Got me a gasser,,, 400e 1992 but the ASR,,, - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

rsmcmahon · #31 10-27-2006, 04:46 PM

Marty,

Verify the items that "Jims500e" suggested are operating and functioning correctly. His suggestions are a very insightful for your model of car. As always, I like to start with the least expensive - especially his suggestion about checking the battery voltage and/or faulty voltage regulator. These cars don't behave very well with sporadic or low voltage. When you physically view the condition of the wiring harness do you notice any cracked or broken sheathing on any of the wires? Make sure the wiring was not just repaired. Make sure the "brown" ground wire from the wiring harness is tight -(located next to fuel rail injector, passenger side, about 2nd-3rd plug back from front)

(not ASR )
What is the condition of maintenance items such as plugs, rotors, rotor caps, fuel filter, O2sensor? Broken or cracked hoses are common on older m119 engines which cause vacuum leaks which leads to poor, erratic engine performance. Also check for excessive carbon build up in the throttle body - especially around the butterfly flap. Cleaning the throttle body on my 400e helped the sticking peddle and idle.

mespe · #32 10-29-2006, 09:51 PM

Like I've stated previously,,, The symptoms occur AFTER the car warms up. Now that the ambient temp is in the 40's instead of the 60's or 70's the car drives correct a few mile longer then when the temp's were higher.

I guess a vacuum leak that is temperature dependant is a possibility, worthy of investigation, but with my luck, probably not the culprit.

miles 101390

jkazzoun · #33 11-05-2006, 08:34 PM

Mespe,

As you know I just replaced the ETA on mine. You don't have to disturb the main wiring harness much. That said, I've replaced mine and did'nt worry about it much.

If you have not replaced the wiring harness, replace it unless you plan to sell the car first. Mine was in pathetic shape. In the ETA cable as well...The wiring 'cover' on the brown wires were powder. Green too. No wonder they cause trouble.

mespe · #34 11-17-2006, 04:03 PM

mileage 101600

After doing some research, I've discovered a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin No. 30/4) issued June 1992

It states "The affected control modules contain software that mey be too sensitive to certain conditions, resulting in the ASR warning lamp lighting, or the Electronic Accelerator system entering "limp-home" mode, combined with the storage of false failure codes. The codes tend to be related to the Electronic Accelerator actuator and the CAN-bus, but are enot always consistent."

The TSB also states a production date after 16/92 (or) that the "K"-number nust be K11 or greater for the 124.034 model, which is the 400e. (K10 or gerater for the 124.036, K12 or > for 140.032 and K10 or > for 140.042 and 140.051)

Well, my 400e has a K10 mfr in '91.

I don't know if a new module will fix my problem, (remember the EA and the wire harness have supposedly been replaced by the PO - and I have no reason to doubt him) but my symptoms are pretty much inline with the TSB's symptoms.

I have contacted the Local MB dealer and am awaiting a return call to see what the story is, he did tell me that there is an open campaign on my vehicle, cross my fingers and hope it's related to the module, then cross my toes and hope the new module fixes my car's issues.

deanyel · #35 11-17-2006, 04:53 PM

Very interesting. But I don't understand "K-number" or "production date after 16/92".

PS - 16th week of model year production?

mespe · #36 11-18-2006, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deanyel

Very interesting. But I don't understand "K-number" or "production date after 16/92".

PS - 16th week of model year production?

If you pull the cover off the modules box, you will see that the control module for the engine has a K-number and production date on it.

ohiomike · #37 11-18-2006, 12:06 PM

Going from memory on my daughter's 92 400e with the same problems and mileage you have. M/B dealer had car for extensive time and couldnt find problem. I changed brake pedal switch...that not it...there is also a transmission switch...not mess with it. Was told any slight electrical thing like lightbulb out somewhere could trigger the ASR .

Turned out to be comination of a few vacuum leaks as engine compartment gets hot and causes deterioration of all rubber stuff in there AND the throttle control device. Very expensive at $750 and several hrs labor. Cannot rebuilt them but there is an outfit from Florida as I recall who does sell rebuilt units.

Once you replace this device, car will run perfectly and cruise will work.

mespe · #38 11-18-2006, 07:05 PM

The last two times I drove the car, it was in limp home mode the entire time, think I'm gonna refrain from driving it until this gets resolved.

