Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Tech Help

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 04-01-2006, 03:04 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Jersey Boy
Posts: 23
380SL Sputters & losses power. Restart solves problem.

Hi All:

Thanks in advance to any help with this oddball problem. I recently bought an 83 380SL. It has the double roller conversion and 88,000 miles. Cherry car... except: After about 45 minutes of highway driving, it begins to sputter and jerk (kinda' lunges) and lose power - acts like a fuel starvation problem. It happens sooner if the car has been "pushed" like driving on hilly terrain. It also happened more frequently and sooner these past few days as the temps have risen in the northeast leading me to believe I'm in for a lousy summer driving experience. Thing is... if I pull over, stop the engine and restart, it all goes away... almost like something is "resetting". Everything goes back to normal only to return again a while later. Everything else is normal and the car drives as new otherwise. I alternate adding a can of Ventil Sauber and Jectron once a month. Within the last 3,000 miles, the tank has been dropped, flushed and cleaned, it has new fuel filters, air filters, wires, distributor cap, and brand new injectors. Any ideas? Thanks!

Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 04-02-2006, 05:07 PM
GSMITH's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Palm Bay, Florida
Posts: 152
Gas Cap?

Try driving it with the gas cap loose or off. If the tank vent is plugged you will get a vacuum build up in the tank that the fuel pump can not overcome.
If that cures the problem look for a blockage in the vent system.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 09-22-2006, 07:46 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Jersey Boy
Posts: 23
I thought of that and tried it - - nothing.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 09-23-2006, 08:43 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Jersey Boy
Posts: 23
Here's an interesting discovery in my problem: The stalling, sputtering no power problem completely disappears when I fill up the tank. As long as the tank is more than 1/4 full, I'm OK - runs like a dream. At about 1/4 it starts happenning infrequently but then as the gas level in the tank continues to drop, it gets really bad.

Now I know there is supposed to be a certain amount of tank vacuum produced by these MB closed systems. Every other car I have ever owned makes a "whoosh" sound when I open the gas cap - this car - nothing at all. When I got it, it had a generic vented gas cap. Now since I know MB isn't vented, I replaced it with the correct non-vented MB cap. Did I make the problem worse by doing that? Also, assuming this tank vacuum / gas level clue is meaningful, what does this tell me? Have I stumbled upon something here or is this ongoing intermittent fuel starvation issue finally driven me crazy?
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 09-26-2006, 05:30 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Jersey Boy
Posts: 23
I've now confirmed that the fuel level is a direct clue on the problem. Three times since my last post I got the problem to start and become chronic as the gas ran down only to disappear when I re-filled the tank. I also tried using the old vented gas cap and using no cap at all and neither one had any effect. And no matter what the situation or circumstances, I NEVER hear a sound when I remove the gas cap.

It's difficult for me to explain this as an ignition problem anymore. I'm also not sure how the FPR impacts this anymore either, but I'd like to make sure by getting the problem to manifest itself and then jumpering the relay. What pins do I jumper to test the FPR once and for all?

Assuming the FPR checks out OK and that the FP and filter are new, where do we go? FP check valve, FT vent valve, accumulator, screen, damper, warmup (control pressure) regulator, fuel distibutor?

If this weren't such a PIA, I might actually be fun!

Thank you all for your excellent suggestions, time, and interest in my problem.
Ray

Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:35 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page