88 300E M-103 auto. turns over, won't start... - Page 5 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

gsxr · #61 07-13-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 400Eric

So I guess the stuff from Big Lots/99cent store/Dollar Tree might not do it? Oh darn.

LOL! You never know... it's worth a try. I'd use it at the highest recommended dosage, probably a bottle per 5 or 10 gallons, and see what happens. They often say to add to a tank, and many smaller cars have 10-12 gallon tanks, so you can estimate from there...

cliffmac · #62 07-13-2009, 11:16 PM

nope, it's called varnishing as I said many pages ago...your injectors and possibly other components are laquered shut tight....fuel left unmoved for a long period of time will created a varnish....and no amount of fresh fuel and/or additives and so forth will clear this condition....nope...just won't...go ahead and try but it won't work. This would be very expensive to fix....

400Eric · #63 07-24-2009, 07:57 AM

Well I have to try the cheap fixes first... that's what one always has to do.
I'm still juggling too many things right now but I will try to get back on this and then report when I have news.
Regards, Eric

corker57 · #64 07-24-2009, 06:19 PM

I had the same problem with a 300E 2 years ago. It is/was the crankshaft postion sensor. If you have tried everything else, this is most likely what it is. Oracle12345 gave you a page to check it out.

400Eric · #65 08-08-2009, 10:17 PM

A little cross pollination is in order here. 1990 MB 300E Stalling - Had been stored 1 year prior...Please help!

The only new news for now is that I moved the car to our new digs under it's own power. Still doesn't want to accelerate quickly...only slowly. Don't know if it still needs ether to start cause I used it anyway as I didn't have the time or the battery reserve to take any chances. Runs fine other than that. I will get back on this when I can.

Even in a razor sharp state of tune, these M-103 cars aren't that fast, they aren't that economical, and they are difficult to get past the stringent Calif. smog tests. But I sure do love them. It was nice to drive the old girl again. Regards, Eric

400Eric · #66 10-13-2009, 04:07 AM

I haven't been on the forums much lately and I haven't finished addressing this issue yet with this car. Just been too busy. But now the other M-103 (the 89) is starting to exhibit the same symptoms so I think we can rule out "sitting too long" related stuff as the 89 is seeing regular usage. Whatever it is with the 89, it seems to be going bad rather quickly if that helps any. Is this the EHA? Or has the 89 caught the same virus that the 88 has?
Regards, Eric

400Eric · #67 10-17-2009, 07:01 PM

Well it seems that the 89 just got a bad tank of gas, nothing more. Now that we are on a new tankful, the problems seem to have gone away as quickly as they surfaced and now every thing is back to normal. Word to the wise: not all Circle Ks have "76" gas. Some are selling off brand crap. Look closely and make sure your Circle K has some "76" signs/emblems posted! "76" is a "top
tier" gas!
The 88 is still as it was. Just need more time and to drive it more.
Regards, Eric

400Eric · #68 07-03-2010, 09:57 AM

Back in January of this year I posted this info on another thread (http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/267426-very-bad-running-300e-post2396685.html#post2396685) to help the OP out but I forgot to update this thread! I'm sorry. Anyway, This is what I said over there: "Check the sockets of the OVP relay plug too. I just found out that my 88 300E has one of it's sockets recessed within that plug which may be what was wrong with it. When I get the time, I'm gonna fix it, start it and see if the car runs better. I'll need to post an update on that car's old thread too.

In February I also helped another board member out on his thread: (OVP help,, simple question) Where I said this: "I'm sorry, I don't have time to read this whole thread so if this idea has already been shared, again, sorry. On my 88 300E, one of the sockets within the plug for the OVP had gotten very recessed and was no longer making contact. Check all of the sockets within the OVP plug." But yet I still forgot to update this old thread. I feel really bad about it too as I absolutely hate it when people don't post the resolution to their problem so we all can learn from it and here I'm guilty of it myself as I didn't completely bring this thread to a close. Again, I'm sorry. In my own defense though it was partially because I wanted to live with the car for a while and be sure it was truly "cured" before I came back here and declared it so. Time passed though and it got forgotten.

Fixing that pin fixed the car! That and just driving it which helped a lot too as it had gotten a bit "off" with all of this. In other words, it just needed to find it's legs again. So all is well again!

I think that pin was just barely connecting since before I owned the car but when all that wet weather hit and then the fact that it had been sitting for a while combined to finish that connection off.

In the interest of full disclosure I do have to admit that I also did drain all the old gas out because by this point the gas had gotten a bit older and I didn't want it to become a factor. (I still don't think it was a factor way back when I started this thread because, again, it wasn't really any older than the gas that was in the 89 at that point.) It is true that by this point though, the gas was getting kinda funky looking and funky smelling!

Closure!!!
Regards, Eric