500 SL limp home mode

[rellik]

Hello I have a 1993 500 SL and it tends to drop into limp home mode occasionally at kick down switch acceleration. It has been doing worse with the cold weather and usually occurs on a hill or with tire slipping aka a large load.

any ideas what the problem is?

[deanyel]

That doesn't sound like the LH mode. What makes you think it's in the LH mode? Any warning lights? Have you read the fault codes on the 38 pin connector?

[Benz Dr.]

I have a 300SE which is a different car but it did the same thing. It would run OK sometimes when the engine was cold but would just about shut off when it got warm. I would never quit running though.
I tried a number of things but what eventually cured it was a new 02 sensor. Two years and it's been great.
Two months before it did this the car passed an E test which made figuring out what was wrong even harder to do.

Of course it could be the engine wiring harness........

[rellik]

hmm, maybe a new o2 sensor.

im assuming that limp home mode is when the pedal drops and it takes a longer press to begin actuating the engine and the rest of the accelerator is compressed to a smaller pedal stroke.

[deanyel]

Could be LH mode, but you'd have an ASR light and the corresponding fault codes, that you haven't told us about.