E350 CDI Crankshaft Sensor 2nd Failure!

MarkZ

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Has anyone else had any issues with the crankshaft sensor on the E350 CDI?

I replaced my aged high mileage E220CDI Estate with an August 2011 E350 CDI Blue Efficiency Sport 125 in April 2013. I'm very happy with the car, its a personal car although I do a lot of business mileage in it - its perfect for the task and to me represents Mercedes back to its best.

In September the crankshaft sensor failed and had to be replaced, the car had covered 22,000 miles - I put it down to bad luck, my local dealer diagnosed and replaced it and arranged a courtesy car. Apart from the inconvenience no real issue, the car ran perfectly, great performance and reasonably fuel economy - all very impressive.

Yesterday I started to experience further engine problems - stuttering predominantly and the orange warning symbol illuminating.

As it happens I was able to drop into the local Mercedes dealer who put it on the diagnostic tester whilst I waited and hey presto its the crankshaft sensor again. The car mileage is just short of 30,000.

I'm struggling to believe its coincidence that a second crankshaft sensor would fail so quickly - I'm just wondering if anybody else has experienced this.

In fairness the MB dealer did suggest it was more complicated than just the sensor and they would need the car for longer to investigate more fully, they then informed me it would be some time before they could look at this issue as a courtesy car was not available and I may like to go the "Mobilo" route, I pointed out it may be quicker if I went the "calling Mercedes Benz UK route" - that seemed to possibly open up the opportunity (to be advised) of a courtesy car for tomorrow evening!

I'm surprised that the availability of a courtesy car even had to be discussed for what is obviously a warranty issue, does anybody understand how the warranty courtesy car system works - is this a direct cost that the dealer has to fund or is it a MB UK responsibility?

Cheers

Mark Z
 
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television

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Crank shaft sensor and the way they are made is their own enemy.

Take an iron core, wind a few thousand turns of thin copper wire around it, put it in the tube and pot it. All the materials used have different expansion rates, and this cause the wire to break when the engine is hot.

Its bad luck to have another go so soon.
 
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MarkZ

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Its a possibility, however I've worked in the electronics industry for many years and I can't believe that sensor companies haven't solved the manufacturing challenges of producing reliable sensors.

Personally, I don't think this is what's causing my problem, the problem is now intermittant - it doesn't seem to be temperature or engine load related.

I did see a print out of a nice square wave with an obviously missing cycle today, the rise and fall times were very fast - I assumed it was an optical sensor rather than an inductive one - does anyone know what technology the Mercedes crank sensor transducer uses - I'm guessing hall effect would be the other option.

I'm wondering if its some debris in the system?

Cheers

MarkZ
 

Cole@MBS

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These were a problem from new, there was a recall on this later sensor which we were doing road side, trouble was, we were replacing them with the same part number sensor, hence, down the road we used to be back out replacing them again......
 

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Purely inductive picking up the teeth on the flywheel
 
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MarkZ

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These were a problem from new, there was a recall on this later sensor which we were doing road side, trouble was, we were replacing them with the same part number sensor, hence, down the road we used to be back out replacing them again......

Thanks for this. Are you still replacing them with the same or have Mercedes resolved properly - can't say I'm looking forward to having a "Consumable" sensor!

Cheers

Mark Z
 
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MarkZ

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Purely inductive picking up the teeth on the flywheel

Thanks - I'll stand corrected, trace did look very clean, shame it was missing a cycle...


Cheers

MarkZ
 

television

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The 2 pin Bosch version is over £100 now :shock: this one that MB are using now is a 3 pin version selling at £23, mine went on my CL just after I bought it, I may keep one as a spare.

There some by other makes on Ebay but they do not last long enough to start the car twice
 

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Cole@MBS

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Thanks for this. Are you still replacing them with the same or have Mercedes resolved properly - can't say I'm looking forward to having a "Consumable" sensor!

Cheers

Mark Z

Updated number nowdays..........
 

television

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Thanks - I'll stand corrected, trace did look very clean, shame it was missing a cycle...


Cheers

MarkZ

I believe there is a tooth missing at TDC
 


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