You know I've noticed that before but didn't know what it was.

Went out today looking for some hose and a guage. Turns out that fitting is a thread of 11x1.25
Nobody but nobody seems to have them.

The PN is 119 589 04 63 00. $56.12.

__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

Now that is surprising.
In the mean time I have invested in Carsoft and it tells me that the 02 sensor readings are odd. I looked under the car and lo and behold the right pipe was dripping fluid and the joint looks loose. I shall have another closer look at the piping and software later-just wanted to give it a test run you know.

The updated connectors at the transmission end of the harness have been installed, and the harness was flushed and blown out. "Quite a bit" of trans fluid was there.

Codes cleared, the car spent an hour hooked up to Star Diagnostics and still has the "RF speed sensor implausible," and a new one "Air flow mass sensor inoperative."

So I have a new air mass sensor (MAF) on order. I was told that this is not a problem that can be fixed by cleaning the sensor.

I think that I will try cleaning the speed sensors to see if that resolves their problem.

The car's behavior has changed since I cleaned out the ETM. Except for when I was making the low-speed u-turn, it has not died. But it has had four incidents where it started to die, then lurched and caught itself. Nobody is sure at this point what's going on, but the thinking is:

1. The speed sensor code could be confusing the engine module
2. The MAF could be sending a signal that makes the engine module want to go lean

At this point, I personally think that there may be more than one problem, the fluid in the trans unit/harness and something else.

__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

I told a friend about that 'wicking UP the cables bit', it just sounds so unreal.

Anyway. I've asked about that part at the dealer and it is ££33.20+VAT, be with me Tuesday.
Now can you look over the attached photo, (BAY) and confirm or correct where applicable;
1 is the Fuel Pressure regulator?
2 is the .........? (talked about in the next photo)
3 is the connector for the hot film?
4 is a temp sensor of sorts?
5 is a combination temp sensor of sorts.
6 is crankcase breather?

As for the other photo there appear to be two devices hidden within my MAF, d'you know what the other is?

Oh, the reason I'm looking at the temp sensors is because the PC says my coolant temp is -40 degs. The bigger combination sensor has already been changed.
I know it won't be what the problem is but I figure it can't be helping matters.

Attached Thumbnails

   

1 is the Fuel Pressure regulator? YES
2 is the .........? (talked about in the next photo) THE CONNECTOR FOR THE INTAKE AIR TEMP SENSOR
3 is the connector for the hot film? YES
4 is a temp sensor of sorts? DUNNO, WILL RESEARCH
5 is a combination temp sensor of sorts. DUNNO, WILL RESEARCH
6 is crankcase breather? YES

As for the other photo there appear to be two devices hidden within my MAF, d'you know what the other is? THE LARGER IS THE AIR MASS SENSOR, THE SMALLER THE AIR TEMP SENSOR.

If the brain is getting a coolant temp of -40, that would drive it pig-rich or at least generate an "implausible" and it would do the best it could with bad input.

__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

This weekend I cleaned all four speed sensors. The RF was pretty grungy with about 1/4" of calcified stuff on the tip. See picture. The RR was not much better. I used the car for all manner of errands this weekend and got only one minor stutter at a stop in ten drive cycles. So this is a step forward.

Today I replaced the MAF sensor unit. Took a couple of test drives, one with the laptop hooked up. All the sensor and fuel trim readings seem fine. No stalling.

Next step is to get the codes read, cleared, drive the car and see if the stalling is gone, and see if any of the codes come back.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

In that case, I'll look into my temp sensor readings first, then as you have done I'll take a look at the speed sensors after that, not sure, other logical stuff I suppose.
Thanks and good luck.

Oh, just had a closer look at my carsoft readings. That coolant temp reading of -40 degrees is wrong. It was the oil temp I was looking at, the coolant temp is fine and the car registers it without trouble. So do you know where the oil temp sensor is perchance? Also you say you've changed the MAF, now as you have a 96 with an M119 so your car should be very, very similar to mine.
Tell me, if you switch the ignition on, (turn off blower motor, stereo and such), can you hear the MAF buzzing?
Kind of like a louder version of the interior blower aspirator in the headlining but at about 3 times the volume.

An update. I unplugged the MAF and the car has not cut out since. Though it doesn't run quite as well as usual.

I now have a weeks worth of commuting and errands on the car, and no issues with stalling, and the car is running super. I am hopeful that fixing the three issues has solved the problem(s).

My indie adviser thinks it was the MAF all along, but that doesn't explain how the problem got noticeably better in three distinct steps.

Gumsie - I have no clue what happened when you unplugged the MAF. Did you ever find out what was dripping from the exhaust?

__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

Not yet. I'm just going to run it for a few days sans MAF to see if the problem returns. My problem is space, I don't have a garage to take a real good look at the car. So I'll replace the MAF first and then tackle the exhaust. It's probably just a very small leak from the joint.

An antedotal story: A late model MB "E" drove in to his shop and it was running rough with a poor idling, etc. Pat said to me, ". .watch what happens when I disconnect the MAF". The car became smooth as glass.

One new MAF later, and all was well!

Glad you've got your car problems resolved.

__________________
Regards . . . . JimF
-------------------
'94 S500 Cpe

Visit my Mercedes Web Page

Now I've got to find a place in the UK that sells a good, (Bosch), MAF for less than £160.00

Jim, I've been watching your page for some time now, (and once sent you an email regarding my next point), you do a chip for your car but never did one for the 96 on models. I'm assuming nothing has changed in that respect?

It's now been a couple of months since I put the new MAF on, and the car has not died, surged, or otherwise misbehaved. I am not sure exactly what fixed the problem. Here is a summary:

- No change after new crank sensor.

- Fuel pressure was fine.

- After the fluid in the ETM was cleaned out, it never died again, but it did surge.

- Cleaning the harness and installing the updated plug and seal at the transmission end had no effect

- Cleaning the four speed sensors had an unknown effect. No surging, but the amount of driving was very limited.

- After installing the new MAF, no stalling/surging problems have occurred. Power, smoothness and gas mileage seem better.

__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe