Also I've never heard of a "false" Crank Positioning Sensor" being thrown. Might try to unplug the connector and reconnect it. But odds are it's time for a new BOSCH brand replacement.

 

Hey folks. Long-time lurker, first-time poster here. Just wanted to say thank you for all involved in this and related threads. My '04 coupe had been exhibiting typical symptoms of a faulty Crankshaft Position Sensor for close to a month now - about 2x a week, usually after a short (~1 mile) trip, it would refuse to start, then run fine again after letting it sit for half an hour. Check engine light going on and off intermittently the whole time.

In retrospect, I'm probably lucky that I got away with driving it like that for as long as I did.

Anyway, the dealership quoted me $335.00 to replace it. I walked to the AutoZone at the end of my block and, $55.00 later, I am up and running with no Check Engine light.

I'm pretty amateur at car repairs - never done anything more complicated than a brake job. The whole process took me about two hours using a socket wrench, 3" extension, and E8 and E12 star-sockets as described in this forum (had to use a breaker bar to get one of the bolts on the heat shield out also).

Just FYI, I also fund it helpful to remove the pneumatic prop-rod that holds the hood up, and just support it with a dowel while I was working on it. This made it much easier to lean over the fender of the car without having to contort myself like a Yogi to get at the part in quesiton.

I definitely wouldn't have had the confidence to even attempt this repair myself without the helpful instructions and pictures provided on this site. So, thanks very much to everyone here - your words probably just saves me $280.00 and a day wasted getting to and from at the dealership.

 

please say it was a Bosch part you got from AutoZone.
I'm sure you read enough to see that anything else is just Chinese ripoff junk.
If it wasn't, then I'd advise ordering a Bosch now and replacing it again.

 

^^^^ He read my mind word for word and got here first! Hate it when that happens...

 

The box was branded as a Duralast (Autozone's in-house brand), but it was marked "Made In Germany." No Bosch or M/B logo on the part itself but I read on several M/B forums that it's a re-branded Bosch. I can't imagine anyone's outsourcing the manufacture of cheap knockoff parts to the EU.

 

Hey, you do know the hood strut extends to allow the hood to be fully vertical, don't you? At the top of the strut, there is a little button. Press that while slightly lifting the hood, then extend it until the button clicks into the lower catch hole. Hood is now vertical, and everything is much more accessable!

 

'04 Xfr (6-spd manual) started when cold and drove fine. Engine gets to operating temp then make a quick stop (5 maybe 10 minutes) and car would not turn over again. Let car cool down for 20 minutes and voila, started right back up. Googled around and all signs point to crankshaft position sensor (CPS). Chrysler Dealer quoted me $185 for the CPS and $65 labor, independent MBZ shop quoted me $300 - I looked around on the internet and found this Bosch CPS for $43. Looks like I'll do it myself in 20 minutes and save a bunch of $$$.

Green Eye Auto Parts 003 153 27 28 Mercedes Benz Crankshaft Position Sensor

 

Here's a follow up to my prior post on the CPS. BTW, I did inspect the relay board for sticky relays and burnt or broken solder joints. Everything looked good so I proceeded to install a new CPS. Here are some relative points.

1.) Remove the air filter cover (entire assembly) - it makes working in the tight space easier.

2.) I did NOT remove the adjacent black steel heat shield mounted to the bell housing (two E12 bolts) because they were hard to access and it looks like you'd have to reinstall with high temperature locktite.

3.) I needed a 1/4-inch E8 socket (3/8-inch socket won't fit in the small space) connected to a wobble joint to fit in the small space and seated it to the bolt - then I inserted the socket extensions to remove the bolt.

4.) The bolt is about an inch long so I pulled the CPS out a little at a time as I was loosening the bolt and finally pulled the CPS and the bolt out at all at the same time. This prevented the bolt from falling down to the engine. The bolt threads had no evidence of Locktite.

5.) I put the bolt in the new CPS and inserted it back in the hole being careful to make sure the bolt would be properly aligned with the hole in the engine. It was a very tight fit and took a few minutes to align. Once the CPS was inserted about 1/2-inch, I threaded the bolt a few turns. Then I CAREFULLY seated the CPS all the way down to the engine block. This technique makes sure that the bolt was properly aligned with the receiving hole in the engine block and prevents accidentally dropping the bolt.

