E300 Hybrid System not engaging

[kotecki]

We haven't solved the problem because one day his car behaves the same as mine, the next day it is completely different.
Incidentally, is your car plug-in as well?

Yes, we have both options. Direct from the mains or via the more powerful quick charge option. We tend to use the mains and let the solar panels 'take the strain' REALLY cheap option.

 

[RDS]

Sounds ideal.
I have Solar panels as well, most of which usually goes back to the grid.

 

[kotecki]

Sounds ideal.
I have Solar panels as well, most of which usually goes back to the grid.

£2077 for our last quarter. We had to take a picture of the reading.. I love Tony Blair

 

[V6Matty]

The older E300 is a mild hybrid, as in there is no plug in option to charge, and will drive a couple of miles on battery if you are very gentle on the throttle. The newer models E300e for example are PHEV, meaning you plug in to charge the battery and can drive a reasonable distance before it switches over, it can also drive up to a decent speed which the mild hybrid can’t (max 40mph if I remember correctly).

 

[Fentoozler90]

Noticing a pattern now over the past few mornings
Starts up 5:30am on diesel instantly
Drive 2 minutes to the petrol station to buy Costa coffee
Get back in the car and it runs on electric for around 10 minutes it works as it should
Driven a further 80 minutes to work where it hasn’t cut over to electric a single time since
Get back in the car to drive home 17:00
Runs for around 10 minutes on and off electric
After that doesn’t switch back and forth again all the way home

Anyone any ideas?

 

[RDS]

I wouldn't imagine that the 10 minutes is relevant other than the car will have reached a certain temperature after that time.
I can relate to the cold start on Diesel and then Electric after a very short run. These cooler mornings, mine is exactly the same. (not tested at 05:30!)
I can also relate to the 17:00 start up and run because the ambient air temperature will be higher than at 05:30. Again mine is the same.

It sounds like it could be Temperature dependant, in that some part of your Hybrid system is somehow disabled over a certain engine? temperature.

Whatever it is, from what you have said over the last few days - it is consistent and that could help a Hybrid specialist to analyse the problem.

I really hope you get it sorted

 

[E300 Hybrid 2012]

Greetings - I am not sure this thread is still alive as some time has passed since the last posting. I wanted to give it it try though as I have a peculiar problem with my E300 Diesel Hybrid from 2012. If anyone has some ideas I would be really grateful - I have a problem that comes on and off. The problem is that the car does not go into hybrid mode but "gets stuck" in normal diesel mode and the READY lamp lights up yellow. It seems to be mainly on long drives after about two hours. On the occasions that it would switch between hybrid and diesel operation, the car jerks strongly for a very short time (second) and then behaves normally again. The hybrid battery charges as usual and the gearbox works as it should. After a while (minutes sometimes hours when driving long distances) or the next day when one has rested, the car goes back to working as it should as a hybrid. This problem happens on and off. There may be days when everything works as usual. Replaced the normal and AUX battery relatively recently and it is fully serviced at Mercedes. Any thoughts please?

 

[Srdl]

Welcome. I’m not sure you will get much help here as the hybrid systems are so complex. You must have one of the first Mercedes Hybrids and they were rushed to market and pretty unreliable in those days. I’m almost surprised that it’s still going after 11 years but, as with the previous enquiries, you probably need to find a hybrid specialist, I don’t think Mercedes dealers will have that sort of expertise, sadly.

 

[Nigel Hewitt]

It's not just that it needs the diesel to run the aircon or some variation of that?

 

[E300 Hybrid 2012]

It's not just that it needs the diesel to run the aircon or some variation of that?

A Mercedes dealer asked the same - if the ac didn’t work properly when this happened or after - but it did…. and nothing changed in the climate that had it to work harder either. If so one would assume that one of the regular batteries were poor (which I believe they are not as I recently replaced them - 3yrs ago). It also wouldn’t explain the jerking of the car.

 

[Trev1964]

A regular battery can be bad in less than 3 years, I've had that myself.

 

[E300 Hybrid 2012]

A regular battery can be bad in less than 3 years, I've had that myself.

True…..

 

[E300 Hybrid 2012]

True…..

So hypothetically in case the AUX (?) battery would be bad, this could happen?

 

[V6Matty]

So hypothetically in case the AUX (?) battery would be bad, this could happen?

As a first port of call then testing it would certainly rule it out as a potential issue for very little effort,
The jerking though is the bit that gets me, that does sound more like something being sticky

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Gearboxes have been an issue on these cars I remember many owners having problems with the electric motor/engine engagement transfer of drive. I’d ring around your local MB Independents and have a chat to see who has any experience with these cars

 

[E300 Hybrid 2012]

today the car broke down on the highway - it didn't respond to throttle and then the gear switched in to N - I pulled over and then got ""without changing gear consult workshop" error message and it was impossible to put in D or even start the car. I had to tow it to nearest Mercedes authorized workshop and take a train ide home...... awaiting the verdict and damage with anticipation - at least they should have plenty of errors codes for finding the cause instead of just trying to diagnose an error that comes and goes....... it is a bummer that I didn't have time to make a health check of the battery before leaving with the new CTEK MXS I bought

 

[star]

We have one in as we speak, slight click on starting from hybrid starting system, it then switches to the normal starter which starts and then turns off. A shaft in gearbox sheers, if not repairable, a gearbox will cost you £8-12,000. Can’t remember the exact cost. The hybrid battery cast £12-14000 plus vat.

 

[E300 Hybrid 2012]

We have one in as we speak, slight click on starting from hybrid starting system, it then switches to the normal starter which starts and then turns off. A shaft in gearbox sheers, if not repairable, a gearbox will cost you £8-12,000. Can’t remember the exact cost. The hybrid battery cast £12-14000 plus vat.

With that type of damage I would have to terminate the car is the damage comes close to the value of the car…. Would be sort of sad after only 190.000kms…it would have had many more years …..the strange thing is that all these three incidents including the last total failure occurs approximately 2hrs after commencing driving or 200kms

 

[E300 Hybrid 2012]

The MB is now officially dead. They found pieces of metal in the through of the gearbox at inspection. Quoted me 18kEUR for replacing the gearbox. So I will look for someone buying the car as is for a decent prices as it besides this is in mint condition for its age. I am surprised though that this type of fault happens on a Mercedes that is maintained regularly on a part like this. Shouldn’t have to happen. I guess it is bad luck and or poor build from the beginning.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Yes it is sad the W/S 212 is a very well made car I can testify to that but unfortunately this was MB’s first venture into Hybrid technology and was rushed to market all the German manufacturers we caught out with how quickly the market changed in favour of electric propulsion at the time