| Special Note to all owners Be aware/alert to this rip off Hi lofty, A word of warning for all owners This Mail is from one of my readers and i fully believe his story Quote .Lofty . I put my A Class 160 into a garage in Bootle, Liverpool for a repair. When I went to collect it I was told that the engine light was on, he added that he had checked it out through the diagnostic socket and , he knew what the fault was. To my horror, he said it would cost £1,200 to repair. I said no thanks. He then said he could do it for £500. I refused. When I got home I checked it out with my scanner ( I bought the scanner a couple of months ago) The scanner would not work ! I checked the fuse box and the No 1 fuse was missing. I bought a 20 amp fuse and put it in, my scanner was working so I deleted the fault (engine check light) after a test run the light did not come back on. I realised that the garage must have pulled the fuse knowing that it would cause the engine check light to come on. Also the fuse must have been there for him to check it out through the diagnostic socket. After approx 6 weeks the engine check light has still not come on. I reported the garage to the Trading Standard Office. They said they could not act on it because there was no proof, but they said they would make a note of the garage address. I cant mention the name of the garage for obvious reasons, but they call themselves Mercedes specialists !!! I remembered the Lords prayer: "Thou shalt be done on Earth as it is in heaven" I hope he breaks his effin leg. Cheers G . Unquote |
There just is no answer to this, albeit i have responded to the Owner.
Accept to be alert for this sort of Con. Garages are having a hard time , owners cannot at present waste money on unnecessary repairs and services and so it looks as though some outlets will try to CON your money out of you! If you suspect you are being conned get a second opinion before committing to any work. I you do agree to work be undertaken get a written quote for the work, or will be their word against yours when it comes to paying. I would always ask them to contact me if they find other work before going ahead. If you live in the same area as this owner beware. |
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| 1 Information Manuals. Where can I purchase a Haynes Service Manual for my 'A' Class Please Note |
You can't Haynes have not produced a manual for the car. There is a pocket mechanic Vehicle Manual, which is produced by Peter Russek, which covers the mechanics only. Please Note Haynes Manual available as of Nov 2008 but I can not say which models it covers or the quality of the information contained in it. However this is just one owners comments having purchased the Haynes manual 27.04.09 quote Incidentally, I recently purchased the Hayes A Class manual (£19.99). Very disappointing. There is no way that a novice like myself could ever renew spark plugs (or any other task) using the limited amount of detail in the Hayes manual. No mention of the module cover, extraction bolts, tools etc, and one tiny black and white photo. A waste of money. Unquote. | ||||||||||||||
| 2 Whining from poly 'V' belt Hi I purchased a 160 Avantgarde on Saturday the seller assured me the whining noise it was making was due to tension of fan belt being too tight as he had one installed I went to visit my local Mercedes specialist called Merc aid he told me it could be the alternator bearing or top or bottom tension which mint nothing to me he also told me if I bought it on Saturday to contact the seller to get it sorted he also sold me a key which doesn't work either if you can give me some advice I would really appreciate it thanks. Mel |
The poly V belt tensioner is a pre-set so it isn't over tensioned, so the cause of your problem certainly isn't that.
I agree with Mb it's almost certainly the alternator bearing, which isn't a
large job for the seller but could be costly for you so get it fixed, I
suspect what MB were saying is that it could possibly be the tensioner
mechanism itself, I call this a skate because it looks like a roller skate
with the poly V belt pulley wheels on it that is the problem.(I'll put my
money on the alternator ) then it is a big job as the engine has to be
lowered to fit the new skate,
I hope that helps you, my page 57
Other things to pay particular attention to:-
Steering column place knocking when you turn the wheel from L to R play on the steering wheel itself top bearing pre-set stiffness in the lower column UJ (Universal joint) see my cure page 49 Knocking from under the front wings = failing ball joints on what MB call the rods known to most people as drop links , cheap to replace but get it done if they want doing by the seller unless it's a private sale then you may have problems but not insurmountable, I can give you all the information on my site .
The remote key, no unless that was one of the original keys it will never work ,even if it's brand new they cannot be reprogrammed and new keys for your car can only be ordered through Mb and are well over £100.00 even if it's fitted with a new blade (Key) it will not operate the immobiliser. In addition to the ignition keys you want two alarm keys one black one red but check first to ensure you do have the scorpion alarm system ,look for tell tale socket in the glove box. page page 51 please also read pages 29,& page 57 and have a general look through to ensure you are familiar with the car and its problems ,look also at page 20 & page 21 all of these things can be a problem on a used A class hope that help without alarming you come back to me if you require more help and I'm quite happy for you to quote information from my site.
Lofty | ||||||||||||||
| 3. Re-setting Assyst W168 How do I reset my Assyst after servicing the car |
Refer to your hand book our follow the guidance on my page 35 be prepared to undertake this a few times before you get a result (knack) my page 35 | ||||||||||||||
| 4. 'A' Class rattles. I have a rattle at the front of the car when driving at slow speeds |
Replace your drop links . Simple job cheap to replace mypage 29 | ||||||||||||||
| 5. melting ice on Air con pipe work. Having driven some distance I have water under my car when I park |
This is almost certainly caused by the ice melting from the air conditioning pipe work under the car . Do not worry unless you are having to top up the coolant reservoir. | ||||||||||||||
| 6. Loss of second & fifth gears I have lost 2nd & 5th gears on my manual gearbox |
You have lost or a plastic link has become detached from the selector mechanism, see mypage 59 for cheap cure. A Class with ACS transmission Auto Cltchless system) your cars are also fitted with this link so be aware, Chris however informs that on his ACS he lost 4th gear as well. | ||||||||||||||
| 7. Failure of central locking facility. My central locking has packed up working |
Check the vacuum pump in the n/s corner of your boot space spare wheel compartment. You will possibly find the pump is flooded. Remove pump dry out, see page 41. | ||||||||||||||
| 8. Failure of rear screen wash facility My rear screen washer isn't working even though the pump runs |
There is a real possibility that the joint in the washer hose has become detached at the top of the rear door (5th door)see pages 42 page 26 treat as urgent or do not use your screen washers. | ||||||||||||||
| 9. Recharging/ Replacing Battery I removed and charged my battery having replaced it the ECU light has stayed on |
There is a procedure for removing & replacing batteries. In your hand book and on my site page 13. If these procedures are not followed to the letter this problem can arise. Solution, find a garage with 'Star diagnostic equipment', they can delete the light, sorry there is no other way. Top Tip (when reconnecting batteries always put the side lights to the on position before connecting battery.)mypage 14 | ||||||||||||||
| 10. Re-setting windows . I removed & charged my battery, having replaced it my electric windows don't work |
Your windows need re-setting, the information is in your hand book or refer to my page 35 | ||||||||||||||
| 11. Interior lights problem. My interior light comes on when I'm driving | Almost certainly the 5th door needs adjusting, a quick job move the boot catch on the lower edge of the door frame so that the boot lid 5th door shuts firmly , Also lubricate the catch to prevent the lock from jamming closed. my page 24 | ||||||||||||||
| 12. Setting car alarm. My key fob is not working at present, if I lock the drivers door with the key blade will my alarm be set. |
NO the alarm is only set when the Remote/fob is used to lock the car, As a rule, if you lock the car with the blade, open it with the blade. If you set it with the fob open it with the fob. Open it with the blade when it was locked with the fob and the alarm will go off. | ||||||||||||||
| 13. Interior light defect My interior light stays on, and when I lock the car with the remote key fob the alarm sounds after only a few minutes. |
Your interior light is staying on because either :- One of your doors including the boot is not closed fully OR you have a broken/defective interior light switch on one of the doors. The alarm sounds due the the voltage drop when the alarm is set and is working correctly. Replace defective door switch. Ensure all doors are closed correctly. | ||||||||||||||
| 14 Purchase of ignition keys I only have one key fob, if I purchase one off e-bay will it work as they claim |
NO. NO. NO It will not work and you cannot get it coded, to work with the transponder of the car you will have wasted your money. Ignition keys are coded to your cars transponder and are only available through Mercedes-Benz Parts departments. Even when ordered through your branch they will be ordered from Germany and be pre coded there before delivery. my page 6 |
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| 15. Purchase of spare ignition keys. I was told that If I purchase a spare key of the same type off e-bay and have a new blade/key cut to fit my car it will work |
Sorry, No you have been misinformed, the key will turn in your ignition but it will not start your car, the key must be coded to the transponder on your car and that can only be carried out by DaimlerChrysler-Mercedes-Benz Germany. | ||||||||||||||
| 16. K& N filter I want to fit a K&N filter to my a Class will it cause any problems |
The K&N filter system uses a oil soaked filter system, which is likely to allow fine oil molecules to pass through the air induction system of your car's fuel inlet system. Situated within the air induction pipe work is your mass air sensor (MAFS) its life could be shortened if these particles get onto the glass reeds of the sensor, Mercedes have fitted a dry air cartridge filter system to your car, ask your self why, before fitting an oil treated filter. my page 16 | ||||||||||||||
| 17. Re-=setting ABS/ESP. How do I reset my ESP/ABS |
Turn steering wheel fully left then fully right the light on your dash should go out | ||||||||||||||
| 18 ECU/MAFS Problem. I have had problems with my car and my Branch are telling me the car needs a new ECU/MAFS at a cost of approx £800 before I spent this money can I get it refurbished or repaired. |
YES There is a company in Kent. UK. Who can repair your MAFS (mass air flow sensor) they cannot however repair the ECU portion of the monolith. For further details and a discount off the repair see mypage 38. | ||||||||||||||
| 20. Strong smell of petrol. I have a strong smell of petrol inside my car when I first get into it in the mornings. |
You will almost certainly find that the smell of petrol is caused by a leak on one of the clips on the fuel line under the bonnet rear of engine, the clips used by MB on the production line on early models are of the crimped type. Purchase replacement clips from MB (screw type) and refer to mypage 12 as to which clips to replace to cure your problem. | ||||||||||||||
| 21.Fitting ancillary parts, Tow bar. "My local motor dealer says that my warranty will be invalidated unless I fit the manufacturer's tow bar" |
A 94/20/EC was designed to create free trade. If you fit a Type Approved tow bar it will not invalidate the vehicle warrantee. Under Block Exemption Rules a motor vehicle manufacturer cannot prevent a franchised outlet from supplying or fitting components deemed to be of equal quality to that supplied by the vehicle manufacture - such as a Type Approved Tow bar. See page 32 for more questions on tow bars. | ||||||||||||||
| 22. Replacing rear brake drums My car has covered close to 80000.miles and I intend replacing my rear brake shoes, at what point do I need to replace the brake drums |
Your brake drums when new measured between 180.0-180.2 mm, if your brake drums now measure more than 181.2mm they should be replaced. max wear factor 1mm my page 19 | ||||||||||||||
| 23, Vibration at speed. When I get above 60mph I get a severe vibration through my steering wheel what is likely to cause this problem. |
The most common cause of steering 'wobble' in modern cars is the tyres & wheels, when tyres are fitted they are balanced to avoid causing a wobble at speed however as time goes on the weights fitted become dislodged by kerbs 'kerbing' (where the wheel collides with the kerb stones) .and the centrifugal force created by the revolving wheel, Dependent on how worn your tyres are? Consider getting your front wheels/tyres re-balanced. This problem can also cause uneven wear. | ||||||||||||||
| 24. Front brake squeal/noise I changed my front brake pads which were the original pads, because they were noisy; although the problem was initially cured It's started again, what can I do to stop it, there also appears to be a rattling coming from the callipers since I changed the pads. |
The only way you will cure brake squeal is to strip clean and grease the callipers & guides, this will allow the calliper to float (move sideways) when the brakes are pressed then released. my page 27 & 28 The rattle you have is almost certainly due to loose clips, you will recall there were four clips which retain the pads (did you replace these?)if the spring tension goes out of the clips, the pads are free to chatter which is what is causing you noise. Replace the pads and clips using MB parts, you cannot buy the clips alone. alternatively you could try bending the present clips so as to hold the pads firm but I doubt this will help in the long term. Please remember you are dealing with the braking system of your car on which your life and that of others depends. |
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| 25. Fitting shims supplied with new MB brake pads . My new brake pads purchased from Mercedes-Parts were supplied with 4 shims, my present pads are not fitted with shims should I fit them. |
No do not fit them on passenger carrying vehicles. Please read the correspondence on my page 27 which was received to this question from DaimlerChrysler, Mercedes-Benz (technical dept.) which makes the situation clear. | ||||||||||||||
| 26. Replacing cars main Battery I know my car could do with a new battery, I have been holding off because I can't afford MB parts dept. prices, What do I need to look for in a good replacement battery. |
The battery should be recommended by the manufacturer for the Mercedes 'A' class, different models Diesel, Petrol, use different batteries so make sure you make the dealer aware of you vehicle details. In addition as the battery is being fitted inside the car it should be fitted with a breather /vent facility, this is connected to you present vent pipe. The battery should have at least a 3 year warrantee. I would recommend Halfords Stores as the supplier, they will test your old battery and dispose of as necessary, Install your new battery and will have a specific battery for your 'A' class, reasonably priced, and with up to 4 year warrantee on some batteries. my page 13&14 | ||||||||||||||
| 27. Battery not holding charge I have charged my battery twice in the last 3 months and although it is alright at present and my lights are bright it doesn't seem to have a lot of punch when starting the car, on occasions I wonder if the car will start. |
The battery on your car is a disposable item having a life of approx 3 - 4 years, modern cars with all their modern electrical components demand a lot of power from the battery., There is even a drain by clocks interior lights alarms etc after the engine is switched off. Starter motors turning over a cold engine will place a very heavy demand on the battery and is normally when the battery shows it's age and condition. Charging your battery will revitalise it but this can only happen if all the cells 6 x 2 volts + or - are in good order and has battery/water/acid in the cells. Batteries that register less than 12.2 volts should be checked for serviceability, this is normally carried out on a modern testing devise which places a high rate discharge on the battery. This test will determine the state of you battery for further use. my page 13& See mypage 14 | ||||||||||||||
| 28. Bulb types. What size and type of bulbs does my car use |
There is a list at the bottom of mypage 9 which gives the bulb numbers standard to the issue of the A160/2002 earlier models did not have white reflectors on the indicators, but had a standard orange lens, therefore the bulbs are white, DO NOT FIT white bulbs in later 'A' Class with white indicator lenses. Oh yes it has been done! If fitting none standard bulbs, make sure they do not overheat and damage the reflectors of the various lamps which are made of plastic. |
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| 29.'B' Service Will the 'B' Service come up automatically. |
Yes, two spanners will show as the service becomes due. having completed the service you can re-set the Assyst by following the procedure in your hand book, or you can go to mypage 35 Yes the mileage to the next service and the two spanner icon will show indicating the next service is a 'B' service if you press the correct buttons. | ||||||||||||||
| 30. Replacing coolant Hi lofty, I want to change the Coolant, you mention on pre June 99 models that there might be a bled screw, I cannot see this, however if one is fitted and I cannot see it, would pulsing the radiator hoses also have the same effect in removing air |
If you haven't got a bleed valve don't worry, if the header tank, the bit you top up is higher than the rest of the hoses the air will find it's own way out of the system . Make sure you run the car until the engine is hot and ensure the heater is on full, that way the air can get out of the system and all the hoses completely fill . Check after a few days and top up with fluid as necessary. my page 43 | ||||||||||||||
| 31.Scorpion car Alarm My car is fitted with an alarm with dongle keys like the ones shown on your site page 51 after I have driven off the red LED continues to flash, but the alarm does not go off , have you any ideas why |
Look at the pages attached to page 51 and you will see that the scorpion alarm system has a self diagnostic facility, count the number of flashes on your LED and read off the diagnostic code, in my own case it was the rechargeable battery cell in the siren unit of the alarm system that had failed. my page 51 | ||||||||||||||
| 32.Steering column clonk! We have just picked up a 99 T plate A140 Elegance with a manual gear box and 46K on the clock. Since picking it up we are experiencing a steering clonk on both locks just especially when the steering is under load turning a corner. The car has just past its MOT so I hope nothing serious was missed. Is there an area that I should look at in particular.(the car came with a years warranty) Have spoken to the dealer but he is not hurrying to resolve the problem and is putting us off as the mechanics he uses are busy, and is say that it cant be to serious as its just passed an MOT |
The ‘A’ Class particularly the earlier models are prone to steering column problems, OK it’s passed it’s MOT and therefore the problem is not serious BUT get a second opinion from MB yes it will cost you say £50 but it could be money well spent as the cost of replacing the column is about £800-£1000.with the labour at £85-£100 per hour. It is worth bearing in mind that the MOT does not now include a road test which is when these types of problems show, also the small print on the mot claims that the MOT does not confirm the road worthiness of the car and prospective purchasers should take that into account. If the car is a lot of money it's always worth considering an AA or RAC inspection but with a 12 months warrantee you should have no problems. my page49 & 50 |
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| 33. Heater blower variable speed problem. I have a problem the blower on my heating system, it will work OK on maximum but if I turn it down it goes completely off How can I cure this problem. |
One owner was quoted over £500 to correct this problem by his Mercedes Branch, the problem is the Blower /fan resister that is installed towards the back of the heater. The replacement component cost £25 part number A168 820 0897 I will be posting how to fit this item shortly, in the meantime if you have problems e-mail me for the details. my page 61 | ||||||||||||||
| 34. Heavy steering I've recently had problems with heavy steering at low speeds and this seems to be much worse when the weather is cold (e.g. last weekend). My dealer has warned me that it may need a new steering column. As this problem seems to be erratic it seems to me less likely that it's a mechanical problem and more likely that it's to do with the PAS. The fluid in the reservoir seems ok and there's no evidence of a leak under the car. Do you have any suggestions for trying to test the fault or make a temporary fix ? |
I agree with you that it does sound like a power steering problem, The first question to ask is how old is your battery? Get it checked at Halfords they can test the cells that will have a direct effect on the power steering motor at the base of the reservoir. If that's OK Second thing is jack up the front of the car to bring both front wheels just off the ground take a look at my page 49 and make sure that the lower UJ is not ceased, either way follow the DIY method of lubricating this joint and while jacked up exercise the joint by turning the s/wheel left and right. To check the power steering is working, with the engine off turn the wheel, with the engine running re-test the second test should be greatly easier than the first, as the wheels are turned you should hear the pump motor run. Follow up mail Thanks very much for your suggestions. Since your reply have lubricated the UJ with WD40 and this has improved the heaviness, perhaps it was the steering column after all . Will get battery checked but seems OK for now - weather now warmer so can't be sure! | ||||||||||||||
| 35 Emulsion/Condensation in Engine oil filler tube I changed the oil and filter on my wife's A140 this morning for the first time and nearly died when I took the filler cap off only to find what looked like a pot of custard. I told the missus I may have some bad news for her. she's only had the car a month. anyway I phoned MB Stour bridge(very helpful on anything concerning the car) and they said this is perfectly normal due to the long filler pipe causing condensation and I just need to push a rag down with a long screw driver as their tackiest do. I thought the head gasket had gone. bit of a relief. |
Emulsion is oil and water mixed to a foam like light brown material) is common on the 'A' Class, yes the filler tube is long as this doesn't help, however it is also caused by short runs where the engine does not reach its full operating temperature. Take care if you do follow MB's advise that any rag doesn't get left in the pipe and ensure the engine is switched off! Mercedes stipulate that the oil should be changed every 12 months and this is a wise move, even more so if your car does suffer this problem. However if you have severe emulsion AND are having to top up the coolant reservoir then there is the chance you have a head gasket problem, so monitor the situation closely if this is the case, for your peace of mind I have not heard of one head gasket problem in 31/2 years so don't worry . | ||||||||||||||
| 36. Fuel filter? I am having problems my car stalls at the slightest opportunity and I have suffered a loss of power , the problem seems to spasmodic but what could it be, |
Your problem sounds like a fuel related problem, has the fuel filter been changed as specified, (the answer back was NO, Having had the filter replaced the car is now Fine So please change you filters when or near the time/mileage specified see my page 12. | ||||||||||||||
| 37. Fuel related problem My car has been running rough for some weeks but know refuses to start at all |
Again this sounds fuel related see my page 12 and check the fuel pump is working, This turned out to be a defective fuel pump which was replaced car is again Fine Note if you do not change the fuel fitter when specified 45000 approx there is every chance you will burn our the fuel pump which is working harder than it should have too to pump fuel to the engine. | ||||||||||||||
| 38. Vibration from front interior lamp housing I am getting a vibration , annoying sound coming from the the front interior lamp how can I cure this problem. |
This is normally caused by the packing wedge between the roof and the ceiling lining having moved go to my page 8 and remove the lens and lamp housing, re-site the wedge, problem solved the vibration is caused by the mini fan will runs continuously as part of the climate control system in your car. a small spot of sewing machine oil (3 in 1) oil on the fan motor spindle will do no harm you should not hear the motor running. | ||||||||||||||
| 39 battery terminal protection. Does anyone think it is a good idea to put a conductive gel on the battery terminals? . if so what's the best stuff to use? my terminals are bone dry. |
Providing the terminals are clean, dry and totally free of lead oxide /corrosion then no I would leave them, it they do need protecting which bearing in mind they are in the car, as distinct from under the bonnet I'd use petroleum jelly, just a thin film. I think the main thing is to keep the battery clean and dry , if you spill distilled water when topping up the cells then dry it off and discard the wipe in the bin, one small spot of sulphuric acid and you will have a hole in your pocket or seat cover!! And remember the vent tube fitted on your car when new was fitted for a reason ,don't fit batteries without it, you well finish up with fumes in the car. | ||||||||||||||
| 40.Water in boot area of car. I have water getting into the boot of my a class and cannot find where or how it is getting in, what do you suggest. Sorry but there isn't a single word answer to you question as it could be one of several things . |
The first thing is make sure you vacuum pump the unit sitting in the well back left hand corner of the lower boot spare wheel area is free of any water. As a precaution place the complete unit into a water proof bag and replace it in it's housing trim off any excess but leave the top of the bag above the the top of the pump. then take a look at mypage 41 and check to ensure you rear screen washers are pumping water onto the rear screen if not you have a leak at the joint in the pipe work washer hose. see page 24 when you have confirmed that is not the cause. check the rear door seal. Either side of the boot lid near the bottom there are two rubber buffers screw them in about 3/4 of a turn then get a sheet A4 or news paper and shut the single sheet so the it is trapped/pinched between the door seal and the door, when pull on the paper, it shouldn't just slide out if if does tighten the stops further, repeat this process until the paper won't slide without the resistance of the seal do both sides equal this method ensures the seal is in contact with the door, In extreme cases you may need to replace the seal. you may need to adjust the boot catch and make sure you lubricate the bit on the boot lid as well as the catch on the lower cross member .If that does not cure you problem then check the quarter lights (rear side windows) and also the wheel arches do one at a time and you stand a better chance of finding the cause of your problem. my page 24. |
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| 41. Stuck boot lid Can you help my boot is stuck closed and I cannot open it |
This is not an uncommon problem, I can assist you with a method of opening causing the least damage to the car and components but you may still need a new boot lock and scuff bar across the bottom of the rear opening. please go to my page 25 I hope this helps you. | ||||||||||||||
| 42 Details of original build specification Where can I find out the original specification /build spec for my 'A' class I'm told that individual cars vary according to the buyers requirements. |
Your car spec will be basically in compliance with the model and year. However individual cars will have different equipment as requested by the buyer, cloth, trim, body colour, etc, to see a list of this information individual to your car go to this Russian site and put in your vehicles Vin number starting WDB, located bottom left of windscreen , drivers door pillar , of on the bulkhead cross member. www.mbclub.ru/mb/vin/?lng=eng | ||||||||||||||
| 43 location of ECU & EOBD, OBD2 connector Do you have any pictures or details on your site where you show the location of the ECU or the OBDII connector? |
Yes take a look at mypage 38 hopefully it will have all the information you require.(OBDII Connector =Diagnostics tool connection point) Location Off/side under dash close to the bonnet release lever. | ||||||||||||||
| 44. ESP/ABS lamp lit when driving. My A class has done 38000 miles recently the ESP & BAS warning lights on the instrument cluster have been lighting up when I'm driving what could the fault be. |
This was a fault that occurred on my own car, I checked the sender units on the front drive shafts and cleaned them, I also cleaned off severe rust from one rear stub axle sender unit. The fault was still present. Bearing in mind the close association of the braking system and the BAS/ESP I replaced the stop light switch attached to the brake peal, this has cleared the problem. On taking the old switch apart I found one set of contacts badly burnt/worn, I believe this was the cause of the original fault. See mypage 18 |
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| 45. Battery chargers I have just bought a calcium battery for my car and am now told I need a special charger, is this correct and if so how much will it cost and where can I get it |
No you do not need a special charger, a standard 12volt battery charger will do the job . However remember it is better to charge any battery slower rather than boost charging unless it is purely to start the car even then keep this period to an absolute minimum. Halfords sell a battery charger suitable for all types of 12 volt battery including jell filled . Halfords Ref 181750 at £39.99 of course you can pay more by going to a specialist out let. But will still only do the same job. Observation I had my car off the road for a month and flattened the battery through my own neglect. I found that to fully charge the calcium battery appeared to take longer the the standard sulphuric acid filled battery . | ||||||||||||||
| 46.Power steering failure. I contacted you about 6 months ago and you advised me on how to get my ECU repaired and your information was spot on. Its the time of year again when it is time for another problem. Yesterday , on a warm sunny day , without reason or warning , the power steering completely packed in. I have checked the fuses but all seem to be OK. I am assuming that it may be a problem with the pump but my question to you is this : a) Is there anything else that I can check for before getting a new pump and b) If I have to get a replacement one , can I get one from a spare parts dealer or does it have to be programmed to my existing ECU ? |
Before you do anything, there is every chance that the problem is with the alternator and not the PSP, so get that checked first, Any good auto electrician should be able help you with that one. The reason is that there is a direct signal wire from the alternator to the PSP and if the alternator is not working correctly that signal will not be received at the pump. The auto electrician could also Check your PSP by testing the pump direct see my page 49 for location of the contacts. I take it that you have not been through floods as this can cause a problem. If it does turn out to be the alternator it fairly straight forward to change it, bit more difficult with Air /Con and you do have to relax the poly V belt page57 as the alternator is driven by that belt, consider replacing it if it hasn’t been done? If it turns out to be the PSP then again BBA Reman can help you and if you ask having read my site Lofty’s home page they will give you 10% off the repair cost £140 plus carriage. The pump is not coded to the car and so a spare/used part will work OK provided that is in good order! | ||||||||||||||
| 47. Low miles per gallon Mercedes A140 2001, 53000 miles, FSH. Is only doing 30.5mpg. Engine in running smoothly, has a tiny hesitation in 1st gear when pulling away, but only at low revs. Tick-over is smooth, but rev counter does fluctuate at tick-over but by a really tiny amount. Unless you were looking for it you'd never notice it. Driving style has been 65-70 on motorways and general 30-40 on other roads. I only got the car this week and was taking it really easy to see what MPG it would do!!! I have tried cleaning the Mass Air Sensor as per SVC site with air filter removed (but not casing). Car has just been serviced and air filter and oil new. I was expecting as I have been driving so carefully to get 40-45 mpg. Do you have any suggestions. |
With a full service history the plugs should have been changed at 40000-45000miles same with the fuel filter although I doubt it's connected to the later. I would be looking for 35-42 normal 45+ on a long run, with not too many hold ups, which eat the fuel but not the miles covered. Air con will make a difference although mines always on but the mileage will go up if you switch it off (that's when the light is ON in the centre of the switch) ,see my site for details the switch. Tyre pressures? Worth checking, correct pressures shown inside fuel filler door. also jack up each wheel and spin the wheels, check for brakes dragging , Callipers drag as well as the hand brake adjustment so check fronts and rears other than that their aren't many options, check the omissions test on the last MOT, reduce unnecessary weight remove roof bars & roof stowage boxes when not in use. and having done all that you may want to try the 'Ecotek' as covered on my page 93 that works well on my car and gives it more poke . 10 % off if you use the contact on that page. | ||||||||||||||
| 48. Re-set assyst My girl friends mum has a a140, and the service light needs to be reset. I did it last year and since then its done only 1000 miles. I've forgotten how to do it, and reading on most sites it says press or hold button 000.0. |
It’s the button that you trip the Speedo trip with left hand side and behind steering wheel | ||||||||||||||
| 49. Re-setting assyst I recently had a 'B' service done on my 2001 A-class (Merc independent) and everything seems fine (not the cost at a £500 inc VAT, probably no cheaper than a genuine MB service) with the exception that the Assyst tells me that there are 724 days (currently) to the next service. This information is displayed every time the ignition is turned on although it does disappear after a few seconds. My recollection with Assyst is that it only displays a few days (or miles) before a service is due or overdue. I can't recall Assyst displaying continuously but perhaps I'm mistaken. The garage says that there is nothing it can do to stop Assyst displaying every time. I don't do that many miles so the 724 days equates to roughly a year given that Assyst for whatever reason counts down by 2 for every one day that passes. Have you heard of Assyst displaying every time the ignition is turned on regardless of whether a service is needed or not and do you know if it is fixable? I am tempted to reset Assyst by the buttons but then it probably stores it as another service and no doubt would then tell me that a two-spanner 'B' service is needed next time around when it should be 'A'. |
No is the short answer! The ASSYST as you rightly say normally only displays as the service approaches the last few days and there again you are right it’s two days at a time. It will continue, then go minus after the service date is exceeded . I sounds as though the Assyst has not been re-set or the garage cocked it up somehow There is a procedure that will allow you to reset it, which is what I suggest you try, to have the Assyst alerting every time you turn the key is not on. However make sure that the next service due is the correct one which means you may have to reset twice. But I haven’t come across this situation before so you are into new ground The procedure is in your handbook and also on my site page 35, (top of the page) the extra procedure for deleting an incorrect setting is also there. l hope it helps you sort your problem. | ||||||||||||||
| 50. rear window switched doesn't work Neither of the rear window switches in my A class work is there a separate fuse or what could be the problem. |
check the position of the isolating switch on the panel between the front seats the switch is almost certainly in the mode which isolates these switches to prevent children opening them on route. see also my pages 40 & 44 | ||||||||||||||
| 51. Gear box problem I have had an A 160 from 1998, since three weeks, it has 144000km, was brought from Germany, and had all technical verifications in order, and suddenly yesterday while I was driving I lost all gears except second gear. It will only go inside second. The problem appeared suddenly, it went away for 2km or so and it appeared again and this time it remained like this. Before this there was no weird sound to warn me. I would like to know if I have to replace my gearbox completely or it is a problem that can be fixed. However I have to tell you that I live in Romania, I cannot afford to go to a Mercedes Service because they will bankrupt me, and most of the mechanics here aren’t capable of opening a gearbox and putting it back together .So I have to know your opinion…can I fix it or do I have to replace it . Thank you very much and I hope you can find the time to give me an answer(I am little desperate right now). |
Go to this link and pan down the page till you see the information about a linkage/connection piece it looks like a black dumbbell it’s sounds to me as though yours has either fallen off or become disconnected.
