OWNER anderzen (E420)

[anderzen]

The C36 paint projects completed and now returning to the E420... Fuel smelled pretty varnished as mentioned prior so I wanted to start with throwing in a fresh fuel filter, found it was fairly new but no name unit, replaced with Bosch (Made in Bulgaria).

So many little things to widdle away at still, one thing at a time! Tonight I crack the driver's valve cover to hopefully find a smoking gun (popped cam oiler tube) to the tick tick tick...

 

[anderzen]

welp... I'd call that a smoking gun as far as the driver side tick goes haha not one but TWO popped oiler tubes...

Now to decide if I only throw my metals at those two or replace all...

 

[Glen]

I vote all.

 

[anderzen]

I vote all.

Probably wise

 

[yao500e]

The C36 paint projects completed and now returning to the E420... Fuel smelled pretty varnished as mentioned prior so I wanted to start with throwing in a fresh fuel filter, found it was fairly new but no name unit, replaced with Bosch (Made in Bulgaria).

So many little things to widdle away at still, one thing at a time! Tonight I crack the driver's valve cover to hopefully find a smoking gun (popped cam oiler tube) to the tick tick tick...

what C36 paint projects did you do? glad you are back on the e420.

 

[anderzen]

I did a rust repair on the roof in the middle just behind the windshield seal and a rust repair on the trunk lip seal, trunk lip seal was not pretty but luckily salvageable and I am very happy I caught it when I did. There are videos for both on my channel

 

[anderzen]

Alright folks, I have been chipping away in between other projects and when my hands were warm enough to feel... Metal cam oiler tubes are in with fresh Viton seals on Driver bank.. a few struggles on the way that I'd like your feedback on...

Number one, one of my spark plug boots broke when trying to remove... Someone at some point lost the plastic cover seals for the spark plug wires and because of this moisture and debris had fallen in, lots of build up and gunk eqauling stuck boots and plugs. Looking at the insides of the boots, do you agree it would probably be best to replace them all? or try to clean and revive? It's a shame because the plugs and plug wires look fresh but they got hammered on the spark plug side from the elements, I let the spark plugs sit for a few days with Pb blaster and came out no problem thankfully.
The passenger side set is even more stuck so I am convinced at least one will break on that side as well...

Number two, I'll check the threads and my memory banks but anyone have a 5mm allen tool recommendation for the even tighter passenger bank back VC bolt? You can see I replaced the driver side with SS bolt in pic below (old one barely had enough meat left in the allen hole to catch)..

Cool side note, I am guessing someone had replaced the timing chain guides because they came off no problem, were plenty pliable and re installed without worry... few bucks saved, I'll take it!

If I do replace spark plug boots I was just going to go with the Karlyn set on FCP any other suggestions?

Also last pic, welcome the 034's little brother (Who has a lot more muscle) to the party... 2005 E55 added to the fleet on a deal that came out of left field but was too good to pass up!

Edit: If anyone has a set of the plastic spark plug boot covers they're willing to part with, let me know!

Cheers,
Brooks

 

[gsxr]

Number two, I'll check the threads and my memory banks but anyone have a 5mm allen tool recommendation for the even tighter passenger bank back VC bolt? You can see I replaced the driver side with SS bolt in pic below (old one barely had enough meat left in the allen hole to catch)..

There are special drivers from Koken and VIM Tools that work nicely. Koken is top quality, but expensive. More info buried in this thread.

If I do replace spark plug boots I was just going to go with the Karlyn set on FCP any other suggestions?

No no no! Get the Beru set, details here. Karlyn is all cheap aftermarket crap. Not OEM. The Beru set costs more but is worth it.

Also last pic, welcome the 034's little brother (Who has a lot more muscle) to the party... 2005 E55 added to the fleet on a deal that came out of left field but was too good to pass up!

Score! I've bveen waiting for a deal "too good to pass up" on one of those, but alas, nothing has fallen into my lap yet.

 

[anderzen]

So basically just stick to being a caveman and use my allen wrench combo's slowly one baby turn at a time? Got it

I have a bunch of LS spark plug wires laying around from testing on my M113, I'm going to play around and see if they share any connectors, might be a lifehack in store...

This E55 was sadly misdiagnosed by previous owner's indy shop as having a bad head gasket, which is how it fell into my hands for cheap... many tests later to confirm, the motor seems 100% healthy... was a risk but it's insanely clean so I'm glad I went for it!

 

[gsxr]

The 5mm swivel tool pays for itself with time savings. Highly recommended. There are Snap-On versions also.

The wires you show with the "screw" post is cheap aftermarket stuff. OE wires are M3 machine threads.

What a score on the E55... wow... congrats!

 

[anderzen]

Alright peeps, @gsxr won't like it but I went ultra cheapo on the spark plugs wires (for experimental purposes) lol... $60 set of wires from A-premium which actually felt and look pretty decent AND tested at correct 2k ohm's surprisingly. Car is running great, full rpm on kickdown etc... However, idle is super low as before around 450rpm in all gears.

