2004 C240 problems

[jcat]

Car was bought recently but has a couple problems.

1) The speedometer area has a light or lights out. Can't see anything on the lefthand side. The LCD is half lit on the right hand side. How do you get to those bulbs?

2) The check engine light is on. We took the car to a local parts store and had them hook a computer to it. The code read that we have an air intake problem. Salesman suggested we spray cleaner on the intake before replacing the sensor. If this doesn't work where is this sensor?

3) Car runs sluggish. If the gas pedal is suddenly pressed the engine pauses like it is going to die, then will rev up. Is this caused by the air intake problem or something else?

Thanks.

 

[television]

Hello and welcome.

The whole instrument cluster is pulled out from the front with special tools or it can be pushed out from the rear by hand to replace the lamps.

Re the warning lamp, this could be the MAF filter on the way out, you can try cleaning, or you could unplug it to see what the change is.

They are much cheaper from a Bosch service center than MB

 

[jibcl500]

Your air flow meter is dead, cleaning it wont make and difference as its a petrol car. There will be a blug visible on the top of it, where your air filter box is it should be above that, is yours a compressor or standard 2.4.

If you unplug the air flow meter with the engine running the engine should stall, clear indication the AFM is duff.
If you can put a picture up of the engine bay I can circle the area to look.
jib

 

[jcat]

Thanks for the welcome and your help!!

This car had previously been in a flood. The water level supposedly came to the bottom of the seats. I have removed the seats and carpet, let them air-dry and re-installed them. The only damage I have found from the water is the electric seats don't tilt up and down. Water in the motors, blown fuse?? I have unplugged them several times and it didn't help.

Back to my original problems....I haven't tried to push out the instrument panel yet to get to the dashboard lights. Hopefully, I will do that this weekend.

I'm not sure how to put up a picture but I think I have found the "air flow meter" or "air mass meter", whichever is the correct term. I will attempt to link a picture. http://69.0.158.19/live/B313098298BOS.JPG

I started the car and pulled out the plug. The car continued to run. It didn't seem to make any difference.

Thanks again for your help

 

[television]

That should be your problem, if it is a Bosch go to Bosch they are ½ the price of MB

 

[jcat]

Thanks Malcolm.

If the meter is working properly the engine would die when I pulled the plug? It kept running as though nothing happened.

I'll find out what a Bosch meter costs and get one.

 

[jcat]

I unhooked the battery, replaced the MAF, and then hooked the battery back up. Presto...the check engine light is out. The engine idles fine and no hesitation when pressing the gas pedal. Thanks for the help. Now I need to replace the air filters....they looked pretty bad.

Next project was the lights on the speedometer. I have removed the cover from under the dash. I can get my hand up in there on the left side but its very tight on the right side. I don't think I'm even getting up in there far enough. Does it take much force to get the panel to pop out? I don't want to break something or pull a wire loose and cause more problems.

What do the tools look like that MB uses to remove the panel from the front? Could they be made from a couple of small bent screwdrivers or something?

Thanks.

 

[Ron Palfrey]

Like thin welding wire I think. Bent at the ends to form hooks. They should be about 15cm long, with 1cm at the ends bent over at 45 degrees. Insert the tools at the sides of the instrument panel, roughly in line with the centres of the instruments. Insert the tools by approx 8cm, then twist them round through 90 deg so that the bent parts wrap around the rear of the panel.
Pull the tools carefully rearwards until the ends engage in the locking ribs behind the instrument panel.
Pulling on each tool alternately (do not pull both together), extract the panel a little at a time on each side until it is clear of the fascia panel. Splay the tools apart slightly, so that the ends do not slip out of the ribs behind the panel.
When they are accessible, release the locking clips securing the two wiring connectors, and disconnect the wiring from the rear of the panel.
Or at least, that's how it is on my C280.
Good luck,
Ron

 

[television]

You can buy the tools from MB they do not cost much

 

[jcat]

Any chance of this being covered under the instrument cluster recall?

 

[jberks]

Any chance of this being covered under the instrument cluster recall?

not for a bulb! Pull it out, replace all the bulbs (or it will look odd) and pop it back. I suspect the whole job will cost £10 if you're unlucky.

 

[jcat]

I've removed the instrument cluster.

I tried again to push it out from under the dash with no luck. So...I made a tool from a piece of high tensile electric fence wire about 30cm long. Its pretty stiff wire. A hook on one end as mentioned above and the other end I wrapped around a bolt. The tool was probably a little less than 20cm in length when finished. I inserted the tool at both entry points with the hook end pointing toward the steering wheel. Once the hook was in as far as it would go(about 8cm) I twisted it so that the hook pointed upwards. I could feel it catch on to something. Then just started pulling it out one side at a time as mentioned. It was in there pretty tight and was a good struggle but it eventually came out.

I only made one tool and used it on both sides of the cluster. I thought I was gonna have to remove the steering wheel also, but was able to jiggle the cluster around and squeeze it by the dash and wheel. It only had one wiring connection to the whole thing. I was expecting multiple connections and a speedometer cable.

Now comes the part I'm worried about. I have removed the cluster from its outer shell. Now the cluster must be opened to access the bulbs. Is this thing gonna spring open and parts fly everywhere? I began to open it last night and the dials started falling off the gauges so I decided to wait.

Thanks.

 

[BlackC55]

Not for dash bulbs. That was on s-classes as well.

The dash removal hooks are not ideal for the 203 as they are different than the others (202,210,208 etc)

Radio removal pins do the job and are the correct tool.

Using dash hooks insert them into the slots and turn them 90deg. Pull lightly (try not to damage) and the cluster should pull out. No need to remove the undertray.

 

[BlackC55]

The bulbs are in litte holders in the back of the dash. Don't open it up!!!

Twist the holders to remove.

 

[jcat]

Thanks to all who have responded so far!!

This is a 2004 C240 model.

I haven't been able to locate any kind of bulb inside the dash. The cluster is inside a shell so I don't see how it would get light anyway.? There are no bulbs in the shell part either. Appears to me the bulbs would have to be inside the cluster itself.

Thanks

 

[television]

Thanks to all who have responded so far!!

This is a 2004 C240 model.

I haven't been able to locate any kind of bulb inside the dash. The cluster is inside a shell so I don't see how it would get light anyway.? There are no bulbs in the shell part either. Appears to me the bulbs would have to be inside the cluster itself.

Thanks

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...623716.634&CT=F&cat=69J&SID=54&SGR=585&SGN=23

you could be right, what is the vin 203261, if it is I will look further

 

[jcat]

I have a number similar to that, found inside the door. A203 584 29 79. This is not part of the vin number found at the bottom edge of the windshield.

 

[jcat]

Nevermind that last post.

I see a number on the cluster shell, it is- A 203 540 28 47

 

[jcat]

Is that the number your asking for? It came from the outer shell of the instrument cluster.

 

[television]

It was the chassis nunmber. It looks like this one will be a re call as there are no bulbs in this one