2006 E320 CDI error messages help
 

Just checking into this and thought i would post here to see if anyone had any pointers. Car runs great but i'm getting these messages and the cruise doesn't work. Occasionally after sitting the cruise works after first start up. Then next time i stop and start, it will give the message and the cruise doesn't work.

<Oil can graphic> Display malfunction. Visit workshop" -- i think this is where it is supposed to show the oil level but it won't do that. there is no dipstick on this car.
"Cruise control - visit workshop" . Cruise doesn't work but if i let car sit a few days, it will work the first time i start it
"SRS system - visit workshop" -- srs light is on too

Anyone fix similar issues?

Thanks

One other option is to find a local indy to partner with, and learn from on these issues.

The oil not registering is a big problem. These cars must have the oil level known to the operator in order to insure there is a sufficient amount of oil in the crankcase. I wouldn't operate this car unless I could determine the amount of oil it had.

Yeah. Thanks. The dealer said he had changed the oil and he was a mercedes guy , drove mercedes and bought and sold a lot of mercedes so i trust he put the right amount in or close enough. Plus surely it would give i big red light somewhere if it was ever dangerously low.

One thing i really don't like is how instead of a nice oil pressure gauge, I have a big analog clock taking up 1/3 of my instrument cluster. i'll just have to get a computer it looks like. Eventually all new cars will have to have on board diagnostics displays as they get more and more computerized and robotic. Hopefully a law will mandate it so car owners are not at the mercy of dealers. A system much like the w210 ac diagnosis . Thats another thing i miss. It looks like they did away with that.

Wondering if those errors might be low voltage and loss of communication?

You've got two batteries in yours. I think the little one under the computer box runs accessories and sensors? Might be wrong.

Hey biopete, is it true this car has no oil dipstick? I know nothing about your car but if it were my car and throwing parts at it is not apealing, I'd drain the oil into a clean pan to be measured and reused, take out the oil level sensor and clean it and study how it works, maybe make some resistance and voltage measurements. Clean the connector contacts and put it back and see if the issue is resolved.

In the old days whenever I purchase a vechile either new or used the first thing I would purchase are the factory manuals. I recall paying $260 for 200d manuals about 40 years ago. For my w210 I had purchased the star software and it has been invaluable just like the manuals. Any serous DIY person should budget the costs in. It would be interesting to read those stored codes on your car may tell you of power interruptions. The manufacturers are doing away with on board diagonistics which are clumsy in comparison. Just too bad a lot of younger mechanics take the readings for granted rather than use it as a tool. A friend had is wiring harness replaced 7 times under warranty without any mechanic determining the root cause of the failure. Legislation has gone the opposite way and has the power to disable vechiles remotely and also find it, in Canada this was law in 2006 and newer vechiles. It seems repossession and criminal behavior outweighs owners rights???

One good thing about the warning RED lamp as per oil-level. It also notifies you of too much oil in the crankcase, and to reduce it. It will also report just how much oil is in your crankcase.

The computer center has a simple procedure to determine how much oil is in the crankcase as well, when the engine is off.

This is all provided the system is working properly.


Never thought of that, but it's worth considering too for us noobs. I learned that there's no difference in RED warning, low-battery indicator differentiating which battery is low. I suppose if I had the STAR DAS diagnostic tool monitor, it would have done the differentiating for me.

The second battery is for the brakes they operate independent of the main battery should the main battery fail. A short illumination of the red battery failure means the auxiliary battery needs replacing.

Its true. you can buy a dipstick for 38.50 from pelican. I'm gonna get one i guess. Or i'll change my oil, put a quart less than the factory amount and see if it tells me to add a quart and do like you say -- check all the connections and such. I have a nice heavy gauge stiff wire that goes down in the dipstick tube that i checked with. But i don't have any reference marks yet.

Funny is you need a manual to go with the dipstick too :0 I found this info how to check the oil with the computer and the dipstick. My oil level never reads like it says in this pdf. It just stays at _,_ . It should show the liters after a few seconds.

I haven't had time to mess with it yet but i just got my filters in and I have 8 quarts of mobile 1 truck and diesel 5w - 40. Hopefully that is approved oil. " Any oil that meets the 229.51 spec will work " from what i gather. Luckily Napa actually carries fluids for german cars.

Thanks.

