low power on acceleration - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 12-01-2002, 09:43 PM

I have a 1984 190e 2.3 manual gas model and it seems to hesitate while accelerating and not have the power it should. It idles fine, doesn't overheat, what are some possibilities that I should look out for?

Thanks,

bugskitty

#2 12-02-2002, 06:00 PM

I would say everything from a clogged fuel filter to a clogged air filter and many other things in between. Can you give a better description of perhaps when it doesn't accelerate well? Like when it's hot or cold, does outside air temp. play a role, etc. etc. Have you checked the timing? Tune-up recently? On and on........

Maybe if you can fill us in on what you have checked, replaced, and conditions when the acceleration is low we can help.

I see your a new member........Welcome to the best Mercedes help site on the net. The knowledge from the members on this site is staggering so good luck and hopefully we can help you!

Dale

#3 12-03-2002, 08:20 AM

Hey thanks for responding. I've been given this old 190 but it's in great physical shape. Has about 180000miles don't know much about it's mechanical history. As I said before, it starts right up, idles smoothly, no misses, passed a california smog test, I did change the plugs with new Bosch, think platinum plugs, but when I want to pass or accelerate, I need to floor it to move, and it really doesn't move that fast, think 60 in fourth gear max. Uphill, I really have to downshift it to make it up the hill, Clutch seems fine, no slippage. Outside temp doesn't appear to make a difference. Rotor, cap and wires look good, no build up or detonation.

Wadda u think? Love the car otherwise...

bugskitty

Pilotx1 · #4 12-03-2002, 11:29 PM

My 190 has a similar problem, regardless of the temp if have delayed and very hard shifts until the car warms up and even then the tranny shift hard, with a thud going into 3rd. Also it seems as if i have very serious throttle lag when accelerating however when in park or neutral the engine seems to have no lag but thats with no load on it. This past summer I changed the ATF fluid and filter and that seemed to improve things but only for about 2 weeks tops. Either in the next month or next summer I will be having the transmission looked and and worked on if need be by the dealer. I described the symptoms to a friend of mine and he suggested a broken torque converter could be causing this. Im not sure if this fits your problem but a torque converter is alot cheaper than a new tranny

mikesdl · #5 12-03-2002, 11:58 PM

Hello

check for vacc leaks

#6 12-04-2002, 02:08 AM

I had a problem with my 380se loosing power. It was a bad catalytic converter. A new one made the car seem like it was new!!

PJ

haasman · #7 12-04-2002, 02:12 AM

I have an '87 190E that had very similiar problems. Ran very poorly, no power, idled like it would stall, low power, slam-shifted every gear!

I changed the plugs, cap and wires. I bled the injection lines at the fuel distributor (be careful of raw fuel spilling over a hot engine) and then I did my favorite:

The super tonic remedy: Add two bottles of Techron Injector Cleaner, ideally on less than a full tank, and drive it. Drive it hot and hard.

It could be your injectors are just plain dirty. Start with this and see how it goes.

A link about this:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopfor...&threadid=43868

Haasman

Pilotx1 · #8 12-04-2002, 10:28 AM

2 bottles in the same less than full tank??? is that safe for the engine?

haasman · #9 12-04-2002, 10:33 AM

Yes. Not good to do regulary, but if you think you have severely clogged injectors, OK to do. Best to change oil & filter after running through.

Haasman

drbrandini · #10 12-04-2002, 11:53 AM

As noted above could be a wide variety of things. first replace the platinum spark plugs with Bosch supers part no. H8DC. The platinums have resisters which are not needed due to resister ends on your ignition wires. Bosch supers H8DC's are withoout resiters. Second it's probably a long shot but it fixed mine and wasn't thought of as the "usual". The coolant temperature sensor, located on the drivers side rear of the valve cover. Mine had simply vibrated loose upon reconnection she ran like a charm. Good luck and keep us posted !

Ron Johnstone · #11 12-04-2002, 12:59 PM

Change the fuel filter and check the air filter before you throw any real money at it, although the platinum plugs really should be changed too.

Pilotx1 · #12 12-04-2002, 05:39 PM

my car has a brand new fuel filter as of june 2002 and a KN airfilter installed in march 2002 both have about 3000 miles on them, also new dist cap, rotor, standard bosch plugs, oil and oil filter with 250 miles on it. car now has 97,400 miles on it i became the owner of it at 94,000 and its gotten 3 oil and filter changes since i got it because gasoline got into the oil and because i used fuel borne injector/engine cleaner which made the oil real dirty

#13 12-06-2002, 11:33 PM

Guys,

My 1986 190E 2.3 automatic wont go over 60 and has no power to accelerate either. Did the 2 bottles of Techron fix this car? Or something else. Things I tried on mine are: New catalytic converter, new fuel pump, adjusting little hidden screw in eha valve both directions, running vacuum hose from known good vacuum source to distributor vacuum advance, replacing computer with used one from junkyard (though my computer has a shorted out oxygen sensor input I think, but the new one did not fix it), manually adjusting current through eha from 0 to 20mA (center is 8mA for <=1986 and 0mA for >=1987), adjusted timing, checked compression (125 psi on all 4 cylinders), checked for a burnt or tuliped intake valve, checked valve timing, ran without air filter, checked fuel filter and fuel pressure, and probably more I forgot about. I am applying for a mechanis position (ha ha)...

Please, Please let me know what the solution was for this car. I have paid my dues here.

steipau@iit.edu
NW suburbs of Chicago
Paul D. Stienke

Pilotx1 · #14 12-07-2002, 12:18 AM

I do know that the O2 sensor has alot to do with fuel metering and engine preformance not to mention prevnting an over-rich fuel charge condition that will destroy your catalytic converter

#15 12-09-2002, 12:48 AM

I put a double shot of injector cleaner into this tank and I gained 4mph on the top end. From 58mph or so to 62 or more. I will keep monitoring this as time goes by to see if it keeps improving.

Paul