Won't even fire intermittently, just turns over. Car ran great when parked a little less than 2 years ago. In the past, sometimes when it dropped below about 55 degrees, there would be a funny noise coming from below the pass side front floorboard but the car still ran fine. That noise is there now. Sounds like a noisy fuel pump but there isn't one there. Never have heard that noise in my 89 M-103 300E. Dropped 4 fresh gallons into it. The number "4" LED is lit up on the self diagnostic panel (this is a California car) but I didn't activate that (I don't know how to do that yet on these cars). I have the Stu Ritter Bible for the W-124 but I can't find it. I think I loaned it to someone. Given enough time (a month), I could troubleshoot this on my own using the info on GSXR's (Dave's) site but I'm under considerable pressure to move this car before Monday mourning (24 hours). This is the car we brought our first child home from the hospital in (not pertinent I know). Thanks to all who help. Regards, Eric

If it has sat for 2 years without being driven its going to take more than a day to get it going. The gas has all turned to varnish by now, possibly wrecking: Fuel pump, fuel distributor....injectors.....lines.....pressure regulator.....the list goes on. Its going to need some major work. Including probably having the fuel tank pulled and cleaned.

If you move it Monday, its going to be on a tow truck.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I appreciate your input but I respectfully disagree about the varnish issue. I've had many cars through the years including my 93 400E that have sat for extended periods without ruining the fuel system. The 400E sat from 8/05 till 6/07 with no ill effect. This 88 300E sat from 6/07 till now (remember, I said less than 2 years) My 89 300E, which was also parked in 6/07, fired right up and ran great when asked to do so at the end of last October. That's just 3 months and 1 week less time sitting than the 88 300E. No, this is something else.
Does anybody have an idea what that number "4" LED means? Again, thanks to all who help. Regards, Eric

Check the fuse on top of the OVP. OVP located in the area of the battery.
Fuse blown will give you the crank but no start symptom.

__________________
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...c/GOWIDE-1.jpg
1971 280SL ROADSTER
1988 300CE TWIN TURBO WIDEBODY
1994 E320 CABRIOLET
1999 C43 AMG
2005 G55K AMG
2008 CLK63 AMG BLACK SERIES

check your fuses etc, neutral safety switch, make sure starter is working and getting proper juice. I would clean out the fuel system and put some fresh gas in it.

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

The starter is cranking great and there are 4 fresh gallons of gas in the tank. I noticed you have a 2.6 with a stalling problem. When I was doing my search for info on my problem before I started this thread, I saw a few threads that addressed stalling issues on M-103s. Did you check them out? Regards, Eric

Thanks for the tip. Is this OVP behind or in front or beside the battery? What is the OVP? I know I'm probably looking right at it. Regards, Eric

OVP= over voltage protective relay.
Mounted to the right and slightly back from the battery.
Should be located with the Fuel Pump Relay and can have one or two fuses mounted on top of it.
Fuses sometimes blow when you try to jump start the car or even charging the battery.

__________________
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...c/GOWIDE-1.jpg
1971 280SL ROADSTER
1988 300CE TWIN TURBO WIDEBODY
1994 E320 CABRIOLET
1999 C43 AMG
2005 G55K AMG
2008 CLK63 AMG BLACK SERIES

Cliffmac,

Wrong! We actually moved it with a chain! Normally I don't give up this easy but I just ran out of time (the downpours didn't help) and I simply had to move the car. Actually, I haven't given up, I just have other things that must be tended to right now plus I'm leaving town again on Friday (yes, the 13th) for 2 weeks (business). Also, I want to take my 400E back to the strip when I get back so after that, maybe in about a month, I'll get back to work on this one and I'll be reporting back here with some answers.

G-man, You are right. I seem to remember reading somewhere that these CIS cars will run even if the ECU completely fails. You just lose the electronic control of the air/fuel ratio. So this car should be running! And it will be!


As the G-man can attest to, I generally don't leave threads hanging. As our Governator would say, "I'll be back". If anybody else thinks of something that hasn't already been thought of, please do post it! Thanks again to all of you! Regards, Eric

Is your air meter plate stuck?

-tp

Is that the plate over the throttle body? It's not stuck---it is funny you would mention that. It actually seems to me that there is not enough resistance---the plate seems to move too freely. How much resistance should there be? Maybe something has failed (a diaphragm? Maybe it got chewed?) If it's not getting sucked open when it should be, that would be the same as it being stuck closed. I need to check the one on the '89. I also need to watch how that plate is supposed to behave when starting/running. Thanks. Regards, Eric

The pressure when moving the air meter should come from it pushing on the plunger in the fuel distributor....if it moves too freely that means the plunger is jammed/stuck. Likely due to varnished gas....like I said before. Fuel distributors don't like sitting, its probably shot.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

THe air flap will have resistance when there is fuel pressure, but it dies away over time.
If you remove your fuel distributor completely, the flap becomes floppy, almost so that it moves under its own weight. But connect to car and turn on the ignition, it becomes much more resistant. The resistance doesn't seem to go away even if the car is left overnight etc.


I don't think you need any acceleration enrichment for the car to drive alright. No way it should stutter and completely bog down, but maybe a bit of bogging is 'acceptable' with an EHA not-functioning problem. Try disconnecting the EHA just to be sure the computer isn't making things worse instead of better.

I once had a major problem of idling but refusing to rev up, when I had put the OVP relay in wonky. It was misaligned by a couple of pins and it completely screwed the engine - luckily I figured it out but even with the relay being the only thing I changed before the problem, I was stumped for a bit. (that may be my stupidity though).

__________________
190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

Getting good spark and a bit of fresh fuel odor out the tail pipe. So I'm getting good fuel and good spark. This car should be running! What does that lit up LED by number 4 mean? Another thing that is odd is the fuel gauge still reads empty while the key is in the run position even though I put 4 gallons in---that should be 2 gallons above the reserve so it should show a little on the gauge.