Hello everyone,


After much searching I finally purchased a nearly mint condition 2005 E55 last summer. Around October/November or so I filled up the tank and went for a spirited drive. I parked the car in the garage afterwards and thought nothing of it. An hour later or so I went to the garage and sure enough it smelled like gas by the drivers side rear tire well.

Needless to say I took the car to my indy shop and we pulled the backseat to find what we had expected. I didn't do the repair till about two months ago and just kept the tank at half full till then. I replaced the sending unit and pump with all the updated harnesses etc. Everything seemed fine.

Last week, during the heat wave, I once again filled the tank to full (never over) and went for an extremely spirited drive. Parked the car in the garage. I came back an hour later and my whole basement reeked of gas. Significantly worse than last time.

We are suspecting that the tank may be the issue. So I went to order a tank. According to my local parts department the tank part number for my vin is 211-470-25-02. This part is not in stock anywhere (including Germany) and is no longer in production.

This was upsetting news. Some parts sites mention that v6 tank, part number 211-470-24-02 is also compatible with my E55. I once again called a few dealerships. Their answers were no, or they didn't know.

I called Mercedes US customer service and requested a special procurement of 211-470-25-02. I am still waiting for it to be escalated.

So, my curiosity for an answer continued. According to NHTSA's report 281,000 vehicles were possibly affected with the fuel leak issue. I wondered did Mercedes really make a different tank for them?

I opened my E-Class manual which lists that it's the manual for all the models and went to see what the fuel capacity is. It lists the capacity for all models as 80 liters. What are the chances they made a completely different tank for the E55?


TL;DR: Is the fuel tank, part number 211-470-24-02, compatible with my E55?

MB does have many identical parts with their numbers different for model applications. Sometimes there is a difference that matters, other times not (either no difference or the difference doesn't matter depending on the other model. ) Would be great if someone knew off hand to tell you, but until then gather as much information about the specs and images and compare.


What was the expected issue you found? What was the repair which failed? Why is it worse now?

We pulled the back seat found gas and gas stains underneath.

We replaced all the items found in this kit:

https://www.*******.com/products/mercedes-fuel-pump-replacement-kit-genuine-mercedes-2714700000

I filled up a few times to full and had no issues again till this most recent fill up. When I pulled the seat off and took a look I saw some minimal dampness. Nothing like before the repairs.

The smell was significantly worse though.

When we pulled the seats we found gas/gas stains and replaced the following:

JOB QUOTE <<< FUEL SENDING UNIT REPLACEMENT W/ UPDATES > > >
1 Fuel Delivery Module - Mercedes-Benz (211-470-00-00)
1 Electrical Wiring Harness - Mercedes-Benz (211-540-07-00)
1 Exchange Tank Inner Module - Mercedes-Benz (211-470-64-94)
1 Cable Harness - Mercedes-Benz (211-440-55-08)
1 Bracket - Mercedes-Benz (211-545-90-40)
3 Ts Cable Strap - Mercedes-Benz (000-995-90-06)
2 203-997-04-81 NLA NLA NLA
1 Bracket - Mercedes-Benz (211-545-89-40)
2 Fuel Pump Tank Seal - Mercedes-Benz (211-471-05-79-64)
1 Cable Harness - Mercedes-Benz (211-440-05-07)

Didn’t smell anything for a month or so till the most recent fill-up.

Ever notice pressure relief when you open the cap? Perhaps the pressure relief valve is not working?

Didn’t notice. I will pay attention the next time I fill up.

I did a part number search in EPC and it appears that the 211 470 24 02 tank does fit an E55.

__________________
Mercedes Benz Master Tech - Retired

That’s great news. Thank you for checking!

I drove the car yesterday and immediately pulled the back seat off and all was dry. I’m wondering if the gas attendant topped off tank last time I went (I live in NJ).

I will fill up and see if it happens again.

Filled the tank and the smell came back again.

Tank came in. Production dates seem old but seems to have the new orange fill limiter valve (as per NHTSA report).

Let’s see what happens.

Attached Thumbnails

 

There was a recall for the fuel tanks for that year and model for gas smell. You may want to check and see if it's still in effect.

Unfortunately, it was an extended warranty that had expired. Mercedes refused to help so I had to cover all of the expense.

The tank replacement rectified the issue. No longer have the gas smell when full.

Thanks to @RPM55 for confirming that the tank was compatible.