More car sagas and woes

worried_jim

So last Wednesday the 1999 SLK passes its MOT and I am feeling a bit more confident about the car. Didn't start one week after purchase in March - just needed a new battery and the exhaust was blowing but just needed a clamp tightening.

On Sunday reversed out of my parking space and it stalled- very unusual for an automatic, and then I couldn't get it started, what’s worse is I am now blocking the road in a car stuck in gear that I cant move- I had to get a neighbour to drive across the grass to get around me.

Fortunately have a friend who is an Audi Technician and a whiz at sorting car issues and he popped around in five minutes and freed the gearbox from drive to neutral so we could unblock the road (at least it was a good way to introduce myself and say hello- and sorry- to lots of new people).

He soon had the electrics out and was checking solenoids and managed to get the engine running. He said I best get on ebay and get one of these circuit boards and simply swap it over. In the meantime another neighbour has come out as he heard the fan running at high speed and new it was an electrical issue and he happens to be an auto electrician, I’ve never met him before but he was extremely knowledgeable and got his snap on diagnostics kit out and had a look.

He disagrees with the first diagnosis (it was like two cats in the street staring each other out over territory) so I ask him to have a proper look on Monday and he finds that the fault lies with the gearbox oil level being low so the computer has shut the engine down via the immobiliser to prevent and damage and that there is nothing wrong with anything else on the car and the car and its computer have done their job.

He has tricked the gearbox into thinking that there is 30cc more oil in it so I can drive carefully two miles to the garage I use- he has also driven down the road and parked it outside my house.

Called my garage and have it booked for Thursday- can’t get the day off so was going to drive it there this morning, leave it and pick it up on the way home on Thursday afternoon. I haven’t used it since it was running on Monday- he had it running to demonstrate it was fine, got in started it and it cut out again after 10 seconds and will not start just like on Sunday.

Fortunately garage are going to pop by and trailer it tomorrow to their premises but I cant help feeling that I am jinxed a little bit at the moment- Tumble dryer packed up on Saturday morning (replacement coming on Saturday, another £200) as well. I know that these things all get sorted but it isn’t half turning into stressful week.

Ganga

Might be a load of trouble but looks a good car.

Rain_Shadow

Ganga wrote: »

Might be a load of trouble but looks a good car.

With an interesting MoT history.


Can't help thinking that doing 3000 miles in 7 years can't have been good for it.

worried_jim

Yep- it had been owned by someone who moved to Cyprus and spent most of its time in a dry barn.

Chrishazle

You need to be asking for advice on a dedicated MB forum rather than here - http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums and http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk where you'll find knowledgeable people including good MB indies to help you.

NeverEnough

Worried jim, these little cars are well known in the slk community for a faulty relay- Ours had a similar problem and I did a lot of research on the subject - its an easy fix, a new one is a special order from merc dealer for around - its part of the computer system near the plug in port on the upper engine area, can't remember the relay number now. Take care if buying used relay units as there are loads of faulty ones out there.


We also changed the cam sensor. Changing the relay (after the cam sensor) certainly seemed to solve the problems. Never heard of the gearbox oil issues -we owned the SLK for around 14 years so I did get to know it really well!

gilbert_and_sullivan

I'll second the advice to find a decent little MB specialist indy, half the time once you've told them the symptoms they've already diagnosed it.

MB's and relays have form, W124 turns over but won't start first thing you do is stick another OVP (overvoltage protection) relay in it, more often than not thats what it is, some owners keep a spare known good one in the glove box at all times.

You know how it with Benz's, they normally are instant starters.

worried_jim

Car still hasn't been trailered to the garage- hopefully this evening. One thought (after a quick look) is that gearbox coolant has leaked from the radiator into the auto box.

Fortunately the chap picking it up is a gearbox whiz, but we shall wait and see. This has really put me off the Merc brand presently, but I look forward to getting it all sorted.

worried_jim

After 24 days off the road I've finally picked the car up this morning. In the end they have replaced the air mass flow metre, at one stage it was going to be £750 for a new throttle body- I've had some sleepless nights!

All in I got change from £300 which included further diagnostics and trailering to their works.

I've been very impressed with-

http://www.r-j-engineering.co.uk/

The car drives lovely and its was valeted as well. I am very happy today, the sun is shining and i'm going out with the roof down to enjoy it.

DUTR

NeverEnough wrote: »

Worried jim, these little cars are well known in the slk community for a faulty relay- Ours had a similar problem and I did a lot of research on the subject - its an easy fix, a new one is a special order from merc dealer for around - its part of the computer system near the plug in port on the upper engine area, can't remember the relay number now. Take care if buying used relay units as there are loads of faulty ones out there.


We also changed the cam sensor. Changing the relay (after the cam sensor) certainly seemed to solve the problems. Never heard of the gearbox oil issues -we owned the SLK for around 14 years so I did get to know it really well!

You beat me to it, the relays get dry joints, so if you know someone handy with a soldering iron, it will be good in little time, my brother has one of these models same colour and year, wouldn't start checked the forums and they often suggested the relay.

consumers_revenge

and I thought the MAS only needed soldering on bubble shaped micras :-)