I took it out for about 4th time....
Drove fine after replacement of thermostat

Got temp up to normal

Mpg increased from 33 to 36

Drove 20 miles highway

Trip back
Started up and felt immediate loss of pickup
Felt like ny 84 sd

Drove 20 miles back home... same
Got off express way... pulled over... and restarted car

Car was back to.normal ... power / acceleration

Mpg falling back to 33 during power loss

Any ideas on what that was all about?????

Almost felt like turbo stopped working

And started working again after restart???

Help!!!

Possible clogged EGR valve. Throws car into limp mode but no codes are thrown. Can be a dangerous situation if you are on the road and expect power.

Confirm it is the EGR. Take your EGR valve out (back right of engine). If it sticks, that is your culprit. Clean it out and make sure it opens and closes on its own with the spring actuation. I had to do this several times over the first few years I owned mine....it would be fine and then the EGR valve would stick open.

After a while, I decided to install an EGR delete circuit:

EGR EGR AGR valve emulator

Now my car takes a little longer to warm up but no more EGR clogging and no more soot being thrown into the engine.

The alternative is to replace the EGR valve but if you keep the car, it will develop same problem:

Wahler OEM EGR valve for E320 CDI

It also costs a lot more than the EGR delete.

__________________
-- Chris

'95 E300, 216k miles, Silver Surfer
'05 E320 CDI, 138k miles
'07 S550 4matic, 69k miles

Gone but not forgotten:

'76 300D, 350k miles?, SOLD in 1995
'75 240D, 300k miles, SOLD in 1991

If you are right... and car was in "limp mode"... would i still be able to get to 80 miles/hour on highway?

fyi--I did... it just had zero acceleration... almost like being in 5th gear the whole drive

Chrono... thinking more about it... IF it was EGR clog... guessing that running COLD due to bad T-stat... like I was, would only add to the possible soot build up on an EGR... Knowing a little about DPF systems -- they seem to be really bad-- if you don't run HOT or long distances.

yes

__________________
Jim

Yes, that sounds like limp mode I experienced when my EGR was clogged....not self-closing. I think the computer cuts out the turbo to avoid damage.

See here: EGR problem

and here: EGR valve E320 CDI

My solution was to install EGR delete circuit.

__________________
-- Chris

'95 E300, 216k miles, Silver Surfer
'05 E320 CDI, 138k miles
'07 S550 4matic, 69k miles

Gone but not forgotten:

'76 300D, 350k miles?, SOLD in 1995
'75 240D, 300k miles, SOLD in 1991

With this EGR delete circuit...

1.) how hard was it for simpleton like me to install?
2.) will it throw goofy codes?
3.) did your mpg increase or decrease?
4.) will this remove the EGR cooler system from getting clogged/throwing codes???

Just got off the phone with local tuner... he is gathering info (he does lot's of diesel trucks/sprinters- has NOT seen many CDIs)

But strongly suggested-- his tune would eliminate EGR cooler issues... which he says can lead to serious issues to motor- if left unattended.

Chrono--Thanks for Your help!

My new 2005 did this right after I bought it in 2005. New EGR valve under warranty solved problem. I now have 321000 mi and problem has not returned. I clean the EGR valve about every 2 years. steve

is it "Normal" for exhaust (when cold start in am) to smell like burnt hair- on these 05/06 CDIs ... it has white exhaust on 1st start (around 20-30 degrees F ) --first minute or two- at idle... exhaust improves in odor and color after few minutes on warm up. when i drive to my destination -- 15 minutes-- exhaust is colorless- and don't really notice odor...

1st start up is in garage- w door open... really nasty smell

please tell me that is normal???

I do not notice this on mine.

__________________
-- Chris

'95 E300, 216k miles, Silver Surfer
'05 E320 CDI, 138k miles
'07 S550 4matic, 69k miles

Gone but not forgotten:

'76 300D, 350k miles?, SOLD in 1995
'75 240D, 300k miles, SOLD in 1991

1. Easy if simpleton like me can do it (actually, I had my mechanic fried show me how to crimp the wires
2. no codes after install
3. no effect on MPG
4. EGR will be disabled....no chance of future clogging from recirculating gas/ exhaust. It seems like a good long term solution to me.

__________________
-- Chris

'95 E300, 216k miles, Silver Surfer
'05 E320 CDI, 138k miles
'07 S550 4matic, 69k miles

Gone but not forgotten:

'76 300D, 350k miles?, SOLD in 1995
'75 240D, 300k miles, SOLD in 1991

well of course what to notice when it does not matter

Re: smell of exhaust... is there ANY strong odor on 1st start of day?
Maybe "burnt hair" isn't right... but to me - kinda smell like the first generation of catalytic convertor exhaust- when your stuck behind one of those cars in slow traffic... very bad

Re: EGR emulator- do u actually open up and connect wires? OR just crimp onto exixting wires in fuse box???

Saw a video of "Mercedes diesel guy" -- seemed to just crimp 3 bunches of wires in main fuse box

Does this emulator-- also take the EGR cooler out of play?

Here is clean procedure:

2005-6 (and later) e320 CDIs -- Ck. & clean EGR valve

Delete is easy to install, plug in one side to control harness going to EGR valve and crimp wires under hood that are listed (instructions provided with unit). I was little concerned that EGR was designed into engine to make it perform well but think the delete probably helps engine last longer and certainly cuts down on EGR related problems in future.

__________________
-- Chris

'95 E300, 216k miles, Silver Surfer
'05 E320 CDI, 138k miles
'07 S550 4matic, 69k miles

Gone but not forgotten:

'76 300D, 350k miles?, SOLD in 1995
'75 240D, 300k miles, SOLD in 1991

Thanks for the info/help... I will look into that.

I saw another video-- foreign dude- simply took 8mm socket head- put on EGR nut - and let the spring mechanism rest against it... basically Jamming the egr valve in the closed position... wouldn't the computer system throw codes???

Anyway- my car did it again... 40 mile drive highway- perfect... stopped for meeting... got in car- and limped mile-- stop/shut off/ still limp... shifted manually to get torque... to next stop lite-- shut off - re-started car-- and BINGO- torque/speed back-- BUT NOW CHECK ENG lite came on???

R U - still thinking it is the EGR???

ALSO- this am 1st start-- smell was NOT nearly as bad... wondering if the New t-stat getting up to Norm Temps-- burned out some of the Gunk from running so cold for first few trips???? I have NO IDEA how long the car was used w/ Bad tstat- bought it that way