this is getting a bit out of hand... - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

SD Blue · #31 12-12-2005, 02:36 PM

I agree with Tom W. All of your symptoms point to a bad ground, and the most likely is the chassis-engine ground strap.

I've been down this road myself. Intermittent starting, fluctuating guages, and when it does start, everything checks out. Also check the batt.-chassis ground while you are at it.

JamesDean · #32 12-12-2005, 09:21 PM

hey...where is tha chassis-engine ground stap located at?
I checked the battery ground strap and its good.

Thanks

Kris

wbain5280 · #33 12-13-2005, 12:48 AM

You need to check the current drain on each circuit. Remove each fuse and check the current with your VOM in the amps position. Move wires around and look for large increases in current draw. That will narrow your search down to a particular set of wires.

#34 12-13-2005, 01:19 AM

But he doesn't have a current drain (atleast consistantly) when sitting parked with the key off, etc.

It only creeps up occasionally.

I really do NOT thing that anything could drain the battery in the order of 2min after some driving with fine voltage and have the voltage still check out.

My bet is still on a ground strap or starter/solenoid issue.

crazy banana · #35 12-13-2005, 01:38 AM

Im taking the car in monday to have it looked at and an AL129X (115a) alternator fitted to it. Im not sure if my mechanic has ever done this before, if he hasnt is there anything i should tell him to look out for, problems in the install?

--Kris[/QUOTE]

does your gauge needle jumps up and down?? if so, you might want to check the ground behind the dash. i had similar battery problem before. it turn out that the ground wire behind the insturment panel was loose.

JamesDean · #36 12-13-2005, 06:46 AM

[

Quote:

does your gauge needle jumps up and down?? if so, you might want to check the ground behind the dash. i had similar battery problem before. it turn out that the ground wire behind the insturment panel was loose.

it only did this once while starting with the battery practically dead. It hasnt done this since.

JamesDean · #37 12-13-2005, 06:47 AM

[/quote=crazy banana]does your gauge needle jumps up and down?? if so, you might want to check the ground behind the dash. i had similar battery problem before. it turn out that the ground wire behind the insturment panel was loose.[/QUOTE]

it only did this once while starting with the battery practically dead. It hasnt done this since.

JamesDean · #38 12-13-2005, 06:47 AM

Quote:

does your gauge needle jumps up and down?? if so, you might want to check the ground behind the dash. i had similar battery problem before. it turn out that the ground wire behind the insturment panel was loose.

it only did this once while starting with the battery practically dead. It hasnt done this since.

JamesDean · #39 12-13-2005, 05:03 PM

well car is up in the shop getting a good looking over...hopefully i'll have an answer tomorrow.

im also gonna have him check into that turbo-thrownin-oil into the air cleaner thing...and check where my oil leaks are coming from..maybe in the future ill tackle them...

thanks for everything ill post back what he discovers

kris

#40 12-13-2005, 05:15 PM

BTW oil goes down the intake elbow not up...the oil is not coming from the turbo...its probably coming from the CCV

If enough oil leaks out and gets on the air cleaner and then it drains out the hole in the bottom of the air cleaner on the far pasenger side of the engine.

barry123400 · #41 12-13-2005, 07:10 PM

I thought I posted a suggestion to your thread earlier but do not see it. You might want to mention it to you mechanic. Just in case your choice of course. Are you positive your glow plug circuit is not staying on or the relay is latching (sticking on)for some reason until battery is low enough to let circuit disengage. You seem pretty confident your battery is good. The alternator in general seems good although I would have put a meter on an adapter from the cigarette lighter and monitored the voltage for a drive and return to verify the alternator and charge wiring plus the grounds. If voltage stayed above 13.5 except at idle you know then that alternator is delivering enough current and the wiring is good. That current is going somewhere. Best test for the glow plugs is to cycle them and check with meter to see if they are still on. The draw would be about all your electrical system would tolerate and after you turned car off discharge may continue until batery is very low and relay will unlatch. Could very well be intermittent as well but easy to rule out. Just a thought and probably wrong. Found my missing post. Saw your name and remembered your problem and posted there. Feel stupid but thats nothing new.

