![]() Once you determine there are no open recalls, you should proceed to inspect the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz recently extended the warranty to 15 years and unlimited mileage on many fuel system components, including the fuel tank and sending units, pumps, filters and seals on certain E-Class and CLS-Class cars. You can search by VIN and will know if the recall has been performed. Start with - this is where you’ll see any open recalls or complaints that have been filed. The very first step you need to take is to look for service bulletins and open recalls. The left (driver’s side) sender unit includes a fuel filter, a tank-pressure sensor (for OBD II emissions checks upon startup) and a venturi-powered pickup to move fuel to the right-side saddle electric fuel pump. The right (passenger’s side) sender is combined with an electric fuel pump. Each side of the tank has a fuel-level sender unit. There is a pass-through space on the underside of the tank, between the left and right compartments, for the exhaust and driveshaft to extend to the rear of the rear-wheel-drive vehicle. The high-density polyethylene fuel tank is a sidesaddle design type with left and right connected compartments. It is hard to see if the fuel tank leaks, because it’s hard to see the tank itself. The ODI is closing this investigation based on the manufacturer’s extended warranty of the affected fuel system components and in consideration that the nature of the leaks does not appear to present an unreasonable risk. The covered fuel tank components for the warranty extension include the fuel tank, fuel filter/sender, fuel pump and all related gaskets/seals and retention rings. Fuel then backs up in the filler neck, and the fuel station nozzle shuts off. During refueling, as the fuel level rises and the tank fills, the float raises and seals the air vent. The fuel filling limiter valve is a caged float located inside the fuel tank with an external elbow that is connected to the vent system, including the charcoal canister. These areas of leakage are located at the top of the fuel tank in unpressurized parts of the fuel system. Mercedes-Benz Fuel Tank Leak ExcerptĪll observed leaks by NHTSA were found to be at the top of the tank from the pump, filter or the fuel filling limiter valve located at the top center of the tank. ![]() This has led us to do a more thorough investigation of potential tank leaks when a car comes into our shop. When we saw an obvious leak at a sender unit, there was no reason to suspect the tanks would also be leaking, but this was the case more than once. I can relate as we’ve had this experience. The report mentions the difficulty in accurately determining the source of the leaks at several dealerships and a lack of clear work instruction to help discover the source of the leak or the cause of the fuel odor. There is no word yet if this component is covered by the extended warranty. The high cost, $600 or more, results in many owners not performing this service. The report noted that, on many models, the left-side sender and filter unit, which is a serviceable part, is required to be replaced every 60,000 miles. Remember, a recall is different than the extended warranty offer (I’ll talk about that later). The investigation started with the E55 AMG models that already had a recall for potential leaks. However, the vehicle owner should not be able to smell fuel. First, I realized the leak rate they checked for needed to exceed federal standards, so there are still small permissible leaks allowed. The study was informative for several reasons. It’s available online just search for Analysis of Fuel Tank Leaks on Model Years 2003-‘08, and click on the PDF (see NHTSA Excerpt sidebar for additional details). Now if you’re an over-achiever, you’ll want to read the study. Department of Transportation at the request of the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), published the results of a study, dated December 2014, concerning the Mercedes-Benz high-density polyethylene (plastic) fuel tank. ![]() The Vehicle Research and Test Center in East Liberty, OH, through the U.S. We’re finding fuel leaks that may or may not turn on the check engine light. They are great cars to service, but one issue we’ve seen is fuel odor/fuel leak complaints.
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