Hi,

My 300TE has a weird problem that I have never experienced before. Right after I start it, and begin backing out of a parking spot, the car completely dies, like electrical and everything, its just stone dead. It cranks back up right away though. Also, if it doesnt stall it does die briefly, the radio dies, all electrical dies, then it catches itself and starts running again.

I replaced the OVP, which didnt help, and this really doesnt seem to be fuel related. Last night it died out while I was cranking the engine, and I had no power at all for like 10 minutes. Really bizzare.

ANyone experience anything similar? I have done a search but I dont think this is sudden stalling syndrome - type behavior.

Get a wirting diagram and follow power flow. The start would be clean tight battery cables. There is a junction block off the battery that would be next on my list. Grab the cables and wiggle while running. Other than a staged voltage drop test you will only find this by observation.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

thanks Steve, I appreciate it.

Hi,
This hapenned to me with my wagon. It was sporadic and unpatterned. The problem was a loose ground wire. It wasn't the battery ground but one related to the transmission. apparently a common problem as I learned of it here or on another forum. I don't wish to diclose the embarrassingly large sum of HE (hard earned) cash my very well-off, former and inept mechanic realised chasing this month by month. I should add that he is a graduate of MB training. Another mechanic fixed it in 15 minutes. I'm sure this is your problem.

Thanks Bill. It does seem like a short or a ground problem. I am going to trace the whole system and look for loose cables, and hopefully I will find a glaring problem.

A easy test for bad grounds is to take a jumper cable and go from the bat neg to both a chassis ground and an engine ground when the condition presents ..

If that works , you know it is a poor ground.

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A Dalton

I Would try a Spare Electrical Portion of the Ignition Switch
easy to try...seen a few do this

if it is defective do the tumbler as well

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