JamesDean · #42 12-13-2005, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barry123400

I thought I posted a suggestion to your thread earlier but do not see it. You might want to mention it to you mechanic. Just in case your choice of course. Are you positive your glow plug circuit is not staying on or the relay is latching (sticking on)for some reason until battery is low enough to let circuit disengage. You seem pretty confident your battery is good. The alternator in general seems good although I would have put a meter on an adapter from the cigarette lighter and monitored the voltage for a drive and return to verify the alternator and charge wiring plus the grounds. If voltage stayed above 13.5 except at idle you know then that alternator is delivering enough current and the wiring is good. That current is going somewhere. Best test for the glow plugs is to cycle them and check with meter to see if they are still on. The draw would be about all your electrical system would tolerate and after you turned car off discharge may continue until batery is very low and relay will unlatch. Could very well be intermittent as well but easy to rule out. Just a thought and probably wrong. Found my missing post. Saw your name and remembered your problem and posted there. Feel stupid but thats nothing new.

thanks for the suggesstion...ill call him in the morning and tell him to check that...my cig lighters dont work...they may be disabled @ the fuse box but im not sure...my grandfather might have had them disabled as they had no use for them...thats what im told but i dont know....

thanks again

kris

#43 12-13-2005, 11:21 PM

Remember though sporadict inability to start can also be caused by intermittant connections...the currently doesn't "HAVE" to be going somewhere...there is always the possibility that it "isn't" going somewhere

barry123400 · #44 12-14-2005, 09:44 AM

Brandon, of course he can still have intermittent grounds etc. Just trying to explain a way to start dividing up the problem a little.(old time expression was divide and conquer) If during a drive the alternator or charge circuit proves it has constant output to the battery it will be eliminated as the problem. On the otherhand if current output does not remain high indicated by voltage dropping on the meter in cab it will be in the charging loop somewhere. Be it a bad ground,intermittent alternator, bad power wire or termination etc. But if voltage remains high and constant we either have a battery with a real fluky defect or a high intermittent drain situatuion going on. Remember he had a flare up awhile ago that spontainiously dissapeared I think. The only drain with this kind of potential that came to mind was the glow circuit. But it could be something else. Was not trying to discourage bad grounds as a possibility or anything else. He was just starting to get frustrated and had not really done anything definative in my opinion to truly divide up the problem yet. I am not a working or retired mechanic so do not have the feel that you aquire from working day to day on cars so I have to engineer tests to eliminate or prove what the fault is on a lot of occasions. Years ago got tired of doing things in repair proceedures that turned out to not be the fault or spending money to replace parts that were good before locating the actual problem especially electrical. This is kind of a hobby to me. I want to enjoy it. Just wish I knew more. Anyways again I was not trying to discourage anything as a possibility. You could be right and it's important for him not to get discouraged with the car. If I had some of the cars that have the smoking problem that nobody seems to be able to localise themselves even with a lot of effort on their part it would make me become discouraged as well. Even if he does not have a functional cigarette lighter socket he can run wires from any constantly on circuit to his meter even if they have to come from under the hood. To be fair his mechanic will probably locate the problem so it should be over.

JamesDean · #45 12-14-2005, 02:37 PM

before i took the car up to the mechanic's i tried to locate the chassis-engine ground but couldnt find it...there are only 3 grounds that i've added to the car...and they might be causing the problem im not sure...2 amps and the keyless entry system's ground.

I've had the amp ground installed since January and have had no problem until now....

I'll call my mech and see what he has determined....if he found it yet...

i appreciate the advice from all....

i am more frustrated with this calculus test i just killed.....gr

UPDATE: I just called the shop...they did every test they could think of multiple times....nothing...not a damn thing wrong....they dont suspect a ground issue...he suspected a device staying open longer than it should and drawing power....once i get the car back...im gonna check everything i / u guys point me to....

ME VS. MB ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THIS MEANS WAR....