E Class 280 cut out while driving...
Discussion
I have an old 07 with only 66k on the clock, serviced every year. A couple of weeks ago I was driving along 30mph, hot day, fans and air con going full tilt and all of a sudden the dashboard lit up, load beep and the engine cut out. I was going down a hill so still had some momentum. Fortunately no one behind and I was able to steer the car up onto the kerb.
This was unnerving, to say the least. Thank goodness I wasn’t doing 70 in the outside lane. The car restarted and I was only a mile from home so went back via the (independent), garage who service it. Booked it in for diagnostic test a couple of days later. They spent an hour or more on it and concluded the battery was at fault. The battery had died on me 18 months ago while I was out and called the RAC, who replaced the battery. It has a 5 year warranty. So called the RAC out and after running their diagnostics showed the battery healthy at 85% receiving charge, alternator all good, so obviously didn’t replace the battery. He didn’t have an answer, just a glitch which may or may not happen again.
Haven’t been back to my garage yet but thought I’d float this problem to the guys here for any ideas? At the moment I’m scared to go out in the car and if I do, don’t put the air con on.
This was unnerving, to say the least. Thank goodness I wasn’t doing 70 in the outside lane. The car restarted and I was only a mile from home so went back via the (independent), garage who service it. Booked it in for diagnostic test a couple of days later. They spent an hour or more on it and concluded the battery was at fault. The battery had died on me 18 months ago while I was out and called the RAC, who replaced the battery. It has a 5 year warranty. So called the RAC out and after running their diagnostics showed the battery healthy at 85% receiving charge, alternator all good, so obviously didn’t replace the battery. He didn’t have an answer, just a glitch which may or may not happen again.
Haven’t been back to my garage yet but thought I’d float this problem to the guys here for any ideas? At the moment I’m scared to go out in the car and if I do, don’t put the air con on.
I wonder what the spec of the RAC battery is, and how it compares with:
1. What Mercedes specify;
2. The best available?
One would think that a relevant test would be to check that the battery maintained at least a certain minimum voltage while supplying a significant amount of current - did the RAC test include anything like this?
Irrespective of this, I suspect the answer is to replace the RAC battery with the best one you can.
1. What Mercedes specify;
2. The best available?
One would think that a relevant test would be to check that the battery maintained at least a certain minimum voltage while supplying a significant amount of current - did the RAC test include anything like this?
Irrespective of this, I suspect the answer is to replace the RAC battery with the best one you can.
When you say 'independent', do you mean an independent Mercedes 'specialist', or a general garage? If it's the former, I presume they checked via STAR, in which case the garage might have seen stored fault codes. If the latter type of garage, I'd suggest getting it checked on STAR as the only sure way of knowing.
Is it diesel or petrol?
There are differing, contrary, views on whether a dead battery will/can cause a car to cut out: I think it's possible, others disagree. If the car has not been on MB's STAR diagnostic, it's a personal matter whether you pay for a diagnostic or go with the original garage's opinion and simply buy a correct spec battery - both options are probably about the same price. If the indepenent garage checked on STAR, I'd simply buy a new battery, irrespective of what the RAC say. How old was the battery that was replaced 18-months ago, ie is there an underlying charging problem? How many miles covered, type of use etc etc?
The problem is that it could be any number of things/sensors, almost certainly electrical, but trying to narrow it down by guesswork isn't always the cheapest way.
If you don't get any joy, you could always try this forum, usually very good responses:
www.mbclub.co.uk
Is it diesel or petrol?
There are differing, contrary, views on whether a dead battery will/can cause a car to cut out: I think it's possible, others disagree. If the car has not been on MB's STAR diagnostic, it's a personal matter whether you pay for a diagnostic or go with the original garage's opinion and simply buy a correct spec battery - both options are probably about the same price. If the indepenent garage checked on STAR, I'd simply buy a new battery, irrespective of what the RAC say. How old was the battery that was replaced 18-months ago, ie is there an underlying charging problem? How many miles covered, type of use etc etc?
The problem is that it could be any number of things/sensors, almost certainly electrical, but trying to narrow it down by guesswork isn't always the cheapest way.
If you don't get any joy, you could always try this forum, usually very good responses:
www.mbclub.co.uk
Thanks for the replies, much appreciated.
The car is a E280 3L V6 petrol. The replaced battery had been in the car from new when I bought it, so lasted 13 years. I don't do a lot of miles and mostly short local journeys. When the original battery was failing it was hesitant to start, but kinda obvious as it had even less use in lockdown. I took the car for a longer blat as I thought it hadn't been getting charged. Fired up no problem next day. However, went out a couple of days later, was foggy so had my mains on. Arrived at friends house but was distracted and hadn't turned off lights. 10 mins later went to unlock but had to use the manual key. alarm went off but no start, car was dead.
As to the battery spec and whether it is Mercedes approved, I haven't got a clue. As for STAR test, again I don't know. The garage isn't a Mercedes specialist, but list on their credentials as employing leading brand trained qualified mechanics. Always been happy with their service, the garage, unlike others I use, is immaculate, you could eat your dinner off the workshop floor.
The RAC did send me a fault report showing voltage test results which I need to show the garage which may help get to the bottom of it. I didn't get a report from the garage, they just said 'fault codes' indicated battery. As I don't do many long journeys battery charge may be a problem. Having said that, 2 weeks before it cut out, I did a four hour return run to Heathrow, which I had done 2 weeks before, so it had a good run. After it had cut out, it started again without problem and has done ever since. The RAC guy showed me the meter on the battery test and it was well in the green, so the battery has plenty of charge. But yes maybe not up to MB spec. The battery is Premium RAC Varta 12v 100ah 830A. It sates 20% more staring power and 'exceeds original equipment requirements' of course it could still be faulty, or a sensor...
At the moment I'l still doing just local runs to see if it does it again, before I go back to the garage. The car does give the odd 'beep' without show any light on the dash. Really want to change the car, fed up with it now, but can't afford to at the moment.
Thanks again for the thoughts.
The car is a E280 3L V6 petrol. The replaced battery had been in the car from new when I bought it, so lasted 13 years. I don't do a lot of miles and mostly short local journeys. When the original battery was failing it was hesitant to start, but kinda obvious as it had even less use in lockdown. I took the car for a longer blat as I thought it hadn't been getting charged. Fired up no problem next day. However, went out a couple of days later, was foggy so had my mains on. Arrived at friends house but was distracted and hadn't turned off lights. 10 mins later went to unlock but had to use the manual key. alarm went off but no start, car was dead.
As to the battery spec and whether it is Mercedes approved, I haven't got a clue. As for STAR test, again I don't know. The garage isn't a Mercedes specialist, but list on their credentials as employing leading brand trained qualified mechanics. Always been happy with their service, the garage, unlike others I use, is immaculate, you could eat your dinner off the workshop floor.
The RAC did send me a fault report showing voltage test results which I need to show the garage which may help get to the bottom of it. I didn't get a report from the garage, they just said 'fault codes' indicated battery. As I don't do many long journeys battery charge may be a problem. Having said that, 2 weeks before it cut out, I did a four hour return run to Heathrow, which I had done 2 weeks before, so it had a good run. After it had cut out, it started again without problem and has done ever since. The RAC guy showed me the meter on the battery test and it was well in the green, so the battery has plenty of charge. But yes maybe not up to MB spec. The battery is Premium RAC Varta 12v 100ah 830A. It sates 20% more staring power and 'exceeds original equipment requirements' of course it could still be faulty, or a sensor...
At the moment I'l still doing just local runs to see if it does it again, before I go back to the garage. The car does give the odd 'beep' without show any light on the dash. Really want to change the car, fed up with it now, but can't afford to at the moment.
Thanks again for the thoughts.
I don't know the MBspec of the battery for your car, but the spec of the one fitted should be fine, it's a fairly heavy-duty battery and the RAC test would indicate that the alternator is charging. Genuine MB batteries are made by Varta, as is yours. However, whether your car's original battery was an AGM one or not, I can't say (certainly, later cars were). AGM should be replaced by AGM.
