it's called buy Fuel Injector Cleaner.......

you could get fancy German stuff from Performance Products (Ventil Sauber) or just Valveline Fuel Injector Cleaner from Autozone.

Run a few doses of that and go for a good hard drive on the freeway and you'll be good.


Get a second opinion as well. Sounds like these guys want you to grap your ankles.

I agree. Other varieties of fuel system cleaner include Techron (use the 'concentrate' form), Redline, etc.

Don't forget about an old-fashioned Italian Tune-Up...

If all else fails, do seek out an independent. N. California will have LOTS. Find out from your local Mercedes Benz Club of America (MBCA) president who everyone else takes their cars to (hint: it WON'T be the dealer).

A friend and I sat and discussed this over a couple beers last night. If I am right about what their theory is then normal decarbonization won't work. The problem is not in the combustion chamber but in the passages through the head that takes air injection into the exhaust.

We need a response here from someone that has viewed these passages. I remember there was a problem with an oil cap loosening and allowing oil to pass through the air injection castings and smoke like H*ll. I have read it but not seen it. My first concept on how to clean this would probably involve a reaming attempt after pouring something through the passages like x66p.

I will check the archives at a couple other sites, I know I have read the "fix" for this type of problem.

Seen it once. 140 with a 119. The air passages plug. No big deal. I find 5600 a bit stout to say the least. These heads aint that hard to pull and pullin a 119 is not any different than pullin a 113 out.

Can they determine which head?


I'd definatly look up a indy who has been into a 119 before and see what they price it at. I can see 3k maybe 4 if you did guides and a chain as well but 5600? Just in labour?




Joe

Combustion cleans out the combustion chamber, Fuel Injector cleaner helps loosen carbon and gunk from pretty much everything between the Injector and the chamber.


For $5 -$10 for a few doses of Fuel Injector cleaner you can't go wrong

The problem is not in the intake or combustion chamber or anywhere near the injectors. The only thing that should ever pass through these ports is air pumped by the air pump. It goes through passages in the head and comes out after the exhaust valve in the exhaust. The carbon should mainly be at the intersection unless the check valve has been bad and exhaust has bee going up the passages toward the valve and then the pump.

I believe Steve's theory is that the air injection ports which are plugged actually bring clean air (O2) to the exhaust stream to promote further/more complete oxidation of any unburnt fuel as it passes through the catalytic converter. If this is correct, than any cleaner, such as Techron, introduced through the fuel system will not be effective for this type of plugging.

This hypothesis would explain why there are no symptoms of driveablility problems as the engine doesn't care what you do the exhaust stream after it exits the cylinder (at least not on the molecular level).

Yet wouldn't it be reasonable that one could add some sort of solvent to the line(s) feeding these air injection ports to see if that could reduce the plugging which is suspected?

IF you car fails the emission test & has either code P0 410(air injection) OR P0 400 (EGR flow) then the inner passages inside of the cylinder might be plugged.
Here in the Atlanta area we see this problem ALL of the time!
IN some "extreme cases" the cylinder heads MUST be removed to solve the problem.
NO solvent added to the fuel system can get into these passages.
NO miracle in a can will help.

Yet another STEALERship story! I went to my local stealership for a coolant leak. My trusted mechanic is now somewhat difficult to get to being that my new job takes me far in the opposite direction. So I though I'd give my local dealership a try. They said I needed an new radiator - this I did need, but then they told me that I needed a new power steering pump as well as coolant overflow tank (which I did not) as well as saying that my throttle cable was loose (which it was not) - anyhow there estimate was $1200 just to do the radiator! So I took the time to go back to my trusted mechanic who did the job for $800.00 (not cheap but still saved $400!) and also confirmed that I did not need the other items mentioned above.

If you are ever in the SoCal area I highly recommend swining by Mr MB Motors in Tarzana. Enrique is honest and knows his stuff - MBZ mechanic for over 40 years!

PO 410 it is
 

After replacing the two O2 sensors (for $825 including the diagnostic charge), the car was hooked back up to the diagnostic computer and revealed a PO 410 code. As Steve had suggested earlier, this translates to insufficient air coming from the air injectors located after the exhaust valve. Apparently, the only way to restore the flow is to tear down the heads and rod out the offending carbon from the passages.

The MB shop foreman told me that by refusing to have the repair performed, the engine computer would likely try to lean down the mixture slightly in order to try to get the oxygen content up to the sensors. Then the engine would potentially run hotter.

Although I was told by the foreman that my check engine light would be lit when I picked up the car, the light was actually not lit. I guess it will be going back on if the sensors foul again due to insufficient fresh air in the exhaust. I'm hoping to try some long distance cruising anyway in hopes that keeping the engine hot for an extended period might help unplug something.

I will be looking for an independent shop to rip down the heads if it comes to that. But it sounds like one hell of an expensive project and I wonder how how got so lucky.

Re: PO 410 it is
 

I think you mean "unlucky".

Sometimes in cases like this, I think you can chalk it up to the old addage, "sometimes bad things happen to good people".

OK, I may be talking way out of my MB reach here, but I wouldn't expect this to cause any real world issues. The system's going to normally run the air pump to allow fresh air into the exhaust at startup to help with emissions. After the engine is warm, it shouldn't have to run; hence, your exhaust composition will only be "off" on cold starts. Not enough pollution to be a worry, and no impact towards "poisoning" your O2 sensors... Too bad that it appears that the people's republic of the leftist coast there will bust you on the emissions check for the check engine light. You can't disconnect the batt. before going in for testing because it will show that the OBD II monitors haven't run yet. :(

The test described is run specifically to test the air pump system--it can't be run while then air pump is actually NEEDED. Just can't think of a way around it!

M119 Carbon Build up Could be true
 

Hi Guys,

I too have had this diagnosis. It seems like 25 of m119 owners have heard of this issue and the others haven't. My mechanic told me it doesn' affect performance and that is is a smog related issue more than anything.

THe only way I have heard of clearing the passages in the head that have build up is via mechanical means, which means the heads have to be removed.

I would really be interested in that procedure that cleans the passages without having to have the heads removesd. Please pm me with address and info. Thanks

Ive had to clean out an m 111 4 cylinder with same issues, used mechanics wire to force thru passeges after removing head, used carb cleaner to help soften up carbon, ive done the same on 119 motors, its tedious work ,no carb cleaner with heads on is going to clean these passages

dousing with MOPAR CC cleaner would do its job perfectly here. Careful dripping with a pipe/funnel system would work - IDK how the ports are shaped or accessed but pretty sure this remedy could work.

I have seen a mitsubish GDI engine being decoked with it by leaving it overnight in the engine, that engine refuses to run if it gets carboned.