Two questions today.
Is an alternator reading of 134 healthy?

Also, to anyone living in California, does anyone know a great electrician for these cars? When I bought mine there was an unsolved electrical issue, which the previous owner "solved" by a workaround. I would like to find someone who could really solve it.

I did hear of someone in San Diego
.
Thanks, and stay healthy everyone.

That reading to me is acceptable on the alternator output at the battery posts.

Perhaps describe the electrical workaround. These cars are pretty simple electrically compared to the new ones today.. A member may have an opinion.

Peter, depends where in Cali you are. Post what city you're in. Socal is a pretty big area

I'm in Los Angeles.

Maybe Los Angeles mechanics are lazy, but the two that I've used seemed disinclined to solve electrical problem, and calling around Los Angeles yields car electricians who refuse to work on these early Mercedes. So I am stumped. Because I am not mechanically or electrically adept, the next time I go to my new mechanic I will ask him to describe the workaround. The previous owner had a cutoff switch installed, and if it is not employed when the car is turned off, the battery will be drained by the next morning.

I'm glad somebody thinks it's not an insuperable problem!

There are not a lot of powered points when the ignition switch is off to cause such a rapid battery drain. The items I can think of are, the clock, interior lights, front power seats only when the door is open, hood/trunk lamps and exterior parking lamps as well as alarm. Other than that, all other accessories dont get power.

Some simple tests that you could do to narrow down possible trouble spots:

1 Check that the aforementioned items work with the car keyed off. Note those that dont
2 Check to see if any other accessories worked switched off when they shouldn't and note
3 Check door light plungers and verify that they cut the interior lights namely the puddle lamps at the bottom of the doors, this is a common problem that can drain, same with trunk lamps.
4 Verify that you have copper fuses installed, not aluminum. Remove, clean or replace all of them. If you have a shorted circuit a good fuse, will blow, this will help identify the problem. The aluminum fuses can hide chassis shorts by not blowing.

If you do this you may be able to narrow down the issues and make it more focused for a repair shop to resolve

__________________
Stable Mates:
1987 300TD 310K mi (Hans)
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee OM642 165k mi (Benzrokee)

It's not that your local mechanics are lazy. I believe most would react in a similar way if someone showed up with any type of vehicle and the owner stated he had an "electrical problem" and "could you figure it out". Electrical problems can be very time consuming, labor intensive and lead to "other" problems during the search for the gremlin(s).

A business owner gets to pick and choose what jobs he wants to take on and also what's good or bad for potential profit. An electrical problem can easily tie him (or his employee) up for hours and hours. Often leading no where and resulting in an unhappy customer. The shop doesn't know the history of the car, doesn't know what's been done prior or who may have had their hands on it. It's not unusual for them to "take a pass".

Also consider the cost to you. Not sure about the labor rates in LA, but I'd have to guess they're north of $100/hr. You don't state if you'd be comfortable spending big money on your problem. Most people would be a little hesitant giving a mechanic a blank check for this type of issue.

I have to think you're a little more capable than you give yourself credit for.
The fact that the PO has a successful "work around", that also solves the problem, is a huge step in the right direction. Try and find/see what the kill switch is connected to. Where the wires, before and after the switch, terminate. A wiring diagram for your car would be very helpful in this situation. Basically, anyone can read a wiring diagram with a little effort. The diagram would be a big help in determining "what goes where" and also give you individual wire color codes (not always totally accurate).

The more info you can provide to "the forum", the better chance the members can help. Even the slightest detail.

No problem, on these cars, is "insuperable". That's the really great thing about them! Also, the fact that your current "work around" does the job and doesn't negatively affect any other system, is simple and effective and doesn't negatively interfere with anything else is good. You can "live with it" for a while, as your get to root of the issue. Good luck!

Thanks for the responses. I do realize that these kinds of things can be time and labor intensive, and obviously mechanics need to be paid.

Perhaps I should take pictures of the Rube Goldberg wiring arrangement and post them here.

But, does anyone know a mechanic in or near LA that specializes in electrical problems? One of my previous mechanics and his assistant misdiagnosed a problem with my gauges that a simple ground wire solved, so mechanics are not all equal.

I'm always glad to have found and =to participate in this forum.

Could ask for a member to have a look with you. Quite a few members in that area. That I suspect are skilled enough.

At todays cost is is hard to justify the costs for paid for service on old cars. At normal rates. As they tend to be needy.

In the day there were auto electric shops. In general these guys where pretty good. Then again things where very simple back then in comparison to now in many ways. I have decades of electronic/electrical troubleshooting and repair.

Yet in one of our newer cars there is an electrical issue.That I can live with rather than try to find. There are so many possibilities of the cause of it. I just do not want to get into it. The problem it creates is minor as well.

Post some pics.

__________________
92 e300d2.5t
01 e320
05 cdi
85 chev c10

There is no unrepairable car, there is only unrepairable prices. Car electric is very time consuming and expensive. Most of problem can be fixed with patient and knowledge but patient is something a shop don't have.

You can offer a shop to quote the job and your statement of work is like $$$$ but if you can't fix it then you only get 1/4 to 1/3 of the quoted price. Basically you don't give them a blank check.

I have the SDL factory wiring diagram. I can take a look if you are in San Diego area.

__________________
Not MBZ nor A/C trained professional but a die-hard DIY and green engineer. Use the info at your own peril. Picked up 2 Infractions because of disagreements. NOW reversed.

W124 Keyless remote, PM for details. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-used-parts-sale-wanted/334620-fs-w124-chasis-keyless-remote-%2450-shipped.html

1 X 2006 CDI
1 x 87 300SDL
1 x 87 300D
1 x 87 300TDT wagon
1 x 83 300D
1 x 84 190D ( 5 sp ) - All R134 converted + keyless entry.

Thanks, guys. I will take some pictures and post them in a few days.

It might be hard to get to San Diego, because my girlfriend is using the car to help an older friend who needs to help pretty much all the time. But it is a most kind offer, ah-kay. Thank you.

Peter,

If you're in LA, reach out to Vaco Precision @ 323-953-7000

They work on older Mercedes and are familiar with the electrical quirks with them.

Do you know what it is the switch turns off ? .

I used to do lots of mystery electrical repairs that no one else could fix, I think that the time involved was the primary fault, been there and done that .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Well, here is a mystery for you,vwnate1. The cut off switch cuts all electrical devices off.

By the way, where is Sunny So. California?

vwnate1 vwnate1 is offline
Diesel Dandy

I see .

That puts you back to the pulling fuses one by one to see what circuit is drawing current then testing each item in that particular circuit .

I've had a few instances of the quartz clock doing this after it stopped working .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better