How to change camshaft adjuster magnets and position sensors on a Mercedes Benz - W222 |

[@dominiquejohnson1526]

I found this video after the repair shop quoted me $10k to replace my ECU, wiring harness, cam magnets, and sensors due to oil in the harness. I purchased the kit and changed the cam magnets and position sensors while adding the pigtails and the car runs like a dream. So thankful for the energy and effort you put into your work!

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much for your comment Dominque. I’m so glad things worked out for you. You did the job right in time. No need for the $10 repair. Hopefully more and more people watches this video and takes it serious.

[@khaleefax9553]

*I just picked up a 2015 S-550 W222 without knowing about this Achillies heel of an issue with them. There are no check engine sign or any error but I would like to get these two items done right away, Change the Camshaft Adjuster Magnets and positions sensors, AND add the sacrifice harness on all 8 points. I hope it's not too late.*

[@khaleefax9553]

*@dom What caused you to take it to the dealer? Was there a check engine sign?* *I read it on another video, a comment made by a 24 years veteran Merc mechanic where he did EXACTLY what you did without needing to change the harness, and spending 10K, and it worked every time.*

[@josecitomarin]

@@khaleefax9553 thank you so much for your comment. Definitely take care of it asap. Make sure you clean the connections and even before you get the parts just take a look at them and make sure you are okay. As long as you do the proper maintenance the car won’t disappoint you, it is a great car.

[@khaleefax9553]

@@josecitomarin I am also reading that even if the oil reaches the ECU unit, just thoroughly clean the ECU unit from oil and the connectors and harness that is attached with the ECU unit - just thoroughly clean it all up from oil and it should work just fine. There is no need to spend 10K to have it all replaced. May be you can do a video on how to clean the harness and connectors that are attached with the ECU Unit?

[@SimonBShim]

Thank you! This video is very helpful and I'll start this job exactly with my wife as you did...Will let you know if I'm still alive after the job done.

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much for your comment. lol. Please let me know definitely

[@robertstern6117]

Thank you for making this video for all of us. My wife's 2015 S550 just started acting up. We purchased it off lease at a small dealer in Santa Monica, CA, and I usually do the oil changes and brakes, but recently it had coils go out. First #7, then #8. With 67k miles, I figured it was time for plugs. I only broke one stubborn coil (#3), but moved #1 to #3 so when it arrived the next day it would be easy to install. I do notice some weeping of oil around the magnets - not the sensors, and have ordered the sacrificial harnesses. I have also found and ordered O-rings for the magnets, and an inch-pound torque wrench - since I have a 1/2" drive ft/lb wrench only. So... I'm only planning to change the cam magnets, and then I will clean up the front head cam covers with brake-clean and keep an eye on everything. It's possible the cam covers are weeping oil too, and I have found and ordered a small tube of the grey Permatex silicone liquid gasket for about $8. The only thing I do not have are the 12 replacement bolts for the magnets. Do you know what the part number is for those bolts? That was a long explanation, but my reason is that taking the 4 metal intake tubes off is just beyond what I've done on this car. I need all the moral support that I can get to do this. I just know those tubes are going to be stuck like glue on the bottom side, but I watched you to the end and I promise I will grab each tube and wiggle, pull, wiggle, wobble, pull some more, get coffee, and repeat until they come loose! Oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into now?

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much for your comment. If you don’t know where the leak is coming from exactly, the magnets are a good start. Definitely do it your self, it only take some patience but it’s easy to do it. Unfortunately I don’t have the part number for the bolts I just went and got it from the dealer. The magnets should come with o-rings make sure you don’t double up on it. Let me know if you ran into issues while doing the job. You got this!

[@robertstern6117]

@@josecitomarin Ok, I'm going to do this. I will start with brakleen and give it a week or two to see where the oil is coming from. So far, the inside of all the harnesses are dry, mainly there is oil on the right cover, and from underneath, the alternator is very wet. Charging voltage is fine (so far), but keeping an eye on that too. Once I've solved the leak, I will get the alternator cleaned up. I want to work smart, not hard, and do what's easy first. I know about 4 years ago (under a now expired extended warrantee) there was some work done to either the magnets, sensors or both. I'll keep posting updates over the coming weeks as I do this. My (other) car is a 2007 GL450 (which is currently completely dry on the front top) after 170,000 miles. I just came across another video showing leaks on the rear of that engine from the oil separator and cam caps. I don't notice any oil burning smell, but I will check it later today with my trusty mirror-on-a-stick. You are certainly a blessing. And to everyone reading: Repair Jose is AWESOME!!!

[@josecitomarin]

@@robertstern6117 thank you so much Robert. Let me know how it goes

[@cd8431]

Great video Jose. Thank you. Anyone has p/n for the camshaft position harness the one comes with 3 wires on the connectors. FCP does not show picture of it. I've already got one for the camshaft magnet, 2 wires. Thanks everyone

[@josecitomarin]

Hey. You have to go to eBay for them.

