I have a 1983 380 SEL that keeps dying on the road, when I slow down. Nearly every time it will do it. If I do a panic stop, it dies. If I do much more than rest my foot on the brake, it dies.

I replaced the fuel filter and it no longer bogs down on takeoff on first go, but on subsequent ones untill I put about 5 miles on it, and get it up to full operating temperature for about 5-10 minutes. During normal running, it shows no ill signs during straight runs. Only when I take off at a stoplight (sometimes) and stop. It has even died when I took my foot OFF the gas. These things I just described it did before the replaced FF as well.

{cue rant}

I am getting quite disgruntled at all the money my car is suddenly requreing of me. I had the AC diagnosed as well when I had my fuel filter replaced, and my indie said that it was the used push button unit they put in there that made my AC not function. They will credit me the cost of the used unit, but not the labor. I am not mad at them, but at the supposed reliability of my car.

The Berretta in my sig did this to me, only the clutch went 3 weeks after I bought it. It sat on their lot while I had to borrow cars to go to their f**king lot and give them the payments. They then stuck me for a starter that I didnt ask for. (I know, I shouldnt have paid)

{end rant}

I will conclude my question to the techs with an appropriate emotional response: AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!! Wow, I do feel better now that I screamed. odd.

Any help would be quite appreciated.

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Sounds like a vacuum leak. Does it shift hard too?

The climate control PBU is a sore point these days -- my parts guy got three bad ones in a row, one brand new. Didn't make him very happy, believe me!

Check for hard or broken rubber hoses in the engine compartment, especially on the idle control valve. If leaking, dirt gets into both the engine (very bad) and the idle valve, making it stick -- it goes closed to slow the car, then won't open fast enough when you stop. Most often stalls after an abrupt stop when this is the case. Can be cleaned, but you wil need to replace the rubber hoses, probably all of them.

If you get rough idle ONLY when the brakes are applied, you have a bad brake booster that causes a major vac leak when the brakes are applied only. Happened to me in Canada in the old Dodge Aries. Caught on when I heard a hiss only when I had my foot on the brake.

If it isn't a vac leak, I'm over my head.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Nope, no hard shifting. Well, it does to reverse, but I'm sure thats an entirely different ordeal.
Sorry to hear that. Hope mine turns out better. MB is a good company, and it shoud fix something when it turns out to be crap.

Where might the ICV be on a W126?
Its not really a rough idle, just rpm's bottoming out.

I should have posted this in the first one. When I brake, the rpms go to near zero. It has sometimes died and kicked back on from centrifugal inertia of the internals (i would assume). When it does die, the same thing happens. I have tried to stop this by shifting into neutral, but its like someone hits a kill switch and it goes from 1500rpm to 0rpm instantly.

Thank you for your reply. I encourage any other suggestions anyone might have.

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Darn crappy 20 year old cars. I think mercedes should give you a new one and they sure should make good on that used 20 year old PBU. How dare they make a part that when sold used after twenty years doesn't perform.

Simply outrageous!

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Yes! I am glad you see my point.

Seriously, I just didnt like that they said the used unit worked and it doesnt, and are going to charge me the same as if it had never happened.

I would still love to hear any ideas about why it is dying.

Thanks,

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If anyone could help me with the reason its dying I would certainly appreciate it.

Thanks,

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I'm with psfred on this one.

Your cutting out problem sounds like a leaky servo allowing air into the engine..

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Paul Gibbons
'93 320CE
'73 Jensen Interceptor (Resting)
Giant Full Sus Mountain Bike