency to top it off or round up at the pump? Just a thought. I've learned not to top it off like by old Buick but to quit as soon as the pump clicks it off. No extra squeezes or anything. Just something to try before dropping any coin.

 

LOL
not sure what your plans are to keep the car completely stock or not but simce the fuel pumps seem to be a weak point this thread references an innovative approach and could be used for multiple fuel types -- there are probably more threads with more info but its a start -- hopefully a little useful information

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...n-taste-2.html

 

Thanks, I will email MB New Zealand and then email my dealer. It will be like asking mom and dad hoping one gives the right answer.
Replacing everything and then having it come back is what I am hoping to avoid. I never fill over when the pump clicks off at the gas station but on all my MB's that has always been when it is just at the level of the little flap in the filler neck. It would seem the level has to remain a good one inch below the top of the tank to avoid it seeping out.
Thanks I had followed this quite closely when he developed it. This is the main thread, https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...available.html my plans with this car are not extreme, I have a pulley/tune and that is probably about all I will do. There is a tiny chance I could look at headers and throttle body in the future but stock fuel should be perfect for any of these scenarios. Unfortunately although it looks like a fantastic kit, it is quite a lot more expensive than the stock units and I have read a lot of threads where people have had issues with aftermarket fuel pumps dying in these cars, aeromotive, walbro etc.

So I guess the question remains, is there a seal below that electrical connector base that can be replaced? It kind if looks like the revised new white plastic fuel pump assembly has the electrical connector incorporated as one piece and maybe the old one is two pieces.

 

It's not a recall on the tank. They extended the warranty on it. It still shouldn't matter if the person is the original owner though.

FWIW, I had mine done a year ago and have since put just over 6,000 miles on it. The leak has not come back.

 

 

At the risk of restating what has already been stated (?), this is my experience / understanding of the fuel leak situation. I have personally worked on 4 vehicles with this issue. The first was a 2003 E500, the second was a 2004 E55, the third was a 2004 E55 (mine) and the forth and most recent (2 weeks ago) was a 2007 CLS550. First MBZ's policy (US only?, I'm not sure): It is an "Extended Warranty of all fuel tank components that would have been covered under the original Manufacturers Emissions Warranty" for a total of 15 years from delivery date, by VIN, regardless of mileage or number of owners. It includes the W211 E class and the W219 CLS class. If covered, they will replace the "Fuel Tank Unit" which consists of the fuel tank and all internal components including fuel pumps, senders, filters, etc. along with labor, and any external parts needed to perform the replacement (nuts, bolts, cable ties, harnesses etc.).

Now, what is the actual "Failure"? In the 4 cases I have encountered, either the fuel pump (passenger side) or fuel filter / regulator (drivers side) plastic housing will fail (crack) and cause fuel to "Pool" at the top of the plastic housing and / or fuel tank (as seen in the above pictures), especially when the tank is full. When the failed component is removed, the fuel tank distorts, very slightly, at the opening around the threaded area. When the new pump or filter unit is installed, even with a new seal and lock nut, it will not completely seal, even when properly tightened down. I fought the first one (E500) for hours thinking it was something I was doing incorrectly. I continued to smoke test it after removing / installing the sending unit multiple times, without any success. After doing some research I found that MBZ had just recently, after threat of lawsuit, extended the warranty.

In the last 3 cases, including my E55 a couple of months ago and the CLS 2 weeks ago, I have contacted the local MBZ dealer our shop does business with, describe the leak (Pooling and fuel smell), provide them the VIN and they have been more than happy to take care of it for us. In all of the cases they have replaced the the entire Fuel Tank Unit without any questions.

Hope this helps.

 

As with pretty much all owners of the w211 I had the same issue but it was handled by the dealer (via recall but not going to get into that whole conversation). In my case, speaking with the tech, they hooked the thing up and pumped smoke into the tank to see where the leak was from and ended up replacing a few gaskets & other things (i'll double check my invoice later). Now this isnt an actual solution but might help while you sort things. When I noticed the smell until the time I was able to drop the car off, I packed some unscented kitty litter in some coffee filters (cheese cloth would work too) and placed them around the leak area and under the seat, kept the fumes at bay.

 

"Replacing everything and then having it come back is what I am hoping to avoid."
FWIW, I had this problem fixed at a dealer under warranty as 2nd owner 2 years and 40k miles ago and it hasn't come back so far.

 

I have had the recall done twice .... first time slc utah did it and they did a good job but they did not replace the tanks so I was bothered cus i still smelled the fuel here and there so I took it back to farmington utah ... closer to me and they ordered the entire tanks and replaced everything and this was within 4 monthes of slc doing it. If theres a problem they will cover it original owner or not cus im not, and I am gunna go look and see how it looks under there in a few mins and will re[port back its been 5 monthes and i havent noticed anything but will take some pics.