Please let mew know how you get on. my page.59.htm One can only sympathise with this owners comments Mercedes service/Diagnostic charges are high although I'm aware they are not the worst! and Non Mercedes garages generally do not want to know about the 'A' Class engine and gearbox because of the difficulties of removing the complete unit and the complex nature of the combined unit even in the UK Working on this unit is almost outside the possibilities of the DIY'er mainly due to the engine having to be dropped from the raised car, and reliable information on the construction of the car being virtually impossible to obtain. Even the most willing of mechanics needs guidance when working on such complex components as gearboxes be they Manual or Automatic. |
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| Continued from above Hi First thank you for your answer…it really helped and your website it’s absolutely great Second you were right the first time …that little piece you mentioned was detached…we put back in place and we will order a new one, just to make sure. It’s unbelievable how a car that is supposed to be better than others has such problems….if I would have gone to a Mercedes service they probably would have made me pay a huge amount of money for such a little thing. I was close to cursing the day I bought that car …now I can only hope it will not cause anymore problems Thank you again…I am sure you must hear this a lot but I cannot thank you enough for the effort you put in making your website. It great to find good advice when you really need it Best wishes to you |
Continued from above. I’m so pleased we have found the cause of your problems, read the details on the page I gave you and you will see that even in the UK owners have had problems and Mercedes never seem to check to see that link is sound before quoting to pull out the gear box which costs in excess of £1000 because the engine has to come completely out. That link will only cost about £2.00 UK money and you fit it yourself, You will only be able to get it from Mercedes parts, You may need a small clamp to force it on to the linkage they are normally very tight. Once again an Owner is faced with the anxiety of a possible major gearbox fault when in fact it is only a minor but important component that is at fault. In one instance an Owner was told by Mercedes that the engine and gearbox would have to be removed from their car for them to be able to trace the fault (see mypage 59) So it really is in the interest of Owners to read these forums and details on sites such as my own if you are not going to be faced with large bills which in a number of cases are completely unnecessary. In the same way if this car had been taken into the garage there is every chance that a diagnostics test would have been undertaken, for which the customer would be expected to pay, however mechanical faults of this nature are not going to be revealed on such equipment. I would also urge owners of 'A' Class with manual gearboxes to carry a spare dumbbell/link this in the long term could save you a lot of anxiety and time. It could be fitted at the roadside by either yourself or a breakdown service but the part will only be available from Mercedes-Benz parts so you had best carry a spare, or wait for the vehicle conveyor to arrive!! my page 59 |
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| 52. Purchasing used 'A' Class Hi there, I am about to buy a 2004 A140 classic se privately and came across your website. Excellent work - a wealth of information! Would you mind telling me what I should be looking for when inspecting this car on Thursday morning please? I have heard many horror stories about reliability, etc and am worried. |
There are too many things to list but if you go to mypage.65. that hopefully will give you some idea, most important if you are considering buying from a private seller . | ||||||||||||||
| 53. Instrument cluster and fuse related problems. Thanks again for your Merc A Class site, mate. A strange thing happened the other day to wife's A140: the instrument cluster simply refused to respond/light up/work, apart from the parking brake light. So, no Speedo, taco, petrol gauge, warning lights etc. Indicator needles simply refused to show. No instruments Hadn't even done anything to the car: the instrument binnacle simply refused to work. However, that evening, after revisiting your site, checking it and printing the fuse box diagram and working through it, and having decided it was either a fuse, or a major £500 visit to the dealer, checked the fuse box early the following morning, before she had to go to work again. So, on pulling out fuse #30 (DAS transponder/RFL/Instrument cluster) and replacing it (not blown), all the central locking buttons suddenly opened, and the instruments came back to life upon turning on the ignition. Can only conclude that the fuse had become slightly unseated and just needed reseating. Vibration under the drivers floor must be able to unseat the fuses, possibly. Strange but true. I wouldn't trouble you with an email like this normally, but I thought it might be interesting, as a simple solution to a problem which loomed large in her mind, and was deeply unsettling to a lady, (no sexism implied) or someone who needs to go to work immediately. The fuses evidently can become slightly unseated & just need taking out & putting back. I fixed the problem in 5 minutes thanks to your site, and got her eternal gratitude for being so clever, & an ace car mechanic, so thank you once again. Much appreciated. Kind Regards, Tony |
I have posted this e-mail recd because the content is interesting and the problem could affect any one of us tomorrow , certainly worth remembering, Anywhere there is a battery, even dry cell, and sealed you get gas which causes sulphation, this affects the surface of any metal components even though it doesn’t show, the best thing is a damp cloth to remove it. By pulling the fuse you will almost certainly have scrapped/cleaned the spades of the fuse allowing it to make good contact again when replaced. That's my theory anyway. Well done, some things are not technical they are just common sense. Lofty |
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| 54. Bulb specification on earlier 'A' Class & compatibility. I have managed to acquire two rear lamp reflector units for my 1998 'A' Class but they aren't complete with the bulb holders, I now need to fit orange bulbs but the off set PY21W bulbs will not fit, how can I overcome this problem. |
The standard bulb for the later March 2001 Face-lift is as you say the PY21W off-set pin bulb, you will need to obtain the 12v 21W Ba15 SCC orange bulb, it looks the same as the PY21W bulb but the pins are central and parallel to the bulb, These are available from large stores such as Halfords look on their upgrade white rear lens section, you will not find them in the bulb section, they will fit your original bulb holders. | ||||||||||||||
| 55. ECU management light is on! I have a Mercedes A140 reg nd52 ,it has just been in for MOT and come back with the engine management light on, it only done 25000 miles. Also it will only rev up to 4000 when in neutral, not sure if this is normal? Should I take it to Merc garage, is there anything that they may have done to cause this? I I am not usually one of those that blames others I accept sometimes thing just break but I am curious about this. |
Did the car pass the MOT? The 4000 revs is normal when static/neutral Your engine management light shouldn’t be on, if the car passed the MOT then following the correct procedures outlined on my site, disconnect the battery for 20-30mins then turn the light switch to ON, to at least the side lights position, then reconnect the battery follow correct procedure Hopefully the light will go out, and stay out If it doesn’t then I'm sorry to say it is a garage with 'Star' diagnostics equ who can integrate your ECU and find out why the light came on and then delete it, normally a Mercedes Independent who are normally cheaper or a Mercedes-Benz garage. If it comes to that - Before they start tell them you would like a copy of the print out. That's what you are paying for which is about £50.00 dependent on where you live! Then you can sort out what you are going to do if it comes on again, if it does come back on get in touch again and before before spending money. |
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| 56. Beware when purchasing used 'A' Class. When this owner mailed me and said his car was running erratically I suggested the problem might be his MAFS sensor which was either dirty or suspect However his later mail indicated the problem which If you are buying a used 'A' Class is worth noting so that it doesn't happen to you. |
New owner (quote)
I've found the cause for the engine irregularity. The catalyst ceramic element was removed by the previous owner (without advising me) and the empty chamber caused O2 reading problems. I changed the chamber to a smaller muffler and the engine is running very well. I will find a replacement catalyst + exhaust in the future and return to the original set-up. This item is quite expensive here, I will try to find out the best solution.(Unquote.) So if you are buying check the cat is there or you are in for a big bill possibly to even get it through to MOT (UK) the catalytic converter is over £400.00 and I very much doubt that it comes with the two sensors one of which cost me over £100.00 so take car when buying and take your time looking round the car it could save you a lot of money soon after your purchase. |
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| 57. Power steering fluid. The electro-hydraulic steering uses what type of oil? Is it ATF Dexron III type, used on regular power steering systems? The Mercedes manual does not mention the oil type. |
You would be best advised to purchase the fluid from Mercedes Benz Parts, that way you will not be mixing different makes/types of fluids in the same system. However if this is not possible then Mercedes do mention 3 fluids, Fuchs Petrolub AG, Mannheim, Germany DaimlerChrysler AG, Struttgart, Germany. Exxon Mobil Corporation, Fairfax, Virginia, USA. I cannot confirm that it is safe to mix these fluids and therefore it may be safer to drain and re-fill the system if you are working on the power steering. page 49 |
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| 58. problems removing battery I need to swap the battery for a new one, and having extracted one fixing bolt (13mm) easily, I find that the other one just turns in the hole without coming out. It almost appears that the bolt is seated in a plug of some kind which is moving round in the hole, having come detached from a secure fixing point. Have you heard of this before ?... I don't want to lever against the battery to try and and get the bolt out, so any advice would be very welcome. Thanks |
All I can suggest is that you undo the securing bolt that will undo, if possible remove it fully,
Then using a suitable socket, extension bar and ratchet, apply the socket to the bolt and at the same time as you turn to undo pull the clamp towards you firmly, that may work. By pulling on the clamp handle hopefully you will hold the captivated nut sufficiently to undo the clamp bolt, Failing that you could try a spray with WD40 then try the same method but if this doesn’t work I can see no other way short of applying more upwards pressure and undoing the bolt together. The worst that can happen is you will put the captivated nut from its housing. I hope this works please let me know how you get on, many folk don’t bother and I’m left wondering if it helped or not? Jeremy Your Mail box is full and I can't reply to your e-mail 18/11/07 2010hrs | ||||||||||||||
| 59. Availability of fuse & Relay chart. Do you have a copy of the fuse layout chart – my model came without a chart – it believe it should have been near the battery compartment. Also – my A170 has started to drain its battery whilst locked up and stationary over night? My interior lights have never worked so it’s not as though they are being left on. |
There is a fuse relay layout chart for the W168 on my site, just check the index and print . As far as your battery drain, there are of course components that are using power whether the car is used or not the clock for one thing. Alarm if you arm it. How old is the battery? 4 years + and you have to start thinking about a new one. Halfords in the UK do a very good alkaline battery with 4 year warrantee and it’s reasonably priced. But if you do decide that’s the route to go make sure you used the correct, disconnect and reconnect procedures also available on my site. also check the water/acid level in your present battery. Your interior light could be the cause of your problem, even though not working! If the live wires are into contact with the metal work of the car you will drain the battery in time. I feel it’s important to find out why that’s not working. The information is all on my site how to remove the lamp housing etc as well as check the door switches, any of these points could be causing your problem which would continue even with a new battery if the short circuit is the problem Remember the live wire does not need to be in contact all the time it could be moving around as the car is driven so for your own safety and that of the car check it out If you can’t find the fault a auto electrician would be your best bet rather than MB who will charge you the earth just to look. page 8 page 13& page 15. |
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| 60. Hydraulic clutch actuator? Have you ever heard or dealt with the clutch hydraulic actuator? This part in my car makes an annoying noise when the clutch is disengaged. Like a spinning ball-bearing without lubricant. Slippage is ok (the clutch disc is not worn) and the pedal effort is higher than usual. |
There have been some comments about noise, the noise is as you suspect is the thrust bearing, which although normally pre lubricated and sealed has lost it's lubricant, it is as you suspect the component that contacts the trust plate when it's spinning, when the clutch is released the noise stops as the bearing stops spinning .If you can put up with the noise then it will do no harm, in my opinion it's not worth the £1000 + to take the engine out the replace the bearing alone . If the clutch is ok then I suggest you try to ignore it it's the cheaper option by far. Taking the car out of gear and releasing the clutch,(As we should all do) when waiting at traffic lights, railway crossings etc helps to make the noise less annoying. In view of the information you have given me the car may benefit from a long run where every thing gets really warm, it may also solve the thrust bearing problem in that the heat created will encourage any remaining lubricant /grease to coat the components of the bearing (ball race and ball or roller bearings) And at 32000 miles the clutch certainly should not need replacing. page 58 | ||||||||||||||
| 61. Remote locking problem. We have just purchased a A190 2000 yr and the remote unlocking does not work I suspect key is the problem and will at last resort go down the new key route! if you have any other sources other than the £120 MB route then please advise...Remote does not work but using centre console button to locks all the doors no problem but a pain. Do you think it could just be the key or anything more serious! |
The first thing is to locate the fault, Have you tested the key batteries
Page 8 check to see that it works in accordance with that page, if not replace batteries, Have you got a second key there are always two keys with the car so ask the previous owner or garage if they have it.
. If the key is alright, then check the vacuum pump that is responsible for working the locks it should operate all doors boot lock and petrol flap dependent on the key setting Go to the left hand back corner of the spare wheel bay, lift the foam packed pump out of that well and check to see it’s not wet. See page 41 If that’s ok then try re setting the key with the immobiliser page 8 or your hand book There are no cheap ways to buy a key second hand e-bay keys will not work so avoid them, they are money down the drain. |
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| 62. ECU wiring and abrasion. I have just bought a 1998 A Class and searching the internet I came across your site. I am very glad I did because after reading your info checking your wiring I checked mine and found wiring loom connected to the ECU unit had 2 of the wires rubbed through the insulation. I repaired with insulation tape. Again many thanks. |
Rod, you are most welcome, And welcome to my site. I’m updating all the time so do call again some of the stories will make your eyes water, and you purse creak, Good luck with the car page 54 |
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| 63. Instrument cluster lighting failure. I bought a 2003 LWB A160 automatic last weekend, so it’s still under warranty. I stumbled across your site and I’ve already found it enormously valuable. Many thanks. I would appreciate your advice on a small(?) problem that occurred yesterday; the light illuminating the mileage and clock has gone out, so I can’t see the LCD display. I know the unit itself is still working because I can see the time/temp/mileage changing when I shine a torch on it. Have you come across this problem before? |
Are talking about in the day time? if that is the case then a bulb has gone/blown behind the dash and it's certainly a job for the workshop unless it's not covered by the warrantee, if that is the case come back to me or look at my site page.45, for replacement details. If it's after dark and you are having problems then while the lights are on, press the + sign and the dash lights become brighter, Press the - and they lower, but I suspect you are talking about daytime 75p approx, mini bulb required from Halfords, see the bulb required on page 45, If you are having the bulb replaced at a garage get an estimate of cost, If it's a non MB garage print my page and that will tell them how to change the bulb which should reduce the time and cost. | ||||||||||||||
| 64. Starter motor defective. I bought my wife a 2001 A140 petrol a couple of weeks ago. I popped out in it yesterday morning, Saturday, came back left it on the drive for a couple of hours and my wife then had to go out only to find it wouldn't start. I turned the ignition on, all lights on the dash came on but it wouldn't start. No turning over no nothing. Called the AA out who checked for common faults and came up with nothing, then rang his colleague who is an ex MB mechanic and they decided the starter motor had packed up, but just to check it wasn't the immobiliser we bump started it no problem. I left it running and he went saying that it would need to go into a garage asap. When I turned the engine off and tried to restart it nothing as before. Anyway thought I'd try it this afternoon, Sunday, and it started no problem. I took out for a drive stopping and restarting it no problem |
I should have firstly said, if it was bought from a garage get it back to them post hast, let them sort it out , and yes this is typical of battery and/or starter problems. You don't say what mileage the car has done, starter motors on this car can be a pain and even more than that costly to repair because the engine has to be dropped to get at the starter motor. There is the remotest chance it's the battery so make sure the battery is sound topped up to the levels with distilled water, and kept fully charged, see my site, I use a automatic trickle charger about once a month because I don't use the car much But I know then it's fully charged. page13. The problem is, if it is the starter it will do it again without warning, so make sure you keep the AA membership and carry a mobile in the car. Short of that I'm sorry there is not a lot you can do, if you are into mechanics then you could check the earth wires that connect on to the engine & gearbox gear box and also ensure the battery terminals are clean and tight, the starter does demand a lot of power when turning over the engine to start. While the car is running search around for the cheapest quote, having got that you wont have any more problems, (Murphy's law!) Stay in touch and have a good look at my site it's free all you need is time, it will help you understand your car better If you have got to pay for the repair then do as I suggest first, If the cars not been used much recently it might sort it's self. But be prepared to have a replacement starter fitted, nothing worse than an unreliable car! page66 |
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| 65. Crankshaft pulley wheel shedding it's outer drive surface. Morning! Our A170 has had a ‘strange’ noise for a few months that “could have been” the drive pulley having become de-bonded (???) then on Sunday evening there was what was without doubt the poly V belt going into self-destruct mode, flipping & flopping away like something possessed! Reading your article gives me confidence that I am on the right track and the pulley de-bonding could answer two questions (this might be the triumph of hope over reality though). Can you tell me that the diesel engine is in principle similar to the petrol engine shown in your fantastic pictures? |
I responded to this owner indicating that there were details on my site showing the belt tensioner etc and that as far as I was aware the basic parts on the engine were the same . However I do stress in the introduction to my site that it is applicable to my car, A160 2002 The reason I say this is because there are known differences in the various models and even years and I have only ever had the A160/2002. This case is one of which I was not aware, nor it seems are some Mercedes Dealers. Owners reply Here is a mystery! The poly belt pulley arrangement on my A170 is different from all the others! You will recall that there is an alloy casting that holds the 3 pulleys the centre one being the tensioner. However my rear most pulley is held by a steel ‘strap’ shown on the attached pictures. This was well beyond the comprehension of the local Merc parts department, AND he said that were the part to be incorrect there would be no refund!!! In other words if we get the wrong one in you pay – Nooooooo! I feel that this might be illegal even(?) The next Merc parts dept, some 30 miles away is more helpful hence the attached pictures. page 57 Again I emphasis if you require spare parts for your Mercedes, Mercedes parts may not be the cheapest in town but they will fit if ordered on the VIN number etc, and if the arrive and are not right Do not pay for them. That is what the Vin number is all about to identify your individual car, in all respects. Another anomaly that came to light on the A170cdi was that the alternator is water cooled ??? Yes water cooled. |
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| 66. Ignition module re-installation procedure. I have an 1999 A140. it was serviced (plugs changed etc) last week and I asked the garage to check out stalling on initial start-up and a slight lack of power. They used their diagnostic equipment and came up with no.3 cylinder not firing. As yet they have not specifically identified what could be causing the problem. Could you point me in the right direction - could it be the coil pack?. If so where is it and how accessible is it. |
If they have changed the plugs ? then ,yes it could be the coil pack, you need to look at page 30 of my site that will explain all , Ideally you need a set of my Ignition cover removal tools to get at the coil pack £10.50, it is a difficult job to get the cover off without tools, that's assuming MB put it back on, which they don't always do! Take a look at my page.30.come back to me if things aren't clear . | ||||||||||||||
| 67. Temperature gauge? Thank you very much for such a detailed and useful web site. Please explain why the model does not have a temperature gauge? surely a very important instrument. Thank you, Mike Collins. |
I can't answer that except to say, why doesn't a car of this cost have an oil pressure gauge ? Even more/as important, All of these so called extras, considered essentials on early automobiles went out when warning lights and sensors came in. I agree that they do clutter the dash, and with modern roads as congested as they are, the less there is to distract your attention from the road while driving the better. but be assured you will get warning if your car overheats, always assuming the sensor, warning light is working, but gauges of the 'bourdon tube' type failed and went out of calibration as well! | ||||||||||||||
| 68. Front suspension swivel bearings Thanks to your website I was able to lubricate my steering UJs and steering is 60% better - almost as good as my friends identical SWB A160. However this car (A160 LWB) only has 12000miles done (Jan 05). Even when jacked off its front wheels there is a distinct roughness which can be felt in the top bolt of the struts as the steering is turned lock to lock. How is the bearing (item 8 below) supposed to be lubricated or is it a sealed unit? (We have no salt issues here and my wife scarcely takes the car out if it rains - due to slippery surfaces after prolonged sunshine) |
A January 2005 should still have a few days warrantee?? get it back to MB post haste other should replace this FOC.(Free Of Charge) give Your MB branch a call first thing on the 2nd Jan 2008 If no go !! Your strut, jack the car up on that side so that when the wheel is off you have maximum access to the strut, I have a oil gun I attach to my sprayer, but a aerosol of silicone spray held as High as you in get in the wheel arch sprayed on/at the bearing area may do the trick, yes it is supposed to be sealed but like every thing else they do dry out which I suspect is what's happened in your case, if that doesn't do the job then you can replace the bearing separate from the strut, I've not done it so you would have to follow the information on my site, it all looks quite straight forward, if you go that route having the part to hand generally helps as to the fixing and installation process. Good luck and have a good day. page 26 |
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| 69. Swivel bearings cont. Continued from Above . This sort of feedback may be useful to us all. 1) I took the A160 in to MB as you suggested and they replaced the top strut bearings without quibbling. What a night to day difference in the car's overall feel! The technician told me that this was quite a common problem. I suggested to him that maybe the extra stress on the powered steering column and un-lubricated UJs was responsible to a large degree for steering problems and he agreed that this was a plausible opinion. 2) MB still say the whine at ~68km/h is the alternator belt but I am sure they will find different when they change this next week FOC as agreed. I will give feedback on this too as I discovered that they had to replace the diff bearings in 2 other A160s in the last 6 months with the same problem. |
A great result, it's worth remembering that the warrantee period is 3 years and providing all the conditions of the servicing have been met by you the Owner then it's always worth taking the car back to Mercedes-Benz for at least inspection. In this particular instance it really had paid, and the final outcome is a great result. Just a little advise that when heeded has saved the owner a great deal of money. | 70. Replacing rear shock absorbers. Firstly thanks very much for the site... very useful !! Quick question, had a quick go at fitting some new rear shockers to the wife's a170 2000 model... I've just read your item no. 20 but am confused as to how you get a ring spanner onto the top nut for the shocker... seems to between sub frame and chassis... a tiny gap. Do you tackle it from the top or bottom ? You also say to remove the inner arch plastics - would this give me access to those top shocker nuts ? |
Although I didn't change my shocks I did go through the process I was able to ease the plastic wheel arch and get a ring spanner on the nut you mention You could remove the plastic arch but I don't think it's necessary. page 20 | ||||||||||||
| 71. Removal of rear seat Hi lofty, I'm an Italian owner of a w168 class a, year 1999. I've solved a lot of little problems with your guides, so I'd want to thank you a lot. Fortunately, there's only one unsolved problem in my car, regarding the back double seat. The lever that make the seat go down it's probably broken so I can't incline the back and remove the seat too (this is what I need). Is there any operation that I can do to put away the seat with the lever broken? |
I have just taken a look at my seats I'm not convinced you can release the seat without first folding the backrest. The only thing I can suggest is that you try to take the seat out of the car, if you can, then have a good look at the area where the release handle fits you may be able to get repaired but I don't thing there are any spare parts you can fit .I have just taken this photo so you can see what it should be like.(Photo mailed to owner)page 36 | ||||||||||||||
| 72. Front suspension broken spring. Hello Lofty I have discovered that I have a broken front spring on my A190. Could you give an advice on how I can change the springs and possibly the bearing at the top of the front struts? Do you think I would need to hire some spring compressors or any other tools to help me get the job done? Thanks for your help. |
No you should be able to deal with it without special tools, you will need to remove the spring, if it were me, I would do both together to keep the front of the car balanced, also check the lower spring cup to make sure it's not been damaged. While you have the top bearings off soak it in thin oil that may help with the gritty movement. All the information is on my site look at page 26 | ||||||||||||||
| 73. Brake light Fuse problem. Hi The problem I am having with my A class is, the brake lights, when ever I press the brake the fuse blows (10 amp number 40), have you any ideas of what may cause this problem. Excellent site by the way |
I went back to this owner and suggested he replace the foot brake switch as having suffered problems with this myself was aware that it can cause all sorts of problems , I then recd this feedback :-
Please to say that replacing switch on brake pedal not only cured blowing fuse on rear lights, but also switched off ABS, ESP lights on dash, Mercedes wanted £500 to replace some parts in steering column to turn these off....... Just a bit of difference between £500 and the cost of a stop light /brake switch, less than £10.00 which takes just minutes to fit. It also goes to show that sophisticated equipment such as 'star' diagnostics is not always the answer, just a bit of good old common sense. page 18 |
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| 74. Steering rack problem! Have just been told by local garage that I have a steering column or rack problem it will cost just £550 to replace column however if this does not resolve problem it will cost me £1100 to replace column. Help as it has recently failed MOT on this steering issue. It seems to be an intermittent problem which can stay away for as much as four days then returns with vengeance preventing steering e.g. turning the steering wheel left may cause it to stiffen up. Please reply ASAP. Jennifer |
Go to my page 49 and study that part relating to greasing the BUJ's the lower UJ is usually the one at fault jack up the front of the car until the wheels are just off the ground, open the rubber cover over the lower UJ it's two half cups slide the upper on up the column taking care not to damage, spray the jug with copious sprays of wd turning the wheels from right to left, when the steering has eased then grease the Uj and replace the cups wiping the area clean also check the power steering reservoir make sure the fluid is on the stick , if it's off the bottom of the stick you will need to purchase Mercedes fluid to top it up. also the column is in two parts joined by a spline study my site information and push grease up the spline's having firstly eased the rubber collar back, replace as found Please let me know how you get on and if it corrects the problem you have, you cannot over exercise the UJ's having lubricated If I have not made myself clear e-mail me Lofty |
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| 75. Defective /repair of MAFS Hi I read with interest your piece on MAFS/ECU on the A class. I'm a lecturer in motor vehicle, we have an A class in the workshop at the moment with all the symptoms of a defective MAFS. We gained access to the 2 glass reed sensors and carried out a resistance check ( manufactures spec is 495 ohm's mass and 10ohm,s temp), the air temperature was out of range. As a college we would like to replace the defective reed sensor, if not both sensors. I believe this is more beneficial to the students than just sending the unit of for a re-build. Do you know if and where I could buy the glass reed sensors. |
Sorry I have no idea where these are obtained from, whether BAA would share this knowledge with you I'm not sure as they obviously make a great deal of money doing the repairs.
