280CE Died While Driving, Now Won't Start - Need HELP Quick!
 

I was driving my '78 280CE this evening, going about 55 or 60 mph up a hill, temp a little higher because of the hill, all else normal, when it just suddenly quit on me. it felt like the gas pedal was no longer affecting the engine. it started slowing down and as i pulled off the road everything quit on me and it locked up.

the lights, windows, sunroof, and radio all work. all fuses are intact. the fuel pump whirs and hums. i tried getting spark from a wire to a ground though a screwdriver but i didn't see anything. don't know if it was lack of spark or lack of good technique and/or tools. the car cranks just fine, does not sound like a starter issue. all linkages are intact and move as they should. topped off the tank but still no go. she's got new oil and filter, new air filter, old fuel filter (was replacing it this weekend), old trans filter.

anyone have any ideas as to what could be wrong? can someone list some things to try, i need all the help i can get. thanks!!

I would say start with the fuel filter, maybe it clogged up. Also, this is an M110 car but is fuel injected right? I believe it is a mechanical fuel pump. Make sure it is pumping fuel to the injectors. Try starter fluid at the intake plenum to see if it will start using that stuff.

mechanic drove out to it and checked things out. he's convinced it's the pick up assembly in the distributor or the ignition control module after some testing. how likely are these things? ordered the pick up, will be here on wednesday, hopefully that does it. if not, i've got a possible WTB posted in the classifieds for a ignition control module out of a junker (no junk yards in upstate NY). anyone have any leads on that?

Try this thread for the ignition control module. Be sure to jot down the part number on the ignition control module.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-used-parts-sale-wanted/123964-parting-out-2-115s-2-116s-3-123s-2-124s-3-126s.html

He has a 1975 280 which may have a matching part. (W114/M110)

I suspect a failed ignition coil.

I'd say coil or ICM also.....or coil failed and took out the ICM with it....its a possibility.

On my car it was the crankshaft position sensor. While I was at it, I cleaned and replaced the silicone heat sink material underneath the ignition module. It uses the steel inner fender liner as a heat sink (at least on my car). Hope this helps you.

being a '78, i don't think mine has one of those. can anyone confirm?

at this point i'm seconds away from buying 1 of everything in the all parts express list under "ignition parts." i don't like having my car sitting in a parking lot all night, waiting for parts to come in...

also, does anyone know about I.C.M.'s? i found a new updated one, made by a company in germany that updates old technology for these cars. it's a quarter of the size and a quarter of the price. however, it says it's for 280CE's with chassis numbers AFTER mine. do you think i could hook it up and it would work, or would it just not work at all? i'm trying to figure out if it's the same but just wouldn't fit in my car because of shape/size, not actual function. anyone care to chime in on this? i'd send you a link but it's from a competitors site.

On your car, what cable goes to the connector on the right side of the Ignition Control Unit?

the smaller cable is on the right side, just like the one in your attached picture.

the first picture i'm attaching is the one i want to get. the updated version that claims to be for later chassis numbers. the second attached picture is the correct one that costs 3x as much.

i want that little updated one to save on costs and to have the modern version of this part, much like my unwired tools updated servo replacement.

also, when i just went out to check this out, the large rubber cover to the smaller cable plug fell apart in my hands. the wire is still connected, it still plugs in firmly, just the outside fell apart. i wonder if this is contributing? doubtful though....

I was asking about the cable because it looks like it could be a Crankshaft Position Sensor cable. Where does the other end go?

the large cable goes to the coil, the small cable on the right goes to the bottom of the distributor and plugs into the pick up assembly.

Recommend doing some diagnostic work before randomly replacing parts. That may mean paying a local indie do diagnose the problem.

yeah, but i'm impatient...:o.

my indy came to the parking lot on his day off and helped diagnose it. he says it's the pick up assembly and if not, the ICM. my problem is that i don't want to wait to get the assembly tomorrow to find out it's not the right part, and overnight another, more expensive part (when i might be able to buy the cheaper one). the car is sitting in not the best area of town and i'm bumming rides to get home. can't move it because my indy is an after hours guy, the lot is not his to park cars in and take up space...

and, i'd rather not have this happen again. new parts = peace of mind.

my ignition control module part number is 0 227 100 001 and then what appears to be a "B". it's Bosch.

from everything i've read and researched, the late chassis numbers will NOT work in my car. somewhere down the line they changed to a different kind. the one i have is rectangular with the long side having the plug connections. the later one has the plug connections on the shorter side of the rectangle.

i've had a few offers from people who have them, i'll be contacting everyone individually as soon as i find out today whether or not the pick up assembly fixes the problem. thanks!