Replacing Mercedes B180 (or A190) oil level sensor - success
Discussion
Hello All,
Love the site and visit regularly but hardly ever post.
My Mercedes B180 oil level sensor failed and I found out replacing it would require dropping the engine. Mercedes wanted over £3,000 to do the job - more than the car is worth. Same applies to the A class A160 models with the OM 640 diesel engine. Pig to work on…
Oil level sensor is located here (not my video): https://youtu.be/2dMdvxvIzBE?si=Z7sRgERG7R_SWCI3
So I hatched a plan and decided to cut through the floor pan of the car to access it that way. I have pictures but don’t know how to add them here.
In short, I removed the driver’s seat, interior trim and carpets in the drivers footwell. Then removed the battery and unclipped the fuse box along with its associated wiring to move it out of the way.
Then, from under the car, drilled a small pilot hole just above the oil level sensor to see where it lies in relation to the footwell. Turns out it’s in a very awkward corner near where your left foot rests, tight up against the centre tunnel. And right under the fusebox electric wiring loom.
I marked a rectangle large enough to allow some tools in (about the size of the old flat cigarette boxes) and cut that away with an angle grinder. Had to use a Dremel on parts of it and was surprised to find several layers of steel here. It wasn’t as straightforward as opening up a tuna can - had to hack through a lot of bodywork.
Then applied a crowbar, some brute force and a lot of ignorance to lift the “flap”. Luckily I got the location right and didn’t cut any wiring on the engine (you have to be careful not to accidentally cut this with your angle grinder).
Replaced the oils level sensor with a Chinese knock off part as the original Mercedes part was over £300. Not viable for this old high-mileage car.
Once replaced, it all worked well and that annoying alarm was quiet. No more dash flashing!
Hammered the flap back down flat, sealed the edges with Stixall and covered it with some bitumen weather seal. The stuff used as flashing on flat roofs - comes in rolls. A bit of silicone sealant would have also worked.
Carpets, trim and seat back in place, along with battery and fusebox. Looks brand new.
Hope this helps someone in future. The alternative is scrapping the car as it’s uneconomical to repair through the normal routes.
Link to Chinese replacement part: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166792612634?mkcid=16&a...
Original part number (Mercedes would not divulge this): A6409050000
Another way around this problem would be to have the oil level sensor coded out of the ECU but I couldn’t find anyone locally.
Best,
Stray
Love the site and visit regularly but hardly ever post.
My Mercedes B180 oil level sensor failed and I found out replacing it would require dropping the engine. Mercedes wanted over £3,000 to do the job - more than the car is worth. Same applies to the A class A160 models with the OM 640 diesel engine. Pig to work on…
Oil level sensor is located here (not my video): https://youtu.be/2dMdvxvIzBE?si=Z7sRgERG7R_SWCI3
So I hatched a plan and decided to cut through the floor pan of the car to access it that way. I have pictures but don’t know how to add them here.
In short, I removed the driver’s seat, interior trim and carpets in the drivers footwell. Then removed the battery and unclipped the fuse box along with its associated wiring to move it out of the way.
Then, from under the car, drilled a small pilot hole just above the oil level sensor to see where it lies in relation to the footwell. Turns out it’s in a very awkward corner near where your left foot rests, tight up against the centre tunnel. And right under the fusebox electric wiring loom.
I marked a rectangle large enough to allow some tools in (about the size of the old flat cigarette boxes) and cut that away with an angle grinder. Had to use a Dremel on parts of it and was surprised to find several layers of steel here. It wasn’t as straightforward as opening up a tuna can - had to hack through a lot of bodywork.
Then applied a crowbar, some brute force and a lot of ignorance to lift the “flap”. Luckily I got the location right and didn’t cut any wiring on the engine (you have to be careful not to accidentally cut this with your angle grinder).
Replaced the oils level sensor with a Chinese knock off part as the original Mercedes part was over £300. Not viable for this old high-mileage car.
Once replaced, it all worked well and that annoying alarm was quiet. No more dash flashing!
Hammered the flap back down flat, sealed the edges with Stixall and covered it with some bitumen weather seal. The stuff used as flashing on flat roofs - comes in rolls. A bit of silicone sealant would have also worked.
Carpets, trim and seat back in place, along with battery and fusebox. Looks brand new.
Hope this helps someone in future. The alternative is scrapping the car as it’s uneconomical to repair through the normal routes.
Link to Chinese replacement part: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166792612634?mkcid=16&a...
Original part number (Mercedes would not divulge this): A6409050000
Another way around this problem would be to have the oil level sensor coded out of the ECU but I couldn’t find anyone locally.
Best,
Stray
Edited by Stray on Sunday 1st September 11:11
Edited by Stray on Sunday 1st September 11:13
Edited by Stray on Sunday 1st September 11:15
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