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  #1  
Old 06-10-2013, 08:07 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Baton Rouge La
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Car stalled, won't start

1989 300ce.

the other day as I was pulling into the parking lot at work, my car stalled.

I honestly thought a slipping belt meant that the alternator wasn't charging the battery and the system shut down.. not so.

New belt and tensioner. No start.

Changed fuel pump relay. OVP is only 5 months old or so.

Here's what happens, I go to turn the car over and the starter engages and engine cranks for a few seconds and then the starter will cut out as if there is no power.. I can repeat that.

Don't know if it could be fuel pumps. Like I said... it just cut out on me as i was pulling into the parking lot.

A couple of years ago, we had an occasional no start problem, replaced the crank position sensor and all was well. At least then you would get a restart after the car cooled a bit.

__________________
1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


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  #2  
Old 06-10-2013, 09:09 PM
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Location: Blue Point, NY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lee polowczuk View Post
Here's what happens, I go to turn the car over and the starter engages and engine cranks for a few seconds and then the starter will cut out as if there is no power.. I can repeat that.
What's the battery voltage during this starting attempt?

What happens when you put a battery charger on the battery? Heavy charge?
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  #3  
Old 06-10-2013, 09:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Carlton View Post
What's the battery voltage during this starting attempt?

What happens when you put a battery charger on the battery? Heavy charge?
i took the battery to interstate.. they said it needed a charge...and it was on the charger for 21 hours..

he said it had 500 cca after the charge.

i do not know what the voltage reads during a starting attempt. i will have my wife turn the car on tomorrow so i can listen and see if the fuel pumps engage.


i just wonder if the original problem.... the car just stalling out is a function of the pump going.
__________________
1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


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  #4  
Old 06-10-2013, 09:53 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Blue Point, NY
Posts: 25,396
I fail to see the connection to the fuel pumps if the battery is dead and the alternator has insufficient output to keep the spark going.

Your problem appears to be a failure to charge the battery.

My guess is that it will start just fine with the recharged battery, only to repeat the same problem if there is no alternator output.

I'm not really concerned with the starting voltage now that the battery is recharged. If the engine does start, check the battery voltage while it's running. My guess is that you'll find 12V or so.
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  #5  
Old 06-10-2013, 10:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Carlton View Post
I fail to see the connection to the fuel pumps if the battery is dead and the alternator has insufficient output to keep the spark going.

Your problem appears to be a failure to charge the battery.

My guess is that it will start just fine with the recharged battery, only to repeat the same problem if there is no alternator output.

I'm not really concerned with the starting voltage now that the battery is recharged. If the engine does start, check the battery voltage while it's running. My guess is that you'll find 12V or so.
i guess what i am trying to say is orginally the car just stalled out on me in a parking lot and wouldn't restart.

interstate recharged the battery.... and no luck starting... i figured it just isn't getting gas.

i will try to jump the car off tomorrow as well. i asked the guy at interstate if i needed a new battery...and he said this one is fine, but it is on its way out... he wasn't anxious at all to sell me a new one.... the battery says its rated for 700cca. I have owned the car for 5 years...so the battery is at least that old

i guess i could try to put the battery in the s320... and see what happens when i try to start it.... i could keep all the accessories off in the s320.... it only has the 104 engine.
__________________
1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


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  #6  
Old 06-10-2013, 10:54 PM
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Location: Blue Point, NY
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The possibility of two completely different problems.............a dead battery............and a bad fuel pump...........is practically nil.

So, apparently, the story must not be complete.

The car will stall if there is no alternator output and the battery dies. This problem will not, AFAIK, cause the demise of the fuel pump.
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  #7  
Old 06-10-2013, 11:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Carlton View Post
The possibility of two completely different problems.............a dead battery............and a bad fuel pump...........is practically nil.

So, apparently, the story must not be complete.

The car will stall if there is no alternator output and the battery dies. This problem will not, AFAIK, cause the demise of the fuel pump.
i agree with you 100 per cent. i was guessing a bad fuel pump caused the stall.

i think the best thing for me to do is a) have my wife turn on the ignition and see if i hear the fuel pumps b) take the battery out of the CE and hook it up to the S and see if the S320 starts. If it doesn't, I immediately go out and buy a new battery.