There is also another contact which I put on my page 38 only yesterday but again it a commercial enterprise and I suspect they will want to guard the information.
Telephone numbers are available on mypage 38 for both companies ' One other possibility remains however and that is for you to obtain a used ECU/MAFS from a breakers yard, they are of no value to them as they are coded to the car, and then switch the complete MAF sensor ten pins/contacts on the pcb, if you look at my site I have shown this in the photographs, there is in my opinion no reason why if this is done to a high standard why the combined unit should not work correctly on the original car. |
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| 76. Gear selector problem. Dear Lofty, just an e-mail to thank you for your great website, I now use your website more than any other car website. A special thanks for the nearly £1400 + VAT bill you have just saved me on my 1999 A class 170 CDI. I was driving to work the other day on the motorway, and the gear stick kept going into neutral from fifth gear. when I got at work colleagues told me that it sounded as though the gearbox needed replacing. after speaking with Mercedes bonze, they quoted me £1400 + VAT to fit a reconditioned gearbox, and they confirmed to me that the problem was gearbox related. I had to drive home on the motorway, holding the gear stick in 5th gear. after checking on your website first I realised that it might be the gear selector which you suggested it would be, now my car has a semi-automatic clutch system, so I wasn't sure if it was set up as your manual car, however to my delight it was set up the same, and indeed the gear selector was very loose. I ordered a new Part from Mercedes Benz part website, which came next day, and I have just fitted it now and the car selects the gears and more importantly stays in the selected gear. I would just like to say, again thank you, I don't really have any confidence with taking the car to Mercedes Benz, and it was a delight to find the info on your website, and ensured me a trouble free sleep when I went to bed. Kind Regards |
Are Mercedes-Benz workshop staff really so naive that they are not aware of this common problem on the 'A' Class or are they just trying it on? This is not the first time an owner has been told that there is a major gear box fault and that it will have to come out of the car and be replaced. See page 59 Either way it really does pay to not only read my pages of information but in respect of this problem take my advise and carry a spare link £2.00 approx, replace it and get home without delay. |
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| 77. Power steering pump failure/water damage. I have a 1998 A160 Avantgarde, that I bought about 2 years ago, it has about 134,000 km on the clock (around 86 km when I got it) We recently had flash flooding in our area (20th Dec), I drove through about a foot or more of water covering the road. The power steering went almost immediately, and after reading your section on power steering pumps I could see why, having the electronics so close to the road surface. I called my MB service centre and they couldn't check it until the 8th of Jan. During this time I only made a few short trips to the local shops. First trip, the car didn't want to start when I came back from the shops, but eventually did after about 15-20 minutes. The next time, the car shut off on me while I was slowing at a set of lights. I didn't even realise it had cut out, until I tried to speed up and saw all the lights on the dash come on. I tried calling the RACV (our roadside assist) when I wasn't able to restart it. While being on hold for about 20 minutes, I tried it again, this time it started. I drove it straight home. The next day or so, I tried starting it again, and all I got was fast clicking sounds. The following day, not even the remote unlock worked, the battery was almost completely drained. I had to get it towed to the MB Mechanics. They said that the power steering pump was at fault, and that I must have left something on to cause the battery drain. I assured them that I did not leave anything on, and was sure that it must have been linked with the steering fault and/or the flood. They quoted me $500 AUD for a genuine battery ($250 for non genuine) and $2900 AUD for the power steering pump. Luckily he suggested that I go through my insurance, which covers floods. So I only had to pay $500 excess. I finally pick up the car, asked for a copy of the repairs and total cost, as mine was blank and only had $500 excess printed on it. I saw that the price for the battery was $140 (Century Battery) and the rest was about what they quoted me. So I drive home everything is fine. Next day I'm driving down a busy road, slow at the set of light, and you guessed it. The car quit on me again!! As per last time, I got the car going again before I got any assistance from the RACV. I called the MB Mechanic and complained about the reoccurrence of the problem. But he tried to make it sound as if it was an unrelated problem. But I pointed out to him that I had printed out the faults that had occurred since the flood, left it on the drivers seat as it was towed to their workshop, and gave him a call as soon as the truck left to inform him of the letter of faults/symptoms, and when I picked up the car it was clearly visible on the front passenger seat. But he said he saw no letter. Sorry for the long explanation. I guess what I'd like to know from you, the guru, have you come across a problem where the car cuts out while driving and seems to drain the battery. Any help would be appreciated as I don't want them to replace part after part until they find the cause. |
The power steering failure as you say was almost certainly caused by the flooding, the failure of the car to start since is a different story although could be related, I have not heard of the battery draining in that way although it is obvious that it was caused by a short circuit somewhere on the system.
Have MB put your car on the diagnostics and does it show any problems /faults that is the way to go where you have a fault that cannot be located/identified.
If they have not done so then ask them why and if I were you I would also contact your insurers and explain that the damage caused by the floods has not been satisfactorily completed by the company involved , hopefully they will contact them. They say they did not see your letter, I suspect if it had been a 100$ bill they would have seen that! very convenient to say we didn't see it. Get the diagnostics done and go from there but emphasise that you do not consider they satisfactorily completed the work on the car in the first instance as it let down with hours of picking it up and that you do expect a bill for the test. Has the new battery held up ? if so the PSP pump could have been to problem with the battery drain.. Hope that helps and good luck, bearing in mind your workload you deserve it ' Lofty Further mail from Owner . Just a quick update. (Remember me?......Flood caused Power Steering failure and battery drain) MB arranged a tow from my house to there service dept, after my Insurance contacted them. Today I got a call from my Insurance, saying that MB are going to replace the CRANK ANGLE SENSOR, which they say is the cause of the car stalling. Should be ready tomorrow. Another good outcome |
78. Wiring loom abrasion /damage. Hi, lofty My car had also suffered some minor loom damage in the same areas highlighted on page54. Luckily there was no damage to the actual wires, so repair was easy using loom tape. Unfortunately, the heater hose was badly damaged, caused by the cable tie on the ECU, and had to be replaced. The heater hose is only available as a complete assembly ,cost £25 ish from Mercedes, not to bad I thought. The major problem is access to/removal of the hose clip at the rear of the engine. Removing the air filter housing etc improves access; the use of a remote action hose clip removal tool [ and a generous helping of patience! ] enables the clip to be removed. I bought the hose clip remover from Sealey tools, cost about £25, and saved the need to lower the engine. Hope this info helps Regards, Chris |
This problem is well documented on the main site Page 54, any owner who has not yet inspected their car is in my opinion looking for trouble .This is a real problem that I have contacted Mercedes About, they indicated that they would inform branches of the problem , however if your car is not serviced by them it will not be checked , so take the matter in hand yourself before you car sufferer a breakdown which will cost a lot of money to put right. Chris was able to repair /replace the hose on his car , However he hasn't mentioned the hassle of draining the coolant before you can even start to replace the hose, as well as the extra expense of replacing the fluid. So check you car before the damage is done you will same yourself a lot of hassle and if you can't undertake the repair yourself , MB will want at least and hour to do the job along with parts and VAT Incidentally you do NOT NEED a diagnostics test to locate this fault, so make sure your not charged. |
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| 79. Re-synchronising ignition keys Hi, Just wanted to say that I have just used your method of synchronising the key fob and have successfully started my car again! It was completely dead today and the doors would not lock either but this worked. Thanks, Mike. Re Synchronising Remote Keys with engine immobiliser /Auto lock/Unlock I would point out that I personally have not had to employ either of the following procedures. Synchronising transmitter signal for key fob remote control. I am reliably informed that this procedure only applies to keys that have already been pre-programmed to your car. New keys purchased from MB will pre-programmed to your car's ECU in Germany prior to delivery to your MB branch. However if you have remote key that having been programmed to your car fails to either unlock or lock your car and on which the battery test above is satisfactory, it may well be that it wants re-synchronising with your locking system, Mercedes-Benz direct the following be carried out:- A. Press the locking (2) or unlocking (3) Twice momentarily. B. Within 30 seconds turn the key to position 2 Press black button 1 to release key from fob. page 6 |
Well done mike and thanks for the feed back. As with all cars there are procedures to follow for certain problems thank goodness we don't all need to use them, that doesn't mean of course that we shouldn't take action to ensure other owners are aware of these procedure, hence the information on my site. . What a pity more people don't provide the feed back, it confirms the procedures do work. | ||||||||||||||
| 80. Noisy front windscreen wiper motor. A fantastic site....just bought a 2nd hand A140 Classic, and have found your website absolutely helpful - thanks Had query about an intermittent squeaky front wiper motor/gear. It's working perfectly but has an annoying loud squeak most often. I guess it just needs a bit of oil somewhere, but it looks as if I'd have to go thro the length removal process to get access to the motor and gears. Is there any sort of access point I can just to spray in some 3-in-1 oil without going to all the removal trouble? |
In short NO! It really does depend on what's causing the squeak? If it's on the blade spindles you may get away with running a couple of drops of oil down the spindles, it worth a try, when you put the oil on the spindles lift the blades into the locked position away from the screen, so they can just swivel the arms/blades thereby preventing them from contacting the screen otherwise you will damage the blades on the dry screen. If the dry joint is one of the ball joints you will need to follow the instructions on page 42 Do not follow the air con page details The joints can be pulled off and then greased molly-grease or any light grease will do the job, if your thinking of servicing you own car? Then get an air con filter ( Activated carbon filter ). and change that at the same time. save yourself a job later on. Watch you fingers and loose clothing ,ties etc, if activating the wipers while unguarded the mechanism is very powerful. | ||||||||||||||
| 81. When I turn on the ignition I only get an SRS light showing in the instrument cluster ? When this owner posted his question on the baby-benz.com technical questions forum he had no answers, and so I responded to him :- Owners question I have trawled the forum but cannot find the specific problem I have. Went to start car last night, nothing, no dash lights, just the SRS light. After a couple of minutes trying, it worked fine and purred like a kitten. Parked at the CO-OP, came back, nothing again, SRS only no other lights or sounds, after about 20 minutes of screaming at it, started fine again, like nothing is wrong! Got home, switched off, tried to start, nothing again. This morning started after a couple of minutes trying. I think I have an intermittent transponder/immobiliser/key problem, I have synchronised my key, but it works the central locking fine. Does anyone have experience of this problem and what was the cause, I'm sure that MB will say "immobiliser problem costing scullions", but I'm not so sure as it runs perfectly when started, eventually. |
My response.
If you have two keys have you tried them both and do the both produce the same same problem ? The owner responded that no he only had the one key. In that case disconnect you battery leave for 20mins or so then reconnect follow the correct procedures for disconnecting and re-connecting and put the lighting switch to at least side lights before connecting the battery (reduce the serge of power going to the ECU.) That may reset the system. if it doesn't help then I fear you have an ignition switch problem. Hope that helps. Feed back is essential if we are all going to gain from any of these forums! Owners feed back Well I never!! Disconnected battery for half an hour, reconnected and bingo! it's just started 10 times in a row on the first try. Will leave it overnight and try again in the morning, but initial signs seem good. Lofty, once again your advice has come up trumps. I will post in a couple of days or so to let you know the outcome Just goes to show that 'star Diagnostics is not always required and it's a tip that is well worth remembering . After all if your PC at home plays up, you power down and re-start the system, and invariably it sorts it's self out, you car also has an inbuilt computer!! Report from owner 4 days later and the car is fine. great News. |
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| 82. Multiple faults after side impact I bought an a140 51 reg, been damaged, side impact. No airbags deployed. I have had the rear quarter and both drivers side doors changed. The dash now shows SRS and ABS/ESP and A little orange engine symbol. Auto electrician states its airbag ECU is faulty, plus shows fault on passenger side airbag. (Never deployed) He also states there is a fault on speed sensor, may be gearbox. The guy was not sure. Can anybody help me, do I need a new it plug in? Can the old one be re-programmed? Please help......should I take it to Merc? if anybody can help sort it I'm prepared to pay u. please help any info will be greatly valued. The final outcome of this question was this mail from the Owner. Just thought I would fill u in on my car, basically the ECU control module was faulty so had it replaced at a cost of 700pounds. The abs esp fault was due to an incorrect rear wheel size, that was free....thanks for your help cheers....should I keep the Merc or get rid of it? they seem expensive to maintain. |
With a modern car like the A class things aren't as simple as that, your SRS I suspect is showing because the car has detected the collision and the SRS with therefore need re-setting using star Diagnostics equ. there is also a sensor which may need replacing situated behind the lower centre consul even as you say the air bags were not deployed. In respect of the ABS/ESP that again is almost certainly caused by miss-alignment of the front wheels in relation to the rears or even a single wheel. The slightest fraction out of alignment and the Abs light will show, was the car checked on a jig for chassis alignment before having the other work done? As far as the EML (engine management light) is concerned this could be something as simple as the car standing around, if it will run then give a good run and see if the light remains on. Again a diagnostic test will point you in the right direction, again it could be connected to the impact. The other point to remember is that if the car was written off by the insurers, you may need to get it re- MOT and inspected before a new tax disc will be issued. This procedure was set up to stop cars that had been in collisions and written off being put back on the road without a VOSA inspection the also includes verification of ownership. that's if you are British based. Pleased you got the car sorted out, but you spent far more money than you needed to ! You must read my pages as I cannot answer all the questions fully and keep the site up to date. The ECU which was the most costly part of your repairs could have been repaired for £250, you only have to buy a new one if the ECU and not the MAFS portion of the combined unit is defective, so please read my pages when you have the time then you car will be cheaper to keep and if you really want a lot of information on how to service your car buy my CD Rom that has twice as much information on it as my site. good value at £5.00 plus postage . I'm still unsure where this driver lives in the World? |
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| 83. Scorpion alarm dongle keys? From the information posted on your site I see I should have a black dongle key for my car alarm I was only given the red key with the two fob keys when I purchased my car , can I get a black key anywhere . |
Yes If your car is fitted with the factory/MB branch fitted 'Scorpion alarm system' you can get spare black keys from them .However you cannot get Black keys unless you have the red, so you were lucky in that you were at least given the black key . There is a link for scorpion on mypage 51. It is worth noting that the red key 's or master key is limited to 250 consecutive operations, although I can never see a situation where this might arise! | ||||||||||||||
| 84. Power steering defect Hi Lofty, Great web site, could not have serviced my A class 160 with out it! cheers, Would you know what the problem could be regarding the power steering. A few months ago now, I drove up to oxford from Hertfordshire to stay with friends, the next day we got in to the car, the steering became heavy, and there was a buzzing sound when the steering wheel was turned, also the battery light came on when this happened, of course this only occurred when slowing down and making a turn, any way after a couple of days the problem went a way, so thought nothing of it, but now it has returned, some one told me that it could be water getting in to the pump and causing a shortage and will right it self once the water or dampness goes. ( this could happen if car driven through a puddle of water or so, as the pump is fairly low to the road. Would be most grateful for any ideas you may have. Best regards Geoff | Geoff hi pleased you found the site useful, please consider purchasing my CD it has twice as much info on it as the site itself. Your problem low to the ground is correct, take a look at my new page 67 19/03/08 and you will see one of the symptoms of a problematic alternator is the ignition light flickering and the power steering going heavy, get that checked out first then if its ok move on to the PSP I would start by cleaning the terminals on on the front sub frame, the feed the PSP there should also be a blue wire firmly attached and clean that's signal wire from the alternator, located r.h.side as you face the car, the PSP will not run unless there is a power feed all the time when the engine is running . BBA Remain can service the PSP, but the alternator you could service yourself or get and good auto electrician to test the readout/output from the alternator, it should be 13+ volts at the psp if working correctly. Also don't over look you battery condition and age, the battery backs up the alternator when the cars at low revs if it's in poor condition or old 4+ years then it can be suspect, Halfords will check this for you for a small fee and the do stock good batteries that will fit, and are suitable for your car, a vented battery is required Please let me know how you get on, this helps me to help others and to know if I'm talking rubbish or giving the correct or near correct answers to owners. Battery page14 Lofty | ||||||||||||||
| 85. Problems starting, cured by disconnecting the battery as you suggested. Lofty I e mailed you last week re my A class not starting.... all ignition lights would come on but the ignition just clicked. Had the battery and starter motor tested both fine... .auto electrician was booked to attend garage where Merc had been towed ! sat that evening reading Q&A's on your site and found a question about immobilisers....I did as it was suggested...disconnected battery for 30 mins, switched side lights on when battery was re connected and guess what....Merc started first time and has every time since ! thanks for saving me HUGE bill at garage...... hope this trick will save others money great site........................ |
Great News, it just shows that going to school was beneficial, and now saves you from the clutches of those that 'demand so much for so little,' Not quite Winston Churchill but not far off! that my expression. This technique call it what you will, has now worked on a considerable number of occasions and has saved owners a fortune, it came about after considerable thought. A large number of us use PC,s if the system crashes or locks up , we can over come the problem by switching off the p.c and re booting it, It came to me that this could work also work with the Computer on your car (ECU) and yes it has worked, many times so it's always worth a try . But bear in mind having disconnected the battery , your windows and esp/abs will require re-setting takes just a couple of minutes, also Please also remember to turn on at least your side lights before re-connecting the battery, there by reducing the surge of power hitting the ECU, failure to do this and you may well finish up with an ECU lamp lit which only MB or garages with 'Star' diagnostics can delete Cost £50 that's if you can convince them them their is nothing wrong with your car. I suspect they would pooh-pooh this method but if it works so what! |
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| 86. Oil water emulsion in engine oil filler tube. Dear lofty as I have seen all your posts man. I think you are the god of the A-class. I bought recently an A140 1998 I have been seeing white stuff on the oil lock. I am dead afraid its the gasket. I think the seller hooked me m8. Would you please advise. thank you |
No don't worry this is normal on the 'A' Class, it's caused by condensation in the long plastic filler tube. One good long journey and it will be gone, however when you change the oil get a none fluffy cloth and a long screw drive or some such tool and wipe out as much as possible before filling with the new oil . If the head gasket was to go your coolant level would also fall and oil level would rise so if your not putting in coolant fluid then you have no worries just enjoy your Merc best wishes Lofty |
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| 87. DIY servicing A class. Lofty, Hoping for some advice.... I (well my boyfriend is!) about to give my baby-benz its 70k service. any advice on what we should change? also, how do we reset the service countdown? cheers! |
Hi, go to my page 47 at the bottom there are two files they will tell you what's required on a given service obviously 70000 could be made up by two 35000 when things that have previously been checked become due again . The re-set procedure is on my page 35 and my CD! Hope that helps. lofty | ||||||||||||||
| 88. Front suspension springs /failed MOT. Over the years you have been a fountain of knowledge regarding the A-Class I have contacted you several times regarding my A140 , and you have always been very helpful. (You may remember last year my rather large MB service and Alternator story posted on SVC) Well yesterday I decided to get the rear shoes and drums sorted (80,000 mile now) at the same time the car was due its MOT. Guess what it FAILED! Front spring, drivers side had broken, and when they came to replace the spring noticed that the cup on the shock absorber was cracked through. The mechanic at my local garage (Very good, and not MB!) showed me the spring and shock absorber, and they were damaged exactly the same as shown on your website. God knows how long I’d been driving the car like that, but if there had been another failure on the cup, I don’t think I’d be writing you this email! Are MB sure there is not a problem! Just thought I’d share this story with you, as you may be able to bring it to the attention of other owners. So another £900.00 bill for my now ageing (9 years old) A-Class, but I still don’t want to get rid of it! |
This is a very well known problem on the 'A' Class of all ages and I advertise it to the full on Page 26 I have even been in touch with VOSA to highlight the problem, they contacted MB. MB maintain there is not a problem and they also say that the car will not be dangerous if the spring and cup break!!!! Their words to VOSA not mine
Then let them drive it and they still have not instigated a recall! Shame on you MB. On my pre-MOT page 48 I do mention inspection of the springs and front support cups located on the struts which I strongly advise to be checked prior to the MOT Alarm, yes of course it shouldn't happen but having looked at other marques they suffer spring damage as well, so what more can I say except check and spray with duck oil. I maintain that the spring gets dry and although there is a bearing at the top there is only an aluminium cup at the bottom, kept oiled & clean there is less resistance and they remain serviceable , dried out they coil & uncoil and the spring then breaks leaving a sharp tail on the lower end of the spring this in turn then damages and breaks the support cup. Please read my Pages & also Read the page on abrasion to/electrical cables/looms before the damage occurs. |
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| 89. Front suspension failure. Just wanted to say thanks for a great website - it is priceless. My wife's A-class suffered what I would call a catastrophic failure in the front suspension, exactly as detailed on your website. Fortunately she was only reversing off the drive at the time. |
Your the second owner with this problem this week the other car failed the MOT (see above) he doesn't know how long he's been driving around with a broken spring and cracked cup! Close inspection is the only way to detect this problem and before it causes a real problem, I'm firmly of the opinion that this problem will cause a serious accident at some point so keep an eye on your springs all-round so that it doesn't involve you . the consequences of braking hard with a broken front spring on one side of the car don't bear thinking about so pleas check you car's or have them checked! Reporting your findings to VOSA may also help other owners page 26 |
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| 90. Problems with scorpion alarm system. Hi there, have just been looking at your excellent website and wondered if you might be able to help me? My A class a140's key fob has stopped working. I can open the car and drive it but the alarm sounds as I drive. Is there any way to disable the alarm and drive it correctly? Local MB dealer says it is a faulty receiver and will cost £622 to repair. I doubt this though as this happened before and the AA fixed it. Any advice most welcome. It is a 99 T reg. The owner decided to get a diagnostic test done and took the car to Mercedes-Benz! following the visit he mailed sent the following information Picked it up and surprise surprise it is working fine. Report says, removed scuttle panels, removed wiper arms. Signal intermittently failing with das control module. Current and stored fault with DAS control module - requires new. Charged £65. Reluctantly paid it. Got home, opened key fob and brand new batteries inside. MB never mentioned it. Will be well angry if that is all they have done for that price. Might just sell it on now to be honest. Wife needs bigger car anyway soon. |
Having mentioned my page 51 on which a great deal of information is available on the alarm, I continued.:- My first point of call would be to scorpion ask them what they think on the
basis of the conversation with MB then get the garage to purchase the part
and fit, scorpion will not sell direct on the odd bit good luck I wait to see
how you get on. Scorpion are very receptive and helpful company I also sent the owner other information which I felt would help him resolve the problem with links to the scorpion alarm page (page 51) The the best of my knowledge there is nothing behind the scuttle mentioned apart from wiper mechanism and the scorpion alarm horn unit, and this is fitted with a rechargeable battery on the pcb that is designed not to be replaced. A new unit is required. If indeed a fault is present on the car then this would have been picked up on the 'Star' diagnostics, why MB should claim to have removed the scuttle and wiper blades is any bodies guess. The only consolation in this instance the owner only paid the nominal charge for a small/short diagnostics test and that no hours labour charge was made!! I wonder why? I leave you to draw you own conclusion! Perhaps they looked behind the wipers because they page 42 smelt a rat! I certainly do!! a replacement batteries from MB free of charge, things are looking up. |
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| 91. Reversing switch problem Hello Lofty, The reversing light from mine A160 1998 Avant-garde fails. The MB garage has checked it, and says the/a switch (?) has been broken, and needs to be replaced. The have to build the engine out to do so. Is this correct, or can it be an other less expensive problem? Thank you, , |
,
No that is not anywhere near correct!!
page 59
Take a look at that page it will show you where the switch is .
Also If MB do do the JOB make them aware that reverse gear must be selected and remain selected throughout the whole procedure, not being removed until the New switch is in position and tightened. Although this is a fiddly job it certainly does not require the engine to be removed, only a couple of cables on the gear selector moved to allow access to the switch which looks like a sparking plug.
Hope that helps My advise would be to use a Mecedes-benz Independent garage as the one you are using obviously do not know what they are talking about and are not using their own workshop information as a reference to your probable, Independents are cheaper and normally do a decent job for a lot less money . |
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| 92. ACS transmission problem Thanks for your reply. I've found a similar problem and solution on another site. Unfortunately, his A160 is semi-automatic and mine is automatic, so, it doesn't apply to mine. Can't find the link now, so, am typing what I'd printed off last week...mmm...not sure if you could put this content on your website though. Hope the info is still useful in some what ways. I had a 160 ACS that the pump failed on. The symptoms started with the car suddenly reporting an error on the dash and the car refusing to go into gear. At first if I switched the car off for five mins and on again it usually fixed itself. However the fault quickly got worse to the point it wasn't driveable. I found that a sharp bang to the passenger side wing got the car going again for a short period and when I discovered this was where the ACS pump was I decided to investigate. I would recommend having a go at this yourself if you're handy with the spanners as it's not that difficult and you'll save the £600 (£720 quoted in Sept 2008) odd pounds the stealer wanted to charge me to fix it. Even if your pumps totally buggered you can very easily fit it yourself saving £90 (£120 quoted in Sept 2008) an hour at the stealers. Remove the passenger side wing, very easy as it's just bolted on. Behind it you'll find the pump it looks like a large cylinder with a tube coming out the end and a smaller cylinder on the side. I removed it completely as at the time I didn't know what was wrong with it but I suspect you can just unbolt it so you can get access to the electric motor on the side (the smaller cylinder). If memory serves there where two screws holding the motor casing on, undo these and pull the casing off to reveal the rotor and actuator. Look closely at the rotor end which is towards the tube end of the larger cylinder, you should see a sort of structure holding two blocks of copper either side of the rotor. These are the bushes and in my case these where the problem as they had worn out (after 60K miles!!) These blocks have a silver wire coming out of them through a cut out in the cage. As the bushes wear the wire moves along this cut out until it meets the edge of the cage and can no longer self adjust at which point the pump fails. To remove the bushes carefully prise open the end of their runners, slide them out and cut the silver wire (remembering to leave enough to solder your new bushes to). Surprise, surprise Mercedes doesn't stock these bushes (not in the UK anyway) so it was off to my local auto electricians who were able to source me a similar set for the princely sum of £10. Fit in reverse order to removal, being careful with the motor casing, it contains magnets around the inside so it can be tricky to get the rotor end into the casings bearing. And remember you'll need a soldering iron to re attach the bushes silver wire. If like me, you remove the pump completely and let all the hydraulic fluid out, a simple way of bleeding the system once the pump was re attached is as follows. Switch the ignition on with the bleed valve open, close the valve and switch ignition off, repeat a few times. |
When I received a question from this owner about the dreaded 'F' showing on his display and the fact that his car had gone into 'get you home mode', all I could tell him was that on the Auto Clutch System(ACS) gearbox the had a hydraulic pump situated under one of the wings which was responsible for the defect, I was not sure, as my car is a manual if this also applied to the fully auto gearbox. This owner kindly sent me this mail which may well assist owners with both 'A' Class, and MB 'Smart' cars fitted with ACS gearboxes. many thanks for the information it will I'm sure be very useful to many owners of ACS boxes. |
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| 93. Heater tap!!! Hi Lofty I have an A170 diesel. I've just started using the heater again and it's either hot (right at the top on the windscreen image) or one click to the left and it's cold. My Dad says it's the heater tap...could you tell me where this is please? Sorry to trouble you, your website is just fantastic. many thanks. Follow up /feed back Thanks so much for your reply, it was spot on!! I got my slave to have a look for me at the weekend and the heater runs perfectly now. Someone else told Dad about there being no heater tap, he's now muttering about 21st century cars.... Once again thanks a lot. |
As far as I'm aware there is no tap! On the old Morris minor yes your dad is right there was a tap turn it off in summer and open it in winter On this car I'm not aware of any control valve that you can operate. It is the case that the heater does not fully operate until the knob is turned quite high up on the dial almost into the red move away from that and it cools very quickly. The fan control needs to be used in conjunction with that heater dial and also of course the setting , where the warm /hot air is being sent. The heater is reliant on a good air flow and so you need to consider when was your activated carbon filter last changed ? they do get blocked and this will have a real effect on the heater, the controls as far as I'm aware are rod operated behind the heater consul, not easy to get at and complex, the filter is your first port of call see if that's clean I suspect you have air con and so it's important that its clean for that as well. There is no adjustment that I aware off so having cleaned/replaced the filter it really is a case of adjusting the knobs all three to get the best from you heater the hand book does have information that may help you in this regard hope that helps a bit. And don't upset you dad by telling him that cars don't have taps anymore, they are quite often sophisticated valve assemblies integral of the heater control system and are tucked away so that you have to pay large sums of money to get them replaced, oh if only we had simple taps back again, how easy life would become!! But then the garage wouldn't be able to charge you £50 or £100 to carry out a diagnostic test to tell you why your heater wasn't working correctly, and then of course charge you again to put it right. I have attached a file that will give you some idea of what I'm on about. |
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| 94. Front brake pads. Hi there, been reading your info on the a class, I am changing the front brake pads and discs, pads no probs, but mine are not vented on a class 160 d 2004 reg, can see the T30 Torx but hard in there , but do I have to take the centre hub nut off to get the disc off thanking you, Anglesey north Wales .THANKS FOR INFO, DRILLED THE T 30 TORX HEAD OFF, AND THE DISC CAME OFF, JUST AS YOU SAID, LOOKED Follow up mail/feed back LIKE IT WAS ALL ONE PIECE, ALL SORTED THANKING YOU BEST REGARDS |
I'm not aware that the front nut has to come off, that only holds the stub axle and drive shaft assembly the disc fits onto that if you look closely you will see the fit of the disc only although it may look like one ass , Remove the securing screws (T30 Torx)and tap the disk from the rear it will give if you keep going round evenly. Mine aren't vented with holes as some models that's holes in the disc however they are double skin i.e. two braking faces. pages 27 &28 | ||||||||||||||
| 95. Signs of pulley 'V' Belt failure. Thanks Lofty. I bought my A140 in May, and several things happened - loss of power intermittently (would run fine for days then suddenly seem as though I needed new plugs) - your site seems very helpful here as it seems it might be the fuel filter. Last week I was pulling away and I noticed there was suddenly no power-assisted steering, and at the same time a puff of white smoke (or steam?) came from the bonnet accompanied by a smell of electrical burning, and the red battery light came on followed soon after by the red temperature/water light. When I got it home I opened the bonnet and saw some that kind of liquid seemed to be splashed around the bottom of the compartment. I guess it is either the voltage regulator or the alternator, plus possible follow-on damage to cooling system (?) caused by loss of electrical power. Any suggestions welcomed. Happy days. Looks as though I'll have my head in your CD-ROM for quite a while! Thanks again |
In the first instance are you diesel or petrol? Sounds very much as though your poly V belt has gone . this drives the water pump , plus the alternator, the steam could have been due to over heating, the red ignition was because the alternator had also stopped. Again driven by the belt and the power steering also powered by the alternator direct, not from the battery. Belts about £20.00 can be done yourself if you have a means of raising the car or 'Auto check' Storrington, Sussex. could do the job for you, they are down by the schools sell Mercedes smart cars as well. go to :- page 57 that will tell you all about the belt and fitting Hope that helps. PS further mail confirmed it was the poly V belt. The engine certainly got hot although there is a electric cooling fan the water pump would not have been circulating the water, Chances are a new belt, there are two, air con and non air con, different lengths so get the right one. You may well have got away without doing further damage certainly worth a try 'Autocheck' I mentioned earlier are MB wise and do have 'Star' Diagnostics if required, but they don't need it in the first instance. it's about 30 mins work to fit the belt if they know what they are doing but I advise you to print off that page and place it in the car as they will not have the old belt layout to follow when placing on the new unit. If your doing it yourself and it is possible, then you will need the layout anyway as it's complex without guidance. Stay in touch I'd be pleased to here how you get on and advise if required.(Readers my wonder why I asked if it was petrol or diesel? The white smoke could have been from a blown injector , however having read on it became obvious as all models are fitted with poly 'v' Belts. Best advise is if you have these symptoms do not drive more than you have to to get to a safe parking lot, then call breakdown to get you home. This owner had driven 7-8 miles! This is not a job that can be done at the roadside. fit a new belt at approx 45000miles approx and its unlikely it will ever happen to you. |
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| 96. Problems starting Hi lofty, Sorry to bother you with a question but I'm a student and the mounting prices of my 'A' class are causing me bother. Only 2 months ago I had to have the ECU MAFS replaced because it had gone silly for no reason, and now my car is having issues starting. The first time was yesterday lunchtime, I put my key in, I got SRS and dash, power was all fine, but no noise when the key was turned to the ignition position. I cursed my luck and took the key out, tried it again, nothing. Took it out one last time and tried and it worked. Then this morning (very cold) it happened again. If it hadn't been for the fact that it happened the day before I would have thought it was due to the temperature, but this morning I went and got my second set of keys to see if it was an immobiser problem. The car started right away. So I turned it off and tried the old key again, and low and behold it worked. I just don't know what's going on, car has done 90,000 miles, and so far has always been serviced fully by Mercedes authorised people. The only thing I did which I have never done before was fill the car up full with petrol, but its crazy to think that this is what's causing it. Many thanks, Your site is fantastic and I'm going to buy the CD Rom of you work soon so I can carry out my own work, as soon as exams are out of the way. Tom |
Tom, Initially I would have said you ignition key wants synchronising with the immobiliser, but as you have said the car eventually starts I doubt that is the case. That in my book leaves two things the ignition switch or starter I would like to think it's the switch rather than the starter as that is a biggish job . Do you have other keys on you ignition key ring? this can cause damage to the barrel of the ignition switch after a period of time . You say it starts first time with the spare key so is that a key on it's own? You can see what I'm saying the key without extra weight starts the car whereas the one with struggles. Try using the spare key for a while and see if the problem still occurs if it does then it's starting to point to the starter motor, although the problem could still be the barrel of the switch, move the key about having entered it into the barrel see if that makes any difference. Send me you address (UK only) because of high postage and I will send you a CD it will gives you loads of info that's not on my site. Best wishes and I hope that helps you. page 70 Lofty |
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| 97 Poly 'v' Belt and frequency of replacement. Hello Lofty Unfortunately my local MB garage told me the other day that the reason why my A160 (year 1999, 240000 km) stopped was the tooth belt, which damaged the whole engine. Strange, I never thought about it – I thought that changing the tooth belt was included in the B service, the big one. Obviously it’s not. The garage told me that they’ll send my damaged engine to Germany and get a certain discount on the new one. But the overall reparation will cost about 4000 £! I was then searching for an article about the issue in your precious website, but I cannot find anything with that word. Is it maybe another term in English? Probably not “tooth belt”? Many greetings from Denmark, | Angelo,
You have obviously been one of a few unfortunate owners, although I suspect it more owners than we know about who have suffered a broken timing chain.
This is located inside the engine and does the same job as the timing belt(cam Belt) on other modern cars.
There was a time when all cars had this metal linked chain the keep the engine timed with all the components valves etc but Mercedes-Benz are one of the few who have retained it. This chain should outlive the car and it's not right that you should have to pay that much money to Mercedes for the New Engine, Go and talk with them and try and get some more help with the costs. I will then put the details on my site to warn other owners of the problem. You are only about the 6th owner who I'm aware of who has had this problem in 4 + years, in one case it happened to the new engine as well. Your MB branch should not only ensure you get a discount but should fit the engine free as well, this is a big problem for Mercedes if you publicise this information, as they do not lay down a mileage at which the chain should be replaced and obviously didn't either pick up the problem on the last service or warn you of a possible problem. So talk with them and if necessary contact Mercedes-Benz Customer help line in your Country or Failing that get in contact with the Mercedes Customer care line in your Country or even in Germany. To see the Chains, there are two, one for the timing and one for the oil pump go to my page 33 the chains you will see on the right hand side of the engine they run just inside the engine casing while the Poly V belt runs on the outside driven by the crank pulley, a pulley that also drives the timing chain, if the poly V belt breaks that to can also cause problems unless you stop driving the car more or less straight away. The broken timing chain will have done damage more of less straight away and you could not have avoided that. Also is you car always serviced by Mercedes and when was the last service done? These are important things you should bear in mind if you contact them which if I were you I would most certainly do. Lofty. page 33 |
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| 98. Engine management light lit following bulb change? Dear Lofty, Thanks for the confirmation of my order. I don’t know whether you can help me, but I forgot to disconnect the battery on my wife’s A Class today whilst replacing some blow bulbs in the instrument cluster and when I reconnected the cluster I noticed that the “engine diagnosis indicator” is now illuminated permanently? Any ideas how I reset it? Look forward to hearing from you. |
You haven't said what year your wife's car is? if it is March 01 onwards then it will have an OBD2 connector, (by the bonnet release catch under edge of dash) being OBD2 compliant, if that is the case then it will pay you to purchase a diagnostics tool and reset the EM light yourself you will then have it for future use. There are two other options, one is connect the battery for a min of 30mins and then turn on the headlights and then reconnect the battery, the light may reset, if it doesn't then it's of to either MB workshops or an MB independent, or the AA who may if you ask them nicely reset the light. I will attach a mail received from another reader who is recommending a diagnostics tool that appears to work well with the 'A' Class, he purchased his from E-bay and it only cost a fraction more than you will have to pay MB to delete the light. if the wife take the car in they may be kind and delete it for her, but I wouldn't hold your breath. This car is a menace when it does this, there really shouldn't be a need to disconnect batteries to replace bulbs but the system is so sensitive it does pay to do so, which is why I make the comments I do .if you do try the battery disconnection method then you will need to re-set the abs/Esp and windows both procedures are on my pages see the battery pages. I hope that helps sorry I'm sorry I can't be more positive but MB staff have to live as well and they have made sure that the after care of the car looks after them also. if the car is pre that date then the scanner mentioned below is unlikely to help. Best wishes Quote Hi Bert, This may be of interest to your members. I purchased a Memoscan OBD2 scanner code reader (U581) and tested it on my car (W168) it works great! Reads all fault codes plus Live Date, clears all fault codes including Engine Check Light. Now when I go to a garage I will know if they are bullshitting me. Cost of scanner £59.99 Post free, on E-bay. Unquote |
99. Symptoms of timing chain/timing chain tensioner problems. Help Lofty, I am in dire straits!! I recently purchased a W-reg Merc A140 with 73000 miles on the clock. It has been a joy to drive, up until a couple of days ago when the engine started making a lot of rattling noise when warmed up, mainly from the drivers side. The noise goes away when the engine is revved and returns on idle. It seems to get worse as the car warms up (sounds worse than a chain is on its way out and have quoted me £500 plus for the job because the engine has to come out. I did not buy it from a trader so I don't have a warranty. Would you please shed some light on the subject and let me know how much I would expect to pay for a timing chain change? Follow up Feed back Hello Lofty. Just to give you an update on the problem I had regarding the timing chain. After rigorously searching the net for a solution, I found that a few of the A140 owners worldwide had ended up with snapped timing chains due to malfunctioning timing chain tensioner's. I decided to change the tensioner and hey presto! problem solved! When I took the tensioner apart, I noticed the rubber seal on the piston had hardened which meant that it was not holding the oil pressure. I will try and send you a picture of the offending article as soon as I have downloaded it to my PC. Once more thank you for all your suggestions and your excellent website. |
Ouch , what a pity you didn't pick this defect up when you bought the car.
Yes I does sound like a timing chain problem, although this is not a common
fault on the A class. £500 is very very reasonable as the engine has to come completely out of the car and the o/s end of the engine stripped to get at the chain and replace it is a lot of work which you couldn't tackle yourself even if you had a load of gear as few people have the facilities to drop the engine out through the bottom of the car because of the height required. Take a look at my page 33 and you will see the layout. However having had got the engine out he will have to remove the poly V belt , so get a new one fitted when he replaces the belt, no extra work but a bit of extra cost If he's prepared to do that work for £500 bite his hand off, it really is a good price, I would ask for the old chain which I would like you then to photograph for me I have not got a photo of the chain on my site, it will also confirm that he has changed it! Sorry to say it but I don't trust many garages page 57 |
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| 100. 'F' appeared while driving home Other Fully auto transmission information Q I'm after some advice. I've got a 1999 full auto A160, tonight on the dash as I was driving home an F appeared. Luckily I was just arriving home, as the car didn't have any guts to get up a slight incline......OK I have an existing problem with the alternator,,,,the alternator belt tensioner is knackered however still ticking along, I'm waiting for the part to arrive so the car can be repaired on Friday....do you think if the tensioner has completely given up this could be part of the F problem? this owner has kindly come back with further information that may help other owners Hi Lofty I took the car into MB for a diagnostic check....mainly due to reading through forums and feeling nervous the car would be heading to the scrappies. Fault stored was P1872 - Gear selector module......."fault is only stored at present and code was able to be erased, if fault reoccurs then new module is required" They told me that the fault may or may not happen again, however had the fault been "recurring" as opposed to "stored" then a repair would be needed asap. £73.40 including VAT for diagnostic. Module A1683701309/7088 £274.00 Follow up mail , The fault did re-occur see below and Paul ordered the part, however he asked for additional information.:- Hi Lofty Excellent info, much appreciated. I picked up the unit today and was surprised at its simplicity of installation, the unit is held inside the cab by four setscrews and the other end is a push fit fitting onto something...all connected by flexi hoses, I thought from the drawing it was a series of rigid pipe work. Anyway the job I was getting done by my local mechanic today was a fix of a separate botched MB job.....so the gear selector module will be fitted for free by MB some time through the week, I'll keep you posted with any relevant info. Just a quick question.....if MB give a false diagnosis which results in buying parts that they recommend will cure the problem then the problem still exists, what kind of come back is on the customers side......slight catch, parts not fitted by MB. Thanks |
Although I have heard of this 'F' displaying on many many cars along with the car going into 'get you mode' I'm not aware of what causes it and have never seen the reason printed. I communicated this to the owner in question. Thank you Paul for the information dated 20/11/08 Paul had the selector module replaced on his car and mail recd on the 15/12/08 was that the problem was resolved although there was some hesitation for the car to change gear in some cases, hopefully this will settle down as the car get used to the driving style. |
101. What is the ASR switch for? What is the ASR switch for what does it do? |
The ASR switch is tied in with the ESP/ABS systems, when you press that switch once you will see a triangle comes up in the instrument display, that indicates the systems are switched off.
When it's ON and you get yourself into trouble with a skid or the car for some reason goes out of control, burst tyre for instance, the system will take over the braking control, even though you have full pressure on the brakes the car will only brake the wheels in such a way as to correct the skid, spin etc, the steering angle sensor located beneath the steering wheel also plays a part in this by telling the systems the position and angle of the wheels at any precise moment in relation to direction of travel When the ASR switch is pressed the Orange triangle appears, systems are deactivated, When the roads are for instance icy and a wheel spins you will hear the ESP/ABS come in with a series of gunning like noises, this is the system braking the spinning wheel trying to gain control, bit like the old method of manual braking (cadence method) brake, release, brake, release, but avoid actually skidding the wheel, when all traction is lost, the ESP/ABS replicates that but does it automatically for you again non of the wheels will be locked. When the system is trying to correct the wheel spin, in for instance muddy or icy conditions, Stop the car, press the switch to deactivate the systems, you will now have manual control and can pull away slowly gaining grip without the dut, dut,, dut, dut, noise. Always switch back to systems ON triangle goes from display as soon as possible as these systems are fitted for your safety. Hope that answers your question normally this switch and therefore systems would not be deactivated. (That is my understanding and from the layman's point of view I don't think you will find it's to far out. Although I suspect that the technicians would add considerable more information to the answer) |
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| 102. ECU Repair Hello Lofty, I have been reading the relevant section relating to my problem and just need a bit of feedback from you. I have been to the local Merc. Dealer and come home with the printout of the diagnostic analysis, , , , frightening ! ! , and the repair quote is £1,200 The diagnosis Page one is attached. The “f” faults have been corrected, but I am left with “F”, which is the ECM. On your web page you made mention of two establishments that are able to repair at considerably less cost, and I was just wondering if you may have had any further advise of these guys. My baby has now done 60k and is in very good overall condition, so on the one hand I do feel that it is worth the repair, but at the same time have to accept that it is probably not worth a hell of a lot more than £2,250 if I am lucky. Any suggestion would be appreciated. Thanks. Cont. The CD has just arrived and I have followed your instructions, , , , ,Brilliant to say the least. Regarding my ECU, I have been in contact with ECU Testing and right now the unit is on the way to them, they sound like a super bunch. I have an A 140 of similar vintage as mine, on loan and it certainly feels a lot more responsive than mine, engine is really crisp. Hopefully the repaired ECU will make a difference. Mine is an old A140 (W168) 2000 petrol, semi auto elegance with 60k on the clock and I have to confess that I do like it, and certainly have no desire to part with it, but without the less costly ECU option, I did think that I should get rid of her. An earlier photo of her is attached. I will let you know what the results are but in the meanwhile would like to place on record how appreciative I am of your support. Follow up mail- Good morning Lofty, This must be some form of mental telepathy, , , , I have just come back from the garage and the repaired ECU is fitted and the baby is back home. The car is very much more responsive and the ECU crowd were brilliant. I really do appreciate your help and advice. Will be in contact, maybe later on today, will you be there. |
P. this is almost certainly a MAFS problem or could be a problem in the ecu, either way contact ECU Testing on Monday and, 1 mention my site, that gets you 10% off any work they do for you .
Explain the situation to Roger and mail him the diagnostics sheet/info you have, I'm confident that he will be able to sort your ECU/MAFS out and return it to you. You can remove the ecu (you don't say what model your car is) if petrol then follow the procedure on page 38 get it to them, they will return very promptly, you replace the ECU and jobs done £250 for the repair plus vat and carriage less 10% on the work only, that is massive saving over the MB costs If you have problems come back to me. You MUST mention my site to get the 10% hope that helps MB will fit a new ECU which includes the MAFS, the unit will be guaranteed two years max the same as your own repaired unit, even when repaired it will only work on your car as they are coded to your vehicle. So don't buy off e-bay you'll now see these units like the keys they will not work on your car. good luck I'm a mail away . If this works out for you as I'm sure it will consider purchasing my CD this has masses of info on it that's not on my site and it will keep your running costs to a minimum Cont. Love the picture of your car. Very nice, well worth sorting out the ECU at any price within reason. You will find the car back to normal and as good as the one you have on loan, however do check that the fuel filter has been changed and also give the repaired ECU time to settle down after fitting. I had mailed Roger (ECU testing) so he was expecting you call. Best wishes Thanks. P great new another satisfied customer who will have saved at least £900.on the MB cost why OH why can't MB offer this service instead of charging customers £12-£1300 to replace a component 90% of which is still working 100% It's a rip off! |
104. Radio aerial location? What a good site this is. I have just purchased an A140. It came with the original Sony cassette player xr-c5300r. This probably sounds silly, but I can't get any stations to play. The stations have been pre-set by the previous owner. Could you tell me where the aerial is on the car ? The only sound a have is hissing, so there is power to the speakers. Many thanks |
D Hi Two things have you the code for the radio, it may pay you to try putting in the code, if you haven't got it you may need to contact mercedes the handbook may also contain the code. Look in the documentation you were given with the car hopefully it's there. To answer your question the Ariel in in the rear spoiler but the connection is at the top of the rear door.mypage.24.htm |
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| 105. Low mileage to the gallon since ECU/MAFS repair. You may recall that I had my ECU repaired and refitted to my W168. I certainly have no hesitation in saying that it was a brilliant alternative and considerable saving. However, there is one thing that doesn’t seem right. Now, I know that you said it would need some time to settle down but the consumption is disappointing. Prior to the repair I was averaging about 35mpg in town and 45 on the open road. The last two tanks have produced 28mpg and 35. Am I still in the settling down stage ? I might add that when the ECU was refitted, the garage also replaced the air filter and fuel filter but other than that nothing else was changed. When you get a chance, let me have your thoughts on this. Cheers Hi Lofty, Wow, that’s food for thought hey. It might well be that having got accustomed to somewhat flat or sluggish performance but with good fuel consumption, has created a jaundiced picture and that this better performance does result in increased consumption. Just something I have to accept, but the difference is quite disappointing. Sure, I will check it out over the next few weeks, but in the meanwhile I think your idea of a gas analysis at a MOT test station is a good one. My MOT is due on the 9th February, and so is the road tax. I will have the plugs examined and replaced. The reason for this is that they were replaced 8200 miles ago, so maybe this is another avenue to follow. The cloth over the exhaust will be tried out on Monday (5), , , watch this space. I have been reading a few road test reports and it seems as if the town consumption is within the test results, , , but my open road figures are very low. The best open road figure was 43mpg in September, as against the current best one of 35mpg. As you say, , , run the car for a few weeks and then decide. I will report back to you. P. |
P thanks for your mail,
I note your comments with interest as I have heard of one such situation where the fuel consumption increased after the repair to the MAFS. The company in Question was ECU testing which I think is also the company you used? Can I ask you to contact R on their return from the break and speak with him about the problem . This could be some thing to do with the new MAFS but to be honest I'm not sure what they do apart from fitting new reeds I will drop R a line now and ask him about this, I do know the last owner did not resolve his problem and along with the age of the car he decided to get rid of it buying a Honda, I trust that You can resolve your problem without that degree of action. I would like to stay in touch with you on this one, and if you do manage to come to some arrangement /outcome would appreciate the information Hoping you can resolve the problem & Best wishes For the coming New Year. Lofty . As a result of this mail I contacted the company who carried out the repair myself and as usual they were very helpful. Quote We can re-test P's MAF on our flow bench if he wants to send it back in, we can compare his MAFS readings against a new unit that we use as a reference. I have not known it before but If we have set his MAF incorrectly then we can easily rectify this on the bench. We have also had reports of higher fuel consumption from a couple of customers in the past but when we have tested the MAF voltage it has been perfect and when tested on the gas analyser it has been fine - I am not sure if it is the odd customer that is used to driving with a low voltage MAFS that causes sluggish performance but fantastic fuel consumption as it makes then engine run very weak, but then after having the MAF rebuilt they have all there power back and tend to use more fuel due to the extra power under there right foot. We have tried to lower the MAF voltage slightly on one customers MAF before on request in an attempt to improve the fuel consumption but it just makes the engine sluggish again. Kind regards R Unquote Peter Please find attached a mail received from R @ ECUtesting . The content is self explanatory. I can only suggest you continue to run the car for a few weeks and then if you feel it is running rich 1.place a white cloth over the exhaust outlet and then rev the car, you should not get much soot. 2. The other check is to remove a plug and check to see if it is sooted up. 3.Third option is to get it to a MOT test station and get them to do a gas analysis, if the mixture is out it should show in the readouts. Lofty |
106. Diesel fuel filter replacement problem. Lofty Still using the CD regularly as my wife and daughter both have A170s. Currently changing the front springs on my daughters as one coil has snapped and unfortunately the aluminium spring support on the strut has cracked also! Changed the alternator on my wife a few months ago and service them both as required. One issue I struggle with is when I change the diesel filter I don't know how to bleed it through and I can't find this info on your CD. I currently end up cranking the engine over until the battery is nearly flat and fingers crossed they start. There must be a correct way to do this! Any ideas? One issue we had with my wife's recently was an intermittent electrical fault where when the ignition was switched on only the SRS light would illuminate on the dash. Under these circumstances the car would not crank over (not even a solenoid click) yet all other power (lights etc) was fine. Thankfully before diving in and changing the starter motor which looks a nightmare (thinking it was the solenoid itself) it turned out to be the ignition switch on the end of the ignition barrel. Changed this and fault gone! Any suggestions on the diesel filter gratefully received Cheers |
H. Pleased your finding the CD useful,
This is the only information I have and it doesn't really mention the bleeding aspect. However when I used to change my diesel filter :- 1. Remove old filter clean container replace seals as nec 2. Fit new filter. 3. Fill container as near to full as possible with diesel. 4. Re-install cap/top of filter housing. 5. Re-connect /secure hoses etc. as per information attached. It should then only take a couple of turns of the starter to start the car, short busts are better than one long wind. . |
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| 107. Cleaning contacts/repairing combination switch. Hi How do I get to the electrical plug for the indicator stalk. I want to use a switch cleaner to clean the contacts. The full beam is not going off. The stalk is ok, I can push it back and towards me. |
Matt , you will have to remove the steering wheel, and when you do I'm sure you will find the switch broken as shown in the photo on my site, this can however be repaired using a small plate or glue but at present I can't say which glue would be best. I would plate the weak area and I'd use the screws from an old video case to hold it together they are made for plastic and hold well just use a small pilot hole they are self threading . Hope that helps see page 49 & 50 for information . lofty | ||||||||||||||
| 108. Stuck bonnet Just spent an uneasy night! Yesterday I tried to open the bonnet of my 160 classic Y reg without success! Spent last evening reading your page about what I should have done and haven't! Today I've revisited the scene to discover that the bonnet catch lever was offering a certain amount of resistance so I concluded that the cable appeared to be intact. I then wedged the lever 'open' with a piece of electrical plastic cable sheath/cover. Then in order not to damage anything I 'slapped' the bonnet and after a flew blows the catch released. So belatedly and after treading that very dark path in thought of what do I do next? - I've done all the things you suggest! So the moral is - do not neglect to lubricate this item . . . . . what could happen doesn't bear thinking about! All good wishes and thanks again for your CD. |
I'm pleased you managed to open your bonnet, I wouldn't have been able to offer any solution to the problem it really is a nightmare , that's why I have put in an emergency pull without it I don't know what you could do All the best for the new year , well what's left of it Silicone spray on that release and least once every six months and if you get time put in the emergency release then you know your ok if the other one does for some reason fail. | ||||||||||||||
| 109. Poly 'V belt pulley bearing failure Hi Lofty, I am looking through your A Class CD Rom which has already paid for itself by identifying a drop-link problem ( now solved ) but my A160 Auto (1999, S Reg, 68000miles ) has now developed a whining noise that is rev dependent, also audible when stationary, both in neutral and park, if the engine is revved up. The auto transmission seems normal. I see from your CD how to check the transmission fluid level but have not yet bought the dip-stick. Could this whine be water-pump related? There is no evidence of any coolant fluid on the ground around the car. There do not seem to be any rattles, squeaks or knocking noises from the engine bay at tick-over, only this whine as the revs build. Any suggestions most gratefully received. Thank you again for a great product. Regards, Graham |
Graham, this is almost certainly a poly v belt pulley wheel bearing , the new wheels with bearing cost approx £20 from MB and you can do it yourself if you can get under the car safely. Space is tight but it can be done with a bit of patience. The noise will be directly under the drivers seat .
