C230K 2002 - Engine Managment light on

[memyselfandi]

I took my C230K Coupe Sport in to a Independant MB dealer for a A service. I told the dealer there was a small judder when switched to Winter mode and in drive when crawling on idle. When I called them to see what the situation was they told me they were still working on the engine managment fault. I asked what they meant, they said the engine managment light was on. I explained it was ok when i dropped it off. told them the only problem was this judder and twice in the last month the "check Battery/Alternator" Message had come up. They asked me to leave it for another day. On day two I asked for an update. They said that they had replaced

1. The ignition coil
2. The spark plugs

They said it had made no difference, so they checked the cylinders for compression. They said that cylinder 2 was reading 85 something or others and the other cylinders were reading over 110. They said they called Merc who confirmed that there was a problem with a valve seating and it would require a new Cylinder head at a cost of £1750 and 11 hours labour. They told me to collect it and see if I could get Merc to pay for it as it was 2 months out of warranty. I am yet to collect it.

Can anyone help? Does this sound right?

Whats the best plan of attack?
How do i stand when it went in for a service and now they are giving me back my car with a cylinder problem.

I had no issues with power or any rough running when i dropped it off.

Please help!!

Regards

MeMyselfandI
Edit/Delete Message

 

[television]

Not easy. how many miles on the car ?
I do not think that you would have noticed one cylinder being a little down.
this would not have lit the check engine lamp.
I stand to be corrected here, but one normally fit a new valve seat if required or lap the original one.
You do not have to ring MB to ask a basic question.ie Cylinder down to test-
You squirt some oil down the bore,and check,if the reading comes up its rings , if it stays down its valves.
Ask them for the fault code and we can look it up.
You should be able to take the car in the same condition as when you took it in
See what someone else thinks

Malcolm

 

[memyselfandi]

Thanks Malcolm

The car has done 39000 miles. I think that the independant garage called MB to ask what would cause low compression in Cyl 2. Apparently the ECU is detecting the problem in Cyl 2 and is shutting it down and lighting the engine managment light. They seemed to say that it was a known problem and would require a new cylinder head. I must say it seems a bit confident without removing the cylinder head to check. I wish i had not taken the car in now. They say at least they have found the problem. I said what problem?

I will be collecting my car tommorow.

 

[severn]

There is a known problem with cylinder heads on the latest 4 cylinder engine
(271), which indeed causes low compression and requires a new modified cylinder head. This is not fitted to your 2002 c class which will have a 111 engine. Low compression can cause the ecu to shut down the injector to the faulty cylinder if x amount of misfires are detected, or smooth running falls outside the parameters after a set amount of driving cycles.

 

[QUOMAN]

I Am Preety Sure That The Ecu Would Shut Down 1 Complete Coil , Which Would Be 2 Cylinders Also Remember That The Bosch And Vdo Ecu Has A Major Problem With Missfires But Again On 2 Cylinders If This Ecu Is A Vdo I Have Some Information I Could Fax To You Or Maybe (as Mb Singh Did In An Earlier Thread) Contact Me On 020 8853 5000
WATCH OUT FOR FAULT CODE ... PO30/32

 

[memyselfandi]

Thanks Everone for the info. I will contact the garage and get some more info.

Kind Regards

Memyselfandi

 

[memyselfandi]

Spoke to garage. Must say I am impressed. They say that the engine is a 271 which is the one with the faulty cylinder head. They have not had the cylinder head off but they have replaced a few and they are pretty sure that it wont be the piston rings as statistically these do not fail on this engine. He said as it is just 2 months out of warranty to take it back to the dealer and see if i can come to an arrangement with them before they start work.

Can't imagine what arrangement I will be able to negotiate.

Memyselfandaexpensivecar

 

[memyselfandi]

Ok
Collected car. Garage tried to charge me for Ignition coils and Spark plugs which in the notes said they did not cure the fault. Just as described there is a small yellow picture of a engine under the Rev counter which is illuminated but within 10 mins of driving off from the garage it turned off. Does that mean that the fault is cleared? I have been driving it quite a while and still it is off. There does not seem to be any differnce in power with or without the light on.

I just wonder if the garage has replaced the ignition coil and sparks and then done a compression test (allegedly), could this be a mis diagnosis?

The proof will come out as I have booked it in with my stealer for a £100 Diagnostic of the compression.

Any futher advise greatfully recieved.

Memyselfandanowworkingagainmerc

 

[television]

checking bores and valves

any fault codes stored will remain until cleared, these have no effect on the check engine lamp.

static test
To check the compression.

Remove spark plugs. turn the engine over on starter motor not the reading on fiirst stroke
squirt some oil into the cylinder, turn engine over again, if the reading goes up its its worn bores. if it stays the same it is valves, or broken rings.

the symptons on driving.

Broken rings or worn bores the car will smoke all of the time.
If it only smokes momentary say after leaving traffic lights or standing with engine running and you rev the car up, its valves/guides.
I can find no record of this fault on this engine, with a head gaskit fault you would have oil in water or vise versa.
If the car drives OK and stays OK is it worth doing anything,You could wait and see what happens. If the worst happens the car will go into limp home mode and nothing more.

Malcolm

 

[memyselfandi]

Broken rings or worn bores the car will smoke all of the time.
If it only smokes momentary say after leaving traffic lights or standing with engine running and you rev the car up, its valves/guides.
I can find no record of this fault on this engine, with a head gaskit fault you would have oil in water or vise versa.

Malcolm

No smoke in either condition. Good acceleration no warning messages any more. Then again, no engine management light was on when i took it in to the garage.

Garage says no 2 cyl 95ps
Do I even bother to take it back to stealers for a £100 Diagnostic?
They say if it is the engine compression they will absorb the cost of the diagnostic as it is two months out of warranty.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Mark

 

[television]

No smoke in either condition. Good acceleration no warning messages any more. Then again, no engine management light was on when i took it in to the garage.

Garage says no 2 cyl 95ps
Do I even bother to take it back to stealers for a £100 Diagnostic?
They say if it is the engine compression they will absorb the cost of the diagnostic as it is two months out of warranty.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Mark

No,I would not take it in, you know the worst. funny things can and do happen in cars.
If something goes wrong further down the line and you take it in they would not charge for diagnostic if they repaired the car.

Malcolm

 

[memyselfandi]

There is a known problem with cylinder heads on the latest 4 cylinder engine
(271), which indeed causes low compression and requires a new modified cylinder head. This is not fitted to your 2002 c class which will have a 111 engine. Low compression can cause the ecu to shut down the injector to the faulty cylinder if x amount of misfires are detected, or smooth running falls outside the parameters after a set amount of driving cycles.

Thanks Severn you were right!!!!

My C230K 2002 is know with Merc dealership after it failed its MOT on emmisions . They say that it requires a New cylinder head as you said. They are tring to claim off Mercedes as it went out of warranty in september 2005. Could I not claim against Merc myself as It is a known problem and should have been a recall.

Any help please!!!

Memyselfandi