Fuel Level Sensor Bad - C240 2002

Has anyone replaced the fuel level sensors on your C240?

Our car was 5 days out of warranty, even though we made our appointment before the end of the warranty, and the dealership is not going to replace it for us. Sucks!! It is bugging the piss out of me. My wife just keeps up with her miles and doesn't mind but I am not that cool about it.

We do not get a fault but the amount of gas in the tank is always way less than we have in it. For instance, if we fill up, it only registers 3/4 of a tank and we run out by 200 miles. The service department told us the fuel level sensor needed replacing.

I need to repalce them. I am wondering how easy a job this is and how do you get the rear seat folded foward out of the way.

I am asking for all the help I can get and I will repay everyone by posting a step by step install guide with photographs. I have done this for my camaro (1999 Z28 @ installuniversity.com).

I see the post on the C180 here http://www.mercedesforum.com/FAULTY_FUEL_LEVEL_SENSOR_C180%2D2000/m_6679/tm.htm Are these procedures pretty similar between models??

Thanks in advance!!

Eric Barger
2002 C240
www.installuniversity.com

I figured out how to get the rear seat apart.

I will order the sensors and anything else I need next week hopefully and dive back into the istall.

I would appreciate any advice anyone can give before that time. :-)

Here is an image on my back seat and insulation removed.

http://www.installuniversity.com/mb/IMG_0249.JPG

Eric

i will send you instructions with photo.

send a letter to you dealer cc mercedes-benz germany and complain. they will take action immediately.

keep your old parts and invoice.

Thank you Sleepwalker. I look foward to the instructions.

I will write up a letter to my dealer and MB Germany. I will post it on my website as well so others can just fill in the appropiate information and get their voice heard.

I will keep everyone posted to the end on this.

I am going to replace the easy side first and see if that fixes the problem. I am crossing my fingers it does. :) With my luck I doubt it though.

Eric

here you are....


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Thank you. I give credit to everyone that helps along the way. Can I list your name and email? I can list your board name if you don't want your name on the board.

Eric

you mean on your website?

just go ahead on whatever you think is good. someday i may need some advise from you as well.

yes, on my website. :)

ERic

Below is the quote the dealship gave us.

Fuel Level Sensor
Part #: 2034703041 $230
Part #: 2034703594 $195
Labor: $292

The dealership is saying one is in the tank, and one is outside the tank. When my wife called for the quote and mentioned we may do the install ourselves, which shocked the service advisor, they told us one of the sensors was inside the tank and would require us to go "into" the tank.

What do you make of this? Do they not know what they are talking about? Do these look like the correct part numbers? I have them on order and should have them fairly soon. I just want to remove the seat one time and get this overwith so we can have a concrete answer for everyone and my gauge working properly again. :)



Thanks again,

Eric Barger
www.installuniversity.com

the part numbers are correct and new modified versions.

203 470 30 41 is with mounting plate, 181.56 euro
203 470 35 94 is with the fuel pump, 166.26 euro
the price must have include the tax, that's why a bit high plus management fee.

labor hour is 1.7
they are charging $172/ hour of labor.

i think the fuel level sensor is not going to work if it is outside the tank? 20 years from ow maybe they can use some kind of ultrasonic frequency sensor, and can be mounted outside for ease of replacement. and this is beyond our normal imagination now.

Great! Any idea how much the tool cost to remove the black ring on top of the fuel level sensors? I can't get the black rings loosened by hand.

Eric

the price is not available, but it is relatively cheap.

you may fabricate one yourself.


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MB of Knoxville just priced it to me for $147.60 and said it would take a week to 10 days to get in.

I will rig something up instead I believe. ;)

Thanks again SleepWalker

Eric
www.installuniversity.com

I have the tool on the way. I found out where to look for the part number for the fuel level sensors. You don't have to open anything up. Just remove the rear seat and find the part numbers on top.

I am looking for a 203470... part number to tell them what I need.

More updates when I get another step under my belt.

Eric

the fuel level sensor part number has been replaced at least 6 times. it is also the same on others parts due to constant modification.

if you will order the one which is written on it, then you will get the old stock... which is no longer available, but they will still give you the new version.

just today i've got the same problem in removing the lock ring on fuel level sensor of Jaguar XJ series. i use the brake caliper expander and it works. the ring was very loose and fuel were spilling out of the tank which makes the smell inside the car unbearable. it only got 60 kilometers on mileage.
not a very good quality work for $180k british car.

Here are the part numbers I got off the tops.

Passenger Side (Right Side): 2034701394

Driver Side (Left Side): 2034700241

They both don't match anything I have as far as part numbers. Think they will work?