Good luck please let me know how you get on.
Water pump? I have not heard of an 'A' class with a water pump problem to date .Cont See also my page Poly V belt page .57 and don't leave it too long as the pulley's can cease causing the belt to fray. You would be well advised to replace the belt at the same time unless done recently and use your Vin when you purchase the belt, Air con is longer than without air con |
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| 110. Where is my battery located? Brake problems Sorry to bug u but I was wondering if you could help with a couple of questions... 1. this may seem like a blonde question (well, because it is!) but please could you tell me where the battery is in my A160?? 2. I was driving my car on Monday morning and had to stop using the handbrakes as the brake pedal didn't do anything! I didn't see any warning lights or anything - but then I was more worried about stopping! I was just wondering if you know of any one else that has had this problem and what may be the cause... The brake fluid is all topped up, all pipes connected etc... also, the brake pedal depresses about half way and then hits a stop - but still feels quite spongy, does it feel this way in your car? Sounds silly but I cant remember what it did before now! Further info recd After having a look round we couldn't find anything that was obvious so, we have now changed all 4 brake lines and bled the system. brakes are now a lot more responsive. What we did notice whilst doing this though - which I don't know if you may want to mention to fellow A class owners - is that the clip holding the ABS line and the handbrake cables in the rear wheel arches had snapped, meaning my tyres were nicely wearing away my ABS line... luckily, accident averted thanks to some insulation tape and some trusty cable ties!!! Thank you for your help, it was very useful when looking over the car Fay |
I have accidentally deleted the message sent to this owner, I was able to point out the location of the battery, under the drivers feet, covered by the hatch plate. The second problem she had was more serious . I was thinking that the problem may be caused by leaking master cylinder seals/servo problems, however as you can see from the reply from the owner the problem has been overcome along by replacing brake lines with a warning about missing clips on brake and esp connections. | ||||||||||||||
| 111. Topping up coolant reservoir. Hi Lofty Thanks for sending me your CD a while back – it has already proved helpful when changing the front and back bulbs. You were correct, the back set is easy but the front lamps are terribly difficult. I think I may need to top up my coolant (my A140 was purchased in Nov 2004). Can I use the Mercedes Benz coolant neat, or do I need to dilute with water. If so, how do I measure it? I would really appreciate your help on this one. Regards |
Take a look at this link mypage.43>
ideally you need a small hydrometer as shown on my site firstly measure the viscosity of the coolant with a hydrometer and add /top up with MB coolant /corrosion inhibitor I simply followed the instructions on the container it shouldn't want much topping up, do it when the engine is cold and don't fill above the mark on the side of the coolant reservoir as it expands and will go to waste. I Don't advise using other coolants or mixing coolants, the corrosion inhibitor is essential in this engine and the MB fluids will meet all the requirements specified. |
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| 112. Power steering problem Please My 1999 160 has a problem ???? now and then when turn the steering wheel all the way to the left/right I loose power steering , it goes all the way to left or right but does not come back but if I switch the car off and on again it comes back to normal, and when driving its ok, just when I'm parking etc.. I loose the power steering ?? is driving me mad I have to stop and start the car 3 4 times to park, by the way your site is amazingly helpful thank you. Feed back thank you for your reply, all that is good I think the pump is faulty it looks like is working on and off even when I'm not steering, I am getting one from BBA Reman..... ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU |
If you check the fuse allocation list it will tell you which fuse supplies the power I would be inclined to pull and clean the spades on the fuse, I feel sure there is also a nominated relay that may also be suspect you could try switching the relays over to see if it makes any difference if yes then replace the duff relay .
Also fixed to the chassis frame nearside engine bay you will see a small plastic box not far away from the power steering pump those the terminals in that may need cleaning Fluid level in the battery and psp are important If all those items are ok then it could be the power steering pump at fault or the alternator, the reason I say that is because when parking the alternator is running slow if it stops producing power then the power steering will fail as its a direct supply the pump does not run off the battery Also if you battery power is down the all the power being produced will be taken up by supplying other components including truing to keep the battery charged hence the PSP will fail because of insufficient power . So Halfords if your UK based to check you battery check the connections and fuse if you ignition light comes on while running slow parking your alternator is at fault and lastly the psp may need to be refurbished pages 49&50 BBA Reman will repair you pump for £135 ish mention my site to get 15% off the repair costs. Hope that helps all the information with photos is on my site Please help me by feeding back information as to the fault when you have sorted it out, it is the only reward I seek |
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| 113. Problems getting Diagnostics tool to work on my car!! I recently bought a code reader GS500 from talk to my car ( did receive the discount ). And on trying to use the instrument it tells me it won't connect to the vehicle. The car is a A140 W Reg have you had any look with the unit you bought. And do you know if there is any codes for the A class, I have been in touch with the supplier by E-Mail They do respond but with no real answers. And I am reluctant to send it back at this point due to their being a further £20 handling charge if unit found to be OK . Also I was given a Haynes Manual for the A class for Christmas ( from my Daughter ) To service her car, and there is no mention in the use of a code reader. The Book reads OK but the pictures are a bit dark. Any Info would be helpful Regards Edmond yes the plug does fit. |
There is every chance the unit will not work on your car, your car being pre 2000 manufactured reg. EOBD was not required on cars petrol prior to manufacturing dates ,2000 for petrol and diesel 2004 although your car is fitted with a connector I doubt it will read any codes even if the connector fits. The connection is fitted and used by MB using 'star' diagnostics by their workshops . Does the connector actually fit your diagnostics connection? Even that can be different on pre 2000/2004 cars EOBD(European On Board Diagnostics)is the European equivalent standard for the USA version OBD2 OBD2 was enforced in some us states as far back as 1996 but it was not required on cars sold into the European market until 2000/2004. Hope that helps Just because the plug fits doesn't mean your car is EOBD compliant you will need to check that with MB |
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| 114. Problems caused by fitting LED bulbs I wondered if you can help me I have just purchased a very nice condition 1998 A160 A Class for my wife. I have just taken it in for a MOT and the car failed on the rear light cluster the problem being the a rather unusual LED Cluster Light Bulb. The MOT tester failed to get a live of the the light cluster block on the light socket. We agreed I would take a look at the unit and test it out I have the bulbs now working but alas the bulb cluster works but the car would not start after plugging the unit back in I have used WD40 on the unit and dried it as best as I could (its fully dry and clean now. Anyway to cut to the chase the engine seems to have enough power to turn over, I have disconnected the battery over night and just tried it again but the engine does not flicker into life! Any ideas please? I have taken a look around your website but I am a little amiss to know how to get her started. Feed back I decided to try a charge on the battery temporarily until getting a new battery and hey presto it fired up ok - Just took for a long run and will see how it goes for a while. The battery I notice is a one Merc type and has the clear tube fitted. Strangely the rear led bulb is working fine now but I think the problem is that the pins on the actual bulb seem pushed in slightly - I must admit I notice that with these cars the low battery fooled me a little as it seems on most other cars you seem to get the slow sounding starting motor and the dimmed dash light and the drained sound the A class still sounds perky so. Thanks for the Advice - Its my second A 160 I did contact you last year with my other Avantegarde phase 2 that was a Auction scrapper and had a number of electrical faults and front pads worn to more that minimum but I must say its been great since the few jobs I did myself. Thanks for the Help |
Almost with out doubt the battery is shot, if you can get to a Halfords store they stock a battery for this car which is vented, having said that because the battery is potentionally in the car it has a vent pipe that connects to the battery and vent's under the floor if the vent is the wrong end simply use a longer tube. DO NOT Turn the battery round. Positive to positive (+ to +) -Neg to neg is a must That will almost certainly cure the problem . This car is very particular about a fully charged battery as everything is electrical, just playing with the lights was the final straw The LED bulbs should have made any difference but you need to take car where they are used, they do sometimes create problems with such things as indicators. Because they don't use the power of normal bulbs the winkers/indicators will not wink/flash and therefore a dummy load (capacitor) has to be introduced/applied to the circuit, which defeats the object of fitting them. My advise would be to use those in the reversing lamp and return to normal bulbs for all other circuits. But you will have to check that capacitors have not been fitted, or the demand on the circuits will be more than it should be. The garage should be able to do this for you. Not MB they will charge a small fortune place a meter on each circuit that's been fitted with the LED to check the demand in amps. Hope that helps Please let me know how you get on If you have a second vehicle Halfords will test the 'A' class battery on site, it may only need a good charge? |
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| 115. Whining noise from front wheel area? Thanks for your forum, which is incredibly informative . I wonder if you could point me in the right direction please? I have an A140, petrol 1999 RH drive. Over the last few days it has developed a whining sound, which sounds like it is coming from an area around the right hand (driver’s) front wheel. It increases in pitch as speed increases, but sometimes disappears (at around 70mph). It sometimes stops when the clutch is depressed. It does tend to come and go a bit. There are two ideas on you website – (1) the thrust bearing – but the noise would be more central or LHS I would have thought or (2) the v-belt (p57), but I am not entirely sure if that would generate a whining sound. I suppose it might be a wheel bearing? Any thoughts. Many thanks. P D |
I responded to the owner suggesting that the problem may be a poly v belt tensioner pulley wheel bearing. Which as it turned out was the case. The owner was able to carry out the repair himself. page 57 | ||||||||||||||
| 116. Problems with central locking Hi Lofty, I have read through all the FAQ’s regarding A class Alarm but no answer has yet helped, this is the problem my Wife’s A class experienced last night. 1. She locked the car with the remote, returning to the vehicle an hour later the car would not unlock with remote. 2. Used the key to open drivers door, alarm went off. 3. Tried to use the “touch keys” but alarm continued to go off. 4. Replaced batteries and tried to re sync the system. Did not work – car will still not unlock- indicators do not signal. 5. Checked vacuum pump in boot area, appears to be dry. 6. Had car “rescued” to home address and is now an expensive paper weight. Tried both sets of keys with new batteries, no joy, Any ideas? Feed back Lofty, I disconnected the battery, reconnected after 30 mins. Alarm sounded again, waited until it had cycled for 30 seconds and silenced. Then I did the following to synchronise the key fob. Pressed both the unlock and lock together and held for 10 seconds, then released and to my amazement the car then locked and unlocked with the key fob. Many thanks for all your help, wife happy and now I will be fed again!!! Cheers Rob. |
Robert. Disconnect the battery for at least 30 mins reconnect using correct procedure positive terminal first, Put side lights on before re-connection try the keys . This should allow the ECU to re-set it just might work Please feed back either way Lofty . follow up post Have you checked the lights is the main battery Charged. In these sorts of situations every thing is suspect until eliminated follow up post Robert you need to determine the state of the car's battery before going further, it may well be that the battery has gone and that's why there wasn't enough power to even cut the alarm. Halfords will test your existing battery and can sell you one suitable for the A class which must have a breather as it's housed in the cab Don't worry if the vent is the wrong end simply buy a piece of longer tube and push it through the same hole in the floor , vents to outside. you may even get away with charging the present battery but it should be done out of the car. Hope you sort it OK and would appreciate you letting me know how you get on. The alarm siren is probably running on the rechargeable battery in the horn itself so that may well run down but don't worry it will recharge when the car is back and running. |
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| 117. Alternator/ charge light showing Hi Lofty Great site, I will be buying the CD. I have a strange fault with our A170 cdi early 2001,for the last week or so the alt light has been coming on and going off intermittently, yesterday whilst driving the alt light came on for a short while then went off again, then it did it again and i also lost the p/steering, we turned around and headed home then the alt light went off but still no p/steering. Got home checked out your site found out about the link between the alt and psp. checked the belt all ok, checked the alt output all ok, checked the blue wire feed to the psp all ok, checked the psp fuse blown, replaced fuse- psp working ok, alt light off, went to bed. Day 2 started car this morning alt light went off then came back on in seconds, no power steering fuse blown again !!! Could this be a alt fault causing steering fault ( in my experience alt's die and stay dead ) or psp pump fault causing problems with the alt ?? Any help gratefully received, M Feed Back Just removed the psp to inspect and found the pos, neg, blue wire had all rubbed against the chassis hence the various faults and fuse blowing, just about to put back together will let you know if all is ok. cheers matt |
Hi Matt Chicken and egg which came first? There is no doubt that the PSP problem is linked to the alt output, If you leave the PSP fuse blown does the alternator work ok with every thing running that all the power you can possibly demand? radio wiper screen wash rear window heater interior lights full headlights Etc if yes and it doesn't produce a problem then i would say the alt is OK However what is your battery demanding, how old is it what's it's general condition. Although the battery does not run the PSP if the battery is on the blink it will demand more power from the alt which may over load causing the PSP to starve of power .although I'm not sire that would cause the fuse to blow? If that's ok then i would suspect a fault on the PSP although normally they fail by running all the time ignition on or off !! If it comes down to the defect on the PSP, BBA Reman will repair it for £135 less 15% IF you mention my site You can use the car although you won't of course have PSP so take care leave the fuse pulled if you don't have to use the car so much the better. You could check the terminals near side engine bay in the black box just make sure there is nothing loose but other than that I can't think how you can test, for the defect I doubt it would even show on the Diagnostics in any case if you haven't got your own it will cost at least £50 a large part of the repair cost and it would need to be MB because the car is pre 2004( EOBD diesels 2004 )BBA Reman would test the pump for you but I'm not sure what they charge. Hope that helps Please keep me informed it helps me to help others. Lofty. |
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| 118. Battery problems failure to start. Hi Lofty, I am glad that I have found your site, a mechanic recommended it! I wonder if you can help. My car will not start there is battery power - good enough to use the radio, electric windows and the lights do not appear to dim when put on. On Saturday the car would not start so I tried to bump start it with kids and wife in the car and after many failed attempts I had given up. So I jumped in the car and thought I'd just turn they key and it started! Went out and parked up and the car started ok on return. On Sunday the car did not start and did not after trying to bump start or trying to rock the car in gear to liven up any starting motor! All the ignition lights come on lighting up the whole dash however the SRS light goes off first, followed by the seatbelt light. My keys have seen better days however I have tested the fob and the red LED comes on once and goes out. I have tried to Synchronise the Remote Keys with the engine immobiliser by pressing the key fob unlock twice and then turning the key to position 2 however this has not worked (but I may be making an error) Last night I tried to jump start it off another car and nothing happened and then this morning (Tuesday) I have tried a "reboot" by disconnecting the battery and no change still. I am really hoping that I am missing something here and that it is not the starting motor - are there simple tests or would an AA/RAC person being able to do some assessment and state its "X" If so I am joining..... This is my wife's car I do not have a car as work is around the corner... well until yesterday when I have been told due to a restructure I have to commute 30 miles each way so now I need a car myself and so don't need this car to go wrong! or cost stupid money! Any advice? Feed back Update - Faulty BATTERY although power there not enough it seems - so spot on with advice! As I had no transport I got a guy to come around who deals with immobilisers key fobs batteries etc and he confirmed exactly the same as you. Checked battery to see if any warranty on and had 3 year - kept invoice and had 2 months left! Car runs again and starts again and again and again - many thanks Thanks a man in need of some good news! |
My first port of call would be Halfords and get them to do a battery check, you need to know that the battery is 13volts plus , if its below that then there is every chance the car will not start. Can I suggest you do then come back to me if the battery is given a clean bill of health . Do you know how old the battery is? 4 years plus and it's suspect if its the original 5 years plus and it's suspect even though the lights etc work . The power they take is nothing compared with the power required to start the cold car. If the battery does need replacing then Halfords sell one for your car, it must be vented and the vent tube drops out through the floor if the vent is the wrong end of the battery simply purchase a longer polythene tube and connect to the battery. Halfords will fit and advise MB will charge the earth and want to put the car on diagnostics etc so avoid them at this point. No the AA RAC would not be able to tell you what the problem was without testing the battery and putting the diagnostics on your car , battery is the first point of call. Note for readers. The old method of rocking the car in gear when starter problems were apparent was to release the bendix ( Starter dog ) that used to jam in the ring gear, (The large cogged ring that fits onto the flywheel of the engine crank.) With modern starters the starter dog is thrown forward by a solenoid and so rocking in the car in gear is no longer a helpful or valid way to clear starter problems, so same your energy! |
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| 119 Rear Shock absorbers Dear Lofty, Can I start by saying what an invaluable source of information your site has been to me. Thank you very much indeed. When I found the nearside rear damper leaking I ordered a pair of new ones and after looking at your site advised my wife at midday that we will go out at about two. When will I ever learn? At six o'clock, in the dark, after calling on a friend for assistance the job was complete! Not your fault I hasten to add, but mine for not looking at my own car first. I can see in the pictures of your car's rear suspension that the inner top bolt to the damper is accessible. On my earlier car (1999) it is barely so. If only the nut was welded to the sub frame it would be a simple task, unfortunately it isn't. Removing the wing liner will get you nowhere. What you have to do is expose the quarter to half inch gap between the sub frame and the main chassis from underneath the car. This can be done by removing the sides of the rear floor pan completely, cutting the very edge off ( half inch at the most), or levering them to one side. You can now just see, with the aid of a torch, the inner nut. This can now be accessed with a flat spanner. Assuming you've got the car jacked up, etc, just jack the weight off the damper and remove the bolt. There is no need to remove the spring. Replacing this nut is relatively easy if you weld or glue in some way, a thin strip of metal about six inches long to the nut and bend it to the shape required to present the nut square-on to the bolt as an assistant carefully screws the bolt in. Take your time. A torch on a fixed mounting is invaluable. The bottom nut has it's own problem. Some kind of super thread lock is employed with basically welds the nut and bolt together. I broke a good quality socket whilst using four feet of scaffold pole! Even cutting the side off the nut did not persuade it! I cut them both off with an angle grinder and got the replacement bolt kits from my local Mercedes dealer. They are about £5 per side. Buy the kit and cut the nuts off is my advice! I did try to take some pictures but you can barely see the top nut with your eye and a torch and I couldn't get enough light or the flash to get up there. As a postscript; I replaced the front springs and struts recently. You know why! The struts are mounted with adjustment for wheel camber angle and before I started I checked both sides. The offside was perfect (1 degree negative) but the nearside was way out at about 3 degrees neg! No wonder the tyre was wearing oddly. When I came to change them I could see the bolt had moved, probably hit a pothole very hard. Worth checking. I made my camber angle tool using a known level surface, a geometry triangle, a protractor and a small level with a bubble. Set the triangle at 1 degree off vertical with the protractor on the known level then fix the bubble level to read flat on the side. One cheap but accurate camber angle tool! Obviously you have to make sure the car is dead level as well. Sorry I've rather rambled on here Lofty but I thought you might be interested. Keep up the good work and thanks again, Jerry |
This is jerry's report and experience on changing the rear shock absorbers on a pre-face lift W168 a class . You have been warned. Thank you Jerry for your comments and observations I have noted them lets hope other owners do the same pre-warned is pre armed! |
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| 120 Clutch/gearbox Hi Lofty, Thanks for your web site it is a wealth of information. I have owned a MB A140 for the previous 2 years and it has been a wonderful car. Could you please help with a problem that I have with the gear change. Since I have owned the car I noticed a slight clunk or thud as I engage it into 1st gear. This can also happen as you go up and down the gear box. However, it is very intermittent. Sometimes it is very smooth and others times clunky / thuddy. As time goes by it seems to be getting slightly worse. Depending on how hard you drive it. I have taken it to my local car mechanic and he said it needs a new clutch, which is a big job. Could you please shed any light on this problem? Gary |
Gary
you don't say if this is a manual gearbox? If it then you need to look at the mileage I would expect to get 80-120 000 out of the clutch. Having said that it does depend on how it has been driven in it's lifetime. If its a low mileage 55- 70-000 then I would be looking at ensuring the brake/ clutch reservoir levels are correct one reservoir servers both. Then ensure the fluid has been changed as recommended, and thirdly ensure the clutch is fully bleed to ensure no air is in the hydraulic system. Most if not all of this information is on my pages. If you do have to get the clutch done, then while the engine is out get the poly v belt replaced and the tensioner pulley bearings checked for smooth running and consider replacing the timing chain tensioner if not the chain it's self, I know that will add to the bill but if you are keeping the car it will prove to be worthwhile. Although MB say there is no need to change the gearbox oil I found mine to be low and so replaced it certainly helped to make the box smoother. However there is merit in what your mechanic is saying , it does sound as though you either have air in the system or the clutch is well worn. Hope that helps |
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| 121, MAFS problem Hi Lofty, I just wanted to send you an email for help that I received from your website - My wife owns an a-class 1.9 Avantgarde and it developed issues with power and general erratic behaviour (stalling / won't start etc). By researching information on the web for this I ascertained it was an issue with the ECU / MAFS unit, but was not very confident as I am not really mechanically 'car' minded (I have a degree in electronics though!) - I discussed with MB whom decided £1400 sounded a reasonable figure for repair!! and as a result after a few more searches on the web, I thankfully came across your site - This provided me with the name of a rebuild specialist (BBA - Reman) whom I delivered the part to yesterday. In short they discovered a fault in the sensors and replaced for £215.05 inclusive of my Lofty's discount!! :-) . I have just purchased one of your CD's via pay pal and look forward to receiving in the future. Once again my sincere, heartfelt thanks to you and your site - amazing seems like a suitable superlative to me as I type this mail. Many thanks, |
'R' You just made my day, that is now some saving on MB prices, do they really deserve to stay in business? I'm so pleased you found the site, and that you got the unit repaired. Did you remove and fit or did MB do the job? normally they will not entertain fitting a repaired unit . insisting on new for obvious reasons. Thank you also for purchasing the CD I will have that in the post to you first thing tomorrow. Sorry I missed this evenings post but I have been out. You should get in on Friday first class. |
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| 122 Problems with car after garage work. Dear Lofty, I am new to your site but have taken the time to search all the questions before asking you to advise me. My A140 recently came back from having the front flexible brake hoses replaced by my local "Mercedes Benz Official Workshop". Since then a creaking sound comes from the area of the left front of the car when I drive slowly forwards or reverse with left wheel applied. It seems to be gradually becoming more intrusive (unless I am just listening more attentively to it). At small deflections of the steering wheel, such as for driving at normal speeds, the steering feels fine and there are no strange sounds - it is just apparent at slow speeds when manoeuvring, for example in car park. With the wheel turned to the right there are no such sounds. Any ideas? Very many thanks for your help - I will look at the questions area of your site for your response unless you can respond directly - I am not too clear about how the site works. I shall be placing an order for the CD. Thanks for your help. Feed back received from D :- Hello Lofty, The problem was diagnosed as a N/S top strut mounting (apparently made of rubber) that had perished. Apart from trying to persuade me to have both sides changed they did the job for less than £150 and the car is now fine. The only disappointment was that Warranty Direct wouldn't cover that item. Anyway, thank you for helping me with the diagnosis. I shall continue to visit your site to learn more about the A140 and keep you posted with any more snags! best wishes, |
D, Yes i always answer the mails direct, the Q & A Page is just some of the many questions I've had. Where I feel the Q & A Will assist other owners I simply put it on the page, Both question and the outcome. If I get to hear! Not all owners have the courtesy to keep me informed Your car, I wouldn't even bother to try and find the answer simply take the car back and explain that you are not satisfied as the noise wasn't there before and get them to inspect the work they have done after all they didn't do that job for a pittance If they refuse Tell them you will take it to another MB branch and any work found nec, caused as a result of their bad workmanship or neglect will be charged to them, failure to pay and you will take up with the Consumer Direct. I doubt it will come to that but you need to get it sorted, also make it clear that if they find other work outside of the original remit, you are to be consulted before any work goes ahead as you will not pay further monies. Make sure your talking to the Service Manager and not the boy! You do need to inspect the front springs, also the brake, metal hoses go into clips to fit the new flex hose they will have had to remove these there is every possibility that the metal hose has been left unclipped and that is making the nose as the wheels are turned . Either way don't leave it, get it back, call them first and explain you want it inspected post haste. hope that helps Lofty Follow up D, many thanks for your mail, can't say as I have heard of this causing a problem before but if it's cured the problem then great. That component is expensive for what it is and has been subject of a lot of discussion between Mercedes and myself because although the bearing cage part of that assembly is made to carry 32 ball bearing they have only fitted 16 what one might call cut backs. Obviously it was disturbed when they jacked the car up to do the brake hoses. If you want to see what they fitted see page 26, that shows the units which include the top spring cup, swivel bearing and rubber buffer that acts as a stop for the shock absorbers If you want to confirm they did fit the component they say, the two white clips under the bonnet by the top of the strut will be white and new when compared to the other side. I'd watch MB like a hawk and when they did work for me, only twice, MAFS and one service I asked for the defective bits back that way I know they have done the job, and just as well, because I have now been able to get my old ECU/MAFS repaired and it's re-usable on my car. It won't work on any other car because it's are coded to my vehicle. Take care and safe driving, |
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| 123.Erratic tick-over A170CDI. Diesel A170cdi MAFS Hi Lofty, Bought your CD Rom this morning after reading some of the excellent information on your web page. Can I ask you a question regarding my wife's 2004 A Class A170CDI with 49,000 on it? For a while now we have been having a problem with rough idling, sometimes worse than others. The car drives OK, it is just on idle that it seems rough. I have also noticed it is a wee bit more smokey on idle than it used to be, while driving it seems normal. The car also passed an MOT last week, so it seems the emissions are OK. I used to think it was worse on colder mornings but now that the better weather is here I'm not so sure. The car doesn't use any water or oil and as I say drives fine otherwise. A friend told me it would have to have a Diagnostic done on it by Mercedes, but I was quoted £110 for this. Have you come across this problem or do you have any ideas? Regards, M Follow up Hi Lofty, Thought you'd like an update on my idle problem on the wife's A170 CDI. I managed to get a diagnostic done on the car through a friend FOC, not a Mercedes Workshop. Anyway the Diagnostic showed no fault codes but on checking the data from individual components there was no reading from the MAF Sensor. The sensor was also removed and checked seems to be faulty. While this was out I got all the part numbers etc. Just in case. I priced the sensor at my local Mercedes Dealers and was quoted £227 plus VAT. I managed to locate the same Bosch sensor with the same part number for £50 (New Part) I think for £50 it's worth a try. I'll let you know how I get on. Also got the Poly V Belt changed this week, it had been quite noisy. I think it's the worst belt I've ever had to change. But got there in the end, not noisy now. Got your CD earlier this week, thanks again. Regards, M Follow up information Hi Lofty, Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you but we've had a lot of problems with the car in the past 2 weeks. First of all if you remember I was going to try a new MAF Sensor the last time I contacted you. Unfortunately this didn't cure the problem, so this was returned for a refund. The car was getting worse and my wife was worried it was going to breakdown while she was using it, so we decided it had to go into our local Mercedes Dealers for a proper diagnostic test. The test showed 2 faulty injectors. To replace 2 injectors was going to cost £1000 but they advised us to have 4 injectors fitted at £1500. After thinking this over we decided to have all 4 replaced. I didn't want to have 2 replaced then sometime down the line have to go through all this again to get the other 2 done. Anyway the job was done but when they road tested the car one of the injectors popped out. One of the securing threads had failed. They had to get this repaired by an engineering company at a cost of £85, This was not added to our bill as this was down to poor workmanship on their part. We got the car back yesterday afternoon and it is running really well again. Fingers crossed we don't have anymore problems for a while. Thanks again for all your help and information from your excellent web site. Regards, 'M'. | M It could be something as simple as a camshaft position sensor or crank shaft position sensor problem is you won't know without the test, but look for a MB independent generally they are more interested in the customer and the car and are cheaper as well. Yes I would appreciate the outcome. Best wishes :Lofty Reply Well done M Good work, in the week give 'ECUtesting' a ring speak to Roger the governor, details are on my site and the CD page 38 see if they can rebuild you original MAFS then if you do have a problem with the Bosch you will have a spare if he can then mention my site for 15% off the price. I have heard of this MAFS on diesels before but have not even been able to locate it on the diagrams i have, it's obviously on the induction side but where precisely I'm not sure. I have seen them on e-bay, flat shovel shape held by two bolts? If you could send me a photo of the old unit and the location of the new one pin-pointed I'd be grateful the information I know will help other diesel owners who have enough problems without the MAFS playing up . For your future reference also see the revised page 57 and the availability of MB parts at reduced cost and post free if you mention my site. Pleased you got the CD Ok. thanks lofty The cause of his problem was indeed a lot worse and the cost was high. BUT it could have been a lot worse, in this case it appears the injectors were removed successfully, in a great number of cases the end of the story is not so good. Read the details on mypage 98 and the experience of one owner, and they are not unusual, so keep a close eye on your diesels for leaky injectors and if you spot it act fast or they will become carboned into the ports. |
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| 124 Ignition switch Hello, I would like to thank you for your useful information you have on your site. I had a problem with my A class 170 cdi, I took to a garage and they told me they can do nothing because they do not have Software only Mercedes Benz dealers have software. I remembered your site and started to study , i found that i have problems with "Ignition Switch Connector", only the SRS light showed on. I replaced the Switch and the car was as new :) P.S: with the right tools and my laptop connected to your site it took me 3 hours to do the job |
Well done J a good outcome.