 

went and took a look and mines an 03 e55 and both drivers and passanger side look great and have the new upgraded harness in there as well that I notice is not in yours TW2 also noticed that there is zero leaks and looks great and I just topped off my gas just about an hour ago

drivers side also mine seems to have some sort of MAP on it that yours doesnt


passanger side has the new updated harness as well and even the cover says only use such and such harness on it

 

Thanks for the awesome advice and experience, I will let you know how I get on with the dealer.

 

These repairs are in fact an "Extended Warranty", not a "Recall"

An extended warranty covers individual vehicles on a case by case basis. If the vehicle exhibits the symptoms covered under the extended warranty, it is repaired under the terms of the extended warranty.

A "Recall" requests the return of all the potentially affected vehicles to the manufacture / dealer for inspection / repair, which may be affected by a possible problem or defect, regardless of whether or not it exhibits any symptoms. It never expires.

Here is an excerpt of the MBZ USA extended warranty:

Date: June 10, 2015 Order No.: Supersedes: P-B-47.10/63c P-B-47.10/63b, February 3, 2015 Group: 47 SUBJECT: Model 211, Model Years 2003- 2009 and Model 219, Model Years 2006- 2011 Fuel Odor In the Area of the Fuel Tank In our continuing efforts to enhance the satisfaction of our customers, Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) has decided to extend the warranty for certain fuel tank components in certain MercedesBenz vehicles. Which Vehicles:  gasoline-fueled, non-PZEV certified Model Year 2003 – 2009 E-Class  Model Year 2006 – 2011 CLS-Class Which Parts are Covered: The warranty covers the fuel tank, fuel filter/sender, fuel pump, and gaskets (collectively the “Covered Fuel Tank Components”) What are the Terms of the Extended Warranty: Warranty on the “Covered Fuel Tank Components” will be extended from the original 4 years / 50,000 miles (whichever occurs first) to 15 years, regardless of mileage. This warranty extension applies to covered vehicles regardless of ownership. If during this period the vehicle experiences a leakage from any of the “Covered Fuel Tank Components” listed above and it is determined that it is due to a warrantable condition that would have been covered had it occurred during the original warranty period, this warranty extension will cover the necessary part(s) and labor to repair or replace the component(s). The Extended Warranty coverage varies by model and model year. VMI will display information regarding this warranty extension in the “Service Packages” section for all affected vehicles and is detailed below. The effective date of this warranty extension is January 9, 2015.

 

Hi All,

I've ordered a 2007 E63 with 46K miles on it which is currently being transported to me. So I haven't filled it with a gas yet.

Some of you said it was a recall when others said it was an extended warranty.

This thread maid me wonder whether I have to go to MB dealer as soon as the car arrives and ask them to replace the fuel tank and/or filter (sender unit)? Or should I first see if there is a gas smell or not.
Obviously I'd rather get it changed with better parts, but not sure if the dealer will check and try to reproduce?

 

If there is no leak (visible or otherwise), fuel pooling, or a smell of fuel, coming from either of the sending units MBZ USA will not repair or replace anything. It is in fact an "Extended Warranty", not a recall. 15 yrs, unlimited miles, unlimited owners, starting the day it was first registered, by VIN number.

 

Yes they will need to replicate it. Enjoy your new car.

 

Thanks for clarifying. I will see if there is any gas smell once it arrives.

I had fully loaded 2013 E550 with bi-turbo engine. Sold that and bought E63 W211 for 2 reasons: a) I like the design of W211 better b) E550 although was rocket fast, was kinda dull and 4Matic is not that fun.

Hope E63 puts more smile on my face.

 

Yes, just fill the tank and sniff around the back seat for a gas smell. If you take it to the dealer and they don't notice anything, they're going to charge you $150-$200 for a diagnostic fee. If they find a leak, then that gets waived.

As it's good for 15 years, I wouldn't worry about it til you're closer to the 15 year mark. They replace the tank and the fuel pump/filter. So if you replace it sooner, more likely those parts will fail during your ownership and then it won't be covered if there's no fuel leak.

And enjoy the E63, were the head bolts done?

 

 

Please look at my post in the fuel thread. Thanks.

 

If you read the official letter, it's just an extended warranty. Lots of people got confused and felt it was a recall when it's not. A recall you just take it in and they replace it no questions asked. An extended warranty just means they replace it if it has failed, but not if it hasn't.

As for the head bolts, there are many tales of woe on this and other forums where all the maintenance was done then the bolts went and they got a bill for 15-25k to replace the engine. If you do the one at the time method, the price is just a couple hundred for the bolts and maybe around 1k total at an indy to do the job. It's a manufacturer's defect, doesn't matter what kind of maintenance you do. There's lots more coverage of this on the C63 forum as there's a lot more engines over there.

 

Would you mind providing a link to your post so no one has to search every post you have made.
Edit- never mind, I'm not sure why I couldn't see it on the main page earlier.