In this case, this guy is on one of the younger ones. He's second generation. His dad was also a MB mechanic... and sounds like the type you're referring to. Being Silicon Valley, I don't think he's fixed many diesels. (There are many more SL500s than diesels here.) I'm in the computer field, and he's impressed me a number of times with his in-depth knowledge of how the whole system works. However, this problem has stumped him, which is why I'm here (frustrating folks like yourself).

I hear ya.
Guess it is just hard for me to believe any shop working on these Full Elecronic systems has a broken scope in the corner...maybe they just don't need one.
I used to be able to see all those sensors wave patterns just looking at them too, until I got Blasted with that Kryptonite... so now I require the DSO on the tricky stuff..
Forget my sarcasm, ..do a FP test and maybe there are some codes in there ...and maybe not.