'81 500SL Fuel Distributor Problem
 

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I have an '81 500SL that won't turn over. One shop said that I need a new fuel distributor at the cost of $1200. I bought a used one (with a 90 day warranty) and installed it. It still won't start. I have no idea of where to go at this point. I installed the distributor about 60 days ago and the car has been sitting. Today, I went to a shop and was told that if the car sat then this most recent distributor is probably bad not, too. Is that true?

Thanks, BJ

Bad fuel distributor usually doesn't cause the car to fail to run, although that's possible. usual senario is that fuel consumption goes sky high and it blows black smoke from internal corrosion and loss of pressure integrity.

You must check for fuel pressure, fuel delivery, spark, and movement of air flow meter flap before condeming the fuel distributor.

They will go bad on sitting, but since the replacement didn't fix the problem, even partially, I don't think it's bad already, and a couple months isn't a problem, a couple years is.

More likely the fuel pumps are bad or the accumulator is bad and plugging the fuel line if you get no fuel at all.

Also make sure you have fuel delivered to the engine, and not water from condensation or sabatoge....

Peter