No way to know without the diag software. Once you have it, it's very easy to diag the electrical issues on these cars.

When I first got my 05 E320 I drined the oil out and the sensor showed that oil level was fine. I replaced the sensor and it works as it is supposed to now.

Thanks all. Is that sensor in the pain just like the old ones? This thing act so funny it makes me think a relay our sam that bad. It will throw a different newscasters stops and starts. It usually ends up at cruise, display error, srs, and brake. And the a.c. Fan runs constantly. I changed the temp sensor but it didn't help . That was the easiest thing ever. Right on top front of engine. Didn't even lose coolant. heat will sometimes blow cold. Luckily not real often. Also the battery is draining a little now since I left my lights on one night. It is pretty old. It may be time for an optima red top.

The p.o. Changed brake pads hoping the brake message would go. I like computers, I've been a computer programmer for the last 15 years. so I'm looking forward to getting the Maxidas that engatwork mentioned. New they are 940.00 now and used they go for 700 or 800. So I guess I'll snag a new one soon. I'm friends with the local Indy here and hopefully tonight he can scan it for mea nd get through this. But I'm curious how the Maxidas will compare to the star results for these problems. So I may just have to bite on it. I'll keep y'all posted. Thanks.

Bite the bullet end have an MB dealer run a quick test. Post the results and we'll figure it out.

Make sure the Maxidas has MB software installed
I purchased one new and you have to select which cars you will be dealing with when setting it up. If you are somewhat competent with troubleshooting the Maxidas will do everthing you will ever need in my opinion.

I recently rebuilt the front suspension on an 03 E500 and found an issue with a wheel speed sensor. This flaky sensor was making the car put up four different fault message codes.

I'm striking out here with code checking. I stopped by my indy friend who i buy a lot of cars from here and he works on new mercedes all the time. There were about 3 W211s in there. Now i have a nice car i can pull into the garage . lol. He hooked it up to his pc with an odb2 cable he said can read the mercedes stuff. It crashed and then said it couldn't connect. He checked fuses and said i'd have to come back. He didn't charge me anything.

Can the maxidas update the firmware on all the computer modules? I made an appointment with the dealer in two weeks. They want an hour labor to scan and can maybe update firmware but it may take two hours depending. 145.00 an hour. So my thought is to get a maxidas first and see if i can't get it sorted first. I trunst Jim it will work though. But I believe i can return it if it doesn't do all i need it to do. My sister's car had the computer reflashed and i've read a lot about new computers and reflashing and sam boards going bad. The good thing is everything under the hood looks easy to get at. With so many wonky things wrong at once, i'm still hopefully its just a realay or a bad control module somewhere.


I'd love to check all the relays first but I can't find any documentation on what does what. Does anyone have a relay chart for the front and rear sam control boards they could share?

I changed the oil and transmission fluid and filters last night. I also let the car sit for two days without the batteries in there and trickle charged the main battery. Both batteries read 12.6 v . I also changed the transmission wire plug . It had some fluid on it. Does anyone know where the transmission control plug is under the hood? This car doesn't display P or D or what gear its in and it doesn't display C or S either next to the odometer like it is supposed to. Although it shifts and does C or S mode fine. I'm thinking maybe the signal to the display is not getting a good connection.

I checked with my homemade dipstick before i drained oil and marked the level. It seemed about 7 liters came out. I put 6 liters in and turned key to on and got no warning to add a quart. Then i added another liter and started car and got no warning and drove it. Now the oil should be black enough to read on my dipstick easy and i can mark the 7 liter point and add a half liter . When i changed oil i pulled the level sendor out to see what it looks like. The oil level sender is *Fancy*. The cool thing is the dealer actually carries parts for these cars unlike 15 year old cars. I may pick one up and try it out along with my glow plugs. But i'd like to know how to check it. Apparently it measures oil quality as well. Is that true?

Maybe i just have a bad display like it says. This car is great and easy to work on. The glow plugs are all right there easiest thing ever to get at -- like a vw tdi. Just pull the engine cover and your 10 mm socket will go right on all of them from what i can tell. Hopefully none will break off. I have a special tool i bought to ream holes and extract these broken ones. Hope i don't have to use it. The hard part is finding out what the problem is. Thanks for any help.

Once i get all this stuff straight I can charge my sister who's a doctor good money to fix her car. So my investments will pay for themselves at the least and help others on here.