Ladies and Gentlemen for your expert diagnostic entertainment:


The 81 240D 4-spd will not hold charge and the battery croaks while driving after a few starts of daily driving. (I charge it the night before and it will be good for a few starts.)

Short version: Not the battery, probably not the alternator. Trying to figure out what it could be in between.

Long version:
-I have swapped batteries with my 300SD and the battery still dies on the 240 but works fine on the 300.
-Replaced the alternator, no change
-Battery terminals are clean, ground straps are tight.
-Plug for the back of the alternator slightly oxidized but probably not enough
to cause this issue and I did clean it and put some Dow-Corning on the plug
to help the conduction.
-Had the system tested at autozone with low volts reading, no output from alternator.
-And the voltage regulator is new with the alternator.
-(Put an alternator on the car 2 months ago for same symptoms but it fixed.)
-Belt is tight and not slipping.

---I can't really think of anything else and the car is so simple its really either the battery, the alternator, or in-between.

Thanks!
Pat

__________________
Dieter- '84 300SD.Rusty,mismatched colors. All heart.
350k. Fine Mercedes Engineering

Fritz - 1981 240D 4 Spd

-'90 Isuzu Trooper.5spd. 2.6L4cyl.
Aerodynamics of a brick and gorgeous.