Ongoing problem with this car (which I have only had for 3 months or so). Car starts fine, but if I don't gas it pretty hard - or if I drop it in gear too quick - the thing stalls on me. Car only has 59,000 miles on it, but over the past 5 years (prior to me getting the car), it probably was driven 500-1000 miles!

I've read thru all the threads I could find and injectors keep coming up, or possibly the fuel pump, fuel pump relay, or the OVP. Is it likely that the injectors could be fouled with only 59,000 miles on the car? Any other suggestions?

Once I get it started and running, it runs fine. Maybe some hesitation upon acceleration and a slightly rough idle occasionally, but it doesn't stall. Gas mileage isn't great though...

ryan

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RG Newell

1984 300D
1972 250
1986 560SL
1991 300CE

Could also be your fuel accumulator...I would have a shop test the fuel pressure after shutdown. It's likely bleeding off and making the car hard to start. I think this is probably THE most common issue with the Bosch CIS systems.

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Read this? #102 post hope it help...
'80 300se start,stall,start,stall,start,stall

Upon further review (it is NFL time), the car does this mainly when warm. I haven't noticed it on a cold, morning start-up. Does this sound more like the fuel accumulator?

ryan

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RG Newell

1984 300D
1972 250
1986 560SL
1991 300CE

When warm sounds like injectors leaking upon shut down. My 300E does this too, I am going to change out the injectors soon. Other cause could be the pump check valves....that will be my next step if the injectors don't help. In my case the car has 142k on it.....so the injectors could use replacing.

It does it warm because they leak down, then the car will "start" on that gas that dripped in, but the system de-pressurized, and then stalls because of a delay in the fuel supply.

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Thanks for the replies - bad injectors with less than 60K miles? I guess they just get old - regardless of how many miles on the car??? Makes sense that is the injectors - I just didn't really think about them being bad with that few miles on the car.

Thanks, R

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RG Newell

1984 300D
1972 250
1986 560SL
1991 300CE

RG, you may want to try adding Techron to the gas tank, or run some Chevron gas which has Techron added. It will remove deposits from the fuel system.

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Fred Hoelzle

I am currently on my second tank of Techron - and I'll see what happens. So far, It hasn't really helped - but as stated, I think I've isolated it to a warm start issue.

R

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RG Newell

1984 300D
1972 250
1986 560SL
1991 300CE

Those liquid medicine will not help for your engine at all. Anyway you should have to start from basic checking vacuum leak, fuel pressure,pump and check valve all sensors and some switch, cap,wire, plugs, rotor and coil, ect....and so on...
car won't fix itself anyway that's my 2 cents...

I had similar issues with my '89 300CE. The car only had about 60k miles as well when I had all the injectors, fuel accumulator and pressure regulator replaced. With age the injectors often leak down internally as others have said. The car could also be starved for fuel, in my case it was running too lean due to the faulty fuel pressure regulator. Additionally, it was not holding sufficient pressure after shutdown due to the defective fuel accumulator. It would often be hard to start when hot ie. long period of cranking and then stalling. After I had all these components replaced the car now runs very well and starts without a hiccup.

There is an easy way to rule out the injectors. Remove them all and take them to a diesel injection shop that has a gas injector testing machine. Look in your phone book for a diesel power shop or injection shop. They will test for spray pattern, flowrate, leaks, and cracking pressure. Then they will clean the injectors and run the test again. Costs about $25 per injector, at least around here it does (central People's Republik of Kalifornia). That will either confirm or rule out your injectors.

Those dudes aren't cheep - get them tested first. They might be OK. I took mine out of my M104 motor with 142,000 miles while I had the head off for other work, had them tested and cleaned, and they were spot on, and that after a lot of miles on a steady diet of AM-PM rotgut. Did the same with the injectors out of my Ford Exploder with 220,000 miles whiel I had the heads off it; they were all OK too. Me, I've not heard of very many fuel injectors themselves being a problem; it's usually some other component of the system. Pete

I contemplated having the injectors inspected or possibly rebuilt, but if you look at the price of a new injector and compare it to testing and rebuilding an old one you are better off replacing it. I don't know what the cost of an injector is for an M104 but for the M103 they are only around $40 each. I don't think they could be much more for an early series M104.

Right on. Yes you are probably money ahead in your case to just go with new ones. In my case, however, one new injector for my M104 is $83.17 from Fastlane, compared to $25 for cleaning, so for me there is some significant savings: $480-odd vs. $150.

Injectors for my '91 300CE run $24-$36 a piece (depending on where you shop) - so not much sense in doing anything other than replacing.

Which pressure regulator are we talking about going bad? EHA?

BTW, I have no problem starting the car generally - hot, warm or cold. The problem is really isolated to the stalling problem right AFTER starting up - unless I gas it.

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RG Newell

1984 300D
1972 250
1986 560SL
1991 300CE

Hot start problems point to Fuel accumulator.

Regarding injectors -- For M103 its better to replace with new rather than get it flow tested because the price is so negligible. They are relatively easy to replace as well. Definitely a DIY.

Only way to test fuel accumulator is by either a) getting a shop to check fuel pressure at distributor or by getting yourself a CIS fuel pressure tester and doing it yourself. Somebody around here may have one you can borrow maybe? Check the tools section. You can always buy a generic one and go on ebay to get the CIS adapter. That is the cheapest way.

Here's the PDF on DIY

Check upper chamber (5.3 bar) + lower chamber (- 0.4bar below upper), and pressure after 30mins shutoff ( >= 2.8 bar). Pressure after shutoff will indicate accumulator problems.

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