Ok,

this is getting on my nerves. Over summer, the car started acting up. Whenever I leave the car and the engine is warm, upon coming back, chances are I could crank forever and nothing would happen.

When that happens, sometimes it might seem like it's going to fire but it doesn't. Other times it just cranks to no end.

If I give up and crank it again, it fires up as if nothing ever happened.



Power is good, mileage is good, everything else is fine. Never a problem when the engine is cold though.

Mind you, it does not happen all the time.

The spark plugs, distributor rotors, caps are recent - say about a year ago or 10,000 miles.

Over summer when it started acting up, the dealer replaced the crankshaft position sensor and shimmed it as per MB's suggestion. They also claimed that they could not replicate the problem.

Upon taking the car back, I stopped for gas. When I tried to fire it up, it just kept cranking. But! The second time I tried (right after), it fired up like it would normally.

It did it again a while back, and in the past two days it failed to fire up three times.

The wiring harness is new too.

Any ideas?

Plug wires maybe? or should I try replacing the spark plugs anyhow? I do have 8 Bosch Supers doing nothing on the shelves somewhere.

Fuel Pump? Fuel Pump Relay of some sort maybe?

Any suggestions will be great. The car is obviously going back to the dealer that tried to fix it. What a waste of money it was!

__________________
2008 BMW 335i Coupe

New fuel pump relay, and probably an accumulator (that can be checked, fuel pressure must stay up when switched off). Most likely a fuel pump relay, though, or OVP relay.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

The symptoms aren't quite right but I would replace the fuel pressure regulator anyway - it's on the top, back, right side of the engine I believe. They're cheap, maybe $30, and easy to put in. They are a common failure problem and they do cause start up problems when they fail.

I'd put a fuel pressure gauge on it so you can see what the rail pressure is when it won't start. Sure would help in diagnosing the problem.
Did yo put in the approved plugs or some kind of "super-hype" plugs? These engine "like" the approved plugs better than anything else. Also are you using high octane, and if so you could try switching to mid-grade for a few fill-ups to see if there is a change. I've also heard of problems like this when the weather starts getting colder and the fuel being purchased is still a summer formula (usually the gas station will have no idea if the fuel is still summer formula or not, but the summer formula gas can be a problem in cool weather)

Gilly

__________________
Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

Click here to see a photo album of my '62 Sprite Project Moneypit (Now Sold)

I replaced the spark plugs today and it was still alive after :p - but I'm not sure if it fixed the problem as I did not do a hot start.

I don't like throwing parts in, but I guess I could put in a new fuel pressure regulator. Next weekend maybe...

Also thought of the accumulator, but once it didn't start after cycling the fuel pump before trying to crank the engine, so I guessed that it wasn't the problem.

The E420 doesn't have an OVP relay, it has these 3/4 fuses in place of it and I've replaced all four of them

not sure if it has a fuel pump relay either?

Gilly

I put the approved F8DC4 Bosch plugs in the car - I just replaced the ones in the car today. All looked ok.. (didn't look too good though) - but one was weird. It felt like it was held by some sort of sticky stuff and when it came out:



Seemed like oil around it...

I am currently using 93 Octane from Sunoco, I'll switch to 91 or something and see if the problem persists.

and it rarely fails to start, so it's kind of hard to get ready for it...

Also, here's a naked M119 - beautiful thing, why do they have to cover it up...



Is that the fuel pressure regulator that I circled in red?

Would gasoline start coming out if I take it out to put the new one in?

__________________
2008 BMW 335i Coupe

You can relieve the pressure at the rail test connector, you won't lose much fuel in the process.
None of your pictures worked........
Gilly

__________________
Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

Click here to see a photo album of my '62 Sprite Project Moneypit (Now Sold)

I have the same problem on my car, just replaced the spark plugs....
I also hearing the clicking/tapping sounds around the ABS / climate control?? try to figure out if any relay?? anyone help?

__________________
00' CLK 430
Silver, K3, K4,Command
AMG Alum. Pedal
Momo "CF" Shift Knob
Lowenhart BR-5

Not the best day ever,

the car failed to start again..so the fuel pressure regulator and the relay wasn't the culprit.

Haven't installed the Ignition Coil - got to taking the headlight out but I still think they are pretty tough to get to.

Any tips as to what I need to remove?

__________________
2008 BMW 335i Coupe

I still think you're pulling at straws. When it doesn't start, remove the cap from the test port and use something like a small screwdriver and push in on the schrader valve core and see if there is pressure in the rail. Could still be the pump itself, or maybe an electrical problem (such as control over the fuel relay, not the relay itself) keeping the pump from working. It is easy to see if you have pressure in the rail. Some have also said that 119's can get rotten harnesses like the 104 engine 124's.
Gilly

__________________
Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

Click here to see a photo album of my '62 Sprite Project Moneypit (Now Sold)

In short, you should have the engine ready to be able to check fuel (at least rudimentary checking at the port as I suggested) and also check for spark. May be difficult to check for spark solo, but it CAN be done.

Gilly

__________________
Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

Click here to see a photo album of my '62 Sprite Project Moneypit (Now Sold)

Holson, sorry to hear the car is still having problems. You should be able to access the top of the coils without removing the alarm horn, but it is listed in the service manual as one of the steps. Unless you have corrosion or physical damage, I would not expect it to completely resolve the hard starting problem.

I agree with Gilly regarding fuel/electrical checks and the harness -- in addition to the fuel pressure, check the condition of ignition wires and the main harness itself. The harness is one of the weak points of the M119, and you *will* end up replacing it sometime during the life of the vehicle. The big V8 generates a lot of heat, so the wire insulation breaks down with age. The harness in my car literally crumbled when I replaced it last year.

You should set a demarc time after which a mechanic is called in, to preserve your wallet and sanity ;-) There are lot of minor items to check that cannot be done over the Internet - fuel system leaks, fuel filter, battery output, condition of the fuel pump relay, etc. It may be worth the $75 diagnostic fee to have someone tell you "dirty fuel filter" instead of spending $750 on minor parts. But everyone's threshold is different.

Good luck,
-DM

__________________
1995 E420 SE black/black
2004 Volvo V70R AWD