Eric

I had the same thing happen to me, on my C230K. Right after it hit 50K miles, it went out. I continued to drive it, just resetting the odo everytime I filled up. I knew that I could go about 300 miles on a tank. I drove it that way for another 15K miles until the fuel sending unit completely failed and I had to get towed in. The repair was approx $450. I had reply to my post that explained the replacement in detail, butr I am glad I did not tackle it myself, check it out:

it's not the gauge, it's the sensors in the fuel tank. Audi has had two recalls so far; I bet Merc has had one, at least a secret give-it-to-them-if-they-scream one. Lean on your service dept. or the MBNA regional rep to do this, at least as a goodwill repair.


The problem with your fuel guage is the fuel sensors in the gas tank, there are 2, one on each side of the tank, u will need to buy a special MB part in order to do this yourself, I dont know how much it is or the part #, but if u want them I can find out at work (I'm an apprentice mechanic for Benz in canada) and if u dont have access to a hoist of something to get your car off the ground a few feet or six it will be very difficult to do yourself, u also need to completly empty your gas tank or u will take a bath in gasoline, remove the plastic covers from each side of the car to uncover the access spots for the fuel sensors, next use the special MB tool with a socket and 3/4 or 1/2 ratchet for more leverage to remove an alluminum ring that hold the fuel sensor in, next pul out fuel sensor and disconnect 2 hoses and remove fuel sensor(make sure that the little rubber seal does not get lost or u will stall the engine and be unable to restart), next take appropriate new fuel sensor and reconnect hoses making sure to not lose or move o-ring out of position, push assembly back in(might be a bit tricky to reinstall but push in as far as poss and then reach in with hand to move the hoses down into caity in the tank), make sure that notch in tank and notch on fuel sensor's line up, or u will have a leak, tighten ring nice and tight and reconnect electrical connections and hoses, perform same to other side, no major differences, refill car with fuel and start engine to check for leaks, if none place covers over sending units and your on your way, the esiest thing to do though is to take it to a dealer and have them do it, probably cost $250-400.

quote:

ORIGINAL: togles

The problem with your fuel guage is the fuel sensors in the gas tank, there are 2, one on each side of the tank, u will need to buy a special MB part in order to do this yourself, I dont know how much it is or the part #, but if u want them I can find out at work (I'm an apprentice mechanic for Benz in canada) and if u dont have access to a hoist of something to get your car off the ground a few feet or six it will be very difficult to do yourself, u also need to completly empty your gas tank or u will take a bath in gasoline, remove the plastic covers from each side of the car to uncover the access spots for the fuel sensors, next use the special MB tool with a socket and 3/4 or 1/2 ratchet for more leverage to remove an alluminum ring that hold the fuel sensor in, next pul out fuel sensor and disconnect 2 hoses and remove fuel sensor(make sure that the little rubber seal does not get lost or u will stall the engine and be unable to restart), next take appropriate new fuel sensor and reconnect hoses making sure to not lose or move o-ring out of position, push assembly back in(might be a bit tricky to reinstall but push in as far as poss and then reach in with hand to move the hoses down into caity in the tank), make sure that notch in tank and notch on fuel sensor's line up, or u will have a leak, tighten ring nice and tight and reconnect electrical connections and hoses, perform same to other side, no major differences, refill car with fuel and start engine to check for leaks, if none place covers over sending units and your on your way, the esiest thing to do though is to take it to a dealer and have them do it, probably cost $250-400.

I was quoted $740 to replace both. Unacceptable to me. Especially when my wife made the appointment while the car was still in the warranty period. We called back and spoke with our normal service advisor and no luck. They are not going to do it and I am not going to push them to do it even though I believe they should. I am going to fix it myself and remember the decesion they have made.

I have the fuel sensors on the way and the special tool needs to remove the lock rings on order. Everything should be here by next week.

What o-ring are you talking about when you said to make sure I don't move it out of position?

What did you mean by "...(might be a bit tricky to reinstall but push in as far as poss and then reach in with hand to move the hoses down into caity in the tank)?"

I also don't understandy why I would have to lift the car off the ground for this install. Access to the tank is underneathe the back seat on the top of the tank.

Why did you have to have your car towed in? Did you fuel pump fail? I don't know how a sensor that reports fuel level going bad in the tank would cause you to have to be towed in. Does the sensor do more than report the amount of gas in the tank?

Mercedes Benz install instructions, along with 3 other MB mechanics and sleepwalker. have just said to be sure the tank is down below a 1/4 tank and no gas will come out since the access holes are in the top of the tank.

Thanks for you input so far, I appreciate it.

Eric
www.installuniversity.com

togles have just mistakenly thought your car to be of another model instead of 203.

210, 202, 208... you need to lift the car up.

Still waiting on the special tool to arrive.

I do have pictures of the new sending units on my website.

Is the fuel pump in one of the units?

Eric Barger

yes it is.

got saran filter too.

The install is complete and was a success. Very easy to do. Will have install document up in a few days.

Eric

been a long wait.

good job. next time is the easier one.

Thank you sleep walker for your help! I appreciate greatly.

The install document is up and 99.999% complete. I encourage everyone to check it out!!

Thanks again for everyone's help!!

Eric
www.installuniversity.com