problem with damp starting and running issues is a cracked distributor cap. May be very hard to see. Look carefully and also look for carbon tracking inside the cap.

I think I have a solid state electronic ignition, but if there is a distributor cap -- where is it on the car? I know there are several electronic modules just behind the battery, but which one controls the spark -- The Engine control module, or another one?

Thanks for the help ..... Ben Carter

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Ben Harrison Carter
1999 Mercedes ML320 87K
1992 Mercedes 300CE 89K
1995 Corvette 29K -- Sold Dec 09
1989 Mercedes 420SEL 99K -- (Sold 4/08)
1968 Mercedes 230S (106K) (Sold 9/06))
1976 Mercedes 450SEL 130K (Just sold - 06)
1961 Mercedes 220Sb (sold years ago)

All 103 engines have distributors. The distributor is at the front of the engine behind a black plastic cover. Very easy to replace. The KE Jetronic fuel injection control is one of the boxes you see behind the battery. The EZL ignition control is a flat module on the driver wheelhouse. The ignition timing is controlled electronically via this module. That's the only "solid state" part of the ignition system.

This is my quandary; I cannot figure out where the electronic ignition element or module is.

My engine on the 92 300CE is a dual OH cam engine and may have a totally different ignition system from the 103 engine.

Where is the distributor on the 104? or where is the electronic ignition module?

Thanks for all the help ..... Ben Carter

__________________
Ben Harrison Carter
1999 Mercedes ML320 87K
1992 Mercedes 300CE 89K
1995 Corvette 29K -- Sold Dec 09
1989 Mercedes 420SEL 99K -- (Sold 4/08)
1968 Mercedes 230S (106K) (Sold 9/06))
1976 Mercedes 450SEL 130K (Just sold - 06)
1961 Mercedes 220Sb (sold years ago)

In the case of engine 104.980, the distributor is on the exhaust camshaft. The early 104 engines used distributors and KE fuel injection until HFM and LH Jetronic came out, at which point the ignition went to coil packs. The EZL module, as far as I know, is still mounted on the driver wheelhouse like on the 103.

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2002 E320 T-sedan (210.282) 219K
1994 E320 (124.032) 252K (dearly departed in hit & run)
1988 260E (124.026) 301K (sold)

Where is the Distributor physically, looking down on the engine (104) looking at it from the front ?? I have no idea where the exhaust cam shaft is on that engine and need a better locational instruction to find it. The engine does not have coil packs like my ML320.

I need more specific help to locate this module, or the electronic ignition module if there is one. Thanks again.

Ben Carter

__________________
Ben Harrison Carter
1999 Mercedes ML320 87K
1992 Mercedes 300CE 89K
1995 Corvette 29K -- Sold Dec 09
1989 Mercedes 420SEL 99K -- (Sold 4/08)
1968 Mercedes 230S (106K) (Sold 9/06))
1976 Mercedes 450SEL 130K (Just sold - 06)
1961 Mercedes 220Sb (sold years ago)

The exhaust camshaft is on the left side of the engine, the side with the exhaust manifolds. The distributor is covered by a black plastic cover at the front of the engine, between the engine and the fan. The exhaust camshaft drives the rotor on the distributor. See the attached PDF for the location of the EZL module N1/3.

Attached Files

relay_control-6.pdf (663.0 KB, 200 views)

__________________
2002 E320 T-sedan (210.282) 219K
1994 E320 (124.032) 252K (dearly departed in hit & run)
1988 260E (124.026) 301K (sold)