Help! SL600 Miss; Check Engine light

[leejxxxxx]

Hello everyone. I have had the misfortune to have had some problems crop up in my 1997 SL600. It stated as a surging on the freeway. Now it has a miss at idle and the Check engine light is on. It is also down on performance big time.

I'm thinking it's:
MAF?
Plugged CAT or CATS?
One or both Electronic throttles are bad?
Fuel pump?

I replaced the fuel filter and thought it was fixed it but it started running bad after about 1/2 hour. I'm thinking it's possible I got some bad gas and it killed a brand new fuel filter but I doubt it.

Anyone have any ideas, I greatly appreciate it!!!

Worse comes to worse, a local European shop will do a diag for $155.00 which isn't too bad at all.

Thanks, Lee.

[ctaylor738]

Improve liquidity by selling assets or securing a large line of credit.

[97slsix]

stick with the c series ctaylor

You need to check the code. Period. If the code comes back with a hard misfire or something on a single cylinder I would change plugs (about the only cheap part on these cars at 2 bux a pop), especially if the car is due. If you still have the miss I would swap the coil pack to another cylinder and see if the code follows. If the code goes to the other cylinder replace the coil pack and what they call the coil connector (spark plug wire). You could change the coil connector and not the coil, but if the coil connector doesn't fix it you will need to buy another coil connector when you buy the new coil pack since the coil connectors break on removal, and the connector is over 20 bux each. If your codes are something other than a misfire on a cylinder than post back with what they tell you. I actually just finished chasing a misfire in my 97SL6 which makes the engine shake at idle. It was the coil pack, although I put in all new plugs and coil connectors for all cylinders as well. If you need pointers to install this stuff (stupidly easy) let me know. Coil packs especially can be swapped out with no tools in about 30 sec.

Whereabouts in norcal are you? I am in south sanjose.

[97slsix]

PS very doubtful bad gas, and 155 to pull codes and do a minimal root cause isn't a great deal. About even with my dealer. Local indy charges 40 for codes, 80 for codes and root cause. HTH.

[iwrock]

Whoa Buddy!!! thats pricey for a diagnostic. If I recall, you are in El Dorado Hills, correct? That is a hop and a skip up the road from me and my indy mech. I am pretty sure his diag. fee is 40$, and he is a really honest guy. I trust him with my 600, as he does good work.

I thought you had this problem pop up before... I could be wrong though.

[leejxxxxx]

Originally Posted by 97slsix

stick with the c series ctaylor

You need to check the code. Period. If the code comes back with a hard

Whereabouts in norcal are you? I am in south sanjose.

I changed the plugs about 5k miles ago. Unfortunately, the coil packs are $50 bucks a pop. A friend who owns a shop owes me and I'm going to see if he can get me two MAFs and two Electronic throttles just to have.

Anyone have a recommendation on OBDII scanners? I want the type that can accesss the CAN bus so I can read ALL of the modules.

[leejxxxxx]

Originally Posted by justinwrock

Whoa Buddy!!! thats pricey for a diagnostic. If I recall, you are in El Dorado Hills, correct? That is a hop and a skip up the road from me and my indy mech. I am pretty sure his diag. fee is 40$, and he is a really honest guy. I trust him with my 600, as he does good work.

I thought you had this problem pop up before... I could be wrong though.

No, I didn't have this problem before. The shop replaced the water pump and left a couple of hoses disconnected. I took it back and they fixed it.

Who is your mechanic? Where is he located?
Thanks,
Lee.

[iwrock]

My indy is just about on the corner of Greenback and Madison. He is a really honest guy, and he actually gives you the multicar discount. I think his labor is just under 70 an hour, and he is really honest about the amount of work he does. His address is 6326 Main Ave. #14. Orangevale, CA, 95662. His phone number is (916) 989-4973. He is really cool. If you do call him that that Larry with the SL600 reccomended you. He will know exactly who we are. It may be a bit of a drive for you, but for me, this is the only man I will ever trust touching my MB. HEll, I won't even let my dad touch the motor.

[iwrock]

How did it go? Did you get the misfire sorted out?

[Roncallo]

Originally Posted by leejxxxxx

I changed the plugs about 5k miles ago. Unfortunately, the coil packs are $50 bucks a pop. A friend who owns a shop owes me and I'm going to see if he can get me two MAFs and two Electronic throttles just to have.

Anyone have a recommendation on OBDII scanners? I want the type that can accesss the CAN bus so I can read ALL of the modules.

Did you find a OBDII and CAN bus scanner. I'm going to need one myself. I need some recommendations also.

John Roncallo

[leejxxxxx]

Originally Posted by justinwrock

How did it go? Did you get the misfire sorted out?

I bought an OBDII scanner from Ebay. It's an Equus Innova CANOBD OBD II Code Reader model 3110. I bought it from a guy in Ca so I would get it quickly. I'm hoping it's sitting there when I get home tonight. I don't know if the price I paid, ($170.00 new in box) is good or what but it does come with a case, PC cable and software plus the code reader itself. As soon as I get it I'll let you guys know what I think of it and whether it's a good deal. It supposedly can access controllers on the CAN buss. It also has a support site at www.canobd2.com.
It also reads, I think, 5 different protocols so it will work on American, European and Japanese cars. I don’t know if it will work on VWs and Audis since they seem to be the odd cars out from my research.

I'm hoping this will be exactly what I need. I looked at a lot of them and this seemed one of the better ones. One thing that has me concerned is some sellers are saying their code readers won't set off your airbags by mistake. I think it's just s sleazy marketing gimmick but it does give me pause. I do think if code readers were blowing people's air bags, we'd have heard of that.

I’ll post the results as soon as I get them as well as my opinion of the scanner itself.

[iwrock]

Thats cool, and if it isn't too much trouble, can I bring my ML up, and recode the all Activities Module, so I can get the factory fogs enabled??


But anyways, I hope you get this situation sorted out. My 600 did it the other day, shut her down, and restarted, and all was good. I hope I am not due for the dreaded $3000 repair.....

[iwrock]

Also, I think that thev12pwr had this problem not too long ago. I think he cut his cats off, and all was good.

[leejxxxxx]

Originally Posted by justinwrock

Also, I think that thev12pwr had this problem not too long ago. I think he cut his cats off, and all was good.

Here's the codes I just pulled:
P1443 Mercedes EVAP System / RH Purge Control Valve Malfunction

P1522 Mercedes LH Adjustable Camshaft Timing Solenoid (Logic Chain)

P1463 Mercedes AIR System Malfunction, LH

P0441 Generic Evaporative Emission System Incorrect Purge Flow

P0301 Generic Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected Bad Coil pack, I'll swap to see if it follows

P1519 Mercedes RH Adjustable Camshaft Timing Solenoid (Logic Chain)


Any ideas? Nothing really stands out. The cam timing solenoid I seem to recall happens with low oil pressure or after an oil change.

I'd be glad to pull codes of any locals.

[leejxxxxx]

I just swapped the coil packs at the front of the engine.

I've got three codes now:
P0300 Random Misfire detected

P0301 Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected

P0307 Cylinder 7 misfire detected.

It looks like the error followed the coil pack. Anyone have any ideas?