urgent, could choke be my problem? 280te 1982
 

my 280 te starts fine then after about ten minutes dies and won't start again.

i have discounted bad fuel, checked the injectors, spark is okay, new plugs, have even tried squirting in that 'easy start' nitro stuff, but all to no avail,

i am wondering if after ten minutes the choke floods the engine or something like that. and if there is a way to disconnect it.

any thoughts would be most welcome as i really need to sort this out asap

as always thanking you in advance.

jb

Modern fuel injected cars don't have a choke. There is sort of a choke function performed by the cold start valve, essentially a seventh injector that fires into the intake manifold to account for fuel from the cylinder injectors that liquifies on the cold valves and doesn't make it to combustion chambers.

You can check if the cold start valve is leaking but I suspect your troubles lie elsewhere. Lots of good KE-Jetronic minds on this forum.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

Since starter fluid doesn't help, I'm guessing you have an ignition problem, unless you do have a flooding condition. Pull your plugs and see if they are wet. If not look to the ignition.

it never ceases to amaze me how simple much of car maintenance. of course, what a great idea, actually, i did pull the plugs and they weren't wet but very sooty.

but at what stage of me trying to sort it out this happened i can't remember as i was trying for so long. but as soon as the engine stalls this time i'll whip them out and have a look.

many thanks for that.

regards

jb.

Sooty means that right now the engine is burning that overly rich mix. You probably should have your mixture adjusted or verified.

Unfortunately, being an early euro car it probably doesn't have a lambda system so you can't adjust it electronically. It will have to be sniffed.

Steve,

Any experience with the Gunson(?) analyzer that fits as a spark plug and you set mixture based on the color of the flame? I got the old 78 450SEL running well enough to pass CA smog using such a device.

Thanks,
Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

I have heard of the concept but never have used one. I have had about ten exhaust gas analyzers (including the two I currently have) over the years. We don't use them like we used to because we do adjustments electronically. It won't be long before we will be adjusting no cars as all the electronic systems are self adjusting or are broken.

thanks for the replies,

i went back to the car again this weekend, it's fifty miles away! this time i couldn't get it started at all, though it very nearly went when i played around with the distributor. the cap looks quite chewed up, but i find a local replacement.

i did however replaced the rotor, but it didn't make any difference.

my next step will be replace the cap.

it was a bit tough working out there on my own, very difficult to turn the engine over and check if i had a spark. i think i need one of those hand operated ignitions/starters.

anyway, it's getting to the point where i''m just going to have to put my hand in my pocket and pay £130 for a trailer. i was really trying to avoid this as the car only cost me £280.

thanks once again

jb