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99 ML320 engine died?

My younger daughter told me that the ML I gave her (92k miles) died while driving her friend home. She pulled up to a corner, waited for traffic to clear and pressed on the gas when she said the car maybe travelled 4 or 5 feet into the uphill turn then just sputtered and died out. The engine completely stopped, all the dash lights lit up, the dash started beeping and of course the car started rolling backwards. Of course the power steering and brakes failed. Luckily she was close to home and was able to just let it coast backwards a few more feet into a cul-de-sac and park it.

When I went to have a look, within minutes of it happening, the engine cranks (with all dash lights lit) but fails to start. Also, when turning the key to start, the engine will keep cranking and the ignition will not return to the on position. But, perhaps that is built into the engine that when it does start the key then kicks out of the start position into the on position.

Anyway, it has a full tank of gas, the battery is good but pumping the gas pedal to get a small bit of gas into the carb does nothing. There is not even a faint hint of any spark/combustion at all.

I'll let it sit overnight and check it again in the morning.

Ideas?

Thanks, Walter

Reply to
Walter Cohen
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Sounds like crank position sensor. You can do a test... pull one spark plug wire out and hook up any kind of spark plug and ground it to the engne... see if it sparks... if not, then you know the answer.

Reply to
Tiger

Thanks - I'll try that. Where is this sensor located on the engine?

Reply to
Walter Cohen

Check the battery terminals. My '97 E320 had the fuel pump power wire fall off the + terminal due to corrosion from a leaking battery. The motor cranked fine but the wire to the fuel pump was disconnected - so the engine didn't start!

Reply to
-->> T.G. Lambach

Haven't done the test yet but this morning it started right up and I drove it home. This leads me to believe that the test would be invalid as the sensor is now working. I've been reading that if this sensor is bad (or is going bad) it typically happens when the engine is hot (after about 20 minutes of operation).

I'll look at it when I get home tonight but again I'm looking for where exactly to locate the sensor. Also, I've heard it referred to as the crank[shaft] position sensor or even the camshaft position sensor and on some parts sites it is a different part number and/or even looks different.

Reply to
Walter Cohen

Classic example of a CPS failure. It has happened to me on two cars an e430 and an slk320. The problem will go away when the car cools down and reappear when it is hot.

The CPS is located just above the bell housing on the rear of the engine on the drivers side (down between the engine and the fire wall). You should be able to see it if you look down over and past the brake master cylinder. There will be a wire lead connected to it.

The bolt that attaches it is torks. If you have the right tools, it should take less than an hour to replace it.

I hate torks :(

Reply to
me

Torx or even a specific allen wrench size too I hear. Anyone know the size of torx/allen I'd need?

Reply to
Walter Cohen

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