Need help got stranded - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

yuke · #1 02-04-2015, 08:34 AM

I got an 85 300 SD that left me stranded at work this morning will not start totally dead. I have been having trouble last couple of weeks but today nothing worked to get it started. When I try to jump it at the junction box all is I get is a click in the gpr box. I tried banging on the starter that used to get it going now nothing. I just did put a rebuilt starter on it 2 days ago and when I 1st tried to start it was nothing just like now took the starter off bench tested it worked fine. Put it back on worked fine. Took it to work thinking all my problems were over when I went to leave totally dead but my headlights seem strong. I left it there and got a ride home as I did not have any tools with me and cold and snowy. Seems to me the problem is either in the starter or ignition switch. I guess if I make sure the starter is getting juice and has a ground if I jumper the big pole to the smaller wire held on by a screw it should turn over should'nt it? I hope I do'nt have to use AAA to get it home its 50 miles. Any ideas how to get it started its an automatic trans. I already did jump the nsw switch but I guess that was never my problem. This is really starting to peeve me off.

psaboic · #2 02-04-2015, 08:53 AM

Sounds like the new starter is bad, or at the very least hanging up. I would bite the bullet and have AAA tow it home where you can work on it......Good luck!

leathermang · #3 02-04-2015, 08:58 AM

Upgrade to the next level at AAA... I just changed from six miles to one hundred miles free towing for about Twenty Five dollars... single driver ...
The need is not restricted to our old cars... even newer cars have problems regularly these days...

TnBob · #4 02-04-2015, 09:01 AM

Check the grounds at the battery and the starter. Headlights are a good indication of a good ground someplace but good to confirm at the starter especially.
Hope you have one of those cheeepie harbor freight type multimeters

leathermang · #5 02-04-2015, 09:10 AM

The last time I had this problem of ' works, does not work randomly' it turned out to be the three little screws on the inside of the starter which hold the ' frame' which holds the carbon brushes against the armature. I was lucky enough to be at a hundred year old farming community shop which opened it up with me standing there looking over the counter at their work area..... and as soon as they opened it up they showed me the loose ' cage' ... I am sure it was the first time in its life it had been opened up... but the brushes were still ok ... as they are Massive to start with... they had an already rebuilt one which had not been picked up so I just bought that and brought the innards of the old one home with me....
So the fact that this happened immediately with the ' rebuilt ' one.... makes me suspect something was not addressed inside the unit when work was done on it... locktite should be used on those little screws if the unit is opened up.

yuke · #6 02-04-2015, 09:39 AM

I forgot to add that when I did turn key to 2nd position for glow plugs the gp light on dash only stayed on for about 5 seconds which it usually used to stay on about 10 sec. Before going out do not know if that means anything. I guess 1st Ill check if I have current at the junction box if I do I would think that if I jumped the 2 outer wires it should kick the starter over or next step go right to starter and start looking if there is current there or not and if so try jumping those poles. It is just that it is very hard to get at with out having car jacked up and wheel off. I might must have to use AAA and get it home I do have the 100 mile towing. This seems like another one those very tricky hard to figure out problems.

vstech · #7 02-04-2015, 11:48 AM

if battery voltage is right, and the voltage is making it to the battery with a good clean ground strap, then jumping the screws on the terminal block should spin the starter. if it does not, the starter is bad.

you need a volt meter grounded to the engine block, not the battery, then check for voltage at the battery or the starter terminal block WHILE YOU ARE CRANKING... if the voltage drops below 10, the battery or the ground strap is bad.

Maxbumpo · #8 02-04-2015, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

if battery voltage is right, and the voltage is making it to the battery with a good clean ground strap, then jumping the screws on the terminal block should spin the starter. if it does not, the starter is bad.

you need a volt meter grounded to the engine block, not the battery, then check for voltage at the battery or the starter terminal block WHILE YOU ARE CRANKING... if the voltage drops below 10, the battery or the ground strap is bad.

x2.

I recently had a starter solenoid go bad after a deep water incident. Shorting from the hot terminal on the starter to the solenoid connection would always make it start, but the voltage drop / current loss through the ignition key and the NSS made starting via key a hit or miss proposition. It would just click most of the time without engaging the starter.

yuke · #9 02-06-2015, 04:54 PM

Update I did have the car trucked home gonna start working on it tomorrow. Question how can I determine if the problem is in my ignition switch? I already have my nsw bypassed as at first I thought that was my problem. Evidently there is a poor connection somewhere. I am going to recheck all my grounds and current flow. Last week after I just got done installing the rebuilt starter I had same issue totally dead took the starter out bench tested it worked fine put it back in worked great for 2 starts took it to work and when trying to come home totally dead. Will start working on it tomorrow really want to get this problem behind me once and for all. Any and all ideas welcome.

vstech · #10 02-06-2015, 06:52 PM

If you are not getting starter function at the terminal strip... It's NOT THE IGNITION OR NSS.

Move on.

I am 99.999999999999% sure it is the ground strap under the car.

leathermang · #11 02-06-2015, 07:08 PM

John, how would the ground strap allow two good starts... then dead again ?
Why does no one suggest that my experience with random works... does not work...
and what I found inside my starter after that condition .... might be the logical cause... and suggest opening up the starter ?
Opening it is not easy.. but trying another starter could sure point to something wrong with the current starter itself....

SD Blue · #12 02-06-2015, 07:25 PM

My random starter problem was the ground strap as John mentioned. It was loose, and I'm assuming with vibration, it would sometimes start fine and next time not even a click. I too thought it was something with the starter and changed out two of them. (In the parking lot both times. Once in the rain and once in 100+ heat).

I'm not saying it can't be the starter but it is likely to be easier to check the ground straps first.

leathermang · #13 02-06-2015, 07:36 PM

Where EXACTLY is the ground strap yall are referring to...
he needs to clean and tighten that first....

vstech · #14 02-06-2015, 11:36 PM

Under the car. Bolted to one of the transmission to engine bolts will be a braided wire that connects to the body of the car.
The most common place is the transmission side, but either side being loose will do it.
Also, the negative cable from the battery to the body needs to be checked. Take off the bolt, wire brush the body, and the cable, then put it back, tight.

vstech · #15 02-06-2015, 11:38 PM

As mentioned before, if you take a battery jumper cable and connect from the negative battery terminal, to the engine the problem should go away