Looking around vacuum lines seem okay, replaced rubber boots on a few. Also realized the purge valve inlet was unhooked, hooked back up no difference. Throttle cable was out by an inch, no change to idle speed but much better pedal response.

Chances are I'll pull my throttle body next to prepare for rebuild, do the MAF gasket and re-do all pcv lines etc, but is there something easy I am missing to check for idle speed??

I'll have a video out tomorrow covering cam oiler tubes, valve cover gaskets and spark plugs/wires.. very happy it's driving SO much better now but need this idle up!

 

[gsxr]

Idle speed is controlled by the ETA and the module (E-GAS with ASR, or T/LLR without ASR).

With the engine fully warmed up, idle speed should be 650rpm in P/N and 500-550 in gear.

 

[anderzen]

Ok mine is definitely below 500 in all scenarios, my shifter bushings are also shot, I can still get it into correct gears but if it's not solid on each per se could that cause anything or would that just go to limp mode?

Upper harness is new and lower harness I believe has been done. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess my ETA probably needs the exact same treatment as my old one lol... time to gear up the old soldering iron and spectacles and prepare the millennium falcon (as I call the Throttle body) for launch

 

[gsxr]

Does this car have ASR?

 

[anderzen]

It does, switch works and ASR engages at least last time I checked.

 

[gsxr]

It does, switch works and ASR engages at least last time I checked.

Hmm. That is odd. If the ETA had issues, I'd expect fault codes on the E-GAS and maybe even limp mode. No fault codes?

Next question - are you using the tach as the only RPM indicator? Could be the needle is off a bit and it just appears to be low RPM. Live data from HHT-Win is best, but a digital tach also works, to verify the dash gauge accuracy.

 

[anderzen]

You know i thought about that also if the tach is low.. but it did shift exactly at 6k when revving out and it definitely sounds low. I'll have to see if I can get any blink codes from it... thx Dave!

 

[gsxr]

Yeah, for pinpoint accuracy, you MUST have a digital readout. Too much variance in the tach. WOT upshifts are typically a bit above 6k due to various reasons.

 

[anderzen]

Throttle cable had my pedal feeling like a sponge, adjusted back into position, much better

 

[anderzen]

Cam oiler tubes, valve covers, spark plugs and wires + a few tid bits in this one

 

[anderzen]

Ok update, after discovering the purge valve had a line off yesterday, reinstalled it and left battery unhooked overnight, start it up tonight and normal rpm in all gears!

Took it for a test spin, driving great but then after a bit went into limp mode and low idle returned... need to check if I have the right adapter for my Xentry computer, I know I got HHT working on my C36 (scratch that.. was actually on my C43) with it but not sure if adapter port is the same on these. Think I gave away my old blink code reader with my old 034 too...

Edit: Found my C4 kit from The Mercedes Swap Shop came with the proper connectors! Will hook it up tomorrow and report back!

 

[anderzen]

Alright well, not much luck on the scan tool side of things. I realized I only have the 8 pin led diagnostic port and only 1 and 2 have terminal receptors.

I did however get my launch to connect vaguely with 38pin adapter. Cool to see it could hook up but didn’t provide much info. Did show live data as an option but it was either inaccurate or extreme latency ridden lol.

I don’t feel the MOT purge valve clicking, should I able to?

Same occurrence today, when I first start it up idles proper, after a bit back to low idle. Start it back up and idle is fine.

Can I even use the blink OBD diagnostic if I only have two receptors?

 

[anderzen]

Alright well I got HHT going with the 38 pin connector. Notable faults attached, should the LH live data be able to recognize Gear indicator? If so definitely a fault there…

Other notable findings were faults in ASR module. And I was unable to connect to EZL.. not sure if that is just a fault with my system or a sign of trouble with the EZL itself?

No faults current/stored in LH, live data seemed solid as well. YouTube video of live data


All faults cleared, will test drive soon to see what returns.

 

[gsxr]

Alright well, not much luck on the scan tool side of things. I realized I only have the 8 pin led diagnostic port and only 1 and 2 have terminal receptors.

The 8-pin is there to allow viewing codes from the DM only, so owners can check what fault is causing a CEL. It's wired in parallel with pin #19 (DM). You never use for any othe purpose.

I did however get my launch to connect vaguely with 38pin adapter. Cool to see it could hook up but didn’t provide much info. Did show live data as an option but it was either inaccurate or extreme latency ridden lol.

Launch has very limited functionality on these old OBD-1 cars. It's borderline useless.

I don’t feel the MOT purge valve clicking, should I able to?

It generally clicks at operating temp, but you need to confirm in HHT-Win if the computers are telling it to click or not. It's not a problem if it does not operate, and is stuck closed. However it is a problem if stuck open, as this causes a full-time vacuum leak. The purge valve tubes can be plugged if needed. See screenshot below, while you had HHT showing live data, the purge valve "21 Renegeration Valve" shows OFF, which means it was not supposed to be clicking at that time. This was due to the engine being cold, 45°C at the time.