I have small hands and it wasn't that difficult but it was a pain given the tight work space. It took about 40 minutes to do the entire job but I saved $200 to $300.

Started the car, no check engine light, brought to operating temperature, turned off the engine, let it sit 5 minutes. Engine restarted no problem. Day 2 and so far it appears the 'unable to start when hot' issue is gone. Fingers crossed !!!

*** Update *** It's been 42 days since I replaced the CPS and no further problems - hooray !!!

 

Between you and 180, I should have listened, but I had a car show to get to and Autozone had the part in stock.

Needless to say, after dieing several times while spirited driving, replacing it with another Autozone part, and lots more dieing, the car is in the garage at home and I just ordered a Bosch part.

Hopefully that will teach me, at least Autozone had no problems taking back an old part...

 

I'm shocked here.. LOL.
But I guess if it's "other" or sit in the driveway - you gotta do what you gotta do.. LOL.

I'm actually surprised mine from Advanced Auto has had no issues!

 

It is not a daily, but I needed to get to a show and didn't think the full size SUV was going to do as well

Now that you say it, it was Advanced Auto and the reason I did not hesitate to buy one from there is partially because I was in a hurry, but also because I purchased one there for my last XF and it worked fine. Guess this one is more particular or I just happened to get 2 bad parts, either way, the Bosch was cheaper and hopefully solves my problem...

 

Well, I've been an avid reader of this thread and I recently had to replace my crankshaft position sensor. The car drove for about a week and it died while I was driving again. I then replaced the camshaft and it worked great for about 2 months now.

Then, today it happened again after I came out of the store 45 minutes later.

What now???

I'm a 26yr old female, and I was proud of myself up to this point but now the only thing I can think of is that I:

- DID use name brand crankshaft sensor
- did NOT use name brand camshaft

Any help would be great, I'm just waiting on the tow truck in the 105 degree Florida heat...again!

 

If it's displaying the classic CPS symptoms.. which we know the camshaft sensor will also.. I'd be real tempted to go with a name brand cam sensor. I think for a Bosch cps to fail within two months is highly unusual.. but I won't say impossible. It does crank-spin but no start correct?

And yeah go right ahead and still be proud of yourself.. there are guys that take them to a shop.. LOL.

 

Was the brand name Bosch?

I literally just went through what you are describing, minus the camshaft sensor, and replaced it with a bosch and my problems are gone.

What made you lean towards replacing the camshaft sensor, was there a code? Mine only ever threw crankshaft position sensor codes is why I ask.

 

Well the check engine light wasn't ever on when the car would die or just not start, so I never actually got the CPS or cam codes because I couldn't pull the diagnostics without the light. I basically diagnosed it by reading this forum...

I replaced the camshaft sensor because I had already replaced the CPS with a bosch, so I figured that should've been good to go.

Last night the car started up, but then I drove down the road (quarter mile) and it stalled when sitting at the stop sign and wouldn't turn back on. It will start again now, but I'm very suspicious of it stalling again when I'm driving...

I guess I'm going to order the bosch camshaft now.

 

If by 'crank-spin but no start' you mean -- the dash lights/radio turn on and the fan runs, but nothing else happens, then yes.

 

I realize you have done your homework on this.. but just to "make sure" .. the starter is spinning the motor but will not fire correct?

Edit.. you just answered.. click the video RCM link in my signature..

 

I believe MrM hit the nail on the head, I would wager to guess its the RCM as well.

Mine was dying whenever I would jump all over it and the rear wheels would spin, but I am not aware of a CPS issue with stalling and no codes...

 

The indications I had were hesitations when punching it to get around pedestrian drivers.
My advanced auto part is still going ok thus far. So where is everybody ordering their Bosch part from?

 

I got mine from

GERMAN AUTO SUPPLY, LTD.
PO B0x 1977
Huntersville, NC
germanautosupply.com
704-425-2890

I ordered item 0 261 210 170 and got an MB# 003 153 27 28.

I've never used it, but I'm READY!



On March 21, 2012, they sold me one and shipped it USPS FREE for $45.50