PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - 1991 190E 2.6 died 3 times for a few minutes

Jim Anderson · #8 08-14-2007, 12:27 AM

My first step was a stop at the dealer for an OVP relay, considering what I’ve heard about them here. I also considered the crank sensor but they didn’t have it in stock. The next item was the ignition module, which was unbelievable expensive (stress time.)

I studied up on the crank sensor and figured it was a pick up coil that should be a fairly low resistance when it was good, it measured about 1000 ohms, and open when it wasn’t.

I prepared for next trip into work in case the OVP didn’t fix it and the car could quit at any time. I brought my tools and a meter hoping the catch the problem in the act, and stayed off the freeway. Sure enough it quit, but I got further than I had before, I figure it was cause it was cooler out. I got out my handy meter and measured it and sure enough it was bad, but it was shorted, not open (bad is bad though.) And sure enough a few minutes later the short went away, I tried it and the car ran and got me to work. I figured it would quit on the way home so I stayed in the right lane and always had a place to pull over in sight. I did quit on the way home and I verified the short when bad again and 1000 ohms when it was good. As soon as I got home I ordered a new one.

And a lucky coincidence was my motorcycle started running. I let it sit too long and it didn’t want to run. I’d been soaking the carbs in carb cleaner for a while and they just cleared themselves when my car quit (I park them next to each other, I think they planned this.)

A couple of days later the crank sensor showed up and I replaced it, and the car ran just fine, and has been. Changing it though was its own adventure. It had one screw holding it on, it just didn’t look that bad…wrong. I’ll take a stuck bolt over inaccessible tie wraps next to expensive wiring anyday.