Other than when it cut out, have you ever had the engine management light illuminated, or rough / noisy running?
A petrol V6 of that era will be the M272 engine, which did have some reported problems with the balancer shaft (as it's a 90 degree V6), specifically the timing gear initially and later the adjustment solenoids. From memory, the issues were addressed by c2009, so your car MIGHT fit into the affected range (a search should find list of affected engine nos.). However, I must stress that this might be absolutely nothing to do with your issue and, of course, many cars within the affected range, if problems arose earlier in their life, would have had the issue dealt with, possibly years (maybe, say, 10) ago. Any paperwork re such work? - although if carried out by MB under warranty/goodwill, they wouldn't have issued any.
A failing crank position sensor (nothing to do with the above) could cause the engine to cut out. Unfortunately, the only real way of checking, if you wish to, is to have the car looked at by a garage with MB Star diagnostics, so effectively a main dealer (usually not cheap) or an MB specialist, who should have access. If you have, or have had, any symptoms of rough / noisy running, or faltering/rough idle, I'd check it on Star asap.
It might be helpful to know what made your garage suggest the battery, do you know what codes they saw?
Other than when it cut out, have you ever had the engine management light illuminated, or rough / noisy running?
A petrol V6 of that era will be the M272 engine, which did have some reported problems with the balancer shaft (as it's a 90 degree V6), specifically the timing gear initially and later the adjustment solenoids. From memory, the issues were addressed by c2009, so your car MIGHT fit into the affected range (a search should find list of affected engine nos.). However, I must stress that this might be absolutely nothing to do with your issue and, of course, many cars within the affected range, if problems arose earlier in their life, would have had the issue dealt with, possibly years (maybe, say, 10) ago. Any paperwork re such work? - although if carried out by MB under warranty/goodwill, they wouldn't have issued any.
A failing crank position sensor (nothing to do with the above) could cause the engine to cut out. Unfortunately, the only real way of checking, if you wish to, is to have the car looked at by a garage with MB Star diagnostics, so effectively a main dealer (usually not cheap) or an MB specialist, who should have access. If you have, or have had, any symptoms of rough / noisy running, or faltering/rough idle, I'd check it on Star asap.
It might be helpful to know what made your garage suggest the battery, do you know what codes they saw?
Thanks again TarquinMX5, you know more about this me, that's for sure! Much appreciated! I have never had rough or noisy running. For the first 4 years it was always main dealer serviced. Whether something was cured in that time, have no idea and no interest in wading through old paperwork to find out.
I agree with you Matt Emulsion (apple white?), doesn't make sense to me.
Anyway thanks guys, PH is great for this sort of thing. I'm not going to blame my garage for incompetence, just yet, but I did pay for diagnostic which seems to be inconclusive. At least I have some points to debate at least. I just don't want to drive a car which is potentially a danger on the road.
The RAC fault report is this...
I agree with you Matt Emulsion (apple white?), doesn't make sense to me.
Anyway thanks guys, PH is great for this sort of thing. I'm not going to blame my garage for incompetence, just yet, but I did pay for diagnostic which seems to be inconclusive. At least I have some points to debate at least. I just don't want to drive a car which is potentially a danger on the road.
The RAC fault report is this...
easy one
there is a wearable part on the alternator so the battery isn’t charging. Do not ever change the alternator They are absolutely brilliant and bullet proof. The part is called something like voltage regulator. I paid £60 ten years ago so say £120. If you are good with the spanner’s you can do yourself. Some eastern european has a show and tell on one of the mbclubs. Failing that 1 hour labour tops. Indy or Dealer will plug in Star and then take £1000 to replace the alternator.
there is a wearable part on the alternator so the battery isn’t charging. Do not ever change the alternator They are absolutely brilliant and bullet proof. The part is called something like voltage regulator. I paid £60 ten years ago so say £120. If you are good with the spanner’s you can do yourself. Some eastern european has a show and tell on one of the mbclubs. Failing that 1 hour labour tops. Indy or Dealer will plug in Star and then take £1000 to replace the alternator.
Edited by Greenmantle on Monday 11th July 19:42
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