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  #1  
Old 09-02-2002, 09:29 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 179
1981 w126/300sd starting problem

Battery is good, I get the glow, glow goes off, I turn the key...nothing.

This has happened before. The last time it happened I had taken the car to my brother's to drop something off. Left his house, got in the car, it wouldn't start. Well, this guy that lives down the road from where I was stopped by to see if he could help. He was a retired automechanic.

He troubleshooted the wiring from the positive lead, down to a little black box on the left side (as you're facing the car). From the box, some wires went to alternator, the rest went over to another black box on the right side behind the head light. It's got a diagram on top that looks like it says it has an 80amp fuse in it. I think this goes to the glow plugs.

Anyway, we rolled the car to his house, he had one of those srewdriver testers and he started to check here and there for continuity, I guess. After checking stuff out, he shorted a couple of wires in the black box on the left side, asked me to start it...and it started.

It's been running fine ever since. That was 3-4 months ago. Well, just the other day, it's parked, then it won't start the next day.

It's acting just like it was several months ago. Turn the key, it glows, wait for the glow light to go off, turn the key the rest of the way, nothing.

Any ideas what that guy might have shorted? I took that black box on the left apart, cleaned the connections, then put it back together. I wasn't able to unscrew the pair of wires on the far right of the box. It looked like it was connect to a wire right next to it via a copper strip. So I figure the guy shorted the blue wire in the middle or the pink wire to the far left.

Any other ideas? Is it "safe" to try and short those wires? Should I be looking some where else?

Thanks a bunch!

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1994 C280 204k miles
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  #2  
Old 09-02-2002, 09:40 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Evansville, Indiana
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There is a purple wire from the terminal block to the starter. Check for voltage here when the key is in the start position. If so, the solenoid on the starter is bad, and needs replacement.

If not, either the ignition switch is bad or the neutral safety switch is bad. If it starts in neutral but not park, it's the safety switch.

Peter
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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
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  #3  
Old 09-03-2002, 02:43 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SoCal
Posts: 84
Starting woes

Dwcasey:
I had a similar problem last year with my '82 300SD. Several times over the course of a 10 month period last year, my car wouldn't start after I had made an otherwise uneventful trip somewhere. I usually lifted the hood, and poked around, wiggling a wire here or there, and at some point within 10-15 minutes of poking and wiggling, it would start. (Certainly not a very scientific methodology for car repair!) I replaced the battery, the glow plugs and fuel filters, no help. I replaced the glow plug circuit wires and the fuel lines, no help. Finally, one day I was standing under the car looking at the starter, and I saw the ground wire that goes from the top of the starter to the frame about 18" away, and I thought WTH, so I unbolted the lead from the frame, and saw 20 years of corrosion looking back at me. I sanded the lead shiny, sanded a patch about 1" square on the frame, bolted it back together, coated everything with a few coats of rustproofing primer, and haven't had a problem since.( My only real source of corrosion is the water from the occasional car-wash with underbody spray). Hope this helps.

SteveKaa
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Old 09-03-2002, 09:00 AM
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Location: PA
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Skaa,

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't your problem that the starter didn't crank the engine?

I'm just wondering why you replaced so many parts IE. GP, fuel lines ETC. that have nothing to do with a non working starter problem? I mean how would fuel lines or filters have anything to do with an electrical problem?

However, your answer could be the solution to Dwcasey's problem.

P E H
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  #5  
Old 09-03-2002, 12:14 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Johnstown, Pennsylvania
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I think it may be your starter. When he touched the wires, did you hear the starter jump? My starter was bad and my car wouldn't do ****. I would hit the solenoid like I was going to jump it and then get in and hit the key. Just a thought.
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  #6  
Old 09-03-2002, 03:35 PM
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Location: NW Arkansas
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safety switch???

Thought the car was in P, but it wasn't all the way in. I moved the shifter back and forth once, put it in P and it started.

However, I don't know that this was the problem several months ago. So, I will keep an eye on all the connections and make sure they are all making good contact.

Is there a name for that little black box that the positive lead goes into and then gets split out from there?

Thanks for all the tips. I clean it up pretty good last night, but I'll hit is once more.
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  #7  
Old 09-03-2002, 03:38 PM
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Might want to check shift linkage bushings.
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  #8  
Old 09-05-2002, 01:31 AM
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Starting woes

P.E.Haiges:
I replaced all those electrical and fuel parts because most of them were coming up for replacement at the time, anyway, (I had about 268k at that time), and while I knew that in theory it was probably an electrical malfunction of some kind, I had also just found out that to get my A/C working, with all of its vacuum lines and actuators, what I really needed to do was to replace my ignition switch, which I did, and now the A/C works great! That one made me realize the difference between theory and practice on an MB is why local indies charge $65/hr to work their magic. Also, please note that with 900 more posts than me, most likely with the attendant knowlege base, that "obvious" to you may still be "Aha !" to me. But with time, this board, and a set of wrenches, I too may yet achieve senior status!

SteveKaa

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  #9  
Old 09-05-2002, 05:55 PM
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Skaa,

I've had MB Diesels since 1968. The first ones I had were cheapies because that was all I could afford at that time. So I got lots of practice fixing them. Since I got my Turbodiesels, I have had much less to repair.

I still do all the necessary repairs myself so its true some things that seem obvious to me, may be new problems to you. keep on repairing it yourself and reading here, and you will become a competent mechanic too.

P E H

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