ML 163 starting problem......................... please help

[Rich K]

My wife's 2001 ML430 has an intermittent fault where the car wont start

In Park or Neutral it cranks ....... as if no spark ..... Immobiliser on?
tried using the spare key ....... no difference

occasionally when ticking over it will stall (no spluttering, just switch off)
then just cranks and not firing

there is no pattern that I can see
engine hot or cold
initial starting or restarting after a stall

can the PH knowledge bank help ............ any ideas?

thanks

[SLacKer]

Have you read any codes? My code reader shows engine codes without any special MB equipment so maybe look at that as a first port of call.

[Rich K]

I don't have any equipment to read codes

there are none displayed on the dash

[jke11y]

Crankshaft sensor would be my Internet diagnosis. It gives all the symptoms you mention as well as the no codes or dash lights.

[AC43]

jke11y said:

Crankshaft sensor would be my Internet diagnosis. It gives all the symptoms you mention as well as the no codes or dash lights.

Worth considering - the crank sensor has failed on all three of my V8 Mercs. And also on the wife's Clio.

Having said that on the Mercs, anyway, it usually fails when hot and is OK when cold. I could always restart the car if I left it long enough, eg overnight. And in my case the CPS would not kill the engine, it would just prevent a restart.

[rassi]

AC43 said:

Worth considering - the crank sensor has failed on all three of my V8 Mercs. And also on the wife's Clio.

Having said that on the Mercs, anyway, it usually fails when hot and is OK when cold. I could always restart the car if I left it long enough, eg overnight. And in my case the CPS would not kill the engine, it would just prevent a restart.

Same as on my C43 (which is very similar to the OP's E430), with a failing crank sensor. Usually when hot, when it would just crank but not start but also from cold.

[Rich K]

Thanks for the advice

new CPS ordered and fitted

all done by feel as its almost impossible to see it

fingers crossed