Need help in Anaheim...my 240D will not start, on Vacation with wife and kids
 

Well, the title says it all...my trusted steed (with 320K miles) pulled me from SF to LA this morning like a champion. Well, I parked the car in the hotel lot and 1 hour later, the car will not start.

If anyone is willing to call me at my cell phone to offer ANY suggestions, I would appreciate it!

650-430-1137

Symptoms...
 

I wanted to get the first post out ASAP as my wife is about to kill me...Disneyland is not the happiest place on earth at this moment.

Symptoms:
- Car dash lights and radio etc all light up when key is in 2 position
- when i trun to 3 positon to crank, nothing! The lights dim and a black box, attached to the drivers side, clicks. There are two sets of wire plugged into the black box with black pronged plugs.

I asked for calls to my cell phone as I am not sure I can monitor this site as I will be in the parking lot.


Could it be a battery?
Could it be a starter?

THIS DID HAPPEN TO ME ONCE BEFORE ABOUT 600 MILES AGO...DROVE THE CAR FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR, HOT DAY. Sat for an hour, would not start...went out 3 hours later and the car started...no problem since.

AC

Just talked to him on my cell. The local mercedes dealer is sending someone out from roadside assistance.

Diney world is not too bad a place to be stuck :D

Cheers,

Bill

Could be a low battery caused by a bad alternator, or the solenoid could be stuck. Try to get a jump start.. then try to tap the starter with a hammer (or another solid object).

Thank you Bill for the call...even though a diagnosis is difficult over the phone, just talking to someone other than my wife was refreshing! You response will help me justify the time I spend reading the boards....

Turbodiesel...I will give this a shot...now, if you are still online, can you tell me where to find the starter? Is it the black plastic unit I desribed above?

AC

Sounds like a similar situation I experienced with my 300D. Ended up being the battery.

I know I'm 1000's of miles away, but if there is anything I can help with...let me know. Michael

I think the starter is on the passenger side, back of motor, maybe 6" diameter. At least thats where it is on the 300's.

i see we have another vote for battery...

No problem for the reassurance. I don't think rationally when these things happen to me.

Cheers,

Bill

P.S.- The black plastic thing -I think you said it is clicking- might be the solenoid and it will do that when the battery is low.

Hang in there. It's nothing serious and just a simple problem. :D

Cheers,

Bill

He's off and running now.. I called him up before, told him to try and jump it, if that didn't work, bang on the starter.. just as the service truck arrived. He just called me back, they tried to jump it, it wouldn't start.. but he gave the starter a whack with a broom handle and it started right up! Glad I could help.

Do you think he needs a new starter or just a solenoid?

Probably starter I would think but i thought it was the battery so what do I know :D Glad you got going and have a great time.

Cheers,

Bill

Having worked rebuilding starters and alternators for a summer..

My VW bug did a similar thing one time, turned out to be a broken wire on the solenoid..
but one has to be careful, turns out the start actaully had a shorted field...
A brand new car battery 800+amps couldn't even turn the thing over unless all was perfect..
its worth, for his situation (probably not the means or tools to pull it apart) to just get a reman or something..
Perhaps a bad field, stuck brushes, anything...hard to say..

Thought the dim lights would seem to indicate overdraw of power=shorted field/communtator...

Put a new starter in it. Make sure it is a high quality Bosch unit. Don't try to save nickels on something like this and it will go for a very long time. If you delay the problem will become more and more often. I have just recently gone through this same issue with my neice's '83 240D.

Granted this is a high mileage unit but I have always preferred to rebuild my own. You never know where a rebuild has been. This sounds like the brushes are worn to the point that there is insufficient spring tension to contact the rotor. New brush holder, bearings/bushings and drive and it is a proven reliable unit with new parts.

The lights dim thing is not clear to me though. That may sway me.

Note that I have not been into a MB starter yet, could be a different story.

Bosch is bosch...
shouldn't be anything unusual...gear reduction right?

Great Work
 

Kudos To All That Tried To Help Michael...outstanding Work Gentlemen!!! :)