The photos were send to me by another owner and with a bit of research and help I was able to put the information together along with information from other pages, pleased it helped you. You certainly saved yourself a fortune. If you haven't got my CD then it really is a good investment apart from the site it also has masses of information relating the the mechanics of the car and the majority is appropriate to all models . This is a classic example of how with a bit of information and the right tools you can save yourself hundreds of £££ at a stoke, however you do need to follow all the procedures set out and know when to stop! If the job is too technical for you or you are in doubt then get a mechanic friend to help you, or seek the help of MB or a MB independent garage in these circumstances it all worked out well but you could end up spending more than you bargained for so take care. page 70 |
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| 125, Timing chain snapped Hello mate I have A class 160 mercedes the timing chain snapped I took the head off the valves are bent what do you suggest, what should i do get another engine or repair the head and get new chain. can you let me know please. thanks 'A' |
'A' the cost of parts is such that it would pay you to try and get another engine , it's not just valves chains etc it's also gasket sets and the fact that the engine has basically to come out to do the repairs If you can get just a reconditioned head or a good head then OK it might be ok But you will still need a gasket set and chain, chain tensioner etc , so I'm afraid only you can decide. e-bay may be a good place to start for the engine but you do need to check what mileage it's done or you could still need a lot of parts. Mercedes E-bay For instance if your car is high mileage then you need to consider the state of the clutch on your car, that would cost, then there are things like the poly v belt it would be false economy not to replace these items on the engine while it is out . Its also a very big job to replace the remove and replace the engine, you really do need garage facilities, The engine from another car would run with your ECU but you need to be careful because some items are coded keep all the sensors from your existing engine. Very difficult to advise you without knowing how DIY you are, it is a complex job and many of the tasks you will need an assistant , Garage prices are likely to make the job uneconomical Sorry I can't be more helpful . How many miles has your car done and did you not hear the chain rattling? |
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| 126. Starting problems Hi Just ordered your CD but was also hoping for some advice... my A class has some intermittent starting problems that I'm trying to get to the bottom of (while hoping its not the starter motor) when you turn the key all dash lights come on but the engine fails to start there is no turn over just silence. You can come back at a later time and it starts ok. or sometimes not for days. I have read a number of different suggestions on your site, and so have replaced both the starter lockout relay and Ignition switch connecter ( which i thought had cured the problem as the car worked for 5 days no problems, but it has returned with a vengeance and now the car hasn't started for 3 days) On one occasion the fuse for the starter relay had blown, replaced it and the car worked fine for a few more days, but now the fuse is fine but no start-up. We only have the one key for the car so its hard to tell if its that that's causing the problem. The battery when tested on a volt meter reads between 12.3 - 12.5v could that be the problem? Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the great site Follow up Thank for the swift response, unfortunately the car does bump start. So I think it must be the starter motor ( was just in denial) I've not really got the space to swap this part at home would you have any idea what MB would charge to do this? |
'L' yes thanks I have just mailed you re-cd which I will put in the post
when i have answered or tried to answer your mail. If you have replaced the relay and the starter switch then I fear the problem is the starter motor . It is a common fault on this car for the starter to remain silent which is unusual as most cars at least click the solenoid but on this car nothing Your battery voltage sounds Ok .and i don't think it's related in any way to your key as this throws up a message 'start error'. I am sorry to say that this does sound like the starter, It can be replaced by dropping the engine which although is quite involved is easier than removing it. There are files on the CD which would take you through this procedure but you have a means of raising and working safely under the car, space is tight replacing the starter in this way but it can and has been done. Sorry i can't be more positive but if I told you it was the key it would cost over £100 just to replace that so cost wise there won't be lot in it and I'm confident that will solve your problem. If you feel i can be of further assistance mail me I'll always try to help, thank goodness so far have not had to undertake such jobs myself. It will obviously pay you to fit a new starter motor, can I suggest you send the contact on page 57 a mail to get a quote he deals direct with the suppliers but he will need your Vin number, please stay in contact I would appreciate hearing the outcome which I hope will be positive. You could get a second opinion from the AA/RAC if your a member or indeed an independent Mb garage MB will come up with allsorts of fault codes which I fear will only confuse the situation further . If it was the Ignition switch you would get SAS lights and nothing else on some occasions and all lights on others so I'm confident it's not the switch . You could charge you battery I would expect to see 13 volts + when fully charged, but I'm sure at the end of the day you will finish up changing the starter motor. The other confirmation of this is if the cars manual does it bump start? if yes and runs well then that confirms the diagnoses. Follow up 'L' I wouldn't even consider MB, Go to a MB independent they will be very much cheaper and they will do a better job, It might even mean going out of your way but it would be worth it . You could even try a normal garage, a good mechanic who works with his hands and uses his head will easily be able to lower this unit, certainly worth a try. But with starter I suspect your looking at £450-500 with the starter. MB more either way there is no reason why you should not get the starter from the contact and then get it fitted by the garage of your choice, you would save a considerable amount doing it that way but get a quote for parts from MB and the Supplier on mypage 57 that way you will be sure of the situation. you will need to provide your Vin number. |
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| 127. Can I change my own spark plugs?
Firstly, I own the A140 (2004 model). There are 32,000 miles on the clock so it’s time to change the plugs.
I’ve never changed spark plugs before, and my level of mechanical experience is very limited, so I’ve a couple of questions to ask you. Hope you don’t mind! Thanks for posting the module cover tool so quickly. I went to Halfords earlier this week, and bought a set of spark plug tools (£23), plus the Bosch Super 4 plugs. The set contains the following tools: 3/8 drive flexible ratchet 2 x 6 inch extension bars 1 x 10 mm Spark Plug socket 1 x cleaning brush I also bought some Copper Grease (spray) for loosening bolts etc. I will also get the E10 and E12 Torx sockets (as mentioned on your site). Q. Are these tools sufficient? Q. Do I also need a 1/2 drive ratchet and/or shorter extension bars (3 inch) ? Q. On your site, you give the torque settings for the plugs and bolts. How do I tighten the plugs etc. to the correct torque? Do I also need to buy a torque wrench (£50 in Halfords)? Q. Do you recommend I lubricate any of the bolts before extraction. Lastly, in your opinion, is this job too complex for a novice like me. Feed back Dear Lofty This is just a brief note to sincerely thank you for your recent advice on changing spark plugs on my A class. Everything went very smoothly, and I changed the plugs on Sunday morning without incident. The module cover removal tool worked a treat! The detailed instructions and accompanying photographs on your website make, what is potentially a difficult job, relatively straightforward, even for a complete novice like myself. Once the module cover was off, I could see clearly just how fragile the two retaining lugs are, and how easily they could be damaged. As it turned out, after I located the two slots on the bottom side of the cover (the difficult part), the module was eased off in seconds. Removal of the module itself was surprisingly easy, once I remembered your advice to ratchet in the two E12 Torx extraction bolts evenly together, rather than singly (one followed by the other). Once the extraction bolts were fully home, the module came out without any effort or force. Before inserting the bolts, I also lightly sprayed them with copper grease which may have helped. As per your advice, the 3/8 drive ratchet, 6 inch extension bar, plug socket, plus E10 and E12 Torx sockets were all that was required (£30 total in Halfords). Similarly, as you indicated on your site, provided you use the 3/8 drive ratchet, there is no need to remove the o/s angled bracket to get at the plug on the far left. Attaching the extension bar will provide you with the necessary access. I closely followed your advice about removing and inserting the plugs, and they came out very easily. I used the plug socket and extension bar to manually thread the new ones back in again, finishing off with a ¼ turn of the ratchet. Perfect. All in all, a very smooth operation. I suspect previous reviewers who experienced problems removing the module may have forgotten your advice to screw in the two E12 extraction bolts evenly. Incidentally, I recently purchased the Hayes A Class manual (£19.99). Very disappointing. There is no way that a novice like myself could ever renew spark plugs (or any other task) using the limited amount of detail in the Hayes manual. No mention of the module cover, extraction bolts, tools etc, and one tiny black and white photo. A waste of money. With MB charging in excess of £100 for the job, even after purchasing the tools and plugs, I still saved over fifty pounds, not to mention the satisfaction which comes from doing the job yourself. Once again, my heartfelt thanks for your excellent website, email support and module cover tool ( a very clever device!) Postscript: I’ve just driven 80 miles this morning (Londonderry – Belfast) and have already noticed improved fuel economy and slightly better acceleration. All for a £20 set of plugs. Now for the air filter!! 'R' |
'R', Yes this is a job you can do.
The 3/8 drive ratchet 1 x 6" bar and 10mm plug socket is fine, you will not need the spray for an of these bolts, although you could if you wished put a very small amount on the module fixing bolts when refitting .Use the rigid extension your then able to see when the plug is aligned with the port
Follow the information on my page and you won't go far wrong.
You obviously won't need the brush because you fitting new plugs. The most important bit to remember is these plugs are recessed you can't hold the plug and screw it into the head as one would normally do. So place the new plug in the socket fit the 6" bar and then locate the plug square to the plug port and screw the plug in clockwise using the bar only, If you feel it not engaging turn it anti clockwise slightly then clockwise the thread will engage, when you are completely satisfied that the plug is located having turned it two or three turns only then apply the ratchet and tighten, The torque is mentioned but the amount of room is such that you wouldn't get a torque wrench in the correct position to use it so tighten the plugs firmly. That's tight but no silly tight, I.e. do not extend the ratchet with any form of extension They are all fitted with the compression copper gasket rings any way so you should be fine. The reason we take great car in screwing in the plugs by hand initially is because the plugs are steel and the head is aluminium and we do not want to damage the threads in the head Take your time and you will do just fine. Please let me know how you get on. The job costs about £100 if done by MB so think about that as you do the job and don't rush it. Make sure you get ' Torx' bits Sockets to fit your 3/8 drive ratchet Receiving feed back like this makes this whole site worthwhile, and it just goes to prove that what car manufacturers say that owners cannot work on their cars themselves is total rubbish, there are in my opinion still a considerable number of jobs that can be safely undertaken even on modern vehicles providing you have the correct tools for the job. |
128. I still have starting problems even after replacing the starter motor!! Hi Lofty I could not find the email address for asking questions about A class mercedes. I was so pleased to find your forum as I have been searching the internet for a solution or explanation to my problem. I have an A 140, 2002 that has done about 85000 miles. It has always been reliable but now has a starter problem. I have read through all of the questions/answers related to this but have not come across my exact problem although it sounds very similar to many of the e-mailers. Like many of the other, one day it would not start. Left it for 5 minutes and it started no problem. About 3 weeks later, same problem. Left of 5 minutes and started ok. 2 weeks later, wouldn't start and couldn't get it to start. Next day started first time. This then started happening on a weekly basis, and you had to leave it for at least half an hour. Took it to my local garage who said they thought the started motor had gone. Booked it in to be done the next week. Replaced the starter motor and it will not start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They have phoned Mercedes who say that it must be the computer, over £1000 for the part and must go the MB as it needs to be programmed to the car? The garage has told me that as an alternative, they could fit a button on the dash that connects to the starter motor so that it can be started. I am very worried. What do you think?? Appreciate your advice. 'R' (female) Feed back Hi Lofty Finally a conclusion to my problem. I took all of your information to my garage regarding the starter lockout relay and gave him your website address. The starter relay was not where you had described, even the the fuse and relay diagram with the car said it was. He phoned MB, they said it should be there. Anyway, to cut a long story short, there are 2 types of starter motors fitted to my model A140. One has a starter lockout relay as described and the other has it built in to the starter motor. The new starter motor MB supplied was one that has a separate relay and the one they should have supplied was the one with it build in. The starter motor was replaced yet again and now it is working. page 66 If you hadn't planted the idea in their heads that they need to locate the starter relay, I don't think this problem would have been solved and they would have gone along with MB thinking it was a problem with ECU. thank you. 'R' |
'R' Hi Forget what MB say for a start, even if the ECU does want a repair we have a company that can repair or replace the ECU and re-code for a max of £350 less 15% if you mention my site .see my page 38 BUT I'm sure it won't come to that Have you tried replacing the starter lockout relay? It's situated under the bonnet in the black box secured to the bulkhead left hand side. you have to search carefully in the box because the relays are deep in behind the loom wires, you can get at them from the passenger side by pulling the carpet back but I have never removed one, they are held in by small clips see my page fuses and relays There is every chance that's the cause of your problem When you turn the ignition on do all the instrument cluster lights come on as normal every time? I wouldn't have a modification done as you may well cause other problems, gone are the days when you could just stick in an extra switch, the 'can-bus' system is all interlinked and one item affects another when they go wrong. Did you get a diagnostics test done before you started any work? Come back to me if you want further information but in any case the car does not want a £1000 new ECU lofty Lessons have got to be learnt from this owners experience, I'm not aware what information was supplied to the MB garage supplying the starter motor, but it is essential that the VIN number not only be supplied but that the garage MB parts use that VIN to find out what spares are appropriate for your car, if you purchase parts using the Vin and they turn out to be as in this case the wrong parts for the car, seek damages form MB for the costs incurred in the installing and removing of the incorrect part they might then take more care with the next customer. There is a warning on my starter page about the different starters, only you and the supplier can ensure the correct one is supplied and fitted, lowering the engine twice to fit and remove the starter is no joke. DON'T GET CAUGHT OUT BY THIS MISTAKE. |
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| 129. Air Conditioning compressor problems. Hi Just come across your excellent site I have a W reg A Class 140 with a whining air conditioning unit and I wondered if you knew of a way to disengage the air con so the whining stops. I have already replaced this once and wondered if there was a belt that ran the rest of the functions whilst missing out the air con unit Thanks for your help and consideration Scott ( Scotland ) |
Scott, I'm not aware that you can fit the smaller belt and leave the air con out of the system However I understand that if you remove the wheel shaped fitting on the belt end of the motor the system compressor should be isolated, see my air con page
I can't be sure because the info came from another owner but it is worth a try. As far as your compressor is concerned you may find that all it want is a replacement bearing which can be fitted with the unit in place as it's the belt end bearing that goes You may also find that its one of the Poly 'V' belt pulley's that's causing the noise, if that is the case the supplier on my page 57 can supply all the parts you require post free and at less cost than from MB. parts Lofty |
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| 130.Noises from under the car Dear Lofty, having recent replaced the fan belt on my 1999 A 190 I am now hearing new noises coming from underneath my car. At low speeds any sort of bump seems to rattle the underside of the car. It is not the exhaust as I have checked this and it is tightly held. Also my front suspension is very noisy when going over speed bumps, sort of clunky. Could these two be related? Do you have any thoughts on what this might be? R |
Two possibilities The drop links could be worn? and almost certainly the
under-pans need tightening , I finished up getting new fixings for mine
because a few of the speed nuts were stripped they are very cheap and you
will readily get them from MB parts .
It would be worth checking the the floor under-pans are fitted correctly as
they over lap also on the near side there is a strip in line with the sub
frame mine was loose and chattered for years before i finally discovered
what it was I have now screwed it using the same type of fixing bolt so as
to make life easier when i next need to undo them, crawling out from under
the car for a different spanner is no joke. Hope that helps . |
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| 131 Failure of folding mirrors.'A'140 We have corresponded before and I have been reviewing the online data in vain for details concerning the electric mirrors on my '51 reg A140 Elegance. Recently the two external mirrors, which on my model have electric adjustment and folding mechanisms, have refused to fold. The electric adjustment still works but this is controlled by a different switch. It occurs to me that it might simply be a fuse as on the day they failed first the left mirror refused to work and then both of them. I have a feeling that if I take it to the MB workshop it will be a drastic solution. Any ideas? |
David have you checked the fuses?
I can't tell you which one it will be but it should be listed on you
fuse allocation sheet housed along side the fuses in a slot forward of
the fuse board under the drivers seat. Remove the carpet and you will see the panel, remove that and fuses are easily reached. BUT if you are going to check them one by one note the blank numbers first it's very easy to put them back in the wrong slot! It may be a case of testing the motors there is folding however if you remove the Glass mirror and heater panel you should be able the access the motor that powers the folding mechanism but watch your fingers these things are quite powerful. Also look in your manual to see when they open and close. I understand they open when the ignition is turned on and close after it's turned off ? You mention a switch so you could test the power supply at that switch, The other thing to bear in mind is that the wiring is enclosed and hinges with the door so there could be a wiring fault at that point. Check for power first, there are known failures of the electrical components at that point and MB do a repair loom for defects in that area. Mirrors, folding and adjustments as well as (SRS)airbags can be affected, with the mirrors they simply stop working, with the SRS (air bags ,the SRS light will show on the instrument cluster and cannot be extinguished until the repair is carried out. It is not possible to extinguish the SRS warning light with hand held diagnostic tools Star MB ,must be used although more sophisticated tools are now becoming available they still cost a great deal on money. | ||||||||||||||
| 132 Wiper blades Clashing A140 I have been looking at you fabulous web site. I have a 2001 A140. I have had problems where from time to time the wiper arms clash. I have had to put 600mm blades on both arms now & it is better but they are still very close when in use. Do you think it could be that the arms have been replaced wrongly at some point? If I put a 650mm blade on the drivers side arm it would overlap the passenger side when in use. I have had a look at the wiper blade section on the web site. what is the optimum gap between the blades when in the home position? I'll then then check to see if mine are correct . |
Tim,
I have only just back from hols so am not fully tuned in yet . However I suspect somebody has replaced the activated filter without setting and marking the arms first, MB Garage? All I can suggest is make sure the arms are the correct length, that info is on my site, the longer of the two arms going to the drivers side looking at the photos on the wiper page set the blades square to the base of the screen both arms laying horizontal From the base screen rubber 50mm to the wiper by lifting and allowing the blade to settle on the screen There is then a 65mm gap between the two wiper blades. ( on my car & I have never had a problem even though they have been off at least 6 times since I purchased the car) The measurement is taken from the central rivet where the arm attaches to the blade in each case. To adjust remove the metal cover over the wiper arm nuts, (release screws under bonnet) With the wipers turned to no 1, occasional wipe, Wet the screen either hose or washers Using the ignition key to control the arms sweep the screen The tip of the drivers wiper on my car clears the passenger wiper by 30mm +- 2mm at it's closest point remember we are talking of the distances between the top end of the drivers blade, and the side of the passengers' wiper, rubber blade which is obscured on my car as I have fitted a second deflector. Hope that helps remember the screen must be wet or you will not get the correct settings when setting the blades you must lift the blade then lower and allow it to settle on the screen, that releases the torque on the arm & blade Please let me know how you get on and I will then add the result to the Q & A page 3, feed back is essential and the only reward I seek. |
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| 133 Problem with rear suspension Lofty, I've got a problem with the insides of the rear tyres wearing. The wheels toe out at the back ( /---\ ) I have noticed 99% of other A Classes are the same and don't sit on the road squarely. I've had it checked and the bearings, springs and shockers are fine, no wear and tear at all. I wondered if you knew what length the rear springs should be? Perhaps they are too short or weak to push the car down onto the road enough?? Do you have any other suggestions? Feed back Hi Lofty Have just got back from my local Mercedes dealer in Peterborough. Had a technician look at the car and there is nothing at all wrong with any of the bushes, shockers, springs or the wishbones. He said its what some models of A class do, Honda Civics are the same. I was advised to rotate the tyres I've got ( Pirelli P6000 which I don't much like anyway) and then swap them for a softer compound tyre which should reduce the amount of wear. I love the car to bits, it's a little niggled that I can live with!! |
I've not heard of this being a problem previously, if I had the problem you have I would say the rear trailing arm bushes were at fault, it's they that control where the rear wheels are in relation to the road , no matter what length the springs they would not affect the tracking on the rear which is what is out if you tyres are wearing unevenly. Your best bet is to take your car to a good tyre company who are able to check the tracking NOT QUICK FIT, look for a well run company who know what they are doing and get them to check the rear tracking. If they say it is out then there is no adjustment, but it would confirm my thinking that the rear swinging arm bushes are worn, although it sounds unusual for the tyres to wear in that way. The swinging arms can be purchased as a unit and fitted or the bushes can be replaced but first you have to get a confirmation that that is problem . I can think of nothing else that could cause the problem. Please note these are not adjustable so don't let the garages kid you that they are. Lucy that's good news but I've been running my site now 5 years had my car just on 7 and I've not heard of a single 'A' Class with a rear tyre problem, Fronts a couple caused by tracking after changing struts Anyway that's good news and with your new tyres you should be ok for many thousands of miles. Good luck Lofty Well you win some you loose some, I'd be interested to hear what happens when the new tyres are fitted and have done a few thousand miles, I hope for Lucy's sake they are OK But I'd be watching them very closely. page 21 |
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| 134 Oil warning light comes on following garage service. Hi Lofty, I have been going through your CD and also your updated site to see if you or any of your readers have had the same trouble I am having. My oil light is starting to come on intermittently in the last week or so. I use the car maybe once a week and have had the car serviced in the middle of June. The oil dipstick shows there's enough oil and the oil looks the right colour. So I think the garage did change the oil and filled it right. I went back and they said that it could be the oil pressure but they would need to hook it up to a diagnostic machine in order to trace the fault. That will be another £60 minimum before we find out what the problem was. Have you had any experience of this fault or heard the same from one of your readers? Many thanks in advance, Follow up mail, Thanks for that - I did check again and it's over the MAX mark - so will ask the to remove some oil as you say. Many thanks! |
Don't worry about it they have put in slightly too much oil, go back and ask them to take out 25cl that will cure the problem, check the oil while the engine is hot and you will find the level slightly high see the note on the filler cap! Better to be slightly under than over lofty |
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| 135 Severe Problems with Automatic gearbox Dear Lofty, I looked for a user feedback function on your website, but as I could find none I am sending this report by e-mail as a contribution to the fantastic service you provide to A-Class owners worldwide. You may recall that we have been in touch last year, when I purchased your excellent CD-ROM. To recap my status, I live in Brazil and have owned a 2002 A190 (fully automatic gearbox) since new. Earlier this year, as I returned home from a trip some two hours away, I got the dreaded "F" code on the instrument panel. Luckily, I was only a couple of miles from home, so I was able to limp along in whatever gear (probably 3rd) the car was stuck in. To make a long story short, the problem was diagnosed as a massive failure of the auto box module. As this part alone costs in excess of six thousand US dollars (approx. 3700 pounds) at local Mercedes Benz dealers, I had the service done at an independent shop, which sourced the module from Europe and also replaced a number of other items (K1 clutch, assorted gaskets, coolant etc.). The grand total, including labour, was about the same as I would have paid at a main dealer for the module alone - still pretty hard to swallow, though. Not to mention the fact that the car was out of service for almost three months while the module was being sourced and imported. This problem occurred at approximately 32k miles (48000 km), so I would urge all fellow A-Class owners to replace the coolant at shorter intervals, as you have already advised, and also to be mindful of anything that may cause the module to operate at abnormally high temperatures. The A-Class has a lot of things going for it - but the auto box is definitely not one of them, judging from my experience and that of other owners. If you think that my experience is worth passing on to your readers, please feel free to do so. Kind regards, Paulo |
I have published this mail because its highlights the problems that can be suffered with automatic gearboxes/transmissions.
