Timmyboy
Member
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2022
- Messages
- 22
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- 18
- Your Mercedes
- 2005 CLK 55 AMG
Well the attached picture is definitely a new automotive low point.
I have an issue and would appreciate any input as I'm a bit lost.
Bit of background at the thread below - my car clearly has some electrical issues going on generally, but none of them (historically anyway) are throwing up codes.
forums.mercedesclub.org.uk
One further symptom to add - lately it has started refusing to crank, so key accepted ok, turn to positions 1/2 with no issue, dash lights up all as expected, shifter shows correct gear etc etc - but turning to position 3 to crank doesn't do anything. Turn the key back off and try again, 9 times out of 10 it then cranks - very occasionally it takes 2 attempts. This is fairly intermittent - possibly 1 in 8 starts.
Reading around, there are a load of threads reporting similar problems and a fair few of them have been solved by a replacement/refurbished EIS - so I thought I'd give that a try to at least rule it out.
EIS sent off, cloned to a replacement 2nd hand part (which I'm on the fence about due to the soldering issues I've read about, but that's my gamble), both parts received back within 8 days. Car left on battery tender in the mean time. As an aside, I didn't notice that the rear offside window wasn't doing the final little 'push' to make a water tight seal against the driver window, so have been needing to tape the seal up with gaffer tape - very glamourous
Fitted the replacement EIS and plugged everything back together - it now won't accept the key, so on inserting it nothing happens (so the lock doesn't disengage, the wheel doesn't move to its usual position etc) and I can't turn the key.
Puzzled, removed the replacement EIS and plugged the original back in - same result. At this stage, car is receiving power as the interior lights work, boot opens, windows drop (but do not push up!), stereo turns on etc etc. Notice that the dash flashes up the mileage then it turns to all dashes e.g. ------, which reading yesterday suggests no communication with the EIS.
Spoke to the refurb place via text/phone and they've made some suggestions on bent pins, fuses etc. but also think there may be a coincidental timing thing going on in that my original intermittent issue has escalated, giving me the symptoms I have now. Won't go into who this is at this point as they're trying - to a point - to help and I imagine get fed up with DIY enthusiasts like me trying to sort out their knackered cars and complaining when they can't manage it but I'm not yet 100% convinced and would expect the original EIS to work either way - unless I have indeed made the problem worse or caused a new one in removing the EIS (broken a wire/connector, blown a fuse etc etc) but nothing is visibly obvious.
So that was the sorry tale until this evening. I though I'd re-trace my steps back to the start, continue with my original EIS fitted and start ploughing through fuses etc etc - but thought disconnecting the battery might be a good starting point. Did this, not realising that the both offside windows would then drop by a good 2 inches which I can't reset due to no accessory power. Given it was (and will be!) raining, panic mode was engage resulting in hasty gaffer taping of available waterproof spare bags from the garage (given I don't even have the option of pushed the car into the garage as I can't disengage the steering lock and it's parked in the wrong spot!).
I'm fairly sure, even though the interior/boot lights were still working, that the dash was no longer displaying anything when opening and closing the door as it was before - but as the rain was coming down hard at this point and I daren't open the other door I didn't look any closer.
Next steps:
1) Buy a car cover - kicking myself for not having an emergency one up my sleeve. Any suggestions? Need a 24 hour delivery from Amazon ideally to arrive tomorrow
2) Finish re-setting the car back to where it was prior to this disaster with the original EIS
3) Go through all the fuses in the 4 known locations (front pre-fuse, interior board in the dash, front and rear SAM) and check for anything that has blown
4) ??
5) ??
6) Give up, find someone qualified to load my dead car on a trailer and drop it at my indy was is 30 minutes ago with my tail between my legs
Any help appreciated - I think the basic question is currently: why is the EIS not getting any power? (unconfirmed, until I check for power at the connectors)
I have an issue and would appreciate any input as I'm a bit lost.
Bit of background at the thread below - my car clearly has some electrical issues going on generally, but none of them (historically anyway) are throwing up codes.
New owner with a few issues/questions
I'm hoping my introduction is now showing in the newbies section :) I've recently bought a 2005 CLK 55 convertible with 98k on the clock. Full and comprehensive main dealer history, the last couple of years looked after by Avantgarde in Clevedon. The car was in constant use until the past 3...
One further symptom to add - lately it has started refusing to crank, so key accepted ok, turn to positions 1/2 with no issue, dash lights up all as expected, shifter shows correct gear etc etc - but turning to position 3 to crank doesn't do anything. Turn the key back off and try again, 9 times out of 10 it then cranks - very occasionally it takes 2 attempts. This is fairly intermittent - possibly 1 in 8 starts.
Reading around, there are a load of threads reporting similar problems and a fair few of them have been solved by a replacement/refurbished EIS - so I thought I'd give that a try to at least rule it out.
EIS sent off, cloned to a replacement 2nd hand part (which I'm on the fence about due to the soldering issues I've read about, but that's my gamble), both parts received back within 8 days. Car left on battery tender in the mean time. As an aside, I didn't notice that the rear offside window wasn't doing the final little 'push' to make a water tight seal against the driver window, so have been needing to tape the seal up with gaffer tape - very glamourous
Fitted the replacement EIS and plugged everything back together - it now won't accept the key, so on inserting it nothing happens (so the lock doesn't disengage, the wheel doesn't move to its usual position etc) and I can't turn the key.
Puzzled, removed the replacement EIS and plugged the original back in - same result. At this stage, car is receiving power as the interior lights work, boot opens, windows drop (but do not push up!), stereo turns on etc etc. Notice that the dash flashes up the mileage then it turns to all dashes e.g. ------, which reading yesterday suggests no communication with the EIS.
Spoke to the refurb place via text/phone and they've made some suggestions on bent pins, fuses etc. but also think there may be a coincidental timing thing going on in that my original intermittent issue has escalated, giving me the symptoms I have now. Won't go into who this is at this point as they're trying - to a point - to help and I imagine get fed up with DIY enthusiasts like me trying to sort out their knackered cars and complaining when they can't manage it
but I'm not yet 100% convinced and would expect the original EIS to work either way - unless I have indeed made the problem worse or caused a new one in removing the EIS (broken a wire/connector, blown a fuse etc etc) but nothing is visibly obvious.So that was the sorry tale until this evening. I though I'd re-trace my steps back to the start, continue with my original EIS fitted and start ploughing through fuses etc etc - but thought disconnecting the battery might be a good starting point. Did this, not realising that the both offside windows would then drop by a good 2 inches which I can't reset due to no accessory power. Given it was (and will be!) raining, panic mode was engage resulting in hasty gaffer taping of available waterproof spare bags from the garage (given I don't even have the option of pushed the car into the garage as I can't disengage the steering lock and it's parked in the wrong spot!).
I'm fairly sure, even though the interior/boot lights were still working, that the dash was no longer displaying anything when opening and closing the door as it was before - but as the rain was coming down hard at this point and I daren't open the other door I didn't look any closer.
Next steps:
1) Buy a car cover - kicking myself for not having an emergency one up my sleeve. Any suggestions? Need a 24 hour delivery from Amazon ideally to arrive tomorrow
2) Finish re-setting the car back to where it was prior to this disaster with the original EIS
3) Go through all the fuses in the 4 known locations (front pre-fuse, interior board in the dash, front and rear SAM) and check for anything that has blown
4) ??
5) ??
6) Give up, find someone qualified to load my dead car on a trailer and drop it at my indy was is 30 minutes ago with my tail between my legs
Any help appreciated - I think the basic question is currently: why is the EIS not getting any power? (unconfirmed, until I check for power at the connectors)
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