190e starting/running issues
 

Well it is spring here in the Northeast and that means it's time to get the 190e out of the garage. I have a few issues though. It starts hard and runs a little rough, smokes a bit (not billowing and there seems to be no specific color to it). I have started it periodically over the winter. it has has the #1 intake valve tapping for a year now.. and I am about to order a new follower to fis that issue - that may smooth it out.

Here is where I need some assistance. The car is hard to start.. I have to turn it over for like 10 -12 seconds before it even thinks of firing after sitting for hours. I have found that if I turn the key on just enough to let the fuel pump buzz.. and I repeat this a few times (6 or 7) and I apply light pressure to the gas pedal, the car starts easier, maybe turning over 3 seconds. Once the car starts, it runs a bit rough when I apply gas and will stall when put into gear, then it will start right up with 3 seconds of turning over. It is idling at 1100. I think I may have a fuel pressure leak or low pressure - I will test this in the next couple days. Does it sound like I am going in the right direction?

This is what has been done in the last year (I put all of 300 miles on the car last year):

new valves, valve guides, valve seals.
new camshaft and rockers ( used the old followers).
new water pump, timing chain & tensioner, radiator.
new injector seals.

All help is, as usual, much appreciated.

Sounds like the overvoltage protection relay is causing you this grief.

Could be a lot of things. My 190E goes to 1100 rpm as limp home mode when the EHA is unplugged or as in my case the Air flow meter pot is intermittant. With the EHA unplugged/not working/not controlled you won't get any cold mixture enrichment so the car will stall until it's warm enough to hold idle. Even when warm it will stay at 1100rpm as the idle valve is not being electronically controlled. I'm no expert at this but this has been my experience with my car. I can drive my KE jetronic 2.5 around with the EHA unplugged due to the broken AFM pot and it's fine, it will "cold start" - ie the valve shoots extra fuel initially - but it will die soon after until it gets just enough heat and throttle to keep an idle. After that it's fine. HTH in some way.