obscure electrical problem on my 82 300cd
 

The lovely daughter #4 has my cd in Muncie, going to Ball State. Last night she called and it won't start and when she tried after letting off the key the dash lights wouldn't go off.

I guess it had been acting up for a while but she never mentioned it because it always started....(duh!).

I suspect either a loose starter cable or bad solinoid.

Comments?

I would be considering the ignition switch. The dash lights should have no power when the switch is off.
I am not sure if they are controlled through a relay. If so the relay may be sticking. She needs to disconnect the battery & reconnect & see if that fixes the gremlin.
The no start sounds like the power to the GP controller is bad. Assuming it still cranked. This could also be the ignition switch.

Does she have a boy friend there who you can discuss the problem with?;)

I agree, it sounds like the electrical portion of the ignition switch failed. Sometimes the little keyway between the main ignition switch and the electric part fails so you have to replace both. Does the key feel "loose" like the spring return is disconnected?

She says it is loose and does not spring back as it should from the start position.

(As far as her boyfriend, I think talking to her is more productive in this case. She is pretty mechanical and he is not at all.;))

It does not crank, click or whistle (the whistle thing is a joke);)

Yup classic ignition switch failure.

So I need the electric portion of the ignition switch?

In all likelyhood the mechanical. Bring both just in case.

Yes, the likely failure is the connection between the mechanical and electrical pieces; it's a pretty flimsy metal keyway. You will probably need both parts. Once you remove it, you will be able to start the car by manually turning the electrical part. It might be easiest to just send her to the dealer.

Does the CD have the terminal block on the passenger side wheel well where you can jumper the starter solenoid? If so, have her jumper it when the ign switch is in the run position, to enable glow plugs and fuel. If it cranks, the ign switch is ng.

I am thinking of having the parts shipped to her house tomorrow and going over and putting it in myself. I can do that just sittiing in the seat right? I don't need the specail key tumbler? If I need that that will take a few days right? what tools do I need? anybody done it lately?

I did it a year or so ago. If the key still turns, you can remove the tumbler with a paper clip and unscrew the ring around the tumbler. To remove the ignition switch assembly, you need to remove the under dash and push the cluster out. The assembly has to be disconnected from the steering column by loosening a clamp and depressing a little pin. It's pretty tight under there, but I was able to do it in about 1/2 hour. Once the assembly is removed, you can unscrew the electrical part from the main part. It's pretty obvious when you are looking at it.

Assuming the tumbler is OK, you can reinstall it in the new assembly.

I would suggest doing more testing BEFORE replacing the elec ign switch. Put a voltmeter on the small wire of the pass wheel well terminal block (wire 2.5 VI). If you do not get 12V there when ign switch is turned to start, the starter lock out switch OR the ignition switch is no good. Next, put the voltmeter on the lockout switch (wire 2.5 VI/WT). If you do not get 12V there when ign switch is turned to start, then the (elec) ignition switch is no good.

You are not alone Tom. None of our four daughters attracted mechanical types. Or perhaps better explained as never getting their hands dirty when younger. Some have mechanical design capabilities though. Even engineering degrees in the mechanical engineering field.

If the key isnt turning back it is a mechanical failure not electrical...

All you need is a properly sized paper clip (the jumbo clips are just right), 10mm(?13mm) wrench/socket (it can be tight in there) and something to push the button in on the steering column. The kick panel has to be removed and pushing out the gauge cluster makes it much easier.

If as your daugter states the dash lights stay on with the key in the full off position odds are strong the key driven function is faulty.

How about electro mechanical?;)

Yeah, it's coming back to me. I have done it before. Reinstalling the ring at the end stymied me last time and I ended up using the car without it.;)

LOL, Yah, that outer ring can be a real puzzle, I did a tumbler last week on a friends 240.


I used the jumbo paper clip that I filed a bevel on, (in-gauges better)

I ordered the parts this afternoon. Phil is getting them shipped next day. So tomorrow the Lovely Mrs. W and I are heading over that way with my tools in the car.;)

starting the car and the cluster lights are not related. ign switch probably the problem. remove the ign sw and peen it back together and your problem should be solved.

I went through this not long ago. I got in the car at work and the key just spun. I was able to remove the tumbler, turn the switch on (with a pair of needle nose), then I removed the vacuum line to the shut off(on the IP) and jumped the terminal block to get it started and home.

My coworkers were amazed:cool:

Mine is a 126 but everything is the same except on the 123 I hear the pin to release the ignition housing is easier to access. No special tools required. Oh, and when you order the housing it comes with the electrical switch, so don't order both.

EDIT: Here is my thread:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/288915-2-month-old-tumbler-broke-today.html

Thanks everybody! Wish me luck tomorrow!

Good luck Tom !!
I promise to behave in OD while your gone !!! :D

Promises promises;)

Groannnnnn!

What a b!itch it is to work on!!!!!!!

The tumbler came apart in my hands and the plug in the back has seemingly come apart as well.


I believe I will need a tumbler now. I also wonder if the electrical switch is bad.

I think I will come back with a new tumbler next week.

You can drive it like that if you can remove the switch assembly and manually turn the electrical switch. The dealer can get the correct tumbler in a couple of days.

Anybody bought a 123 tumbler lately? How much are they roughly?

4
$48 is what I payed a couple weeks ago for the generic tumbler with two keys.

Is that keyed to the chassis number?

I bought a 126 vin matched tumbler that came with one key, I also ordered a spare key at the same time. Out the door was $74. This was about 5 months ago. Took about 4 days to come in.

keyed to your chassis so the key works in the door?

This whole scene came about when my lovely daughter lost the key to my 83 240/300 conversion. I took the chassis number and went to order a key but the insisted on seeing the title so i grabbed what I had marked in pencil as the ivory 240d and went and ordered the key. When she got the new key it would not work. So I figured the tumbler had gone badm, fixed the glow plugs on the 82 300cd last weekend loaded it up and hauled it to muncie, then loaded a non running 300d onto my trailer and brought it home.

so today with the 300cd down with a broken tumbler I decided to take the 240/300 out to my indie to sort the key/tumbler situation. In the process of figuring out which key it was from my 20 spares, I decided they must have sold me the wrong key. So I looked through my titles and discovered I have an extra title which is marked in pencil ivory 240d with sunroof. I found the correct title too and so I ordered a key for a car which I sold years ago and somehow still have a title for. (wonder which title I gave them along with the car?)

At the time of the title mixup I owned two ivory 240ds, one an 82 and an 83. I also owned at that time a maple yellow 83 240d and I believe the 82 300cd....so it is no wonder I got confused. I at one time discovered I had mixed up the little year stamps on the plates so that about three of my vehicles had illegal mixed numbers on the plates and stickers.;)

So on monday I will go order a new key for the 83 using the correct title!:o

Sure it is embarrassing but it is good that nothing else is wrong with the car!;)

No, unfortunately not.

Yes, keyed to my chassis. At my local dealership I was required to bring either the title or current registration paperwork. They ordered it and I had to go pick it up later in the week. They would not mail "security related parts" to me.

I have heard that other places are different though.

It's the same here.

Thanks for all the helpful posts!

LOL

It probably depends on the dealer. My local dealer ordered a spare W211 key for me based on just the sales paperwork and temporary registration for the car, long before I received the title or had it registered in my own state.

They would have taken the registration if I had it but that was in Muncie in the car and I was in Lafayette.

Too bad I managed somehow to end up with two titles for nearly identical cars.:eek: