I recently purchased a 1996 w210 e320 with the m104 engine. After the car had been sitting for about a month, i tried starting it up but the battery was flat. When i gave the car a jump and got it going, the idle was very smooth and at the normal rpm range, but whenever I tried revving the car in park it would sound like it was drowning and wouldnt go above 2500 rpm. With the throttle completely depressed, it would be bouncing between 2000 and 2500 rpm. When drive was engaged the car would be bouncing between 500 and 1000 rpm when creeping and would have almost no power upon acceleration. When I attempted going up a small hill, the car stalled. The car smells like it is running very rich, but the maf and the o2 sensors are almost brand new. Could this just be the battery? Any suggestions?

Bouncing between 500 and 1000 very rapidly like a "vrmmvrmmvrmm", or more like lazily hunting between those rpms?

__________________
Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

Click here to see a photo album of my '62 Sprite Project Moneypit (Now Sold)

No on the battery. It starts the car but then the alternator takes over. I guess you purchased the car without even a test drive.

There are several possibilities. Fuel -- pump, filter and/or ejectors. Ignition -- coils, plug wires, plugs and ECU. Emission equipment -- EGR and hoses.

You could start by scanning for OBD codes and then have a dealer/indy scan for engine and transmission codes to see what you are up against.

Any chance the car was submerged for a while?

__________________
Good luck.






1998 E320 Wagon

I asked a slew of clarifying questions in your duplicate post at benzworld.

There's not enough detail in your post to answer. We can guess and theorize, though.

Pull the airbox and check it for animal or bird nests. If clear provide lots more detail.

Good luck.

check crank sensor wire,it can come unplugged some,by road debris

__________________
1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

The hunting between 500 and 1000 is very rapid. The car has been sitting outside for the one month period, but has never been submerged. I will get the codes checked soon and see what comes up.

Irregular idle can also be caused by a faulty throttle position sensor.

__________________
Good luck.






1998 E320 Wagon

I'm with post #4. The first year of the W210 did not have a TPS(the USA cars came that way). It did not have Drive By Wire system. The transmission was all hydraulic, and the throttle cable goes straight to the throttle body lever.

I would investigate your intake for something plugged, and the throttle butterfly can have the edges plugged with black blowby goup, and/or the little bypass hole is plugged.

I would remove the top of the intake over the engine, and clean down the throttle butterfly lever with a cloth and carburetor cleaner.

Smell the fuel regulator. it should not smell like fuel. How is the fuel filter?

Maybe you have a crack on the intake manifold. i would spray engine starter fluid on a cold engine around the intake manifold to see if the engine changes speed.

Martin

You are correct, Martin. I was thinking of the V6. Sorry to the OP.

__________________
Good luck.






1998 E320 Wagon

The 104 in the W124 had an electronic throttle, they removed it in the W210 models?

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Ouch, found a lot of oil in my coolant. Also noticed that the fan blade had cut into the radiator and the clutch had burned out... Im ordering a head gasket kit as the exhaust manifold gasket is leaking exhaust fumes into the engine room which are then being sucked into the heater inside the car. I will also clean the throttle body when doing the head gasket and will see what happens.

Ok, turns out that my catalytic converters were completely clogged so I cut those off. Now the car runs like it is supposed to. Still need to do the head gasket though.