haydown
Member
Having seen many senior members' responses to prior postings about this problem, first hand experience of my own has to concur - "how right they are"!
W210 E240 Avantgarde Estate - "B" service at my local MB dealership on 28th February 2008. Two days later, the engine just cut-out and dies when on the road - dangerous and damned right annoying!
This occurred infrequently over the succeeding two weeks. Sometimes the engine would re-start after a few minutes - other times much longer.
I was muddling through, having spent thousands on this car since its purchase in June 2007 from a private vendor and just spent £417+ on the B service, I was feeling "brassic" and couldn't face another MB bill!! Have I bought a "pup"?
Monday 17th March, had to travel to Wokingham for a meeting. Engine cut-out when just entering the M4 slip road at J13 5 minutes from home!
10 minutes later, engine started, drove to Wokingham some 30 miles away and no problems. Office car park was full and I blocked everyone else in where I was able to park. Left the office with my MD to go on for our meeting - he said we will go in your car can't get to mine!
Well - embarrassing or what? E240 just would not start! MD and two other burly guys pushed my car to another location out of the way. We jumped into the MD's Bentley Continental GT and were on our way!
Got back to the office two hours later. Tried my car and it started straight away - Ah! thought I, leave the engine running while I nip into the office for 5 minutes - play safe! Left office 10 minutes later - the engine had cut out whilst on tick-over.
I took an hour and a half before I managed to get the engine running again. Left the office and a quarter of a mile later at the railway crossing by Wokingham Station, the barriers were down and I had to stop. The engine cut out again!!!
I was half way across a busy road, partially blocking a level crossing - did I curse? Yes - of course did! So did all the other road users at this busy peak hour traffic period!
Being an "old hand now" with my Mobilo Warranty, I rang MB Rescue. 20 minutes later the rescue lorry arrived and had to park the other side of the level crossing. The car was gingerly pushed across the busy rail line between the barriers going up and down like a fiddler's elbow! (Clearly when they were "up")!
Recovered back to home near Newbury. MB rescue had in the meantime arranged for a MB Technician to come to my home the next morning. (9 am the Technician arrives, I outline the symptoms - he said straight away "Crankshaft Sensor"! Hooked-up his Star diagnostic computer and lo and behold the code fault was "crankshaft sensor".
The Technician had a new one one board his vehicle. In the meantime I told him about my "Catastrophic Engine Failure" and my "Tale of Woe - Exeter and Back?" (previous postings). My old lump was sitting in my garage and he suggested that to save me money he could remove the sensor from the "old" engine and fit in my "new" engine. I mulled this over, the old lump had done twice as many miles (at circa 86k) than the replacement engine, and maybe with the original sensor.
I chose the "wise-course" and went for "new" rather than "used". The new sensor was fitted within some 15 minutes and less than an hour since arriving (including coffees and chats), the technician was on his way! Again my Mobilo Warranty to the rescue! Cost of new sensor £73 + VAT and no expensive MB dealership labour costs incurred!
Not a problem since with this earlier fault, (although it is only 4 days since the new sensor was fitted).
I now "drive with confidence" - new engine, new cylinder head, new service, new bodywork repairs, new sensor! Could life be sweeter?
ANYWAY - THE SOLUTION - CRANKSHAFT SENSOR!
Thought that I might bore you all with the post!
W210 E240 Avantgarde Estate - "B" service at my local MB dealership on 28th February 2008. Two days later, the engine just cut-out and dies when on the road - dangerous and damned right annoying!
This occurred infrequently over the succeeding two weeks. Sometimes the engine would re-start after a few minutes - other times much longer.
I was muddling through, having spent thousands on this car since its purchase in June 2007 from a private vendor and just spent £417+ on the B service, I was feeling "brassic" and couldn't face another MB bill!! Have I bought a "pup"?
Monday 17th March, had to travel to Wokingham for a meeting. Engine cut-out when just entering the M4 slip road at J13 5 minutes from home!
10 minutes later, engine started, drove to Wokingham some 30 miles away and no problems. Office car park was full and I blocked everyone else in where I was able to park. Left the office with my MD to go on for our meeting - he said we will go in your car can't get to mine!
Well - embarrassing or what? E240 just would not start! MD and two other burly guys pushed my car to another location out of the way. We jumped into the MD's Bentley Continental GT and were on our way!
Got back to the office two hours later. Tried my car and it started straight away - Ah! thought I, leave the engine running while I nip into the office for 5 minutes - play safe! Left office 10 minutes later - the engine had cut out whilst on tick-over.
I took an hour and a half before I managed to get the engine running again. Left the office and a quarter of a mile later at the railway crossing by Wokingham Station, the barriers were down and I had to stop. The engine cut out again!!!
I was half way across a busy road, partially blocking a level crossing - did I curse? Yes - of course did! So did all the other road users at this busy peak hour traffic period!
Being an "old hand now" with my Mobilo Warranty, I rang MB Rescue. 20 minutes later the rescue lorry arrived and had to park the other side of the level crossing. The car was gingerly pushed across the busy rail line between the barriers going up and down like a fiddler's elbow! (Clearly when they were "up")!
Recovered back to home near Newbury. MB rescue had in the meantime arranged for a MB Technician to come to my home the next morning. (9 am the Technician arrives, I outline the symptoms - he said straight away "Crankshaft Sensor"! Hooked-up his Star diagnostic computer and lo and behold the code fault was "crankshaft sensor".
The Technician had a new one one board his vehicle. In the meantime I told him about my "Catastrophic Engine Failure" and my "Tale of Woe - Exeter and Back?" (previous postings). My old lump was sitting in my garage and he suggested that to save me money he could remove the sensor from the "old" engine and fit in my "new" engine. I mulled this over, the old lump had done twice as many miles (at circa 86k) than the replacement engine, and maybe with the original sensor.
I chose the "wise-course" and went for "new" rather than "used". The new sensor was fitted within some 15 minutes and less than an hour since arriving (including coffees and chats), the technician was on his way! Again my Mobilo Warranty to the rescue! Cost of new sensor £73 + VAT and no expensive MB dealership labour costs incurred!
Not a problem since with this earlier fault, (although it is only 4 days since the new sensor was fitted).
I now "drive with confidence" - new engine, new cylinder head, new service, new bodywork repairs, new sensor! Could life be sweeter?
ANYWAY - THE SOLUTION - CRANKSHAFT SENSOR!
Thought that I might bore you all with the post!
