euro 500 sel new tuneup now wont start
 

hi everyone. just bought an 85 euro 500 sel recently and decided it was time for a tune up. after new pan gaskets/ valve cover gaskets, fuel filters etc i decided to change the plugs and wires and distributor cap. have done a number of cap and rotor jobs before so am not new to this. anyways...after swapping the old burnt plugs and cracked wires i put the new cap on and tried to start it. car sounds seriously out of time and even backfired thru the throttle body. i have checked and rechecked and made sure my firing order is correct and everything is ran right. cant figure this one out. my original cap didnt have numbers on it but ran the new distributor exactly like my buddies u.s version 500. is it possible my cap is different being euro? any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks

Clearly the wires are crossed. The US wiring pattern is the same as your EURO version. However, the black suppressor cover on the distributor cap has the appropriate cylinder numbers indicated on it so it should be a simple matter to correct the crossed wires. I'm sure you already know this but cylinders 1-4 are on the passenger side from front to rear and 5-8 are on driver's side front to rear. Take your time and you shouldn't have a problem. The best way to replace a cap and wires is to remove one from the old cap and install on the new cap, one at a time. Mark

wires are not crossed. ive checked and double checked. ive done this on my 560 as well with no issues.

Here is order
 

http://imageshack.us/a/img835/1894/smmh.jpg

This is a 83 500 sec. I changed cap & rotor in 2007.

Euro cap & plugs could be different I can't remember as its been a long time.

wrong cap
 

I am pretty sure. My 280sl rotor was not the same as the US 280e. Is there no number on the underside. Try the EPC, or the dealer. Maybe the dealer will give up a part number so you can go aftermarket. My guy does that for me and other customers as well.

check rotor and wires too
 

The rotor was different as well. Sometimes there is a number on your distributor that works to find the correct cap and rotor. I had to go through that recently. Or you could have messed up the wires somehow.
The rotor that came with the US 280e was similar and fit but the plug wires and rotor did not match the cap. My rotor was used for Porsche as well.

Sounds like exactly what I'm running into. Ill check the distributor in the morning. May have to do some searching for a correct one

I have a EURO engine in my 84 500SEL and I know for sure it is the same as the US version. I think that the problem may be that in the past, someone had the distributor out of the engine, reinstalled it incorrectly and then moved the wires to get it back in time. At this point, you need to turn the engine to TDC of the compression stroke and see if the rotor points to #1 wire. If not, you need to remove the distributor and reinstall it so the rotor does point to #1. On my distributor, there is a small mark on the top edge of the dist body that indicates where the rotor should point when at TDC #1.

Paul

cap
 

83 euro cap #
Bosch dist cap # 0290004 505...think this came right off my old cap

If I look up 83 380 as there is no 500 in PP they list
Part # 000-158-42-02

Cap for 85 500 SEL
P # 000-158-42-02-

83 &85 500 Same cap!!!

TRy to find the cap # 0290004 505 & see if its equivalent to 000-158-42-02

Old post
 

You might want to check this page in my thread as it deals w euro plugs & dist cap...

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/197661-upgrade-83-mer-500-sec-88-volvo-gle-51.html


Post 753

thank u camelot and all who have answered. will be looking into all options listed and will get back to everyone with results.

Put the old rotor and cap back on,,, does it fix the problem?

X2. What he said