Engine Management Light

LostKiwi

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Just picked up the Carsoft MBII from the post office (great bit of kit by the way), and it has told me that I have three error codes. P0546(twice)/P2081

1. Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor High Bank 1 Sensor 1
2. Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit Intermittent Bank 1 Sensor 1
3. Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit High Bank 1 Sensor 1

In layman terms what does this mean?

I would clear the codes and see what comes back.
Sometimes old errors can linger and throw you off the track.
 
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GeoffCapes

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I would clear the codes and see what comes back.
Sometimes old errors can linger and throw you off the track.

The message only came up this week for the first time.

Do they randomly throw up messages?

Apologies for the stupidity, Mercs aren't my area of expertise. Broken down Maserati's on the other hand.......
 

LostKiwi

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The message only came up this week for the first time.

Do they randomly throw up messages?

Apologies for the stupidity, Mercs aren't my area of expertise. Broken down Maserati's on the other hand.......
No they don't normally throw random errors but sometimes you can have a transient issue or an issue that is never serious enough to trigger a visible fault (failing cats are a good example - they can run for several hundred miles with no visible issues but reading codes will show a stored code). Sometimes the transient error that records a stored code will self resolve (poor fuel or low battery for example) but won't clear from the ECU. Always best where possible to clear the codes (after noting them down) then seeing what comes back so you don't end up chasing ghosts.
 
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GeoffCapes

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No they don't normally throw random errors but sometimes you can have a transient issue or an issue that is never serious enough to trigger a visible fault (failing cats are a good example - they can run for several hundred miles with no visible issues but reading codes will show a stored code). Sometimes the transient error that records a stored code will self resolve (poor fuel or low battery for example) but won't clear from the ECU. Always best where possible to clear the codes (after noting them down) then seeing what comes back so you don't end up chasing ghosts.

Thanks for that, very useful. Just cleared the codes. And guess what?

CEL has not returned. After two drives. So Far.

Good bit of kit though. Will use it on the ML later.
 

LostKiwi

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Thanks for that, very useful. Just cleared the codes. And guess what?

CEL has not returned. After two drives. So Far.

Good bit of kit though. Will use it on the ML later.
And whien it does return we will know the codes posted will be valid to the problem. Much easier to fault find.
 
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GeoffCapes

GeoffCapes

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And whien it does return we will know the codes posted will be valid to the problem. Much easier to fault find.

The CEL is back. Obviously a fault which needs looking at. Back to the original question. What do they mean? In layman’s terms.
 
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GeoffCapes

GeoffCapes

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Yep.
 

Botus

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A CAT sensor getting old I expect.

P0546
P2081

1. Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor High Bank 1 Sensor 1
2. Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit Intermittent Bank 1 Sensor 1
3. Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit High Bank 1 Sensor 1
 
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GeoffCapes

GeoffCapes

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A CAT sensor getting old I expect.

P0546
P2081

1. Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor High Bank 1 Sensor 1
2. Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit Intermittent Bank 1 Sensor 1
3. Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit High Bank 1 Sensor 1

Any idea of cost? and whether it's a diy job?
 

Botus

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your getting different codes to my fathers E280 CDI. Buts its common for the sensor to fail, how would you feel after 100k miles in very hot gasses for 10 years

they have heating elements inside that fail, and the bit that measures stuff can get dirty, from short runs, poor fuel, misfires, age etc.

on petrol cars they often have two one to tell the engine what to do (expensive 120 to 160) and another further downstream to check the first one is doing its job (cheap 30 to 40).
on fathers CDI it only has one ( I got bosch one for 110).
have read here people referring to exhaust back pressure sensor but not too sure what they mean.

they can be a right bugger to swap, as they can be extremely tight and use funny sizes for the tool / spanners.
on some you have to pull down the engine / transmission covers to get at them (a phaf).

I went to a local garage gave them 30 quid and they fitted it inside 20 mins
 
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GeoffCapes

GeoffCapes

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Sounds like a job for the local garage then. I’ve got hands like JCB buckets!
 

LostKiwi

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and another further downstream to check the first one is doing its job
Not quite right Botus. The first one is used to adjust mixtures and the second one checks the cat is working efficiently.
 

Botus

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Not quite right Botus. The first one is used to adjust mixtures and the second one checks the cat is working efficiently.

I prefer what I wrote
 

steveq

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Hi,

I had the P0546 fault on my 2011 C220 CDI about a year ago. I know it is a different engine to yours but there must be some similarities -- at least in the fault codes and causes.

I ended up replacing the sensor that is bolted into the exhaust manifold.
It is a fiddly job to do -- I ended up doing it twice so I got faster at it (I did a write up on this forum). The actual sensor is relatively easy to replace -- the difficult aspects are removing other parts to get at it and removing/refitting the cable.
Maybe it is easier on the V6?

Your iCarsoft will display the values that that sensor is showing. I suggest that you look at the values when the engine is cold/not running and when the engine is hot/running. Mine was showing high values all the time (as far as I recall) -- they were certainly implausible.

Best of luck with it.
 

steveq

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I should have said that when I investigated the P0546 code I found out that it was the Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor upstream of the Turbo.
That can only be the temp sensor in the exhaust manifold.

If yours is the same fault you will have to ascertain which is Bank 1
 
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GeoffCapes

GeoffCapes

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I took the car to MasterTech in Ashford and they diagnosed it was the exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor upstream of the turbo.

They did the work that day and were a fraction of the cost of a Main Dealer. Handy as I drove to Newcastle the next day.

Would thoroughly recommend them.
 

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