1997 C280 Spark Plug Question

[kaiserh]

Hello


Can I swap Cylinder 6 plug or plug wire with any other cylinder ? are they in the same lenth.

thanks

[kaiserh]

can someone help please ?

[OzC36]

Your question is ambiguous.

But if one were to take the literal interpretation of swapping a plug lead from another cylinder (cyl 1-5) and connect it to the number 6 cylinder plug...the answer would be no.

[kaiserh]

sorry about that

I have check CEL on,code reads P0306, cylinder 6 missfire,I wanted to know If I could change cylinder 6 plug with cylinder 5 or cylinder 4 plug,or coil instead of plug,

I know now that cylinder 6 does not have wire ,only a coil.

thanks

[RemoLexi]

you may only swap the coil with another coil, check your plugs. check your engine wire harness it may also be bad at this age.

[kaiserh]

Thanks for your reply

I had a friend change coil from cylinder 6 to cylinder 4,so far no CEL, waiting for it to come, car still shakes at start up,stays about 10/15 seconds.CEL should tell me if is the plug or the coil.car only has 88k,
all plugs were replaced around 63k by previous owner.

[bdragomir]

I believe you can change coil and/or spark plug wire as long as they fit. I.e. if you change a short wire you can use a longer one (best is for a short period) of time the impact against the spark intensity it is insignificant.

[kaiserh]

Changing the coil did not resolved ,CEL came back on, for cylinder 6 again, this time we exchange the plug, CEL has not come back on yet, time will tell ,if it does come back on,I will try swapping the wires.

thanks for your reply

[kaiserh]

well CEL is back ,with same code ,cylinder6 missfire ,also starter starting act up,may be its time to take it to a MB mechanic.

any other ideas ?

[JRE320]

Originally posted by kaiserh
well CEL is back ,with same code ,cylinder6 missfire ,also starter starting act up,may be its time to take it to a MB mechanic.

any other ideas ?

That's a nice idea.... ;) Don't waste your time experimenting.

[jnenad16]

what year is the car? could be the wiring harness.

[kaiserh]

1997 c280

[kaiserh]

Originally posted by JRE320
That's a nice idea.... ;) Don't waste your time experimenting.

I made an appointment for monday morning ,this guy is an independent mechanic,does mercedes only and has a shop called MB Star.

[kaiserh]

He looked at the car and said that the head gasket needs to be replaced,there are coolant and water mixed with oil,I knew coolant was leaking but never saw it,quoted me $1500

all hell about to break loose

[OzC36]

That is a very good quote for a head gasket change!

[kaiserh]

yes ,after he quoted me ,I called a few places,there were all around 2g's. he always assured me he will give me a break,well its not final yet.
When he took the oil out to change,I saw it looked like chocolate milk,and Now I know where all my coolant went,I kept pouring and never saw a leak,replaced both hoses,was still leaking.

My car has only 88k,and I am going for it,I like my car.

[kaiserh]

got my car back on Friday,he replaced head gasket, it was taken to a machine shop,and tested,Valve cover is fine, no work is needed, head is also fine,no cracks,replaced cylinder 6 coil,all 6 spark plugs ,crank shaft sensor ,car is running like a champ,smoother that ever.
cost me 1,700 ,with 1 year warranty .

only thing I didn't like,he used green stuff for coolant,said it is fine,just as good as MB stuff,also took off the splash guard,to check if there is any leaking.

so far I am very happy.

[kaiserh]

just found out it leaks a drop after driving it on the highway ,when I do my local driving ,it doesn't .its just one drop from the passenger side of the engine.its always 1 drop. could it be coming from somewhere else ?

[OzC36]

Perhaps you could take a close-up photo of the engine location where the drop originates and post it here for analysis and comment?

[kaiserh]

I am not exactly sure where it is coming from ,when I put a board under it ,the drop is on the passenger side ,I went under to check ,could not find it.I will look again.

[jnenad16]

maybe the valve cover gasket isnt seated properly?

[kaiserh]

I spoke to the mechanic ,he wanted me to drive a little more and let him know,I think I will take it back to him again.

After headgasket replacement,it should not leak ,is that correct ?

[OzC36]

Get your engine and engine bay thoroughly cleaned by a professional (detailing company that prepares used cars for sale).

An engine that is spotless and free of grease and oil will show the origin of any oil leaks more easily.

[kaiserh]

I took the car back to the mechanic, he sprayed everywhere, Including passenger side of the engine and could not locate any leaking ,told me it could be left over from head gasket job, he also put my splash guard back.I guess it will be while before I see any leaks. but I will keep my eyes on .in the mean time I will look for someone to clean the engine and Engine bay.

while rotating tires,saw brake pads in the back were completely gone. metal touching metal,quoted me for $400 and change to do back Rotors and all 4 pads.
I will have a friend of mine do it,I already bought the pads and the rotors.
Its been a very expensive month for me .