1999 C180 : shudder at rest after kick down

Tontastic

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
164
Reaction score
0
Location
Glasgow
Website
www.tontastic.com
Your Mercedes
ML 270 CDI 2001 ; C180 1999
Just got the car back from an A service and some work for MOT which included a couple of autobox pipes being replaced. All was going well until I used the kickdown to overtake someone (Was going at 30 at time, might have reached 45 while overtaking) ... the engine seemed to rev highly without any huge surge in power (normal i know for a C180!). When I slowed for some lights there was a distinctive shudder in the car (2-3 Hz) which seemed to ease when driving. When I restarted the engine it was gone, but came back when i experimented with another kickdown. Only noticeable really when going very slow, slightly less noticeable when in neutral. Popped the bonnet and the engine was rocking away to itself, again ... disappears if engine is restarted.

I'll give the independent a call tomorrow morning but I always like to have some inkling in advance if anyone can shed some light on this ...

Its an FSH 65K car ... so not high miler
 
Last edited:

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
I would love to help,,but I am lost on this one:(
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
sounds like it is going into cylinder shut down to protect the cat. the engine management detects misfiring - even very slight misfiring you may not notice - and will shut down cylinder/s as it feels appropriate in order to protect it's cat from excess fuel and air which can overheat it.

likely causes are air mass sensor or failing ignition system components. the air mass sensor scenario is especially likely if the battery has been disconnected for any reason.

get back to us with fault codes if you can, expect p0300 and one or more of p0301 p0302 p0303 p0304. if you also get p0170 or p0130 this points to air mass sensor, live and adaptive data will back it up.
 
OP
T

Tontastic

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
164
Reaction score
0
Location
Glasgow
Website
www.tontastic.com
Your Mercedes
ML 270 CDI 2001 ; C180 1999
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #4
sounds like it is going into cylinder shut down to protect the cat. the engine management detects misfiring - even very slight misfiring you may not notice - and will shut down cylinder/s as it feels appropriate in order to protect it's cat from excess fuel and air which can overheat it.

likely causes are air mass sensor or failing ignition system components. the air mass sensor scenario is especially likely if the battery has been disconnected for any reason.

get back to us with fault codes if you can, expect p0300 and one or more of p0301 p0302 p0303 p0304. if you also get p0170 or p0130 this points to air mass sensor, live and adaptive data will back it up.

Thanks for that. After spending > £600 for the work and a couple of tyres thats all I need! At least the MAF would be a cheap enough option I guess? Do you think if i disconnected the MAF and repeated the failure steps it would prevent it from happening?
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Most car will run well with it disconnected,,though the idle may not be good, it should prove the point
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
as malcolm says, this could well prove diagnostic. i am sure we would both recommend the services of a mercedes specialist independant though........
 
OP
T

Tontastic

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
164
Reaction score
0
Location
Glasgow
Website
www.tontastic.com
Your Mercedes
ML 270 CDI 2001 ; C180 1999
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
as malcolm says, this could well prove diagnostic. i am sure we would both recommend the services of a mercedes specialist independant though........

I gave my indie a call and he suggested (unprompted by me!) that it might be the MAF on the way out. He advised not to unplug the MAF though to verify this since it would put lots more codes into the system.

Since I am skint I will just have to wait until it affects normal driving before I do something about it. He said that the Merc part would be about £220 but agreed that one from Bosch direct might be cheaper. Just need to trawl through some threads on here and see if I can find a decent supplier to avoid getting a fake/cheap clone.
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
as long as it is genuine bosch in a bosch box and the correct part number all wil be ok. try euro carparts or german swedish and cheese eating surrender monkeys :D.
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Unplugging the MAF does not leave fault codes,,never been any problems with hundreds unplugged

£147 from Bosh
 
OP
T

Tontastic

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
164
Reaction score
0
Location
Glasgow
Website
www.tontastic.com
Your Mercedes
ML 270 CDI 2001 ; C180 1999
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #10
Unplugging the MAF does not leave fault codes,,never been any problems with hundreds unplugged

£147 from Bosh

I'm starting to trawl through the many many threads on MAFs on here ... am i right in thinking that it is cheaper to just replace the part inside the MAF and keep the plastic tube bit?
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
I'm starting to trawl through the many many threads on MAFs on here ... am i right in thinking that it is cheaper to just replace the part inside the MAF and keep the plastic tube bit?

Yes correct and this cost about £57, so you save £100
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Now let me think ... £220 from merc + fitting or £57 plus my trusty torx set ...

You do have to remove the 2 screws,,so you are working or earning that money
 
OP
T

Tontastic

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
164
Reaction score
0
Location
Glasgow
Website
www.tontastic.com
Your Mercedes
ML 270 CDI 2001 ; C180 1999
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #14
Quick update ... disconnected the MAF and took it for a spin ... seemed in general to drive a little better... the problem on kickdown went away. It did "stall" (can automatics stall or is there another term?) once and thought about it another time. Is that normal when the MAF is disconnected?
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
yes, expect poor running at idle and when returning to idle. if your problem on kickdown HAS gone away then it does suggest the maf.
 
OP
T

Tontastic

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
164
Reaction score
0
Location
Glasgow
Website
www.tontastic.com
Your Mercedes
ML 270 CDI 2001 ; C180 1999
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #16
It got worse, which prompted me to splash all of £20 odd pounds with Dronsfields through ebay for a new (to me) MAF. I was slightly apprehensive that this would obviously a 2nd hand MAF but the lure of the low price won me over. My wife says its like driving a new car, problem appears to be completely fixed. Happy Days (for now).
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Pleased it turned out OK in the end :D:D
 


www.W140.co.uk&www.r129.co
Specialist in parts for W140 and R129 Mercedes-Benz models.
Top Bottom