The last time that it drove fine, it lasted for about 12 miles (mostly highway), as soon as I got off the highway, limp home mode,,, been that way ever since.

mespe · #39 11-25-2006, 09:57 AM

Went to a dealership yesterday with my TSB about the ECU rev level. Apparantly the dealership doesn't have any record of the TSB that I was holding in my hands. They ahd a 30-3 and a 30-5, but not 30-4. And they couldn't (or didn't want) to look up campaign 92-0441

Should i try another dealership or go straight to MBUSA?

Spook74 · #40 11-26-2006, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mespe

...It does seem that I must depress the throttle a little excessive to get the car moving (both ASR on and off). If accellerating lightly, the car seems to shift late. When accelerating with a leadfoot, I get whiplash when the car tackes off.

Marty

I'm impressed that you built and are using the code reader. I used one to (finally!) find a burned trace on one of the computer boards. A little time with a soldering iron and a jumper wire, and it worked great.

The 400E is a great car when it's all sorted out. Keep us advised what you find...

The late shift is a feature, not a bug. It is to heat up the cats when it's cold.

Gerry Visel
92 400E

Cmullen · #41 11-26-2006, 12:17 PM

I had a similar problem with a 500 coupe of similar vintage, turned out to be a throttle control module, cost 800$ installed at the dealer, part was 400 or so. although on mine the asr light came on and would reset afte restart and then go on again

mespe · #42 11-26-2006, 11:59 PM

Maybe Limp home mode isn't really what I'm experiencing, as the Tach has no problem getting up to 6K when I'm experiencing the symptoms of surging at idle, (about once every second) and tranny staying in gear alot longer then I would like, and having to depress the throttle more before any acceleration occurs. I also noticed a bit of soot on the exhaust pipe as if I'm running rich.

When driving, I have to accelerate faster for the car to run good. And at around 1,000 RPM , when coasting, the RPMs will oscillate maybe 100 +/- it seems if I apply brakes for a few seconds the oscillation stops, until I give it gas.

DRICHFL · #43 11-27-2006, 02:59 AM

Mespe, sorry to say but either your ignition module or ETA is starting to fail. Your ASR could be as simple as replacing the brake light switch or replacing the speed sensor on your rearend. Anyway the lose of Cruise Control points to the speed sensor, ETA and ignition module not working properly. The engine compartment can get extremely hot and cause damage to part because of heat.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=123795

mespe · #44 12-06-2006, 07:43 PM

mileage 101700

Well I dropped my 400e off at the mercedes dealership for $90 worthof diagnostics. Got a rental car too. I got the rental because, believe it or not, there was a safety recall still open on my car, 14 years later, MB still picked up the tab for the rental, which is a 2007 C280. What a nice car to drive, a little cramped, I'm used to the W126 300SD or the W124 400e, not one of these compact type cars. Things I like about the C280, radio station control in the steering wheel, automatic windshield wipers, the wipers turn on whenever the car detects enough moisture on the windshield, really neat. Oh and the steering wheel moves up automatically when the car is turned off. And the key is pretty neat, if you wanna call it a key that is.
I don't really care for the window controls, but I like the push once to open or close the sunroof completely. Great sound system, also like the weatherband bnuilt into the radio. Self dimming rearview and sideview mirror are pretty neat too. 4matic is AWESOME,,, Can't wait till the snow tomorrow (expecting up to a foot of lake effect snow) wonder how she'll handle when it's really nasty outside,,,, OK enough of the hijacked thread back to the 400e,,,

when I got the car to the dealership, it smelled really awful sulphur and the car had really misbehaved, unlike before,,, runnign a little rough at idle, shaking a bit and more un-Mercedes like behavior.

mespe · #45 12-20-2006, 01:10 PM

mileage 101753

I wasn't happy with the ECU, so I picked up another one, but the P/N differs. The original is a 124 545 06 32 the replacement is a 124 545 36 32. MY EPC doesn't even list a 124 545 06 32, it lists the '36 32 and a '40 32.

So I put in the ECU and now I have no throttle, and the engine oscilates from 800-1500 RPM at about the same frequency that it oscillated as earlier in the posts (with the original ECU the oscillation was about 100 RPM, not 700 RPM). The oscillation simmered down and when I hit the brake pedal it seems the oscillation stopped all together.

I gotta figure out how to get the ECU to recognize the EA throttle. I read that you simply turn the ignition on without starting the car for 90 seconds and the ECU automatically recognizes the EA, bnt this didn;t happen for me, then I tried pressing the accelerator to the floor wityh the KOE Off, but nothing. I pulled the codes (2, 3, 4, 6) and erased them, but 3 keeps coming back.

Anybody know how to mate the ECU to the EA?