All owners of such 'A' Class would be well advised to ensure their vehicle coolant is changed at the prescribed intervals, this ensures that the correct proportion of corrosion inhibitor is present in the cooling system which also circulates in the transmission, failure to follow this rule and valves within the box can corrode causing damage costing many thousands of pounds along with the labour costs If you are replacing your own coolant and all the details are on my site ,you are advised to use Mercedes Fluids that will ensure you get the correct % of coolant plus corrosion inhibitor page 43 |
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| 136 ABS/ESP sender ring becoming detached from the neck of the drive shaft. Hello Lofty, I have just ordered your CD and it may cover this, I intend to replace the o/s drive shaft due to the ABS ring having come off ,can I split the CV joint and replace the outer bit complete with ABS ring thus not disturbing the rest of the shaft & support bearing ? (its a full auto a160 ) |
D, Hi,
Yes the drive shafts are covered, but i don't know if you can purchase just the outer, you obviously have the ring? have you considered re-bonding it to the shaft it only revolves does no work so it should stay in place no problem something like 'Araldite' a two part adhesive which you mix and apply,
dependent on how close to are to the gaiter you could even heat it up, you may even have to heat the ring to get it back onto the shaft, give it a go clean the area well with wet a .& dry, or fine paper then give it a go what have you to loose. Feed back Because the ring was broken the owner fitted a good S/H drive shaft with a sound ESP/ABS sender ring. |
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| 138 ESP/ABS instrument cluster light stays on following fitting new Front discs. hi Lofty, I changed my Front rotors(discs) and pads on my 99 pre face lift 168.(6 weeks ago) All fine, except occasionally the ABS light came on with the BAS/Tics light i.e., sharp breaking or over a bump). Switch off engine and it re-set. this has only started since i changed the pads and rotors then on motorway, hard brake and the lights are now permanently on. Are there sensors i can clean/change. i have sprayed cleaner (for Airflow meters) on the sensors by the hub, no luck. Are there other sensors that i can look at replace that maybe i damaged? thanks lofty I E Auckland New Zealand |
This almost certainly the brake light switch problem as on both occasions you say you braked, the details are on my site I had the same problem and changed the brake switch it costs £10 approx and takes seconds to fit no tools required. (see my page 18 for details) Please let me know if it cures you fault. The only other thing you could check is the sensor connections going to the ABS/ESP sensors you may have loosened one but my money is on the brake light switch. The sensors under the wings are situated just above the grooves on the outer end of the drive shafts. please feed back info. |
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| 138 Brake problem loud noise from car when I press the brake pedal hard? Hi when I'm driving and hit the brakes all seems ok, but if i hit a patch of rough ground or brake a little too quickly, i get a lot of vibration on the brake pedal also hear a loud grinding noise/ or sometimes a noise that can only be described as a coiled spring being released. any ideas. | If you hit the brakes hard and keep the pressure on you should hear a gunning sound, this is the ABS (Active Braking System) coming in and preventing the brakes locking the wheels, If you know anything about cadence braking, that’s what you do, press release press release until the car stops. MB designed this system that is now fitted on a lot of cars and it does the job for you BUT only if you press the brake pedal hard and keep the pressure on. proved to stop the car quicker and without locking the wheels even on wet surfaces I strongly suspect that is what you heard. Not sure how you spell Cadence what I can tell you is its difficult to do releasing the brakes and reapplying several times when your approaching the rear of another vehicle takes a bit of doing until you have confidence in the method with this car it does it for you. page 18 | ||||||||||||||
| 139 Stuck Injector Problem Resolved Hi Lofty, Great website and incredibly useful information. I would just like to add my thoughts on the problem with the A170 sticking / blowing injector issue. For a few months I had been experiencing a fumy type smell in the cabin (think exhaust). On inspection of the no. 1 injector, sure enough this had been blowing and as a result had pretty much encased no. 1, much of no. 2 injector and almost all of the claw and bolt holding the injectors in place with a carbon residue that was incredibly hard and brittle and very difficult to remove. As identified by the information on your website, I was now faced with a problem of successfully being able to remove the injector in order to be able to reseat with a new copper seal. I described the problem to a diesel engine technician friend who has worked on pretty much every diesel engine this side of 1980. His solution to remove the carbon build up? A liberal coating of Nitromors paint stripper on the carbon to be left overnight! Being somewhat sceptical, I carried out his advice and liberally applied a couple of coats of Nitromors, being careful not to get any on the surrounding plastic surfaces (in particular the plastic shrouding on top of the injectors) and left this overnight. Sure enough, the following day, the Nitromors had done its job and greatly softened the carbon to an extent it could be dug out with a screwdriver, exposing the clamp, bolt head and pretty much all of the no.1 and no. 2 injector. And I am pleased to say that upon removal of the bolt and clamp, both injectors could be removed with a little carefully applied force. Once removed from the engine, I cleaned the remaining carbon deposits with a wire brush, installed new copper washers and using a new bolt, re-seated the injectors, clamp and re-torqued. And I am pleased to report that this has cured the blowing injector / fumes entering the cabin. I would only add that whilst doing this job, I was careful to make sure that as little Nitromors / carbon muck fell down the injector bores when the injectors were removed. As a precaution, I also put a thin piece of hose down injector bores and applied a vacuum to suck out any remaining muck that may have fallen down. I am hoping that by sharing my experiences, this information can be used by other A Class owners to avoid costly repair bills on what appears to be an all too common problem on the diesel engines. As such, please feel free to use whatever information I have provided as you see fit on your website and CD. All the best Howard |
Howard Thanks very much for the information I will post your email of the diesel problem page and on my page three where anybody looking for answers may look I'm also very pleased you were able to resolve your problem , obviously the guy you spoke to was a mechanic and not a Mercedes Fitter. Their answer is to charge the earth trying to remove them and then declare that you need a new engine, so you saved your self a fortune well done and good luck with the car. page 98 Lofty Readers of this item please see also details on page98 | ||||||||||||||
| 140 Changing light Bulbs Hi I just noticed that the small Parking light inside the main Beam dome on the N/S needs a new bulb. It is very awkward to get at, then I noticed on your CD an alternative method of replacing the headlamp bulbs, i.e. remove the Headlamp assembly itself. My question is this. If I am only replacing one bulb, do I also need to disconnect the vacuum tube going to the height adjuster diaphragm, or can I simply lift the Headlamp assembly out a small distance and replace the bulb. Further, how do you adjust the Headlamp alignment itself. I notice there is a knob in the Cabin, but also some type of adjuster in the headlamp cluster itself. Which one do you use? Regards. Feed back Just a quick note to thank you for your advice regarding changing bulbs in the front headlamp cluster. I used your alternative method, as indicated on your CD and it worked a treat! As per your advice, after removing the retaining screws for the wing, valance and lamp assembly, I gently lifted out the lamp assembly just far enough to replace the bulbs. I used a ¼ inch driver, adaptor, and 8 and 10 mm. sockets. The bolts came off really easily. Originally, I was just going to replace the side lights (W5W) but as access was so easy, decided to renew the dipped beams as well (H7). The entire job (both sides) took me under 45 minutes. As I do a lot of rural driving, sometimes at night, I decided to use upgrade lamps (Philips X-treme). These bulbs really boost the light 75%. Your alternative method is so easy, compared with trying to access the lamp assembly from the inside. A real nightmare for anyone whose ever tried it. Thanks again, Lofty. Your website is a real treasure trove for anyone with an A Class! |
You should be able to replace the small bulb without touching the main lamp its self but you will need pointed nose pliers to ease the bulb from it's housed position. Its a job but can be done
Don't touch any of the adjusters at all or you will have to get the beam reset.
You can drop the headlamp forward using the method on my site but don't short cut, you must remove certain other fixings to get the head lamp to come forward. Bulb changing is then easy take great car not to drop/damage the lamp unit. don't disconnect the vac unit or hose pages 9 &10 |
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| 141 Problems with central locking and locked boot. I wonder if you could help I am having problems with the central locking on my 2001 a160, when the key fob unlock button is pressed the doors do not unlock but the indicator lights do flash like it worked. same when you go to lock the car the locks do not respond yet the lights flash as if it did. so the car has to be opened manually the problem with this is that although the key fits into the boot lock it does not turn so I am unable to access the luggage compartment. also the doors no longer lock automatically on the auto lock button on the dash or when the car accelerates over 10 mph. Any advice would be gratefully received Feed back I have just got access to the boot from inside using the lock mechanism. I have had a look at the vacuum pump and there is no water in the housing that some people have said causes this sometimes to happen and can see no problems with the pump it's self. Any idea how audible the pump is when it's operated as mine makes a click but not very loud? Feed back Lofty Unfortunately with a two week old in the house it was necessary to get the central locking working as soon as possible what with car seats and prams etc. At some point someone has changed the boot lock and not passed the new key on to us when it was sold. so without central locking it couldn't be opened so buying a new vacuum pump from Mercedes-Benz was my only option. So here's the sting, £148, but on the plus side plugged it in and worked straight away. Thanks as always for the good advice. Cheers |
There is a page on 'open stuck boot on my site'
page 25 i can only suggest you read that and then make a decision if they the way you want to go , there is very little damage and the replacement plastic strip only holds the spare wheel cover down
You can then open the boot and then free it off .
it does sound as though you have two problems because you should be able to open the boot with the key.
Give it a good spray with WD40 through he key slot and then when you try open it press the boot lid shut while you turn the key then lift . hopefully that will work.
Please keep me imfd
You may get away with servicing the pump the other thing is if you have two keys try both. Further mail The pump runs for about 3-5 secs when the remote key is pressed a wrrrrrrr sound but you can hear it distinctly running, so your problem is the pump . Be worth taking a look at mypage 41 'Vac Pump' and then stripping it clean and service who knows you may save your self a great deal of money, £100 approx. good luck. Please let me know how you get on. Feed back When pressures must, well done when you have time service you old pump good clean up and sell on e-bay All the very best to you and your new family you know where i am if every i can be of assistance . best wishes Lofty. It's a pleasure to be of help |
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| 142 Recently purchased an A class 170. Hi Lofty, I have not sure I have done the right thing having read through the FAQ page, anyway my daughter wanted me to get one so she could loan it!! I did have a test drive and noticed a couple of niggles a knocking noise from the front and rear end which I suspect is the link arms & the rear bearings on the trailing arms, I can put up with that for now. The worst one is the gear linkage, it is very stiff when trying to move across the gate, when shifting from 2nd to 3rd, its hard to align it so sometimes you hit 5th, likewise when chopping down from 5th to 4th or even 5th to 3rd, I have now hit 1st three or four times, having only done 100 miles to date. Its also difficult to come out of 5th sometimes feeling as though you have to yank it. I have looked at the linkage and seen how it operates, applied WD spray, where the rod goes into the box, thinking this rod was the problem. do you think it is liable to be a tight cable from the gear lever or the gear lever ball itself? does the unit come off from under the car easily? I have a full tool kit in my workshop including a 2 post lift, and have done many jobs, just asking if there is an easy solution to this problem. Whilst looking through the common problems the injector on the diesel looks a bad job, It crossed my mind when reading them all why do people buy new engines, and or have to remove them, why cannot the head be removed and the injector removed with the head off if its impossible to remove in situ, or have I missed some major head removal info somewhere. I have ordered a CD and hope I don't really need to use it too often, keep up the good work with your site, very informative Cheers R |
R thanks for your mail, also for the order for the CD rom which I managed to get in the post so that will be with you Monday. Problems, injectors first because that answer is now simplified by a recent mail, in short Nitromores melts the carboned diesel residue and you are then able to shift and remove the injectors up and until now there have been many many owners who have have had to replace the engine. However the Nitromores has from what I understand cured the problem for getting rid of the solid diesel residue and you can then fit new seals and hopefully all then will be well, obviously it's not that easy but at least now you have an answer to getting the injectors out if the are welded in by carbon. (Please read the instruction on the 'Nitromores' container before using) Gear Box I have never heard of this situation before there are very few problems on the manual box apart from the small link under the bonnet that goes missing making it impossible to get 5th and reverse gear. My first job with your car would be to change the gear box fluid and ensure the level is correct, then remove the Leather surround of the gear stick and check the linkage there spraying that with silicone spray will do no harm, then do the same at the engine end, That I feel would go some way to curing the problem, incidentally there should be nothing under the leather surround other than the linkage, good place to hide a bag of money or drugs? Just joking but some owners do silly things to try and cure faults, for the gearbox manual? see my page 59 Rear and front knocks, firstly check for broken springs in the case of the fronts spring support cups as well hopefully they will be ok but this car eats springs unless they are kept sprayed with a light oil, I use duck oil and still have the original springs front and rear and they are still like new. rear springs are a 20 minute job each side, fronts are more difficult but the complete strut come comes out as a unit, BUT make yourself a gauge so that you can get them back precisely as removed, otherwise you will have to get the camber and toe checked which adds cost to the repair, having said that it does ensure you get maximum mileage from your tyres. my page 26 Drop links cheap and simple to fit, my page 29 Use MB parts they are quite often cheaper and they are good quality, things like injectors yes shop around they can be bought cheaper else ware. If you have further questions come back, I'm not a mechanic but have accumulated a bit of info over my 70 + years for 7 of which I've had the 'A' class good luck with the car I'm confident there is nothing on it that you will not be able to sort given time. The end product of the stiff gear box linkage was the selector mechanism on the top of the gearbox, in this case a swivel pin had all but ceased making gear changing very difficult. The new owner persevered with oil and WD40 as it has now eased to the degree that the car can now be driven. At this point I do not know the reason for the pin being so stiff, it could possibly be slightly bent or caused by the car being laid up over a long period. Certainly it's the first defect I have heard of with this assembly apart from the Black plastic dumbbell link going missing or coming detached and the reversing light switch, which does cause problems on some cars. If your reversing switch goes defective please ensure you read the material on mypage 59 before even touching the switch, or you could be in for a big bill or loads of unnecessary work. |
143 trickle battery charging without removing battery? Hi Lofty I read your page on the slow battery charger and would like to know what you opinion is on using the Ctek charger without disconnecting the battery? It charges at 14.4V 3.3A. The Mercedes A class web site says it must always be disconnect when charging the batter when situ. However the Charger Manufacturer. Says its ok no to disconnect (see their reply below). From: Info.se på ctek [mailto:info@ctek.se] Sent: 19 October 2009 16:28 To: Subject: SV: support (EN-GB): Zafir 90 Dear Owner You do not need to disconnect anything while charging, because CTEK is a very safe device to use. It is non-sparking, reverse-polarity proof and electronics safe. We also deliver chargers to Mercedes Benz and are very familiar with the vehicle, and they with us. Just to check that your battery is ok, no broken cells or other problems, and you get an excellent charge. But, of course, if you like to, you always can disconnect, but for safety reasons due to using CTEK, you don't have to. Best regards, Teresa Eklöv. CTEK CTEK SWEDEN AB | ROSTUGNSVÄGEN 3, SE-776 70 VIKMANSHYTTAN, SWEDEN PHONE: +46 225 351 80FAX: +46 225 351 95 | WEB: www.ctek.com EMAIL: info@ctek.com THE SMARTEST BATTERY CHARGERS IN THE WORLD! |
You will see from my pages that I also trickle charge my battery in situ. With what the manufacturer has said it should be fine, although my charger is automatic and only trickles 1 amp hour, The only thing I would check is that the vent tube attached to the end of the battery is connected and goes through a hole in the floor, this will allow the gases created while charging to vent outside the car, in any case the battery fitted to you car MUST have a vent tube check also that the fluid level in the cells is just (1/8" approx) above the plates which appear as a sequence of lines when you look into the battery filler holes check each of the 6 cells Some batteries are considered to be maintenance free, but if the facility exists for checking the fluid level then do so before charging or at least every 6 months. Keep the trickle charge to a minimum and it should be fine (Trickle charge = Low charge applied to a battery over a long period of time) Boost= Boost, High rate charge applied for a short period of time) This type of charge should be avoided as it will cause heating of the battery and may cause it life to be shortened. Lofty |
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| 144 No lights on instrument cluster when ignition is turned on . Hi lofty, I have a problem now that I can _ t start the car. I have trawled through your comprehensive CD, but I cannot find a similar example of my fault. I hope you can help. The problem is that when trying to start the car, there is no display of any warning illumination; only the SRS light comes on. At this point the blower, wipers, windows all work but the horn and indicators do not. I have had the MAFS replaced at Mercedes one year ago, and the car has been fine since. I did notice a slight deterioration of the intensity of the panel lights over the past week, which made me think that a relay was maybe on the point of burning out. I have checked all the fuses although I have not pulled them out, I checked for voltage across each one for consistency, so I guess it could still be o/c on the connector. Any help is appreciated, and I will contact you if I find out what went down. Thanks. Thanks for your fast response, firstly, the battery is brand new at two month old and is in excellent condition. I measured the terminal voltage, and it is sitting just above 12 volts. I have exhausted all my possibilities and will leave the battery disconnected overnight (sidelights on) and hopefully this will discharge any residual potential. I mentioned the wipers operating and the horn and indicators not working only to indicate that in this position on the ignition switch there is a split with electrical devices that you would not expect, so I guess that rules out the ignition switch. I know a very good auto electrician; it looks like he will be getting a call. I will keep you posted. Thanks again. Feed back Thanks again for your help, sorry about the delay in responding, but I wanted to make sure I had something definite to tell you. I did the battery disconnection, as you advised, and left it in this condition overnight, with the sidelights left on as I imagine this would discharge any residual charge in the system. I reconnected the battery then switched off the sidelights, then tried to start the car in the normal fashion, only to find the same condition was apparent. I left the ignition in the on position for about 1 minute (I don _ t really know why) turned the key to off, then turned back on again, and the dash all lit up again as normal, I started the car at this point and it ran like a dream, as if nothing had happened. I asked my mechanic friend (you got to have a mechanic friend if you have an A class) and he confirmed that there is a Renault car had the same problem as me and the fix was to disconnect the battery and short out the battery terminals for 15 mins to clear the ECU glitches, then restart as normal. I can only hope that this is correct as I don _ t like the idea of there being a loose connection somewhere, but it has never failed in use (i.e. driving). I am now giving up on the Merc and it's crazy ways, I simply want a car that runs and not a computer that requires a reboot before driving. I Hope this information may help you to help others, as I am sure it will happen again somewhere. Many thanks for your help, cheers. |
My immediate reaction is to battery condition? Secondly if you are sure the battery is OK then disconnect it leave for about 30 mins and reconnect positive terminal first. But check you battery has at least 12 13 volts stored anything less will cause problems. reconnect the battery put your lights to at least side lights before doing so, turn off after connection this reduces the spike of power hitting the ECU That may reset the system, but check you battery power first, because things like wipers work doesn't mean the battery power is sufficient then power up all the other electronics including turning the starter Hope that help please let me know how you get on Feed back have you looked at my fuses and relays sheet on site are there fuses that supply power to the instrument cluster if so check them, but take care there are some spaces and so it's easy to put a fuse back in an slot. If you have a digital take a photo of it first or compare it with the one on my site and see if the layout and rating is the same. Print off a copy and carry it with your hand book. Feed Back Ken thank you for the information basically that is what's happened before. Your find the car will be fine now, remember unless you can afford NEW you could buy worse than you've got, all modern cars have problems look at the Renault dash problem at present £650 to put right unless owners send them to 'ECU testing' who are repairing as many as six a week. So take care what you buy. |
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| 145 ECU Water damage This is a Classic and maybe of help for fault finding for someone else who visits your site for help. My sons X Reg A Class car failed the MOT. Rear swing arm bearings were knackered on the drivers side + new springs were required. After removing all the components and replacing the bearings in the swing arm I thought, great job done. Now just remember here the car was driven from my son's house too mine where I have the tools for the job, just swing arm bearings and rear spring change!! After the swing arm repair I jumped in the car to start the engine and got a very slow cranking and sometimes-normal response from the starter motor and immediately thought the battery was flat. I checked the battery, which was at peak performance. Cringing, my mind wondered off to the starter motor or maybe the ABS sensor on the side I was working on had a fault after replacing the swing arm bearings. After trying several thing's I couldn't find a problem with either the battery or the sensor. What I did notice was when I tried to start the car; the engine was cranking over slowly on the starter motor and for some reason the relays were all clicking away madly. I then checked all the relays including the K3 starter relay and couldn't find a problem. I tried to start the car by towing it, nothing dead. Over several days of fault finding and banging my head against a brick wall and tearing my hair out, good or bad, decided to let the garage have a go. Except for MOT's this would probably be the second time I've taken a car to a garage in my life. They first said the ECU was faulty and then they changed their mind and said it's the ignition switch connector. They changed the ignition switch connector, still no go. Then the ECU became prime suspect again. They removed the ECU which I sent off for testing to ecutesting.com. Result was the ECU was knackered and had water ingress. The ECU had previously been repaired and not sealed correctly and I guess when the water bottle was being filled up to overflow and it was spilling onto the ECU! Cost for the new ECU was £500 + VAT + the £235 fee I have to pay the Garage for finding the fault and changing the ignition switch connector and this all for helping someone else. I suppose the up side is I saved my son £300 + for repairing the swing arm + £1400 that Merc garage would of probably requested. Anyhow, Lofty, great Web site. Best Regards |
One fault after another which in this case could have with thought been avoided, once again owners let down by professionals. I have suggested the owner contact the previous repairer if only to convince them that that their workmanship is costing money. If you car's ECU has at any point been repaired by BBA Reman check page 38 and ensure the hole in the top right edge has been sealed seal if necessary. |
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| 146 Crank shaft or Cam shaft sensor at fault? Hello Lofty the car is finally fixed. After days and days of scanning. The reading always came up with a 'crank shaft sensor error.' The car continued to run on two cylinders only. I installed a new crank shaft sensor but still this did not fix the problem I took the car to Mercedes place and again their top of the range scanner read the same. They changed the same sensor but still this did not fix it. I took the car back and parked it in the drive way for a week. I honestly felt like calling the scrap metal people to come and take it away. One morning it came to me, a CNC laser cutting machine that I used to write CAD programs for. This machine came up with a fault in one of the sensors but the signal was conflicting with the actual problem. And a completely different sensor was the cause of the problem and when fitted was the cure. I ordered a cam shaft sensor and installed it. Believe it or not. The car is back to life and the problem is gone. So when your A160 runs like rubbish and the scanner is reading crank 'shaft sensor' you need to have a beer and think out side the box. My wife and I are not sure if we will keep this car after all these dramas. In my opinion, this car is badly designed. What do you reckon? |
This owner initially contacted me with a starter problem and we exchanged many e-mails which eventually resulted in him having to get the starter and ring gear changed which of course was and engine/gearbox removal job, not a job for the faint hearted or some garages who refuse to work on the 'A' Class. This job was done successfully by a competent established mechanic in a well equipped garage but on completion of the job the car then became unreliable only doing a few miles before it packing up, It would start again after a while but would then let the owners down again, it was also discovered that when this happened the engine was only firing on two cylinders. So one automatically thinks of ignition module problems, but this engine was missing on cylinders 1 & 2 so the coils couldn't be the problem. To my mind the firing order would be 1342 from the timing chain side and so the coil would service 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 Diagnostic tests showed that the crank shaft sensor was defective and so the owner replaced the sensor, still no joy . After many weeks of heartache and having spent out on the starter, starter ring gear and having had the clutch replaced at the same time the owner nearly gave up, numerous diagnostic test on hand held and a test by MB on 'Star' diagnostics declared the crankshaft sensor at fault and so another sensor was fitted, still no joy. Then the owner who had having suffered a fault on another item of electrical equipment where the test showed the wrong sensor at fault, not a car, prompted the owner to replace the cam-shaft sensor. 'Hey presto' loud cheers from New Zealand, the two duff cylinders came back to life and the car was back to it's old self and running well. However as often happens the owner it appears has lost faith in the car and MB to locate faults, despite their sophisticated diagnostics tools and is now considering whether to keep it or sell it. I say no, keep it, you have done the big jobs, clutch and starter plus ring gear, run it see how it goes. Buying another car doesn't solve the problem because all modern cars have sensors and starters and so you may well buy a car where the self same problems occur. 'Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.' Now if you can afford a new car that may be a different story. BUT because the car will have a warrantee you will feel obliged to have it serviced at the prescribed periods, that in it's self can run into many hundreds of £££ so consider carefully. The moral of the story, it's cheaper to by a cam-shaft and crank-shaft sensor, and try these before having an Mercedes-Benz 'Star' diagnostics test done, the cost of the test alone will pay for these items |
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| 147 Severe Camber problem? While I sold our Mercedes A Class 2001 A140 a while ago, the lady who bought it has taken into my local MOT dealer for a service and he noted the off side (drivers side) front wheel is leaning in three quarters of an inch over its height. He rang me to ask if I had any idea what it might be ... and whether it reflected on any work carried out in the past. It did have a coil spring and damper fitted on that corner in 2006. He’s considering fitting a new suspension leg but doesn’t want to if it’s going to turn out to be something different. Is it something you have come across in the past? Regards |
I would conclude that when the front strut was replaced possibly by MB that they did not mark nor check the camber & toe after fitting the new unit which is not unusual they appear to now nothing about this aspect along with many others, and I have been made aware of this problem previously. This is not uncommon, the suspension leg is simply locked into position by two bolts lower end these have to be adjusted precisely to give the correct camber angle the, (the vertical pitch of the wheel in relation to the car), the toe should also be checked (The angle of the wheel inline with to the direction of the car ) following such a repair a failure not to do so will result in extreme tyre wear on either the outer or in many the inner or outer edges the incorrect toe will produce a nodged type of wear on the complete tread width. see page 26 If I were her I would take the car to a good tyre company who has the digital equipment tracking alignment tools, to check these measurements and get both sides checked, that will with out doubt correct any problems she has, normal garages do not have this sophisticated equ and as appeared when the strut was fitted guess the position of the strut .Dependent on the garage she is having the scar serviced at even with a new strut they could repeat the same error unless they know what they are doing and have the right gear. . I had done work on my struts but watched the tyre wear closely after the repair, no problem, however having just had two new front tyres fitted had the car checked even with my care while doing the job the nearside adjustment was our by a small amount, having had it correct the car drives better. Hope that helps [Lofty] |
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| 148 Car won't start! Hi Lofty, I have a problem... My 140 has been fine for months, although I hardly use it, except at weekends etc, and last Wednesday I started her up, just to blow out the cobwebs, and she started fine, left running for 10-15 mins and switched off. I went to take her out to go shopping, and couldn't get her to start at all. At first attempt she started, but then cut out, as if she'd run out of fuel, so I went and got a gallon and put it in. (the low fuel light was on, before the top-up, but I didn't think I was even close to running out.) Since then I have tried to start, but the engine turns over well, but no sign of firing into life. Any suggestions as to where to look will be welcome. Follow up mail Hi Lofty, Quick note to say I checked the fuses, and surprise, surprise.... fuse number 6, which feeds the fuel pump relay has blown! However... the fuse in situ is a 7.5 Amp fuse, and the handbook or rather a diagram sheet which is located alongside the fuses in the fuse compartment, (and you web page), shows it should be a 30 Amp fuse!! I wonder why there is a 7.5A fuse there in the first place? I'll get a replacement fuse (30A) when I go out, and let you know how I get on. Cheers, follow up Hi Lofty, Just to let you know the car is now back in action. Replaced the fuse, and she started second turn of the key. Thanks again for the support.. it really is good to have someone to talk things through. |
I suggested that this may be a low fuel problem, the owner was aware the tank was low, he put 1 gallon into the car, but it should be remembered that the tank on this car is large and flat so i gallon would be well spread, however a further 2 gallons didn't help either, remember running the tank to empty can cause real problems and block the fuel filter with the sediment which is in most tanks The only other things could think of is fuel pressure which again can be reduced by the blocked fuel filter and the connection onto the ignition module. The fuel pressure would need to be checked with a gauge which connects on the facility on the fuel rail behind the air filter housing and the ignition module connection could be check by removing the fixing and then praying with something like 'Electrolube' or WD40 As non of my suggestions had worked I asked the owner if he had checked the fuses? On doing so it was found that the 'fuel pump fuse' 6 which provides power to the fuel pump relay had blown, But more than that, it was a 7.5 amp fuse and not a 30amp as it should in fact have been . This indicates that at some time previously time unknown the fuse had blown and been replaced by an incorrect value fuse. But consider why did the original fuse blow in the first place? If this happens to you then consider when the fuel filter was replaced, the filter should be changed at approx 50000 if you car has done more than that without a change, get it done. If the correct value fuse is fitting and subsequently blows it could be a warning that the fuel filter is in need of replacement I.e the fuel pump is working harder than it should to provide fuel to the engine , overheats and blows precisely what it's designed to do , Ie protect the fuel pump. This situation could be caused by a dirty fuel filter due to it's age/mileage or the fact that the tank has been allowed to run low/dry, this filter will if that is the case need replacing as a matter of some urgency if the pump is not to be burnt out in the longer term, and it's not a straight forward job to replace as the pump is for obviously reasons fitted in the fuel tank. |
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| 149 Surface Water can cause real damage I have fitted my rebuilt MAFS and the car is no longer pulling back but there is still a constant engine judder. It ticks over ok most of the time, and even sounds ok when revved but as soon as it is driven it has a constant judder, splutter ( it makes the seats rattle, like sitting on a bus). Today I completely removed the throttle body and cleaned the whole thing thoroughly with carburetor cleaner, the butterfly was not sticking in any way and the whole operation of it seemed fine. I reassembled it all and still no difference. I then thought maybe water had got in the fuel system as all these problems first started after my wife drove through a bad storm with a lot of surface water on the roads. I purchased some stuff called dry fuel which is supposed to emulsify any water in the system letting it burn off, but once again it has made no difference. The MAFS was completely shot, the reeds were burnt black and roger at ECU Testing said that it was not operating at all as it should so I am safe in the knowledge that this part was faulty. Do you know of any other thing it could be, or could something have been damaged by running it with a faulty MAFS. my oil warning keeps saying minus 1.5L as well even though there is plenty of oil in It. Sorry to trouble you again but I am stuck for ideas. Kind regards Follow up mail Hi Lofty, Problem solved, I replaced spark plugs this morning and still no difference so I had a test done and it was misfiring on cylinder 4. I purchased a new ignition module from MB for £89 + VAT fitted it and it runs like a dream. It may be worth mentioning on your site the amount of damage that can be done by driving an A class through water even at a slow speed as it has cost me a grand total of about £400 with me doing the labor myself. As for the oil light, on the diagnosis it said that oil level sensor faulty, oil temperature sensor faulty, once again only since the storm these may have been damaged from when the ECU packed up. Thank you so much for all your help over the past week and I wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas Thanks again. . Cheers mate you're a star. There are not many helpful people left in this world who would even be bothered to take the time to give someone advice. Top marks to you and your site (I'd have never have sussed using the module bolts to extract it). Thanks again Take care, people like yourself are priceless |
T,
from what your saying I would check the ignition module it sounds very much
to me as though your car is missing only firing on two or 3 plugs failing
that you would need to get the camshaft sensor checked and then the
crankshaft sensor checked both of these affect timing.
