Tips to Diagnose Differential Failure in a Mercedes

Posted on | 25 Jul 2020 By Anita Gaal

The differential of your Mercedes is an important component of your vehicle that few drivers talk about. It is part of what gives Mercedes the amazing drivability of their design. The role of the differential is to transfer the power created by the engine to the wheels. It can alter the amount and speed of wheel spin your vehicle experiences to help you to take corners much more smoothly.

The differential is constantly working as you drive. Because of its constant use, it can become worn out and begin to fail due to natural wear and tear. Once this happens, replacement can be expensive but will need to be done if you want to retain your model’s performance and smooth handling.

Ideally, you want to try to preemptively diagnose differential failure and catch the problem while it’s still able to be repaired. This will save you time and money in the long run. Let’s take a look at how you can deal with differential failure, from diagnosis to preventative measures.

Common Signs of Differential Failure

Before we get into the details of how to spot and diagnose the differential failure, let’s first take a look at some of the overarching symptoms of differential trouble:

• transmission or differential whines or makes grinding noises
• gears haven’t been serviced for some time
• transmission fluid/gear oil has become dirty or contaminated
• uneven tire wear
• vehicle corners roughly
• vehicle vibrates when accelerating
• leaking differential fluid
• gears grind or make humming noises

How you can Deal with Differential Failure

There are some key steps you can take to help reduce the risk of differential failure or catch the problem early. Let’s explore these further.

Lifetime Fluid

Mercedes describes the fluid used in their differentials as being “lifetime fluid,” meaning that it won’t need to be changed during your ownership of the vehicle. However, this isn’t true.

Shifting gears can cause grinding, which results in minute metal shavings that flow through the differential fluid. Over time these can build up, and what is worst is your differential has no filter to catch them. When this happens, the fluid needs to be changed to prevent internal damage.

The misleading nature of the term, lifetime fluid, can leave drivers putting off getting it changed. Ideally, you should look to have this fluid changed out at 30,000-mile intervals, as this will help retain your Mercedes’ performance.

Strange Noises

Unexplained noises when driving your car always indicate a problem that needs to be addressed. When the differential is failing, you’ll hear loud noises when you are cornering. If this issue gets ignored for long enough, the gears will break down. Fixing gears is very expensive and may leave your car a write-off.

Differential Oil Leaks

Leaks of any kind should be fixed as soon as possible. In the case of leaking differential fluid, you’ll notice that the source of leak emanates from one of the axles. In order to prevent yourself from having to shell out for differential or transmission repair, make sure you have the leak repaired and the fluid refilled as soon as possible.

Weird Smells

A burning smell from your car is never a good sign. The scent of burned oil can be caused by overheating any of the oil-reliant systems of your car, including the differential. When the differential oil becomes old, it becomes thick and will inhibit the gears and other moving components instead of lubricating them, as designed. If you’ve had your oil changed recently and notice the smell of burning oil, then make sure you give your differential the once over to check for problems.

Prevention

The best thing you can do with any part-failure is to prevent it from happening in the first place. There are specific steps you can do to increase the lifespan of your differential:

• use top-quality gear oil
• routinely change your gear oil at 30,000-mile intervals
• limit wheelspin or wheelslip
• inspect the differential system frequently to keep an eye out for leaks

Euro Automotive

Don’t get in a bind with differential failure. Deal with the problem swiftly by visiting our team at Euro Automotive of Dallas, Garland, Arlington, and Fort Worth, TX. We can change out your gear oil and advise you on the best maintenance practices to help keep your Mercedes’ systems running at peak performance. Call us today to schedule an appointment.

How to Deal With MAF Sensor Failure in Your Porsche

Posted on | 8 Jul 2020 By Anita Gaal

No vehicle manufacturer is without its inherent quirks or flaws. One particular part that Porsche drivers need to be aware of is the MAF sensor, which can commonly develop flaws and failure during the lifespan of the car.

The Purpose of the MAF Sensor

The mass air flow sensor, or MAF sensor as it’s more commonly called, is a measuring tool used to record the amount of air that enters the engine’s combustion chamber. The MAF sensor measures the air through the use of a hot wire. Some models will use a cold wire instead. The amount of energy needed to keep the wire at the correct temperature vs. the ambient air tells the sensor the exact amount of air that is entering the car. The air is combined with the fuel inside for optimal combustion.

The air and fuel inside the engine needs to be perfectly balanced to ensure it is fully and properly burned. This allows the engine to achieve its highest performance and maximum efficiency.

Reasons for MAF Sensor Failure

There are two simple reasons why the MAF sensor will fail. Either the sensor and its filter become contaminated and clogged by the dirt and dust sucked in with the air or the electronic components of the sensor develop faults. The first reason tends to be prevented through regularly-scheduled serving, while the latter can happen at any time and will need to be addressed as and when it happens.

Signs of MAF Sensor Failure

The MAF sensor is needed to ensure that your Porsche’s engine performs to the best of its ability. When it fails, you’ll likely notice a range of adverse symptoms start to appear. We’ve compiled a list of the most common below:

Erratic Engine Function

When the MAF sensor fails, the engine is no longer receiving the perfect ratio of air and fuel to combust correctly. This will lead to lowered performance most keenly noticed when idling.

Lowered Fuel Efficiency

To get the most distance out of each gallon of fuel, all facets of your Porsche need to be working correctly from tires to fuel injectors and, of course, the MAF sensor. When it fails, the MAF sensor leaves the engine without the precise information it needs, and you can expect fuel to be wasted.

Jerky Acceleration

Acceleration requires your engine to provide power. To do this, it needs to be able to combust correctly. When the MAF sensor fails, the acceleration of your Porsche will likely feel jerky because the fuel and air ratio is off balance, causing poorly-executed combustion.

Illumination of Engine Management Light

The EML or check engine light illuminates when your Porsche’s onboard computer detects problems with the engine. This light can turn on for many reasons, but it is worth noting that MAF sensor failure can cause this warning indicator to illuminate.

Engine Stalls/Misfires

When the air/fuel ratio in your Porsche’s engine is imbalanced, the risk of stalling and misfires increases because the likelihood of correct combustion is greatly reduced.

Dealing with MAF Sensor Failure

Depending on what has caused your MAF sensor to fail will depend on the method of remediation. In the case of a dirty or clogged MAF sensor, light cleaning may be all that is needed to resolve the situation. You may also need to swap out the air filter at this time.

If the cause is electronic or if cleaning doesn’t help the problem, then the only way to fix things is to have the MAF sensor replaced, which your mechanic will be able to perform.

It is possible to replace the sensor at home if you are mechanically minded, but proceed with caution. If you’re not sure of your mechanical skills, don’t attempt repairs yourself, as you can waste your time and end up costing yourself more money than if you brought your Porsche into an expert shop for proper diagnosis and repair.

If you’re a driver of Dallas, Garland, Arlington, or Fort Worth, TX, Euro Automotive can help you resolve your Porsche’s MAF sensor issues. We’re also on hand to help with any of your other automotive concerns too. Call our customer service team to find out more.