Symptoms of a Bad Mercedes Throttle Actuator

The throttle actuator under the hood of your Mercedes vehicle helps control the throttle response under load. This advanced component helps keep power delivery smooth when going up and down hills or when extra demands are put on your engine — heavy loads, power draw from your AC unit, etc. If your throttle actuator is unresponsive or broken, you can suffer from a range of problems with the following symptoms:

  • Throttle hesitation: If your throttle actuator is malfunctioning, your throttle response will not be as quick as it usually is and can result in a hesitation when attempting to accelerate. This can be related to a fault with the actuator itself or problems with sensors for air and/or fuel delivery.
  • Engine stalling: If your engine stalls when you release the throttle, your throttle actuator may be the problem. Usually, when you let off the throttle, your engine speeds drops slowly to idle. A faulty throttle actuator can allow the engine speed to drop too fast and completely stall your engine.
  • Decreased fuel economy: The throttle actuator sends information back to your engine's control unit to adjust the fuel/air ratio when more or less power is needed. Issues with your actuator can cause more fuel to be used than necessary, resulting in decreased fuel economy or emissions problems.

As soon as your Mercedes starts showing these symptoms, it's a good idea to contact our team here at Burdi Motorworks. We will inspect and diagnose your car and fix or replace your bad throttle actuator and get your car running properly again. In business since 1991, Burdi Motorworks has the experience and factory training necessary to fix your bad throttle actuator problems so that you can get the most out of your Mercedes vehicle again.