Same occurrence today, when I first start it up idles proper, after a bit back to low idle. Start it back up and idle is fine.

Can I even use the blink OBD diagnostic if I only have two receptors?

You need to connect the blink code reader to the specific terminal in the 38-pin diagnostic port, for the intended module (#4 for LH, #6 for ASR, etc etc.)

 

[gsxr]

Alright well I got HHT going with the 38 pin connector. Notable faults attached, should the LH live data be able to recognize Gear indicator? If so definitely a fault there…

Gear position normally shows in the E-GAS module (EA/EFP). However, yes, it should show the correct gear position, not "F". But you should have also had faults on the E-GAS (EA/EFP) module. Check live data on EA/EFP while moving the shift lever to each position, it should display the correct position as you move the lever. The engine does not need to be running to do this.

And I was unable to connect to EZL.. not sure if that is just a fault with my system or a sign of trouble with the EZL itself?

Lack of communication with the EZL is most likely due to a cheap multiplexer, not a fault with the EZL itself. Do you have a C3 or C4?

No faults current/stored in LH, live data seemed solid as well. YouTube video of live data

LH rarely has faults stored. The live data does show abnormally low idle speed, which is likely a direct result of the gear position signal being incorrect.

https://youtube.com/shorts/tku7MKNfCx4?si=SX5ePxvK0u4eHuIQ

All faults cleared, will test drive soon to see what returns.

Great! See what codes return. Make sure to check EA/EFP fault codes AND live data, this is what controls idle speed.

 

[anderzen]

@gsxr your level of helpfulness is unmatched in this community! Thank you!

I have a few follow up questions if you don't mind! With the 8 pin led, isn't it just hold for 3 seconds in key pos 2 to get the blinks to show and 30 second hold to delete? I never got it to blink but it does illuminate when held? I know this is rudimentary and not going to help my diagnosis just didn't know if I was remembering that correctly.

Do you think it would be worth testing capping both tubes of the MOT purge to see if any changes occur?

The menu for 'EFP, TPM, ISC' would not connect as well and the EZL, my multiplexer is a knockoff C4

I am going to remove the belt and start it up as well just to eliminate the possibility of my dying water pump dragging the serpentine system down, I really need to take care of that asap in order to properly and confidently start taking this thing out for testing. E55 is on the lift for fuel system repairs, as soon as those are done, E420 gets the water pump and shifter bushings, plus maybe some exhaust work to at least patch a hole filled center section lol!

I'll slice open my sheathing on ETA also to see how bad the wiring is, these running issues feel very similar to my old E420 though before I did the rebuild/resolder on the ETA...

 

[gsxr]

I have a few follow up questions if you don't mind! With the 8 pin led, isn't it just hold for 3 seconds in key pos 2 to get the blinks to show and 30 second hold to delete? I never got it to blink but it does illuminate when held? I know this is rudimentary and not going to help my diagnosis just didn't know if I was remembering that correctly.

The 8-pin, yes, press 2-3 seconds to view each code on the DM, hold ~7 seconds to clear. If the CEL is not on, there likely will be no codes / no blinks. This ONLY shows DM / CEL codes. Nothing from any other module (LH, ASR, whatever).

Do you think it would be worth testing capping both tubes of the MOT purge to see if any changes occur?

Would not hurt to do this as a test.

The menu for 'EFP, TPM, ISC' would not connect as well and the EZL, my multiplexer is a knockoff C4

This is a problem. You need connection to EFP / E-GAS. First check if your 38-pin cable has all 38 pins. If not, a new cable with all 38wires may fix the problem. The Chinese sellers made a very stupid decision a number of years ago to start producing / selling a half-populated cable, which means some systems will not connect. I have no idea why they ever thought this would be a good idea.

I am going to remove the belt and start it up as well just to eliminate the possibility of my dying water pump dragging the serpentine system down, I really need to take care of that asap in order to properly and confidently start taking this thing out for testing. E55 is on the lift for fuel system repairs, as soon as those are done, E420 gets the water pump and shifter bushings, plus maybe some exhaust work to at least patch a hole filled center section lol!

Water pump wouldn't affect idle RPM but you can test this for grins.

I'll slice open my sheathing on ETA also to see how bad the wiring is, these running issues feel very similar to my old E420 though before I did the rebuild/resolder on the ETA...

If it's a 94-95 original ETA the wiring will be toast, but there's a chance a PO already had it re-wired. Wouldn't hurt to check though!

 

[anderzen]

okay thank you again!

I did notice some corrosion on the pins on car side, so I will try to clean those up. I know my plug had all the pins at least I think but I will double check!

 

[gsxr]

The cable plug may have all the pins, but may be missing wires between the 2 connectors. It's a documented defect on some C4 cables. Jlaa posted a lot about this on the forum a few years ago. You need to test each of the 38 with a meter to verify continuity.

If your 38-pin diagnostic socket has corrosion, that also needs to be remedied. However in the meantime you can use the blink code reader (with 1mm pins) to read codes from E-GAS and EZL. This won't get you live data, but will at least let you view & clear fault codes.