Engine runs for a little while and then stalls. check engine light stays on. can catalytic converter that is rattling cause this or gas cap?

Don’t panic. Here are five of the most common reasons why your check engine light might have come on in your Mercedes-Benz.

Check Engine Light Mercedes-Benz

1. Gas Cap

While your gas cap might not seem like the most important piece of equipment in your Mercedes-Benz, it actually carries a pretty important role. It maintains pressure in the engine and prevents fuel vapors from leaking out. In some cases the check engine light will come on when the gas cap is not tightly replaced. We suggest that you unscrew the gas cap and re-tighten until it clicks, then allow the check engine light up to a day to reset. A loose, broken, or missing gas cap can cause your vehicle to start jerking and lower its efficiency. If the light remains on after a day, take in to the service garage.

2. Oxygen Sensor

The oxygen sensor in your Mercedes-Benz monitors the percentage of unburned oxygen in the exhaust. Over time the sensor can get covered in ash; therefore, reducing its effectiveness and leading to a decrease in gas mileage and an increase in emissions.

3. Catalytic Converter

Your catalytic converter reduces exhaust gases by converting carbon monoxide and other harmful materials into harmless ones. Most failures are down to faults with other items, but a damaged catalytic converter can mean your car will fail its emissions test.

4. Mass Airflow Sensor

The mass airflow sensor allows your car’s computer to know how much fuel is needed based on the amount of air coming into the engine. Faults can decrease efficiency, increase emissions, and cause your car to stall.

5. Spark Plugs and Wires

Spark plugs and wires are responsible for creating the original spark that initiates combustion within your Mercedes-Benz, but they can fail over time. If yours are faulty, misfires will occur.

Your Mercedes-Benz Check Engine Light is never something you should ignore. While these reasons might not sound too serious, they can develop into a much more complex issue over time. See your mechanic.

you screw the cap on and the cover is what clicks in place
if it will not click in place , probably because the cap is not fully screwed down
have the fault codes read

The 'check engine' light comes on when almost anything goes wrong, from a loose gas cap to computer systems; low fluid levels to a bad catalytic converter. A common problem is the gas cap not screwed on correctly. This has an easy remedy. Screw the cap off and then carefully seat it and screw it back on until you hear it click. Then drive the car for at least 100 miles. If the light goes out that was the problem.
If the light stays on then you must take it in to be checked by special equipment because that is the only way to isolate the problem.
In my own experience of the light coming on 3 times, there were 3 different reasons: 1) loose gas cap, 2) bad catalytic converter needed replacing [the most expensive unless under warranty] and 3) a bad gas cap that needed replacing. After all 3 instances, the light went out.
I hope it's only a gas cap issue for you. Good luck.

You need to read the OBDII codes,any autozone will do it for free,

The catalytic converter being bad will definitely cause a drop in mileage and also a loss of power. Do you hear a rattling type sound when the vehicle is started cold or just when the ignition is shut off? Also if you bang on the converter with your hand, you may be able to hear the loose material rattle inside if it is bad. I think your Explorer has four catalytic converters also. What are the specific codes you received?

have you had the catalytic converter checked. When they break apart they will make a rattle ling noise. eventually the broken pieces will plug the exhaust and cause a lack of power feeling. When the exhaust is cold hit the bottom of the catalytic converter with your hand. If it rattles it is bad and needs to be replaced.

I’m happy to assist further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/jeremy_d728a59f986299fa

Okay, lets start with you checking the fuel preasure regulator, this is a common problem with these the regulator leaks and the vac line connected to it starts sucking gas into the intake, this causing it to run rich and depending on how bad the leak is it will stall engine at idle, remove the vacuum hose from regulator and start engine then see if gas shoots out the vac connection on the regulator, if it does then replace regulator, hope this helps.

May rattle from engine vibration, will not pass emissions, on 96 and newer cars check engine light will probably come on, in some cases could become clocking cause significant engine back pressure causing engine to die out. Also if you have an ( optical pieromatour ) or laser thermometer, the exhaust gases coming out of a good working catalytic converter will be hotter than the gas going into it. Thanks for asking.

You can reset the Check Engine light by using an OBDII diagnostics utility machine. However, I would highly recommend fixing the problem that is causing the situation, as you will have to continually reset the light in this manner every so often until the problem is corrected. Besides the obvious "tighten the gas tank cap fully" trick, usually, when a car seems to be running fine but the Check Engine light is on, it's one of the cars exhaust sensors. Common culprits are: The O2 sensor in the exhaust system, or a deficient catalytic converter. Neither one is particularly good news, as both parts tend to be a bit pricey. Keep in mind that your car will not pass its next inspection if the catalytic converter is bad. Good luck!
-Tom

your engine seems to be running rich. that may be do to a bad spark plug, spark plug wire, bad distributor cap. If you have a 22re you should check for trouble codes by jumping TE1 and E1.


You should also check your engine timing. With a timing light. The timing marks are located on or above the oil pump. keep in mind in order to get timing right you must have TE1 and E1 jumped. Set to 5 degrees advanced. If your engine is improperly timed it will accelerate slowly, and get worse mileage.

Also adjust/Check engine valves appropriately. they will cause low power.

Also does it misfire at idle?