Hi, guys (I think i can safely say it's mostly testosterone-driven here!!)!

I picked up a SWEEEEEEET 1990 420sel a few weeks ago.

This beast is champagne outside, chocolate brown inside and in IMMACULATE condition...from the leather to the absence of dings and dents on the body.

I paid $1570 cash for it.
The guy said "he had traded his father-in-law a mattress and bedroom set for it".

Uh-huh. Right.

124K on the odometer.
He even filled up the tank with premium when we swapped cash/car.

I was going mad in a Ford Exploder (not my choice) and thought, who wouldn't?

1. The Blaupunkt (plug and pull) doesn't work, but the wiring behind has a positive charge.
2. Sunroof doesn't seem to work.
3. Cruise control doesn't seem to work.
4. Alarm doesn't seem to work.
5. Idles excessively high, i.e., i can literally coast through the residential areas without having to press the gas pedal...90% of the time the read-out is "Economy".
6. Turns over great, but the fuel just didn't seem to be getting fired correctly.
7. Worse on colder days. I've noted that if it was 100 outside, started up pretty fast. If it's less than 85, I've got to make 6 or more tries. If it's less than 70, it takes 10-12 tries.
8. Changed all spark plugs. That made the eventual ride smoother. It still didn't address initial start-up.
9. I removed the air filter and it started up right away and still idles high.

I bet this is a 20-second answer. It is an hour-long diatribe for me! LOL.

Thanks.
k

I think you paid too much for it.

You need to check the cold start valve operation. Rig up a test light to the CSV connector to see if it lights up when you try to start it when it's cold. The CSV is controlled by the fuel pump relay. Begin your search there. I had the same starting problem and made my own mod. I'll post a pic this weekend when I'm back home.

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

How about the OVP. A bad OVP can cause hard starts and way high idle.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

that it's colder, removing the air filter, shoving a heavy 1" diameter, 6" long bottle filled with liquid and resting it on top of the air inlet so as to get a little air in doesn't work any more.

now the economy fuel gauge sits 100% to the red right.
without even attempting to start it or putting a key in.

only after 2 people trying to getting it started various ways, and, then it does start, will the gauge move 100% to the black left.

Overhaus Motors in Dallas says it doesn't sound fuel-related particularly, rather, some sort of air intake issue.

i'm thinking a vacuum issue?

when it DOES start after many tries, quite a bit of dirty exhaust comes out back.

thank you guys for responding.
:_
kaye

when the car is off the economy gauge will be in the red as there is no vacuum. Since you are in dallas take it to David Poole at European Performance.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

Thanks to you good fellas, I took off the air filter and intake cover, and just sprayed some intake fluid (which somewhere i read is good to check for vacuum hose leaks), and, voila, it started right up.

I'm sure that's a cheat to get me by and that's all I need for now.

I just didn't want to burn out a starter from so much unproductive cranking. This was recommended as a short fix until I can get the vacuum hoses looked at in a few days.

Thank you for the Dallas referral for reliable repair.

Your explanations and suggestions made even this girl who just came back from the beauty salon able to get to work enough to pay the mechanic I see in my near future.

I want to get my own manual (hard copy) so I can dog-ear it. You can't do that with a DVD or CD.

Much thanks to all of you who wrote me back.

Looks like I'll be able to make another dollar tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.


Kaye

Today.
Went out to check it out.
Ran perfectly at 7p last night and by 5a, the mojo went away.

Same problem.
Gauge is in the red.

Looks like intake or starting fluid is all that will ever get it going.
And, 2 people.

Wish I could understand the vacuum hoses enough to do it myself.

So, the shop on Monday.


Thanks anyway, guys.

K

I'm not sold on it being a vacuum problem. That you're able to start it cold with starting fluid is a pretty good indication that it's not getting enough fuel. Read back in the thread and investigate the cold start injector.

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1989 300 SEL that mostly works, but needs TLC

Took it a trusted, yet mainstream (as in, their people having been going to our Church forever and prefer American as opposed to German mindset), put it up on the rack.

They explained my high-idle (2000 rpm on most days) as someone having previously set it high to compensate (read, over-compensate) for a too-rich fuel mixture for a busted fuel injection assembly; throttle and fuel-injector.

Their recommendation? The European guru previously recommended in the earlier thread.

Purr-fect. So, after running it from 9:30a to 10:3a at the client's office, then going out there to restart it and run it around for 5 minutes to reset the temperature gauge to 81 C, then leaving at 11:15 (starting fine), driving at 1p to the mechanic and that was their conclusion.

After 1:30p, I noticed it was not wanting to start again. I had "intake sprayed" it at 7:30a this morning.

I guess after 6 hours it needs another infusion.
I asked this American mechanic does it hurt to keep methadoning it with "intake spray".

He said, "Guess not so much. But gotta get it fixed."

Their conclusion? Purchase the whole Fuel Injection with the 5" hole-pump thing".

$500 parts.
Who knows how much labor.

I'm okay with that.
I will have to ask the mechanic, if he is germanically-inspired...if he has grown tired of frau blondes.

Will post when he has time to answer.
Which would be a non-answer.

Ciao,
Kaye

Took it to Tony Choma, Manager at Overseas Service Haus on Preston/Frankford.

1. Idle Control Unit to be replaced.
2. Valve Gasket Seal to be replaced.
3. Noticed leaking Fuel Injector - replace.
4. Fuse for Relay (fuel relay switch i think) was blown - replace.

$900 and change.

So, not too bad.
Though I had just replaced the spark plugs myself, they were already fouled out due to the bad fuel mixture.

He said to drive it around to see if that will clean out the fouling. If not, I'll replace the plugs again.

Thanks for the nice advice.
Men are wonderful...

k

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... sie hat einige Junk in ihrem Stamm ...