Oil In Air Intake

[Balal]

"And the hits keep on coming"

On way home yesterday, my CLK 230 K disappointed me again with its previous fault of loss of power. It wont go over 2500 RPM. last time this happened, I had to change catalytic converter, exhaust pipe, Mass Air Flow meter and finally the garage discovered a crack pipe. and this happened a month back.

SO I booked in to merc garage. and just called them to see how they are getting along with it, and I am told that its air intake is sucking in too much oil !!!! they dont know what the cause of this suction is , and would take 2 hours striping the air intake section and will then call me and let me know what the problem is!!!

Has anyone here has this air intake sucking oil problem!?!?

 

[television]

All I can think of is maybe a broken ring that is causing crankcase compression, I will give it some more thought.

Malcolm

 

[Balal]

I called Merc again. They still havent figured out what the reason of the oil suction is. The service dept guy says, it will be tomorrow now. Just wondering, will I be charged for all this diagnostic time!!!!

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Only if you bend over and accept it.

 

[Balal]

that answers my question!!!

 

[tech lee]

hope you got your car fixed. if not, i'm asuming it's a 111 engine. there is a small electrically controled valve under the inlet manifold that controls the crankcase breathing that is prone to failing. this allows oil to pass through. it's not expensive however the labour time involved to clean out the oil can be. hope this helps.

 

[Balal]

Got my car back after 3 days from merc.....with it a got a bill for £299.63 saying

"check and rectify poor running,carry out diagnostic test and assess several stored faults. check condition of airmass and throttle valve, oil contamination present. Trace oil to air cleaner, suspect residue due to mileage covered. Clean out coil cooler, lube up flap to actuator control, check for oil vapous origin, Remove spark plugs,check compression - all ok, REset engine managemen, road test- all ok""

well! thats not all really!! Car is working fine, however i am told i need a part
"A111.141.0025" and that would be for £518. I dunno what it is!!! I think its air actuator but not sure.

I would really appreciate if you guys can advise me what you think about this "oil presence" in the air intake. Was it really due to high miles ( just passed my 100,000 miles mark ), or is there any other reason that the garage might have missed!!!??

 

[jimsinessex]

Balal,

That part number refers to the Throttle Body, or "slide" as quoted on the MB invoice.

I believe MB stealers advise changing this when fitting a new MAF sensor fails to cure the problem. In my case I lost power and went into limp mode, a new MAF sensor appeared to cure the problem but it returned two weeks later.

Next diagnostic solution from the Stealer was "now the Throttle Body needs replacing Sir". Right enough the car was OK after this was done but I am not convinced, I am sure the prob was still to do with the MAF sensor which they sorted without letting on. The receptionist added to the confusion by assuring me that " the new Throttle Body will cure your idle problems Sir". What idle problems!!!!!! News to me.

Dirty Throttle butterflies DO cause idle fluctuations right enough but cleaning should sort that out, a lot cheaper than a new part.

Needless to say I have not been to an MB Stealer since!

I also have signs of oil in the air filter and around the MAF sensor although it has not yet caused a problem. My 1999 CLK 230K is now at the 140,000 mile mark so this could be a type fault with high mileage CLKs. Doesn't fill me with confidence though. Tech lee - I am interested in your reference to an electric valve under the intake manifold, sounds promising to me but I can't find it on any parts diagram, can you expand on its function. I think the crankcase emission system operates in two modes, low power and high power, could it be associated with this?

Jim

 

[OlafMaxwell]

Most engines now have an exhaust gas recirculating valve/control, EGR. On some makes of car these cause enormous problems. I would be looking at this at the top of the hit list.

 

[jimsinessex]

Olaf, how does the Exhaust Gas Recirc Valve fit into the crankcase emissions system, I thought these were two different systems.

I am still interested in anyone's thoughts on the small electrically controlled valve under the inlet manifold that controls the crankcase breathing that tech lee referred to that could be the cause of the excessive oil entering the air intake system.

Any ideas guys?

Jim

 

[television]

Most engines now have an exhaust gas recirculating valve/control, EGR. On some makes of car these cause enormous problems. I would be looking at this at the top of the hit list.

The EGR valve returns harmfull emissions back into the engine when cruising at light loads,ie motorways. This valve is closed at idle. When faulty or past its sell by date, it can stick partly open giving a rough idle.
For this valve to pass oil back into the intake, the engine would have to be burning a lot of oil,and that would be seen in the exhaust as smoke.

Malcolm

 

[television]

Olaf, how does the Exhaust Gas Recirc Valve fit into the crankcase emissions system, I thought these were two different systems.

