Electrical gremlin, possible bad starter, help! - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

84300DT · #16 07-19-2002, 09:57 PM

rick, my wif drove my car a couple of days ago and lo and behold
electrical stuff was haywire .. right pass window didn't work and all dash lights + tailights were gonzo.!!

what is it with these gals??
of course all is well now after i repaired everything but i'm very reluctant to give her the key again

rickjordan · #17 07-19-2002, 10:49 PM

Well all was well with my starting problem until this afternoon. I started the car and she kicked over with no problem, BUT there was this load whinning noise. At first I figured it was the electric fan, since I had the A/C going. However, I kept hearing it going down the road. I shut the a/c off and still I heard this "fan" sound. I pulled into a parking lot about 2 miles from my house, open the hood and the fan wasn't running. I shut the car off, and the sound kept going. I immediately relized it was the starter, still running. Using the MB tool kit, I removed the neg. terminal off the battery. So, the car sits until I can get it towed to my mechanic on Monday. To make things more interesting, is that my front windows were down and it was due to rain. Well, after calling my mechanic he told me of a way to put the windows up. BTW when I had tried to put the neg. cable back on, it started to arc weld it'self. Anyways, he told me to remove the pos. cable, reconnect the neg., run a piece of wire from the pos. post to the fuse for the windows and they'll go up. Well, his trick worked and it did indeed rain pretty good here.
So, all along it was my starter starting to go, and go it did. I don't believe I damaged the flywheel because I didn't hear any grinding at anytime, but the starter sure was screaming. I just hope there is something left of the battery to recharge.

84300DT · #18 07-20-2002, 06:32 AM

rick, wow your episode reads like a nightmare, glad you were in a place you could park safely and quickly. guess it could be worse though all in all.
thanks for sharing so we all know what to do and not to do when hearing that sound.
Bob

mbz300cd · #19 07-20-2002, 01:58 PM

It sounds as though the solenoid failed, perhaps arched and welded itself together so it would not stop cranking? I've had this happen on Chevy's.
I haven't seen any Solenoid's at the various parts site's, just complete starters. So is there a "BEST PRICE" for a starter somewhere?

rickjordan · #20 07-21-2002, 12:48 AM

A "nightmare" would of been it happening on our way to Walt Disney World. The starter was giving me this problem just before we left for Orlando. I thought it was the neutral safety switch because the car seemed to start when I would take the car out of park and put it back in. In hignsight, obviously it was just a quincedence (sp). There were a few times on the way down that it took me 4-6 turns of the key to get her started. So a REAL nightmare would of been this happening in the middle of the trip. Round trip we traveled about 2200 miles, stopping every 2-3 hours for restrooms/lunch/diesel.

84300DT · #21 07-21-2002, 06:17 AM

yes you should be given a high mileage special mickey badge for going to Disney world! fwiw my clicking problem started as well on the old I-95 going to Fla as well,after a long run of say 2-300 miles.
guess i'll be ordering that new starter soon too...

rickjordan · #22 07-21-2002, 03:09 PM

For what is cost for a new starter, I would definetly make sure that is the problem. Being it that a starter problem can up and strand you at any time, any where, it's not something you want to ignore. Again for me in hignsight, I took a big risk. Though I thought all along it was a neutral safety switch problem. Now of course I know different. The next time something like this comes up, I will definetly look into it more before taking a long trip, or hell even a local trip.

#23 07-22-2002, 02:29 PM

On my new 300CD...problem started this past (very hot) weekend, won't crank over until the second or third cycle of the glowplugs.

Dropping it off at the garage, along with a printout of these posts.

Let me know what they say about yours...I'll post what the problem with mine turns out to be.

#24 07-22-2002, 10:55 PM

I had the same problem on my '85 300SD (139k). I would have to cycle the starter many times to get it started but it only happened in cold weather (30's or below). I removed the solenoid and cleaned the cylinder and piston and oiled them and reinstalled it, that was two years ago and haven't had the problem since.

mbz300cd · #25 07-26-2002, 09:41 PM

Drove home from work, 40 Miles, stopped at the store, when I came out IT WOULD NOT CRANK. Called the Wife, She came in about 15 minutes, we ran some errands, came back to the car, about 40 minutes latter, time for it to cool off, IT STARTED RIGHT UP. Go figure. I hope that JIM B+ let's us know what "THE SHOP" ends up doing. I will pull the starter this weekend and do the maintenance on it. I'd hate to spend all that money on a starter without being sure.

84300DT · #26 07-27-2002, 08:01 PM

drove the car a bit today... 450 miles

- 2 shutoffs - all highway miles. started up 1st crack both times. must say though the ambient temps were in the 70s.....

piccolovic · #27 07-27-2002, 10:39 PM

I have not had this problem with my MB 190D, however, I ran two motor pools and a gas station repair shop. In general, what you described is a starter on the decline. They start to draw (or need) more amperage going thru them as they wear and get older. I have experienced this same problems with the Taxi fleet of Chevys and Fords, army motor pool vehicles (both GM and Ford vintages) and in the gas station. They all start out with the symptoms you described, but eventually, one day (usually after it rains!!!) the car won't turn over at all. I don't know how rebuildable MB starters are for the home mechanic, but you may want to look at alternatives to replacement for the future. . . . sorry about the bad news, but I'm sure you'd rather take care of it before it dies. . . . Vicki

mbz300cd · #28 07-29-2002, 03:12 PM

OK, so I'm checking out the starter, and it's already a re-built bosch unit. I take the part # and look it up @ Fast Lane. Guess what.

The starter I have is a LIGHT duty unit for a NON Turbo. It comes up as a starter for an 80', mine is a 1984 TURBO. I had planned on servicing this one but... I ordered a rebuilt CORRECT unit from fastlane, s/b here in a couple of days. Hopefully this WILL be the end of my saga.

84300DT · #29 07-29-2002, 03:22 PM

was at the food store yesterday and saw the roadside assistance ml320 next to a grey mb 190. it left so after coming out of the store asked the lady if the roadside assistance
guy told her why the car would not start - she says yes he said it was a bad starter and will have to be towed and replace the starter.
anyhow it was a '86 190 gasser automatic with 68000 miles! got in and turned the key and sure enuf - just a click

tried all my usual tricks to no avail so had to tell the lady the mb
guy was prolly right she needed a new starter.

dieseldaddy · #30 07-30-2002, 09:24 AM

Wow! Sounds like a conspiracy to me...so many people with the same problems?!

I had the same thing for MONTHS with my 1981 300TDT. Could be driving for 50 miles, turn the car off...15 minutes later NOTHING. Just the *click*. I, too, would try to shift in and out of Park with intermittant success. I also totally thought it was a loose wire under the dash. Again, sometimes it was successful.

FINALLY, after a complete battery drain WHILE DRIVING, I swore it was the alternator or at least the Voltage Regulator.

Nope, turned out to be .89 cent battery connectors for the Positive terminal was bad. The wires in the connector could be turned by hand and were REALLY corroded. I cut them off and reconnected with the new "part" and BOOM! have not had a problem since. Also, my lights, wipers and BUZZERS (I thought they were dying) work 200% better than they did b4. My be just a coincedence, but my antennae actually goes all the way down now too...

Just goes to show you; ALWAYS CHECK THE SIMPLE/CHEAP THINGS FIRST!

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