E55 Cranking, but not starting.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 35
Likes: 3
None (Yet)
E55 Cranking, but not starting.
Hi all. Not too long ago we picked up an E55, and admittedly it had a few issues such as the sunroof being hard to move, memory seats not remembering positions, and keyless entry not working on drivers side. Regardless, yesterday it developed another issue which we can't seem to figure out.
It simply just doesn't start.
We suspected it was the battery, so we have it a full charge, tried again, cranked for about 6 seconds then shut off. It sounded strong, like it was going to start, so we gave the battery another charge back to full and checked it with a multimeter. 12.59 volts. All functions were running, except the engine. We then ruled out the battery.
Next we thought that maybe the fuel pump has gone, so I put my ears up to the rear seats and had the ignition turned on but not started. I heard a very faint whirr, so I assumed that the pump was good and primed, we tried again, no start.
We are kinda lost on what it could be that stops it from turning over, it ran absolutely perfectly when it was running and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. We washed it, drove it onto the driveway and it didn't start again. My idea that he fuel pump may not be delivering fuel doesn't really add up, since I do believe I heard it prime, and there's no fuel smell inside the cabin. Only other thing that I feel it could potentially be is a Crankshaft Position Sensor...but I can't be sure. I haven't been working on cars for very long, so I don't know how that would stop it from starting. (I'm not experienced, but I enjoy learning how things like this work.) Another idea is that the immobilizer is on but we can't think of any reasons to why it could have been triggered.
Any suggestions to what to test or what you guys think it could be would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
It simply just doesn't start.
We suspected it was the battery, so we have it a full charge, tried again, cranked for about 6 seconds then shut off. It sounded strong, like it was going to start, so we gave the battery another charge back to full and checked it with a multimeter. 12.59 volts. All functions were running, except the engine. We then ruled out the battery.
Next we thought that maybe the fuel pump has gone, so I put my ears up to the rear seats and had the ignition turned on but not started. I heard a very faint whirr, so I assumed that the pump was good and primed, we tried again, no start.
We are kinda lost on what it could be that stops it from turning over, it ran absolutely perfectly when it was running and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. We washed it, drove it onto the driveway and it didn't start again. My idea that he fuel pump may not be delivering fuel doesn't really add up, since I do believe I heard it prime, and there's no fuel smell inside the cabin. Only other thing that I feel it could potentially be is a Crankshaft Position Sensor...but I can't be sure. I haven't been working on cars for very long, so I don't know how that would stop it from starting. (I'm not experienced, but I enjoy learning how things like this work.) Another idea is that the immobilizer is on but we can't think of any reasons to why it could have been triggered.
Any suggestions to what to test or what you guys think it could be would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Last edited by Jodul; Oct 25, 2021 at 03:09 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,177
Likes: 314
2006 CLS55 AMG, 2005 SLK 350 AMG
Hi all. Not too long ago we picked up an E55, and admittedly it had a few issues such as the sunroof being hard to move, memory seats not remembering positions, and keyless entry not working on drivers side. Regardless, yesterday it developed another issue which we can't seem to figure out.
It simply just doesn't start.
We suspected it was the battery, so we have it a full charge, tried again, cranked for about 6 seconds then shut off. It sounded strong, like it was going to start, so we gave the battery another charge back to full and checked it with a multimeter. 12.59 volts. All functions were running, except the engine. We then ruled out the battery.
Next we thought that maybe the fuel pump has gone, so I put my ears up to the rear seats and had the ignition turned on but not started. I heard a very faint whirr, so I assumed that the pump was good and primed, we tried again, no start.
We are kinda lost on what it could be that stops it from turning over, it ran absolutely perfectly when it was running and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. We washed it, drove it onto the driveway and it didn't start again. My idea that he fuel pump may not be delivering fuel doesn't really add up, since I do believe I heard it prime, and there's no fuel smell inside the cabin. Only other thing that I feel it could potentially be is a Crankshaft Position Sensor...but I can't be sure. I haven't been working on cars for very long, so I don't know how that would stop it from starting. (I'm not experienced, but I enjoy learning how things like this work.) Another idea is that the immobilizer is on but we can't think of any reasons to why it could have been triggered.
Any suggestions to what to test or what you guys think it could be would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
It simply just doesn't start.
We suspected it was the battery, so we have it a full charge, tried again, cranked for about 6 seconds then shut off. It sounded strong, like it was going to start, so we gave the battery another charge back to full and checked it with a multimeter. 12.59 volts. All functions were running, except the engine. We then ruled out the battery.
Next we thought that maybe the fuel pump has gone, so I put my ears up to the rear seats and had the ignition turned on but not started. I heard a very faint whirr, so I assumed that the pump was good and primed, we tried again, no start.
We are kinda lost on what it could be that stops it from turning over, it ran absolutely perfectly when it was running and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. We washed it, drove it onto the driveway and it didn't start again. My idea that he fuel pump may not be delivering fuel doesn't really add up, since I do believe I heard it prime, and there's no fuel smell inside the cabin. Only other thing that I feel it could potentially be is a Crankshaft Position Sensor...but I can't be sure. I haven't been working on cars for very long, so I don't know how that would stop it from starting. (I'm not experienced, but I enjoy learning how things like this work.) Another idea is that the immobilizer is on but we can't think of any reasons to why it could have been triggered.
Any suggestions to what to test or what you guys think it could be would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 2,524
Likes: 2,041
From: US
2008 E350, 2012 ML350, 2014 E350, 2015 ML350
A few months back, I had a similar issue with a base W211.
Have you scanned the car? Any codes? Assuming no codes; otherwise, address them first if related to the engine
If you heard the pump-priming, let us assume it is working. Then, how much fuel is in the tank? > 1/2 or < 1/2?. Less than 1/2, can your scanner show you the level of fuel on each side of the tank? At worst, you can have one side full (say driver's side), and the other side empty --> 1/2 tank full, the pump will prime, and nothing will make it to the engine. You can add a bit of fuel to the tank which will make it to the passenger's side, and try again. If it starts, you isolated your problem.
The crank position sensor can also be a problem, but first, it needs fuel to start the engine.
You can start diagnosing it either way, but I can tell you I spend a few hours between several days to find out the gauge at 1/3 tank marking, and the passenger's side empty (that is from where the main pump feeds the engine). I did not know I could check the independent fuel levels in the scanner early on.
Good luck
Have you scanned the car? Any codes? Assuming no codes; otherwise, address them first if related to the engine
If you heard the pump-priming, let us assume it is working. Then, how much fuel is in the tank? > 1/2 or < 1/2?. Less than 1/2, can your scanner show you the level of fuel on each side of the tank? At worst, you can have one side full (say driver's side), and the other side empty --> 1/2 tank full, the pump will prime, and nothing will make it to the engine. You can add a bit of fuel to the tank which will make it to the passenger's side, and try again. If it starts, you isolated your problem.
The crank position sensor can also be a problem, but first, it needs fuel to start the engine.
You can start diagnosing it either way, but I can tell you I spend a few hours between several days to find out the gauge at 1/3 tank marking, and the passenger's side empty (that is from where the main pump feeds the engine). I did not know I could check the independent fuel levels in the scanner early on.
Good luck
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,138
Likes: 870
04 E55 AMG (totaled), 07 S550 4Matic, 14 E63S
Will these cars start with the CKP unplugged using some default strategy since I assume there is a cam position sensor as well? That would be an easy test and require no parts.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 35
Likes: 3
None (Yet)
Have you scanned the car? Any codes? Assuming no codes; otherwise, address them first if related to the engine
If you heard the pump-priming, let us assume it is working. Then, how much fuel is in the tank? > 1/2 or < 1/2?. Less than 1/2, can your scanner show you the level of fuel on each side of the tank? At worst, you can have one side full (say driver's side), and the other side empty --> 1/2 tank full, the pump will prime, and nothing will make it to the engine. You can add a bit of fuel to the tank which will make it to the passenger's side, and try again. If it starts, you isolated your problem.
The crank position sensor can also be a problem, but first, it needs fuel to start the engine.
You can start diagnosing it either way, but I can tell you I spend a few hours between several days to find out the gauge at 1/3 tank marking, and the passenger's side empty (that is from where the main pump feeds the engine). I did not know I could check the independent fuel levels in the scanner early on.
