83 300D Won't turn over
 

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum. The car has been sitting for about 4 months bcus the battery had died. I got a new battery and now it wont even try to start. Nothing happens. The lights won't even turn on. I dont know what it can be.

Did you or someone you know drive it before it sat idle ?
You need to check the connections of the battery cables to the battery, the cables themselves for corrosion, and the quality of the connection they make to the grounding spots on the car....
What kind of tools and experience do you have ?

Clean clean clean the battery terminals. When I put a new battery in my 190D it wouldn't start until I went back and got the terminals really clean.
If the lights won't come on at all the car won't start and electricity isn't flowing, start at the battery and work toward the starter. Got a multimeter? How many volts at the battery?

Also clean the negative connection to the frame.

All the previous posts/questions need to be answered.

That ground strap from frame to transmission/bellhousing is critical.

Next, I'd jumper the battery to starter connection on the passenger side
just down by the frame.

With gloves on and using insulated pliers touch the terminals.
If it gets the starter to work them the problem is in the ignition switch
or neutral safety switch.

When you says no lights work do you mean dashboard lights or
headlights and interior lights ?
Does the radio work ? (not that it makes any difference).

Did you put the new battery in with the polarity reversed, by any chance? That would definitely cause your symptoms... and some damage.

The car ran perfectly fine before it sat there. I bought another 300D that was in better condition. The terminals dont have an corrosion. None of the lights work headlights, interior, dash or brake lights (radio was stolen) I'll check all the wires and make sure they're tight and try starting it through the starter connetion on my next day off. ohh and no I didnt put the battery in backwards. Thanks for all the input.

Ok I'm sorry for not replying sooner. I cleaned the battery terminals and still nothing happened. I jumped the starter and it cranked but the car didn't turn on. What else can I try?

Cheap and easy thing to try that may help and definately won't hurt. Replace all fuses. They can go bad from corrosion without being blown or necessarily even looking that corroded.

I'm guessing you had the key out or not in the run position when you jumped the starter. This would have kept vacuum going to the fuel shutoff and prevented the engine from starting.

If you have a multimeter and the wiring diagrams for your car, start tracing wires and see where you go from battery voltage to no voltage. If you don't have a multimeter and wiring diagrams, get them. You should be able to get both for under $30 at any decent parts store.

Even if you had reversed the terminals on the Battery your lights would have worked.

Do as you did above but disconnect the Vacuum Line at the Vacuum Shutoff and Plug the Line.

Pump on the Hand Primer until you hear a buzzing or squeeling sound comming from the IP overflow valve.

Loosen the Hard Line Nuts up by the Injectors so that while the Engine is cranking you can see if Fuel is getting up to the Injectors.

If you get Fuel up to the Injectors; have some one else try to start the car while you stand by the Manual Shutoff Lever and attempt to start.

When they took they Radio is there any chance that the just yanked it out pulling your wiring?

You didn't say whether you checked the ground strap.

The key was in the on position. I did forget to check the ground strap though. I'll go buy the multimeter and a manuel tomorrow. I'll update you guys this weekend. Thanks for all the info.

The most common mysterious problem is bad ground. Look at where the negative connects to the chassis and where the engine strap connects to the chassis. On an older car occasionally an auxiliary ground wire running directly to a mounting bolt on the starter will do the trick.

Also check glow plug function. There is a large flat fuse in the glow timer which occasionally will blow.

I love to have a buck for all the older mb diesels out there which got sold because of non functioning glow plugs!