92 500SL won't start, starter doesn't turn

[carldowning]

This isn't a new problem, battery is good everything lights up,just no cranking. The car did this for a week or so then started fine for a month. Now nothing. Tried starting in neutral and moving through the gears to test the Neutral safety switch, moved the steering column up and down to see if ignition switch was shorting, both did not produce any results. How can I logically track the power to the starter and how do you access the starter if need be? Thanks

[tecqboy]

You obviously did a forum search and tried all the easy stuff. You can use a volt meter to check for 12v at the starter terminal ( the smaller connection )while a buddy turns the key. There is also a seperate heavy red cable which runs from the battery to the starter. Check it as well. Starter motors and solenoids do fail as would be indicated by getting 12v here but no action. Also, check the negative battery cable in the trunk which goes to the frame ( ground ). This cable sometimes gets corroded at the frame bolt. Sometimes these cables look OK on the outside, but if you peal back a little insulation, you find them completely corroded inside.

[tedsl50091]

I seem to be having a similar problem with my 1991 SL500.....absolutely dead when I turn the ignition....at some point the instrument panel will light up but then die immediately...it happened once last summer but then started up after about 30 minutes......

Anybody had this problem?

Thx

[tecqboy]

Ted: The ignition switch in the 129's is notorius for your problem. Sometimes moving the column up / down in out may help. But if you do a forum search, you'll find loads of info on the problem and even instructions on how you can replace the switch yourself. I believe there may even be a wiki and videos.