I am still interested in anyone's thoughts on the small electrically controlled valve under the inlet manifold that controls the crankcase breathing that tech lee referred to that could be the cause of the excessive oil entering the air intake system.

Any ideas guys?

Jim

It would have helped with the first six figures of vin 208--- as there are many variants in this range. The non K versions do have two breathing systems. A simple test for crankcase compression is to take the oil filler cap off at idle, and put your hand over the top to feel any pressure, any form of fumes here would indicate either engine worn or blocked or partly blocked breather somewhere. Oil fumes even when the engine is turned off do rise to the top of engine, the fumes can contain oil, that can deposit itself in the pipes. After 140k a good clean out could be all that is needed.
Look at your car engine here, if you go to inlet and etc you will see the arrangment of the breathing system.
http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb0.asp?TP=1

Malcolm

 

[jimsinessex]

Malcolm,

Thanks for responding.

The Vin is W208347..., engine 111975.....
I had already looked at the Russian website but there is no section for "inlet and..." for this model. I could not find the crankcase breathing system shown on any of the other options for the Clk 230K 347
There must be a diagram somewhere but so far I can't find it.

My info about two modes of operation of the crankcase breathing system did indeed come from the Haynes Manual for the C class which you rightly spotted only covers the non-Kompressor models, I just assumed that the the CLK 230K would be similar.

It is so frustrating when the info MUST be out there somewhere!!!!

I have already fitted a new oil separator and cleaned all the hoses associated with it, none were badly clogged up.

Jim

 

[television]

Hello Jim, two things for you, the first is the vacuam line that operates the valve for the engine breathing from crankcase at item 80.
http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GM=717.460&CT=F&cat=45Y&SID=80&SGR=015&SGN=02

This one shows how the crankcase breathing is coupled to the turbo air intake, I think you will find that item 80 in the above picture operates item 26 in this one.
http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GM=717.460&CT=M&cat=19K&SID=09&SGR=100&SGN=02

Regards. Malcolm

 

[tech lee]

hi jim sorry i've had pc problems. i'm working tomorrow and will double check that valve.

 

[jimsinessex]

Hi Lee,
Glad to know you are still out there, anything you can add about this oil in intake problem on Kompressor CLKs would be welcome.
Jim

 

[severn]

On the bottom of the cylinder head under the inlet manifold there are 2 plastic pipes/valves that vacuum pipes go on to they are either broken or blocked.This can cause oil in the intake.

 

[jimsinessex]

severn,

Thanks for that, I will check it out.
Up to now the oil ingress had not affected the car performance but it is getting worse. The car started misfiring with the usual MAF sensor symptoms. Cleaning the sensor sorted the problem but it was definitely caused by oil deposits.

The oil appears to enter the system at the air filter but AFTER the filter element, at the connection from the oil separator. The separator had already been renewed and the pipes associated with it cleaned (but were not blocked). This suggests to me that the crankcase emissions system is overpressurising and forcing oil though the separator. The pipes/valves you mention on the other side of the engine may well be the problem, how accessible are they? I am still hoping someone will come up with a description and/or a schematic of the crankcase emission system and how the two different modes operate.

Television, I have checked out your links but cannot really see how the system works from the details they show.

Jim

 

[television]

Hi Jim, the crankcase breather goes into an oil seperator, on the bulk head, inline with the windscreen wiper there is a pipe clamped to bulkhead, there is another pipe coming up from the left hand side over the engine, this pipe goes into a venturi nozle and joins the other pipe. that is the crankcase breathing valve, right in the center of engine on top, lefthand you have a black box with rwo pipes, one going left and the other coming from front, that's the oil seperator,
The reason for the problems is an vacuam issue that follows the cold start with a large number of loads switched on, really the vacuam lines should be replaced along with the crankcase ventilation hose from oil seperator to air cleaner.

Malcolm, the work sheet ref is AF43.10-P-3400AC get MB to run you off a copy. this is specific to your car.

 

[severn]

Hello Jim, two things for you, the first is the vacuam line that operates the valve for the engine breathing from crankcase at item 80.
http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GM=717.460&CT=F&cat=45Y&SID=80&SGR=015&SGN=02

This one shows how the crankcase breathing is coupled to the turbo air intake, I think you will find that item 80 in the above picture operates item 26 in this one.
http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GM=717.460&CT=M&cat=19K&SID=09&SGR=100&SGN=02

Regards. Malcolm

I don't see what these links have to do with the engine breather system
the ist relates too the headlamp adjustment and fuel tank regeneration system and the secound link too the emmissions secoundary air injection ????