I appreciate your help.. I don't usually get stuck this bad with all the knowledge obtained by searching.

Arthur Dalton has pitched in privately as well.. he wants to make sure the battery in the CE is grounded properly.
__________________
1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


[/SIGPIC]
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  #8  
Old 06-10-2013, 11:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lee polowczuk View Post
i think the best thing for me to do is a) have my wife turn on the ignition and see if i hear the fuel pumps b) take the battery out of the CE and hook it up to the S and see if the S320 starts. If it doesn't, I immediately go out and buy a new battery.
You mentioned that Interstate fully charged the battery. What happens when you try to start? Does it crank for 30 seconds and fail to start? Or does it crank for five seconds and stop?

You can diagnose a bad battery pretty quickly. Check the battery voltage while you crank it and report back.
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  #9  
Old 06-10-2013, 11:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Carlton View Post
You mentioned that Interstate fully charged the battery. What happens when you try to start? Does it crank for 30 seconds and fail to start? Or does it crank for five seconds and stop?

You can diagnose a bad battery pretty quickly. Check the battery voltage while you crank it and report back.
cranks for five seconds and then stops..... i think that's why arthur was mentioning a possible ground problem
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1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


[/SIGPIC]
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  #10  
Old 06-10-2013, 11:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lee polowczuk View Post
cranks for five seconds and then stops..... i think that's why arthur was mentioning a possible ground problem
Try and jump the battery with another vehicle or switch the batteries.

See if it starts.
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  #11  
Old 06-11-2013, 12:50 AM
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To add to Brian's reply. Connect the negative jumper cable to a good grounding point on the engine block NOT the negative post of the battery. This will help in diagnosing a bad earth/ground connection.
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  #12  
Old 06-11-2013, 07:54 AM
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Have you tested the starter and starter solenoid ?
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1971 280SL ROADSTER
1988 300CE TWIN TURBO WIDEBODY
1994 E320 CABRIOLET
1999 C43 AMG
2005 G55K AMG
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  #13  
Old 06-12-2013, 08:01 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike D View Post
To add to Brian's reply. Connect the negative jumper cable to a good grounding point on the engine block NOT the negative post of the battery. This will help in diagnosing a bad earth/ground connection.
did this.... per several of your suggestions. Car turns over...but then there is not enough juice...and it starts sounding like a dead battery...even with the jump.

I can't hear the fuel pumps when i turn the ignition. I already switched out the fuel pump relay with a spare.

I have one more option,I suppose.... use banana jumpers to try to bypass the fuel pump relay.... to see if that will engage the fuel pumps. I will probably also get a new battery since even after a charge the one i have just doesn't seem to have anything left in it..... if someone knows what to jump that would help...although I do believe it's posted here somewhere
__________________
1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


[/SIGPIC]
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  #14  
Old 06-12-2013, 09:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lee polowczuk View Post
did this.... per several of your suggestions. Car turns over...but then there is not enough juice...and it starts sounding like a dead battery...even with the jump.

I can't hear the fuel pumps when i turn the ignition. I already switched out the fuel pump relay with a spare.

I have one more option,I suppose.... use banana jumpers to try to bypass the fuel pump relay.... to see if that will engage the fuel pumps. I will probably also get a new battery since even after a charge the one i have just doesn't seem to have anything left in it..... if someone knows what to jump that would help...although I do believe it's posted here somewhere
It sounds like a dead battery to me as well.

But, clearly, you have way too much time on your hands and you wish to chase the fuel pump, as you have done since the original post. Well, have at it...........let us know how it works out for you.
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  #15  
Old 06-12-2013, 10:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Carlton View Post
It sounds like a dead battery to me as well.

But, clearly, you have way too much time on your hands and you wish to chase the fuel pump, as you have done since the original post. Well, have at it...........let us know how it works out for you.
Problem is... i don't have time... work nearly 11 hours a day....and having commitments to aging in laws on the weekend...just fortunate that i live a mile from work.

i am going to jumper the fuel relay supply.... to see if i can hear the pumps..

i can get a battery....no big deal.... in owning these cars for 20 years or so... i have just been fortunate to hardly ever have someone else repair them....

If it's the battery..i should be able to jump it off....

it's just my hobby to be miserable... Lol

__________________
1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


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