[@ducedoit1286]

Thank u!! Very helpful

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much for your comment. You are welcome

[@moucherons]

Jose, great video instructions, I just purchased my first Mercedes 2012 S550 and installed the sacrificial harnesses per your recommendation. I also purchased the 4 orings for the magnet sensors but I was not sure if the orings prevent oil from going into the harness or just to the outside engine block. When I disconnected the existing harnesses, I did notice a bit of oil on 2 of the connectors. I have not replaced the orings yet, but now I have seen your video I will do so. I would greatly appreciate your feedback.

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much for your comment. The prongs come with the magnets

[@tomburns890]

Did u have a CEL light or other symptoms or just replaced because of the leak? Did the car feel/sound better running after? How many miles were on the car? Thanks

[@josecitomarin]

Hi. I didn’t have any issues with the car. Just. I was preventing any issues.

[@tomburns890]

@ thx, & how many miles does yours have. I have 52K miles on my 2016 s550. I’m gonna inspect the magnets & sensors.

[@josecitomarin]

@@tomburns890 I have 56k

[@tomburns890]

@ I just looked at my 2016 s550 with 52k mikes and sure enough there is oil condensation coming out of the passenger side solenoid. Is it the same part number for all 4 of them or different. Just gone do the leaking one for now. Thx.

[@josecitomarin]

@@tomburns890 they are all the same. Just make sure you keep an eye on them. With the work involved you should do at least the 2 on that side

[@Sam19Jnson]

hi Jose, it seems that the leak cause by the damage oring, just wondering why we can't just replace the o-rings ? Thanks!

[@josecitomarin]

Hi. Unfortunately is not that easy. The leak is internal into the wiring. Of course some leak from the prong as well, but the main problem is internal.

[@Sam19Jnson]

oh i see ... thanks for the response.

[@josecitomarin]

@ no problem

[@sergeytatintsev310]

Forgive me for stupid question but why do you need new bolts? Can’t one add blue lock-tight to original bolts instead?

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much for your comment. The engine block is made of aluminum, so the bolts are made of soft metals as well. These bolts will wear easy after one use. You do not want to use regular bolts because you will damage the engine.

[@sergeytatintsev310]

@@josecitomarin Understood. Thank you for answering!

[@josecitomarin]

@@sergeytatintsev310 anytime

[@Rmayrap]

Awesome! Looks simple enough. I am waiting for my parts from fcp and will have this done soon as well. So i need 10 new bolts from the dealer? Do you have part numbers for the bolts? This video will help many, thanks!

[@josecitomarin]

That was my idea. I want to help many. Thank you. You need 12 bolts for the magnets and 4 for the sensors. At the dealer they just gave me the bolts in plain bags. I guess they don’t want us to know part numbers. Just asked them what you need and with your vin they’ll find the ones for you.

[@mikimiki195]

Don’t buy bolts from dealer you can get it for half price from fcp euro

[@josecitomarin]

@@mikimiki195 yeah. I buy as many things as I can from FCP Euro. But they didn’t have those bolts and the dealer was the only place at the moment

[@mikimiki195]

@@josecitomarin 👍🏻

[@pedrolozano530]

The parts you changed help eliminate engine noise?

[@josecitomarin]

what kind of noise do you have? Is the engine light on?

[@drewi3293]

How many miles did you have when you did this service? What led to you needed to change those parts? Did you have any issues?

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much for your comment. I had around 50k miles. I had a small leak from one of the solenoids so I just replaced all of them including position sensors

[@drewi3293]

@@josecitomarin I have 65k miles I was told it’s not the solenoids or sensors. I was told it was the front camshaft seal. Is that more common than the actual seal seeping oil? It’s about 1300 dollar job unfortunately

[@josecitomarin]

@@drewi3293 just make sure it’s the seal. It is a common failure as well. It could very well be just the solenoid. Clean the area and keep an eye on it. See where it’s leaking from. The wires may also have oil if the solenoid went bad. Take a look at my video in the pigtails for the solenoids

[@drewi3293]

@@josecitomarin do I just spray the entire area with brake cleaner? Is it okay to spray on the wire connections? I’ll lookout to see where it seeps from… can I get in contact with you? I can send you a photo of how bad it looks

[@josecitomarin]

@@drewi3293 get electronic cleaner for the wires/connectors. So is the connector wet inside? Yes of course you can get in touch with me. Email me or instagram

[@lawrenceralph7481]

Amazing. Thank you. I have a wonderful 14 e550a. 70kmiles. Dealer just inspected. No oil so far. What is the risk of using the sacrificial harness as a oil path block? Does it affect the electronic or electrical performance of the circuit? Or extended warranty? What about intermittent poor connectors?

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much for your comment. Cool car, very little mileage. Nice! The harnesses do not affect anything in your car and I don’t think it would affect any warranties since the engineers at Mercedes are the once that came up with it. Installing them is only going to help. I’m glad you have no oil anywhere, but you never know when they start leaking, that is why it’s a good idea to install the harnesses. They make a pretty tight connection so I don’t see anything happening with poor connections.

