Throttle Actuator

[FrankE500]

My 1994 E500 needs a Throttle Actuator, are there companies that rebuild them? I have searched google and found GDL, of CA., however they only rebuild cruise control actuators.
Just wondering if anyone has had luck with repairing the TA, or replacing the TA harness?
Earlier this week I replaced the orignal engine harness, now this!
I understand from a TA search, there is a pc board inside however it seems that most of the problems orignate from the cooked TA harness.
Don't want to reinvent the wheel here, just wondering if I'm missing some info.
Did mercedes source this stuff from Lucas?
BTW I thought the 124's where the last series built to a standard.
Thanks for reading this and for your time.


Frank
1994 E500 67K

[mbdoc]

No, the throttle actuators are made by VDO!
I would think that anyone would ever try to rebuild any of them DUE to liability. If someone said that it caused the throttle to open OR stay open by itself then how much liability $$$ insurance would be needed!!???

[FrankE500]

MB DOC,

Thanks for your response, is it common to smell sulfur immediately after an aggressive drive?
My first thought would OX senors, correct? Or TA? Or both?



Hopefully anticipated liability will not lead to the collapse of our country!

[-fad]

Greetings-

...from my very limited experience- it is not common to smell sulfur from an aggressive drive.

I have had opportunity to fly into the mid-triple digits in the E500 with no such smells. Also had opportunity to subject the car to over 100 degree ambient dry heat during extended road trip- - no odd smells (although aux fans do get a workout).

hope this helps
-fad
'94 E500 (48.9k)

[carman850]

>however they only rebuild cruise control actuators.

For M119 engine, aren't cruise control actuator and throttle actuator the same thing?

It will be an OUCH!!! for your pocket to replace this thing.
I had replaced my actuator on my C280 and only Phil who is kind enough to give me the best deal... $1275 free shipping..

[chuckmclean]

My car has also been diagnosed with a throttle actuator malfunction and the indy. shop won't use the parts that I provide. (As Phil did quote a good price for this part)

My '94 E3320 has been in for starting problems and they replaced the wiring harness which actually did look to be in pretty bad shape. A few months later I'm back with starting problems and they want to replace the throttle body actuator for another $2k?

This is my first MB - am I getting gamed or is this a fact of life for MB owners?

[suginami]

For M119 engine, aren't cruise control actuator and throttle actuator the same thing?

Not the same thing.

The throttle actuator has combined three separate functions into one part, and if one fuction fails, you have to replace the whole throttle actuator. It is sometimes referred to as the EA / CC / ISC module: Electronic Accelerator/Cruise Cntrl/Idle Speed Cntrl Module.

See this page for a nice description:

http://pages.prodigy.net/jforgione/MB_EA.html

You mentioned that they replaced your wiring harness. Did they ever put in the right one? This could be one of the coz or you need a new relay w/c I have the same problem like yours.
My engine would suddenly die right in the middle of the freeway going 65mph and would only re start if I would let it rest for like 5 minutes. .

[DavidB29]

I think that Suginami might have confused two things. There was a question about whether the throttle actuator is the same as the cruise control actuator. Suginami's answer decribed the control module, the electronic components, not the actuator. The actuator would be an electro-mechanical device that converts the throttle signal (generated by the module) into the physical motion necessary to actually open or close the throttle.
The link to the owner's web site correctly distinguishes the two devices (but does not describe the actuator itself).
To answer the question more directly, the control module and the accelerator actuator both do integrate the cruise control function, in contrast to earlier cars in which there was a separate cruise control module and a separate device (vacuum operated in at least some older models) that operated the throttle.
In my 300E, the throttle actuator is essentially a reversible DC motor that opens and closes the throttle. The specs say it can turn the output shaft from full open to full close in 150 milliseconds. In addition, it has a potentiometer to monitor the actual throttle position, and a safety switch. I am not familiar with the 500E throttle actuator, but presumably it is somewhat similar.

[suginami]

In my 3.2 liter M104 engine, the throttle actuator actually combines all of those functions into one part. I have held it in my hand. It sits under the intake manifold.

The earlier 300E's with the m103 engine do not have a throttle actuator. I don't know what it is called, but it is not called the "throttle actuator".

I was under the impression that M119 engines have the same (or similar) throttle actuator that M104 engines have, and I haven't changed my mind, (at least not yet).

Hi,
I also have problems with my Electronic accelerator actuator of my 91 500E. I try to get it reworked here in Germany. What symptoms do you have?
regards
Nils

[FrankE500]

Just a slow Idle when at operating temp, slow speed surging once in a while. I just pulled it off today, carefully opened the attached TA wiring harness cover some of the wires are toast (the inner smaller color coded wires) however the black wires are fine!
Tomorrow I'll try splicing new wiring put everything back together and give it a try. BTW my cruise worked fine. I found and replaced a very brittle small vacume line it ran from the back of the engine intake, under intake runners to the front of the engine to the drivers side fender. I also bought a Sears multimeter complete with duty cycle, I'll try my luck with diagnosing ox sensors.

[DavidB29]

Suginami wrote:
<
The earlier 300E's with the m103 engine do not have a throttle actuator. I don't know what it is called, but it is not called the "throttle actuator".>>

Ahh, indeed we may be talking of different things. I may have used ambiguous terminology.

What I was referring to, and what I thought the 500E owner was referring to, is referred to in the service manual as an "electronic accelerator pedal actuator." The MB service technician called it just an "accelerator actuator," and AllData also uses that term. So you are correct, I should not have called it a throttle actuator. My 300E (M103 engine) has one only because it has traction control (ASR). It takes the place of the usual mechanical throttle arrangement.

I made the assumption, perhaps incorrectly, that the 500E accelerator actuator would be similar to that in my 300E, because I understood that ASR was standard equipment on the 500E, and ASR requires an electronic accelerator system. But as I said, I am not familiar with the details of the 500E so probably I should not have assumed that the writer was referring to something like my accelrator actuator when he referred to the "throttle actuator."

Sorry if I caused confusion!

Hi Frank,
in first place I guess itīs really a good idea to isolate the toasted wires. Iīve had the same thing 3 years ago with the wiring of the injection nozzles and therefore the engine often was shaking as hell - running only on 5 or 6 cylinders.
My actual problem now is when I move the throttle in any direction the reaction of the engine isnīt steady. Itīs increasing/decreasing refs in "waves". I went to my local dealer and they read the error memory and diagnosed itīs the actuator.
This check costed 20 bucks and i think itīs worth it, therefore they installed the diagnostic tools in the car.
regards
Nils