As some may remember I was having trouble with the starting circuit on my 115/300d. The problem, after a number of weeks of off and on fussing with it, was solved with a short piece of wire.

The problem was that after I brought the car home on a trailer from San Antonio and drove it about locally for a bit (not too far afield since the registration had expired 6 yrs ago) one day it just wouldn't start. Not even a click from the starter solinoid. I scrounged wiring diagrams from the local Mb dealer and all the info I could from this board. I checked out the relay, the trans. neutral switch, the starter solinoid, and basically everything connected with the circuit.

To make a long and rather dull story short I referenced the local shade tree MB mechanic and his one word of advice was, "ground". He said that MB's are natorious for bad ground wiring. Sure enough after more tests and a jumper ground wire from the relay the car starts as new. The only problem is that the neutral safety switch and the back up lights don't work. I'll have to work on the back up lights since they are required for a safety inspection but I doubt that I will bother with the neutral switch.

Thanks for all the help from the board.

On my '84 300SD, I recently had a grounding problem which gave me symptoms of not starting, ie not even a click.

I found that the ground strap was tight but the bracket, on the engine side, that it attached to was loose. This same bracket holds up the front end of the exhaust.

Recently, it worked its way loose again. I recognized the beginning symptoms of fluctuating or inaccurate temp. guages. I put blue thread locking compound on it this time.

I am not sure if your vehicle is similar, but it might be something to double check. (I went through two starters before finding this out from someone on this forum. )

Attaboy Kip!!

I will second the motion about poor grounds causing fluctuations in temperature indication. Replacing the negative battery cable pretty much eliminated fluctuations on mine. Need to check the engine ground next time I get under it.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Since I am a die hard automotive hobbyist:

All who know me with plague-ing car problems like to swing by and ask me about what is going on...

Had this lady say everytime that she stepped on the brake pedal the head lights would dim...

Someone changed the altenator and battery... [the problem persisted...]

Finaly I checked the car out and added an extra negative wire from the negative post to the car body...

Lights no longer dimmed when the brake pedal was mashed...

Most peculiarly the battery started holding a better charge also...

Just adding my .02 cents, thanks.

I would be surprised that the Neutral Safety Switch wasn't required for a Safety Inspection. It isone of the most important safety devices on an Auto trans.
It also may be the cause of the reversing light problem.

__________________
Tony from West Oz.
Fatmobile 3 84 300D 295kkm Silver grey/Blue int. 2 tank WVO - Recipient of TurboDesel engine.
Josephine '82 300D 390kkm White/Palamino int.
Elizabeth '81 280E, sporting a '79 300D engine.
Lucille '87 W124 300D non-turbo 6 cylinder OM603, Pearl Grey with light grey interior


Various parts cars including 280E, 230C & 300D in various states of disassembly.

This is news to me; the backup lights on Marlene have never worked and I've never once been dinged on a Texas inspection. Or, maybe their liberal coating of soot sufficiently camoflages them so that they look like part of the bumper to the inspector.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

I'm not actually sure if they check backup lights on a Texas inspection. I have had a few inspections at one-man shops where I was asked to operate operate the lights, turn signals, brake lights, amd horn, but I don't recall that I ever had to put it in reverse to check the backup lights.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Tonyfromwestoz,

Ah, Perth. I fondly remember converting the 1972 Land Rover station wagon that 6 of us drove from England to Oz over th right hand drive in a yard on Railroad Parade (I believe it was). I worked for a rubbish company there designing and building waste compaction equipment. I designed and built the largest rubbish compactor truck at its time (1976) in Oz. Small claim to fame.

We were in OZ from 1973 until late 1977. Worked in Windarra at the Posiden nickel mine, up in Port Headland at the iron mine, at Brisbane and Wunderlick (now called some thing else I am sure), and in the WA wheat fields building wheat silos.

We lived on a small farm in Mt. Helens and later on Collins street across from King's (or is it Queen's) Park. We really had a great time in Pearts. At that time I think it was one of the prettiest cities I've ever been in. We still have a few friends there but I haven't been back since a quick trip through there in 1985.

Gooday mate.
Kip

R Leo,

I say they are required for the inspection but now that you mention it I don't think I have ever been turned down for a non-working back up light.

Now that I talk about this ground problem I am thinking more and more that it might be a faulty trans. safety switch. The trans. is new rebuilt but that doesn't mean that the switch was looked into.

Hope to see you on 12 Aug. I work shift work and have to be there at zero early thirty the next day so we will see how it goes. 400 miles round trip is a fair haul even in Texas for a cup of coffee and a bit of conversation. Still, I would like to run the 115 a bit and see how she goes.

I was thinking of sneaking out of work a few hours early and running down there, but I just got a jury duty summons for monday of that week, so will just play it by ear, I guess.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE