I have a 1993 300e that won't start. Here are the symptoms:

1. When I go to turn the switch, there is no sound coming from the starter.
2. The radio will turn on, but I will get no sound from the speakers, and the automatic antennae does not turn on, or rise up.
3. Everything else works fine

So I hot wired the car, connecting power to the solenoid, and added a push button to start the car.

What do you think is causing this problem. I had this same problem in July, and it went away for 3 months, and it is Minnesota, so not a good problem to have......thanks....

Sounds like a bad relay, but could easily be wiring harness problems.

Folks - isn't this one of the models with the "biodegradable wiring harness"?

First, try N ..if No.............
To the left of the brake master reservoir is a 3 wire plug connector on the engine firewall.
Bring 12 V pos from battery to the center terminal w/jumper wire.
Make sure you are in N or P.

Does that crank the engine?

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A Dalton

Dumb question, but is the battery fully charged?

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did you check your neutral safety switch?

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

Another dumb question. Is the groound cable to battery ground connection clean? Milt.

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Milterino
76 450 S.E.L.

Check the fuses, I believe this car has the #5 fuse that powers the starter lockout relay. Fuse bad, no start.

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90 300TE 4-M
Turbo 103, T3/T04E 50 trim
T04B cover .60 AR
Stage 3 turbine .63 AR
A2W I/C, 40 LB/HR
MS2E, 60-2 Direct Coil Control
3" Exh, AEM W/B O2
Underdrive Alt. and P/S Pulleys,
Vented Rear Discs, .034 Booster.
3.07 diffs 1st Gear Start

90 300CE 104.980
Milled & ported head, 10.3:1 compression
197° intake cam w/20° advancer
Tuned CIS ECU
4° ignition advance
PCS TCM2000, built 722.6
600W networked suction fan
Sportline sway bars
V8 rear subframe, Quaife ATB 3.06 diff

I supplied power to the middle connection and the started cranked up fine. I checked all the fuses, and they look good, and the battery connection is fine. How do I check the neutral safety switch, where is that?... Thanks....Doug

At least I can now hot wire the car to the 3 wire plug, versus what I originally did was to supply power to the solenoid. I was always worried that the aligator clip would fall off of the solenoid.....

OK
That is the test connector X27 that I use to find out if the problem is upstream/downstream from that point...saves a lot of time..
So, you now know bat/sol/starter/etc are verified as good and you now know where to jumper to start if you ever get stuck..
The next trick is to hold the key over to start position w/left hand while at the same time move the shift lever back/forth around N...if it starts . you need a NSS..on the left side of tranny.
If still NO, then the suspect is the K38 relay circuit.
Double check fuse 5

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A Dalton

Thanks, will do...... (will do tomorrow, when it warms up to 35).....

Okay, I tried shifting the transmission back and forth around Neutral, and the car won't start.

So how do I go about testing the K38 relay, according to ALL data, the relay is somewhere behind the instrument panel..

Thanks......

That is where it is ..

..Did you verify the fuse 5 feed first??? You have to test BOTH sides of the fuse to ground.
And NSS "N" test does not verfiy the NSS as being OK. The test for NSS is to jumper it at the X/92 plug [ near gas pedal] v/gn and v/wt ..terminals 3 and 4.
The k38 jumper is relay term. 30 and 87. [ plug term. 3 and 1]

Archieves has all that info.........

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A Dalton