[@lawrenceralph7481]

Thank you. Your channel is helping me understand the complicated modern vehicle. I have an inexpensive Innova code reader. Does it work with MB software?

[@josecitomarin]

@@lawrenceralph7481 no problem. Glad to help. You can try your scanner and see what it tells you, it won’t damage anything. Not familiar with that brand. But you can also look in their website to see what brands it covers. I also have a $20 scanner from Amazon that works in my car. I was even able to use it to do the transmission service on my car, because it gives you live data and I needed to have the temperature of the transmission for the service. So maybe yours work as well. Check out the other videos. I also have one in the scanners.

[@santagautam115]

Your video is saving us a lot. Thank you! I’ve 2013 E350. Does Magnet and position sensors are same part for E350 v6? Thanks!

[@josecitomarin]

Yes. Your engine is M276. It fits

[@santagautam115]

@@josecitomaringreat. Thanks!

[@josecitomarin]

@@santagautam115 no problem

[@ilhommuminov708]

Also sorry do you need to unplug the battery in order to change them ? And update it into computer all those parts which we installed? Thanks 🙏

[@josecitomarin]

No need to disconnect the battery or program anything

[@ilhommuminov708]

Ok thanks

[@emmanueltomlinson5776]

Did you have to do anything special after installing or can you just drive?

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much for your comment. Nothing special. Just drive.

[@ilhommuminov708]

Hi at what mileage do you need to change them ? And how many miles already you car has ? Thanks

[@josecitomarin]

You can’t really say how often you would change them. They are very unpredictable. I have seen them go bad even at 30k mikes and as far as 80k mikes. You just have to always keep an eye on your engine bay for any coins if leaks.

[@ilhommuminov708]

Thanks a lot 🙏 I will keep an eye on them

[@josephguastella8037]

Finally got to adding sacrificial wiring harness today everything looked dry ... i changed to cam shaft sensors a couple monts ago because i spotted oil... 2014 E550 caborlet with about 32,000 miles on it , Love the car hoping to have it for a long while

[@josecitomarin]

Great. I’m glad you did it. Better to be safe.

[@josephguastella8037]

@@josecitomarin Thanks for the input 👍🏻

[@ErnestoMunoz2075]

Awesome Jose !!! 😃😃😃

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much Ernesto!

[@uptownfragrance6148]

Bro u and wifey is god sent but can u do a crankshaft position sensor please

[@josecitomarin]

I appreciate that. All position sensors were replaced on the video

[@jirislovencik3936]

that wife is a keeper! 😁😁 btw how much in parts to do this job??

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much. If you replace all 4 sensors and all 4 magnets it’s about $400 in parts

[@qitexas2516]

torque specs?

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much for your question. You can get the specs on the description

[@UrbanMEdiaOfficial]

Which is sensor B Bank 1 that’s the code I got

[@josecitomarin]

thank you so much for your comment. It’s the exhaust position sensor on the passenger side (USA). But I would change them all at once. And also change the camshaft magnets (solenoids) at the same time.

[@UrbanMEdiaOfficial]

@@josecitomarin ok thanks ..So, don’t just change the 1 sensor..change all them at once huh..

[@josecitomarin]

@@UrbanMEdiaOfficial I definitely would. If one of them went the others may go soon. It may be a little pricey to do them all. If you want start with the passenger side you can, so at least one side is done. And even after you change them always keep an eye on them

[@UrbanMEdiaOfficial]

@@josecitomarin Good looking👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

[@josecitomarin]

@@UrbanMEdiaOfficial anytime. Let me know how you do.

[@mikimiki195]

Why did you install pig tails on magnets. I taught cam shaft sensors only leak not magnets?

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you for your comment Miki. They both leak, as a matter of fact that is the reason I replaced them, they were leaking. And also I think $50 is totally worth it even if there was just a 1% chance they would leak and potentially cost me 10k to 15k to fix it. So it’s really up to you. They don’t do any harm.

[@mikimiki195]

@@josecitomarin so you bough 8 harnesses ?

[@josecitomarin]

@@mikimiki195 yes I did. 4 from FPC and the other 4 from ZZperformance. Check out the videos on that and you’ll see the links. FCP doesn’t have the 3 pin ones that go on the position sensors

[@mikimiki195]

@@josecitomarin thanks I will check it out 👍🏻

[@josecitomarin]

@@mikimiki195 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmaZfYtpetJri68

[@paulbernal7433]

It's not as bad as I thought it was. The people at the dealer are ridiculous with their prices

[@josecitomarin]

They definitely are ridiculous. And yeah, it is not difficult at all. Thank you so much for your comment Paul.

[@ChristopherMckillip]

I’m getting code p0347 bank 2 sensor A

[@ChristopherMckillip]

2013 cls63

[@josecitomarin]

Have you checked and/or replaced the position sensors in your car? Make sure the wires/connectors are free of oil as well

[@bismarkopoku6211]

Wow you are great

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you

[@roro85600]

i have p 0016 V8 MERCEDES

[@josecitomarin]

Thank you so much for your comment. Did you change your position sensors?