Fuel starvation

barose

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E350 2011 Obsidian Black, CLS350 2013 Silver
I have a superb 2013 CLS350 Shooting Brake, 50k miles FMB history. I was driving on a dual carriageway and the engine started hunting for fuel, then stopped, and refused to restart. Under normal circumstances I would have figured it was my fault, fair enough. However the fuel gauge said almost a quarter tank and the computer said 100 miles. The AA got me home after a fashion but that was another story for another time.
Once home and the battery recharged and a gallon of diesel added it started and ran perfectly. Total fuel added from incident about 65/66 litres to full.
Having puzzled for some time, the only explanation I can figure, which I really would like some opinions on, is that though the spec says it has an enlarged tank (80 litres) and the car is set up for an enlarged tank. the car has in fact got the standard tank of 66 litres.
Is this at all possible?
 

LostKiwi

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Haven't we dealt with this already?
 
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barose

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Yes that is true. However I had hoped for an opinion on the question I posed. I did figure going to MB but pondered the response from them and having an engineer at £120 per hour trying to figure it out. Perhaps MB is the only option since it appears to be a very rare problem. Best regards
 

BClassChris

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Call me old fashioned but don’t tanks still run on floats - sounds like a stuck float to me.

I’d look at the dimensions of the large tank on internet and compare to yours as well it will paint a better picture


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Steve@Avantgarde

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I have a superb 2013 CLS350 Shooting Brake, 50k miles FMB history. I was driving on a dual carriageway and the engine started hunting for fuel, then stopped, and refused to restart. Under normal circumstances I would have figured it was my fault, fair enough. However the fuel gauge said almost a quarter tank and the computer said 100 miles. The AA got me home after a fashion but that was another story for another time.
Once home and the battery recharged and a gallon of diesel added it started and ran perfectly. Total fuel added from incident about 65/66 litres to full.
Having puzzled for some time, the only explanation I can figure, which I really would like some opinions on, is that though the spec says it has an enlarged tank (80 litres) and the car is set up for an enlarged tank. the car has in fact got the standard tank of 66 litres.
Is this at all possible?

No, it isn't possible. But a faulty fuel tank sender unit is, or possibly the swirl pot chamber, which is especially common in C Classes etc.

I think you ran out of fuel, plain and simple.
 
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barose

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E350 2011 Obsidian Black, CLS350 2013 Silver
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Good reponses and I appreciate that. However the CLS350 surely did run out of fuel, classic symptoms. It took 65 litres to fill up, which would indicate a 65 litre tank. My spec sheet calls for (915) FUEL TANK WITH GREATER CAPACITY. There are two sizes 65 and 80 litres, therefore I should have an 80 litre tank, but I know I have a 65 litre tank.

It is my understanding that the tank float information passes through a small computer rather than going straight to the gauge. My question, is it probable that the fuel computer would be programmed to the larger tank from the factory, but they didn't install the larger tank.

No question I ran out of fuel. The computer said 100 miles in the tank and just under one quarter full, or about 15 litres left in the tank. A real puzzler.
 

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