Good luck
I tried getting codes initially but the car wouldn't communicate with my scanner. I was stumped. I did eventually get it to communicate with the scanner (I feel ashamed to admit that I only had the ignition turned to Position 1 and not Position 2, which is why I wasn't getting codes originally, but we'll ignore that.)
Code P0335. "Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit."
We got the sensor out today. (After alot of swearing, scratched and even cut fingers) It should just be a case of fitting a new crankshaft position sensor and it should be good to go, shouldn't it? Would there be anything else that needs to be done after that other than fitting everything back where it should be, such as clearing codes? One code that did come up was Secondary Air Injection pump, P0410, which should have thrown a CEL, but one wasn't present when it was last ran. Is it possible that it could have been faulty the whole time and this CPS has caused the ECU to pick it up again? We're not sure if that one is a false positive. I believed that the Secondary Air Injection Pump only went out due to a bad relay causing the motor to burn itself out, but we pulled the relay today and it looked fresh, just about as good as one can be, so I don't know if it could have caused a failure.
Last edited by Jodul; Oct 25, 2021 at 05:59 PM. Reason: Additional question added.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,177
Likes: 314
2006 CLS55 AMG, 2005 SLK 350 AMG
There's a full tank of fuel in the tank. Well, almost full. I'd say it's probably 75 litres out of 80 litres. She's thirsty.
I tried getting codes initially but the car wouldn't communicate with my scanner. I was stumped. I did eventually get it to communicate with the scanner (I feel ashamed to admit that I only had the ignition turned to Position 1 and not Position 2, which is why I wasn't getting codes originally, but we'll ignore that.)
Code P0335. "Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit."
We got the sensor out today. (After alot of swearing, scratched and even cut fingers) It should just be a case of fitting a new crankshaft position sensor and it should be good to go, shouldn't it? Would there be anything else that needs to be done after that other than fitting everything back where it should be?
I tried getting codes initially but the car wouldn't communicate with my scanner. I was stumped. I did eventually get it to communicate with the scanner (I feel ashamed to admit that I only had the ignition turned to Position 1 and not Position 2, which is why I wasn't getting codes originally, but we'll ignore that.)
Code P0335. "Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit."
We got the sensor out today. (After alot of swearing, scratched and even cut fingers) It should just be a case of fitting a new crankshaft position sensor and it should be good to go, shouldn't it? Would there be anything else that needs to be done after that other than fitting everything back where it should be?
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 35
Likes: 3
None (Yet)
Alright, thanks. I updated my reply while you were writing this one, and brought up the fact that I also got a P0410 Secondary Air Injection Pump failure, though sceptical about it. Would you be able to help/suggest anything regarding it?
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,966
Likes: 1,315
From: Republic of Texas
'99 and '05 E55 AMG
Connect a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel rail. The Schrader valve is located on the passenger side front of the fuel rail assuming a left hand drive vehicle. Should be approximately 5.1 to 5.2 bar or roughly 78 to 80 psi. Fuel pump activates for one second when key is turned to position two, then fuel pump shuts off until the motor electronics receive a signal that the crankshaft is turning over and the flywheel is activating the crankshaft position sensor. You say this happened after you wash the car. Raise the hood and insure the plastic cover over their motor electronics and front SAM is securely fastened and the rubber cover is on top of that. If those were not fastened tightly you may have gotten water into the motor electronics and/or the front SAM. If that is the case it is imperative you remove all water and dry those circuit boards as rapidly as possible. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 35
Likes: 3
None (Yet)
Connect a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel rail. The Schrader valve is located on the passenger side front of the fuel rail assuming a left hand drive vehicle. Should be approximately 5.1 to 5.2 bar or roughly 78 to 80 psi. Fuel pump activates for one second when key is turned to position two, then fuel pump shuts off until the motor electronics receive a signal that the crankshaft is turning over and the flywheel is activating the crankshaft position sensor. You say this happened after you wash the car. Raise the hood and insure the plastic cover over their motor electronics and front SAM is securely fastened and the rubber cover is on top of that. If those were not fastened tightly you may have gotten water into the motor electronics and/or the front SAM. If that is the case it is imperative you remove all water and dry those circuit boards as rapidly as possible. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
