86 SEL engine dies intermittently
 

HELP ! This is my first Benz, absolutely love the car. The car has 117 k on it. Last week I started the car , drove about 50 yards and it died.I tried to start it. It would crank but not fire up. I got out , opened the hood, found nothing unusual , slammed the hood down. Got in and the car started right up. This happened again 3 more times, each time it seems slamming the hood down has something to do with it, weird , I know. It seems to be electrical because the car just suddenly shuts off, no, chugging or any symptoms of running out of fuel. and It wont start again until I open and close the hood. As it happens wherever, whenever, I'm not driving the car now. I have tested it in my driveway watching the motor and checking fuses , relays etc and have watched it happen, but of course no obvious signs. Any ideas ?

Thanks

Which model of 86 SEL?

Well the next logical question to get answered is "Is it fuel or is it spark". When it is dead, check for spark, and check to see if the fuel pump is running. The answer will tell you where to go next.