There is also fuel pressure has the fuel filter been changed at the
prescribed 50,000 miles fuel starvation could also be the cause. It really
is just a case of eliminating the problem, if you have a diagnostics tool
see what problem code comes up it should be recorded on the ECU.
Sorry i can't be more specific but there could be a number of reasons why
you have this problem. Follow up T, Having read your mail again, I think you will have to get a diagnostic test done, it could be that one or both of the Co2 sensors have been damaged by the defective MAFS. If that is the case see my site page 38 for reduced cost replacements. In respect of your oil level sensor that might be sorted by doing an oil change followed by flushing oil then the replacement of a good quality oil. See if you can find a good MB independent garage to check the diagnostics and also delete any trouble codes if there are any showing. That will give you a clean start although I suspect roger would have deleted any remaining when he did the repair. Sorry i can't be more helpful, but i would remove the ignition module and just check that everything plug wise is OK. Pleased to have been of service and Help. I have mentioned in several places the problems of water damage including to the alternator and Power steering pump you can as I say on 'take the horse to the water you cannot make it drink!' I have mentioned the problems caused if owners do not heed the warning then i can do no more. I'm never the less sorry that you have suffered these problems and trust you are at least aware of the results of only a small amount of water which can cause real damage, more so to the a class petrol due to the location of the plugs, By the way don't ditch your old coil pack it may well dry out in the long term. Same applies to the oil level sensor, that to may dry out in time, you can't replace it anyway without lowering the engine, so just read the level 3 monthly and forget it it may well sort it's self. best wishes Lofty 150 1999 A190 Elegance - Heavy steering |
Merry Christmas I replaced the starter on my daughters Merc at a mates garage. I used a ramp and managed it without totally dropping the sub frame; I loosened the two front bolts and removed the rest. Wouldn't _ t like to do it again but drove home feeling chuffed that all was well. The next day my daughter drove to school (teacher) and complained of very heavy steering and no self-centering. Back at my friends garage he used a snap on fault finder, it suggested a problem with steering angle sensor. I was and am an old school mechanic not an electronics/ computer buff. If steering angle is out its by 360 degrees! As I marked the uj. I have disconnected track rod ends, I hot wired pump and still it's heavy. I can hear the pump change tone under load but the fluid seems static when viewed. The steering gets lighter after a while but it's never back to normal. Please help if you can. (she did go through a ford/shallow water about two weeks before starter played up. Water damage?) Follow up mail Thanks for prompt response, ditto about the sensor. I have removed and cleaned all connections pump is definitely getting power from battery and alternator and has good clean earth. Cannot understand wire going to traction control unit, is power steering speed sensitive? And does mine think its doing 120 mph? Hence very little or no assistance. Repair I have no idea. Received CD today ta, have a good one and a happy new year to you. J Follow up mail Dear Lofty, lets forget wiring, do the other symptoms described or the water/ford immersion suggest a knackered pump? Does your contact in Kent do an exchange pump as car is needed to be kept mobile. yours Jerry Lofty Haynes manual 12.23, green/black wire goes under washer bottle into loom to ESP control unit. Factory fitted as there are four wires on the pump multi plug Follow up mail Lofty you were spot on about Uj, but as to why it happened after starter repair I have no idea. Received CD today ta, have a good one and a happy new year to you. J
J, you have lost me somewhere? |
The starter. Obviously you had to remove wheels etc to be able to drop the front sub frame to get at the starter. I can't see where the steering angle sensor comes into any of this or even the marking of the UJ position? I suspect it's much more likely that a wire has been dislodged as the engine was lowered, even though it was a small amount. There is a single green wire that goes from the alternator to the Power Steering pump (PSP) it's that, that signals the pump to run when the alternator is running if that is dislodged or not attached then the pump will not get a signal to run Check also the wires in the small black box on the n/s of the sub frame ensure these are all secure and that the earth is well attached. Fluid level in the PSP reservoir, also, worth checking the level. Almost certainly this problem is associated with the starter job and only a close inspection of the starter connections and PSP connections will in my opinion resolve it. I can't see how the 'steering angle sensor' has any effect on this, if you'd had the steering wheel off, then yes I'd agree you could have upset something in that area but no i don't think that is the problem. Sorry I can't be more helpful page.49 mypage 66 or mypage.68 may help Further mail The only reference I have to the wires which would normally be connected to the pump are on my CD or in the photo on my site the pages ref i gave you. I'm not aware that a wire goes to the ESP/ABS system unless it's a common earth or you car has for some reason had a wire added. Having said that your car is also earlier than mine so there could have been changes but i doubt it Further Mail Dec 20, 2009 at 6:18 PM, lofty Yes they do have a replacement /exchange pump if you give them a call a speak to Mark the manager he may be able to enlighten you on whether this is he only pump failures I've heard of are pump running all the time, and total pump failure I've never encountered the motor running without the psp assistance as you appear to have. In my book for that to happen the drive or impeller would have to in some way be detached from the pump Bosch motor bearing in mind you have had the front wheels off. I would be inclined to remove the wheels or at least jack them off the ground but keep the drive shafts level and then test, try turning the s/wheel without the engine running and then with the engine running see if the pump is assisting the steering. if no then look at the linkage and make sure it's not seized. In the first instance look at the lower UJ on the column that seizes solid but can be released with WD40 then greased I have had cases where the steering wheel has been very stiff but after servicing the UJ all well and I'm putting my money on that UJ on your car. I would appreciate you letting me know because if it is the pump mechanical drive then that is a new failure and one that's worth mentioning. But take a look at the lower Uj first. See mypage 49 mypage 50 it's a common fault. In conclusion J I have added you question and the cure to the Q& A page three It again highlights how mechanics jump to conclusions rather than explore the problem and diagnostics can only confuse further. This little affair could have cost you thousands for steering column and PSP plus the steering angle sensor which would have been fitted without question. when in fact non of the items were required . As for the problem being highlighted following the starter job I can't account for that unless your daughter drove another car while her's was off the road, then on getting back into her car realised just how stiff the steering was . One things for sure it didn't seize over night, this has been getting worse over the last 12-18 months . Just pleased you got it sorted. As a general comment. I really would like to know just how many power steering pumps and steering columns mercedes have changed on the 'A' Class to overcome what is a servicing problem When the lower (UJ) Universal joint (swivel joint ) On the steering column seizes it presents both PSP and steering column failures both are extremely expensive to put right, when in fact all that required if caught early enough is a can of WD40 and a pot of good quality grease £10.00 including the cloth to wipe you greasy hands on. only following repeated problems did i investigate and find the cure for these problems , don't get stung my garages who are guessing what the faults are, Diagnostics tools will not find nor cure these faults only good servicing and a bit of common sense. The decision is up to you I can only provide the answers, whether you choose to read and follow the advise is up to you. Lofty 151 Ignition light showing , power steering failure accompanied by a metal scraping noise? |
Just thought i would keep you updated stripped down the car today removed the belt and checked the pulley wheels all are in good condition with none slipping. We noticed that the Alternator had a little play in the shaft. We have removed the alternator and checked and it seems apparent that when the alternator requires to produce more power it is energizing and the internal fins are catching on the casing and making the same noise that we had been hearing. Called Merc-aid who is a friend of my friend and he pointed to the alternator he did ask that if we were to turn of the ignition and turn it back on again would the sound stop we confirmed that it did he was sure it was the alternator so we removed to check and found it making the same noise when we removed it. Called Mercedes to order which wasn't in stock and that they would have on for us tomorrow at £306.11 (4/1/10)ordered the part and them realized it was a 'Valeo' alternator called our local stockist who has got us the same Valeo alternator with the right codes as mine and amp output for £156.00. This is being delivered tomorrow and crossed fingers hope this resolves the issue i will let you know. Intermittent failure, Power steering going heavy, ignition light coming on, metal scraping noise from below the drivers seat area. |
However following inspection 'B' found that it was not the crankshaft pulley wheel as I suspected but the alternator . Please read his mail opposite. When B contacted me with the above symptoms on his 'A' Class I directed him to the crankshaft pulley wheel outer bonded surface which becomes detached from the pulley wheel and thus slips as the metal portion of the wheel turns, which causes a grinding noise as well as in some case the poly V belt to be thrown from the engine or substantially damaged. The drive surface of the crankshaft miss-aligns and in some cases dislodges the belt from the various components, where this happens it should be born in mind that the water pump, alternator, air conditioning, and power steering will be affected even though the belt may be turning to some degree in the early stages of the defect materializing. It is therefore wise to stop the car and engine at your earliest convenience or damage to the engine will be caused by overheating. This is the first instance of which I'm aware where the alternator has been the cause of this noise and defect symptoms, it is therefore worth mentioning in this section. Thanks 'B' The owner has since confirmed that it was play in the alternator main spindle that was allowing the cooling fins to contact the outer casing thus causing the noise. 152 Rear screen washer problems. |
Hello, I have a 2001 A160 here in Germany and I have e-mailed you in the past. I currently have a problem w/ my rear washer system. I does appear that the pump is supplying fluid to the rear and I have purchased a new rear water jet (this is mounted/clipped into the rear fairing above the rear windscreen) but when attempting to install it does not seem to mate with the internal tubing. I have read your web site in that you have not worked this area as of yet, but perhaps you may have now. Do you have any suggestions? Feed back Thanks for the advice, You are absolutely right and I will attempt to use paypal or other form of secured payment to donate. You have helped me in the past and it is always appreciated. Thanks,M You need to test the pump and ensure the water is leaving the pump, then check the hose at the top of the boot lid and ensure fluid is reaching that point.
More often than not the hose becomes detached and water runs down inside the boot lid into the boot area flooding the vacuum pump recess, so check that for dry condition as well,
As far as fitting the nozzle to the hose, a difficult job in cold conditions. Compare the nozzle with the one removed for likeness and ensure the spigot that fits into the hose is not larger than the original. |
Put the end of the hose in near boiling water and then try fitting the nozzle, also you will need to withdraw the hose through the boot lid to fit the nozzle as far as I'm aware the nozzle simply fits /forces into the open end of the hose. If the tubing has hardened to the degree that it has become inflexible replace the hose, pull the new hose into the boot lid by attaching it to the old hose, this can be done by pushing a semi stiff wire through the old hose and the new some assistance may be required from a third party. Another problem solved as well as a satisfied owner 153 Windscreen washers frozen? | Hello My windscreen washers were frozen due to not knowing i could put anti-freeze in washer bottle. I did put some anti freeze in while it was still frozen after seeking advice. Ever since weather return from freezing my pumps have been blocked! Is really frustrating as I just don't know what to try? I keep having to,by hand put water on the screen,as I know its not good to run blades on a dry screen,or is it good to keep pumping washers. I must sort it asap-I think it could be due to algae build up? Any suggestions??? Thanks Firstly disconnect the electrical plug to the pump at the base of the washer fluid container
remove the washer bottle and clean it thoroughly
Then you can do this by lifting the yellow lever My page 4 that hold the container in the car move it away from the metal cross member and then up ,
having removed the electrical connection, as you lift it up you will find the pump and tubing is still attached ease the pump from the plastic container by twisting and pulling it up and away from the container, it only a push fit into a rubber grommet/seal |
Having done that you will be able to take the container in doors and thoroughly clean it using washing up liquid or some such cleaner Having done that you will need to clean the hoses through, Replace the container, as you lower the container into it's location refit the pump pushing the spigot firmly through the rubber grommet/seal. The container has a moulded spigot at it's base this fits into a hole in the sub frame, if it's not located you will not be able to re-fit the container correctly so watch that point Re-connect the electrical connection to the pump. Once in location with the lever re-positioned put about 1.5 litres of warm/hot (not boiling) water into the washer container. Then with the engine running to save draining your battery, operate the front washer facility, switch on using the combination switch . The pump is a self priming pump, although it may take several minutes stopping and starting the pump several times may help. Once water reaches the screen repeat the procedure for the rear screen, switch is on the dash When both are satisfactorily spraying water onto the screens, put one container of Mercedes Screen Wash part No MQ36003171.in to the large washer container. Top up the container with clean tap water. The Mercedes washer fluid is anti-freeze as well as screen wash, Good value as it's last some time, and the nozzles are electrically heated so you should have no problems in future .DO NOT MIX different manufacturers FLUIDS as this may cause clogging and also block nozzles 154 Boot fails to lock/unlock automatically or with key. |
Hi Lofty . Thanks for the prompt supply of CD, However I'm still struggling to solve my problem. My tailgate won't lock with either key or remote. All other doors lock OK with the remote. I thought we had it licked when I read that if the rear screen wash fails to function (As does mine) this often causes a problem by filling the vacuum pump area with water and damaging the pump assembly. I have checked and can find no water in the housing. Would I be right in thinking that if the problem was the vacuum pump then none of the doors would lock? I wonder if you can suggest any other area to check as I've trolled through anything on the CD that seems likely to help without success. I was hoping I might find some pictures on the CD showing detail of the vacuum tube and screen wash entering the tailgate. I only purchased the car about 4 months ago and initially the tailgate lock functioned correctly. I like the car but some things seem a bit under engineered which is almost unique with German manufacture. Any advice and help you can offer will be most gratefully received. Feed back Many thanks for the advice, I had to strip out the whole lock assembly and using release agent free it off. I suspect the assembly was out of alignment and it still seems a little reluctant to operate but after several attempts it has not failed so fingers crossed it is cured. It would seem that the key I have for the rest of the car does not fit this lock which must be a replacement so at some stage I will need to replace. I didn't mention that the car whilst being 10 years old has only done 50,000miles so should still have a lot of life yet. Once again let me say how much I appreciate your help. No problem.
Your right the other doors wouldn't lock if the vacuum pump had failed.
as for the non working rear washers it could be either a blocked nozzle or the tube is detached at the top of the rear section inside the cab you would need to check that to confirm that was OK before checking further. See page 42, site or CD
As for the boot lock this will almost certainly be caused by lack of lubrication, again you need to remove the boot lid inner panel and then make sure the mechanism is free and well lubricated, make sure you have the keys in you hand or pocket because the car will lock when you play with the boot lock, then you have to climb through the car to retrieve the keys, also because the boot lid is open the alarm may well go off. |
It could a loose fitting onto the vacuum actuator but I doubt it, having lubricated the lock and got it working make sure the 'U' fitting onto which it latches is also lightly lubricated, I do mine all-round including hinges at least twice a year with 3 in 1 light oil/aerosol Hope that helps. See page 41 for vacuum hoses & fittings. page 25 for boot lid details. Having removed the lid inner lining, exercise the lock mechanism manually there are photos on page 25. Hope that helps I would appreciate hearing how you get on. Follow up Well done 'J' if the lock doesn't work easily then do try to fully align it because this car is notorious for the boot lid jamming and it's difficult say the least to then open it when it does, you will see I have a special page for just that. The key should unlock the boot so it my still need a bit more attention, the price of the key at £110-120+ may make you change your mind, about the key? If you have two keys try both in the lock also try to lock, turn the key with the lid open then you will see the mechanism working I don't know if you can get a replacement lock barrel if needed to match the existing drivers door lock I suspect it still wants a bit more work or lubrication and may cure itself as the lubrication you have applied gets into the mechanism 155 No lights on instrument cluster car is dead! |
My A160 is dead. When you put the key in and turn it, nothing happens. Nothing lights up, basically anything usually attached to the ignition is not working. Additional details: New battery fitted 3 weeks ago Ignition fuse is not blown The headlights, locking and interior lights work fine Any ideas? follow up mail Cheers for the great advice lofty! I tried the battery disconnection and it was no different so I checked the fuse you suggested. It had blown and replacing it made it come back to life. I have been to a local mechanic who load tested the battery, he said its fine. I asked what could cause the fuse to go and he said that they just go sometimes but if it goes again there may be an issue. I would not have known where to start without your help and website. Thank you so much for providing brilliant help and saving me an arm an a leg!
In the first instance I would still check the voltage at the battery anything less than 12volts and the car will not start, new batteries go duff as well as old, I've just myself had such an instance. If that's Ok then It sounds as though you have a starter switch defect have you tried several times? |
If yes and the voltage is OK. Disconnect the Battery positive terminal first, leave for a period say 15 mins turn the lights switch to at least side lights position Reconnect the battery, positive terminal first followed by negative switch off lights check dash display if OK try to start the car. You say you have checked the fuse, I have an idea it's fuse 8 ( 30amp) but check there is a fuse that feeds the relay see my fuses and relays chart page 15 check also fuse 30 please let me know how you get on . Lofty Follow up That's great news, remember I do have a CD that has loads of info on it that's not on my site, The proceeds also help me keep the site on the road. so unless you have supported the site in some way please consider purchasing the CD or making a small donation. www.aclassinfo.co.uk/a1.htm Good luck with the car, I'm confident you will now be OK. Lofty 156 Coolant temperature warning displayed on instrument cluster. |
W169 A150SE The instrument display says coolant warning visit workshop and the cooling fan remains on. I toped up the coolant level and the display warning went away for a short while and then came back. There is no sign of a drip and the fan remains on all the time. Do you think this is a between 80 & 100 which is normal. Any advice you can give would be appreciated. Follow up Fan and warning comes on when the car is warm say about 15 mins after running it. No sign of any leaks/drips and coolant wasn't low so i only added a very small dribble. I suspect a sensor somewhere, odd thing is the temperature rises to about 90 normal so i reckon a sensor as it thinks its is hotter than it is. thanks Further follow up Hi lofty The variable fan controller connection and fan parts are corroded, unusal for the age but I do live in an area with higher than avgerage rainfall I've ordered the bits from MB Thanks for your help with this one 'D'
Not had this one before. | Does the warning lamp/fan come on straight away or as the temp climbs if it's on from start then yes I agree it could be the sensor. The box on the front of the rad and condenser if you have air con is the variable fan controller so it would be worth checking the connection on that. When you said you topped the coolant up was it low and if so have you any leaks If the car's running ok then fine but if it's lumpy the dip the oil with the stick and check for oil partials on the dip stick, When head gaskets goes which is rare on this car, the 'HI' oil lamp shows if water has raised the oil level when you start, so that should be OK. W169/A150 that's makes a difference and you may not have the variable fan control? The problem is with MB they will want to put it on diagnostics which costs, and even then they don't know the answer, it would be cheaper to buy a temperature sensor and fit it without the test, min charge for a test is £50 approx so you can see where I'm coming from. If the water level is stable since you topped it up then I would go for the sensor and take a chance, if with the new sensor the fan continues to run then you have got a problem and would possibly have to get a test, unless the workshop can put there finger on the problem without which I doubt. There is a electrically operated thermostat but I wouldn't expect the heater to work efficiently if that was stuck closed and if it's stuck open you shouldn't have a problem accept the car wouldn't run well until the engine was fully warmed up. I can't really help further. But would appreciate you letting me know the outcome Follow up Agreed i would go for the sensor, after you have checked the connection onto the variable fan controller if fitted to the front of the rad. Good luck please let me know how you get on. |
| 157 Car is Stuck on the drive and won't start. Hi Lofty In the page about keys and their re-synchronizing with the immobilize you mention Mr Lapou and his success mending his problem when bridging two contacts together, these being shown as "A" in a picture. This is the same problem I am having but I can't find the picture on the page showing contacts "A" Could you enlighten me please as I am presently stuck with an A Class in my drive that's not going anywhere at the moment. Full marks for the web-site by the way, well done to you feed back Lofty Further to my question earlier on bridging the remote contacts, there is also a Start/Error message on my dashboard and I recall my wife saying the red light on the alarm/dashboard had been flashing for the past month or so. After further reading on your site, I've now concluded that my Siren Unit is faulty and I should contact Scorpion for a new one. Like yourself I think that £30.24 is not a bad price to pay to get it back on the road. Do you agree with my diagnosis? Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Feed back Ok will do and I'll let you know the result. Thanks for all so far. Feed back Success. well done and thanks. It turned out that my key didn't give the battery voltage flash but did after cleaning so I think when I was using my key the immobilize was getting a bit confused since my wife's key was still ok. Anyway all is well now touchwood and I'll get new batteries for both keys tomorrow. Do you have any spark plug access keys left and a donation is on its way. Thanks again P |
Owners beware there are many things to check before resorting to that procedure. I have spent hours looking for the missing photo and cannot locate it. I have taken another photo see page 6, and as far as I can recall it's the two I've marked AB However this is a last resort have you tried every thing else fob batteries etc / what message if any are you getting on the dash with the key at position two? Although I agree with your diagnoses of the alarm horn battery cure by replacing the horn, that is not in my opinion the cause of the car showing a 'start error' message that is caused by the immobilize not recognizing the transponder in the key fob In the first instance try disconnecting your battery for 20 mins or so then reconnect, remember to follow the correct procedure i.e. positive off first, back first and turn your light switch to at least side lights this reduces the spike of power hitting the ECU before the battery is reconnected. If that does not help then you will need to re-synchronies the key as it's lost contact with the immobilize That should re-synchronies the two items allowing them to speak to one another, which they are not doing at preset. The procedure is in you handbook or on my site. P, Thank you for your generous donation. Yes I do still have tools available. | ||||||||||||||
| 158 ABS/ESP & SRS lights problem/cure? lofty I had a problem recently which had me stumped for a while (on an 'A' class 160) The ABS and SRS(?) lights came on after reaching 25mph. I cleaned all ABS sensors and rotors, replaced stoplight switch to no avail. After having a think about it; I looked for other faults on the car. The steering wheel was turned to the left about 45 degrees, so I re-aligned it by shortening one track rod and lengthening the other. Hey Presto the lights no longer come on. Regards P.F |
P. I must say that's the first time I have heard of that being the
answer or the cure Do you know the history of the car? If the steering wheel was not correctly positioned then the clock spring should have picked that up and the ESP/ABS/SRS lights would come on. I suspect that either the steering wrack has been removed for some reason and the tracking not re-aligned correctly that's why it's important to check the location of the notch on the bottom of the column before starting work. If yours is not aligned in the deed ahead position then I suspect you have a clock-spring adjustment problem or the steering wheel is not re-aligned correctly which you have overcome by adjusting the track rod ends. Id be interested to hear if you steering column is aligned as marked when the wheels are dead ahead & whether you are aware if the steering wheel has been off for any reason recently as it sounds as though it has been incorrectly replaced. Further advise offered As track rods ends do not adjust themselves to the degree where the steering wheel is out of align by 45% this must be caused by something out of the ordinary, be it a bent track rod or severe kerbing, either way it must be fully investigated before taking the action you have taken even though it cured your problem. The question now is will the car know where the wheels are if the car gets into a severe skid? P having given some further thought to your situation you must check the position of the wheels when the indicator at the base of the steering column is aligned. The steering wheel lock also normally locks when the wheels are in the dead ahead position. The clock-spring (steering position sensor)situated beneath the steering wheel is the sensor that tells the car where the wheels are in relation to the alignment of the car, if this is not set up correctly you could have real problems in an emergency, just adjusting the track-rod ends is not the answer or a safe cure as to why the lights were on . Almost certainly this was the steering wheel incorrectly positioned or the clock-spring being defective or incorrectly wound. What you do is up to you but I'd not feel safe without checking the various settings see my pages 49 & page 50 apply |
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| 159. W169 Problems with vehicle height & ground clearance. I just hit on your site and you seem to be the expert. Well done. I've just purchased a brand new 'A'180D Elegance. I am delighted with the car except for one particular aspect - the lack of ground clearance. Indeed, it's impossible to negotiate kerbs, speed humps or uneven surfaces without "grounding" the underside. I've had it checked and Mercedes say it's OK but it certainly isn't fit for purpose especially in the road conditions we have to contend with in the Midlands. Ever heard of anyone else making the same complaint? Regards, C. |
Thanks for your donation,
One of the points I make on my site, Page 56 is the very small amount of ground clearance in fact it can be measured with a house brick which is not a lot of space. The page in fact covered a side sill that I damaged while dropping off a kerb very little clearance to the determent of the car. I've not had comments about a problem even though I suffered problems myself. If MB say your car is ok then I don't know what you can do you could possibly get stiffer springs but the ride is not that great to start with and that would only make it stiffer and not increase the height. I think if you have real problems then I would go back to MB and complain, see what they suggest But their after sales is not normally very good so you may have to push the issue to get something done. I appreciate that we are talking two cars your W169 has a different rear suspension set up to the W168 and it certainly needs it. Also keep a close eye on the springs front and rear the existing car breaks springs although I'm firmly of the opinion that it's because Mercedes Run them dry, I spray mine with ' Duck oil' and that protects them from rusting which is half the problem. Also you might like to look at the steering column on your car, the lower UJ will be fine at present but again MB leave the UJ dry with the result that it actually ceases, although your car will be under warrantee I would grease the lower UJ it will prevent rather than cure the problems experienced by hundreds of W168 owners and I have no reason to see why the W169 should not be the same as it gets older. Follow up mail When MB say they can't do anything about it that's not true they like you if the car wasn't NEW could look for tyres with a stiffer tyre wall profile, that would make some difference, a good tyre supplier would be able to advise you. Look on my tyres page 62 they would help you there is a link there to a good tyre company. Lofty. |
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| 160 Problems with Poly V Belt Shredding Hi! I'm Mile from Macedonia. My daughter has A170 CDI (W168.008) from 1998. We have problem with 'V'-belt and maybe pulley. V-belt was tearing three times in last one month. My car service agent three times replace it with new one (5PK 1720, 5PK1718) but after 200 km v-belt was tearing again. He replaced alternator pulley and guide pulley but the problem still exists, and other v-belt was torn. Can any one help me to solve this problem and what is right number (sign) of v-belt for A170 CDI (W168.008) with motor number OM668949. Thank you |
Dear Reader I don't now normally answer questions without a small donation to my site, however as it's your daughters car I will try and help. If you look at my page 57 you will see problems and causes associated with the belt. There are only two belts. 1. One for cars with air conditioning 2. One for cars without so only one will fit your car. purchase you replacement belt from Mercedes-Benz using your VIN number and you will be assured that it is the correct one for your Car. However whoever is fitting it needs to ensure that the main crankshaft pulley wheel and guide and tensioning pulley's are running smoothly and are in sound condition. It sounds to me as though the main crank shaft pulley wheel is running out of align which will shred the belts If you look at the page you will see that the outer surface of the wheel becomes detached and although remains in position for a while runs out of align, another cause is ceased belt pulleys these apply undue wear on the surface of the belt and the belt then shreds. All of the components associated with the poly v belt need to be inspected for damage and wear and replaced as necessary along with the tensioner which is when working correctly very strong, however it is not normal to have to replace more than the belt. |
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