I just purchased this car with 103K miles from my Father-In-Law.

He said that over the last year or so every once in a while he'll start it up and it will die. Then, he starts it back up and all is well. Only one time did it die while he was at a stop light and had been driving for a while...A non MB mechanic thought it might be a compression issue after looking at it, but wasn't sure and recommended we take it to MB. He did say that this seems to happen more often after the car had been sitting for a while.

He also mentioned that he doesn't always use Premium, sometimes a mid-grade if it had a high rating. Anyway, I was wondering if it might have something to do with a dirty fuel filter or deposits on the injectors.

I was thinking about looking into some sort of additive to try and clean stuff up, but wasn't sure if that was a good course of action.

Also, the "check engine" light is coming on. He took it to the MB dealership (this was before the stalling problems) and they said it was a faulty sensor and everything was fine and not to worry about it since the repair would cost $1200 or so...

Any thoughts on the correct course of action?

While I have your attention...I've been an Amsoil Full Synthetic user on my last two cars. Is that a good thing to do on this engine? What about the Amsoil air filter that is similar to the K&N filter?

I have a lot of reading in these forums to do, too...

Thanks.
Mike

Engine just dying at a stop is hard to say, but likely problems are crank position sensor, or wiring harness; both will cause the symptoms you describe when first starting to go bad (be sure to check and or eliminate/replace these two things when related problems start occuring (irregular/rough running, loss of power, etc). Engine dying on cold-start could be system bleeding down, possibly due to a sticking injector pintle or fuel pump one-way valve with a fuel deposit on the ball valve. Hard to say past that.

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Don't ask me, I'm a shop-owner by default

Would I gain anything (or cause any problems from) using a fuel additive to clean the injectors? Is there a specific one that I should use?

Thanks.

BG 44K every six months works for me

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David
Tucson, AZ

98 E320 Wagon 66K
00 BMW 323i Sedan 38K
93 Volvo 945T 100K DECEASED 4/18/03 R.I.P.

Mike,

that check engine light is probably code #19. Do a search and you will find that JimF has an explanation, as well as a solution (and its way less than $1200)

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Larry, thanks for that. I'll look up the post...

So...There's new information now...

Along with the rough idle when the car is started (hasn't died on me yet), I also thought I noticed the other day that the car surged a bit when I was barely moving with my foot on the brake.

Well, today I was backing out of a parking spot, foot on the brake, and the car JUMPED backwards and the engine revved. Scared the crap out of me. Fortunately I reacted quickly enough and wasn't close to the cars behind me, but I was not happy about that at all...

Does that help the diagnosis?

Thanks a ton!

Yes! But for the life of me, I can't think of the name of this rather pricey gadget. It is the round thing that sits on top of the intake manifold ...just below the air mass meter. (throttle position sensor!?)

That is my guess anyway....Wait until others agree before you go buy this part

__________________
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Idle Speed Controller? (I hope that's not it.) I heard that thing is $1700 + Labor...

It could be the throttle actuator. You should bring into a shop that works on MB. Have them read all codes in all the control module's.

Is there anything I could do to try and clear up the problem? If it's something mechanical that is sticking, for instance, can I spray "something" on it to de-grease it or whatever might be happening?

Check the coil. I had a similar problem with my 1992 300TE 4Matic Wagon, (which I recently sold). It would start and drive fine, sometimes for a week at a time, and then all of a sudden, especially if it had been sitting for more than a day or two, it would run rough and stall. Sometimes it would re-start right up, other times not. It finally stalled at an intersection and would not re-start so I had to have it towed to my mechanic. When a fuel test and others came up negative, he diagnosed it as a bad coil. $325 in parts and labor later, the car started and ran beautifully. Then I sold it before anything else could go wrong! Good luck.

1962 MB 220SEb "Fintail" Sedan, 196,000
1992 MB 300TE 4Matic Wagon, 150,200 (sold)

Wire harness from alternator (lower harness) and fuel injection (upper harness) may suffer from dry/cracking insulation....easy DIY but do it before it ruins other more expensive control units. The TBA might be sticking but I would start with the wiring.

My 500E exhibited many of the same symptoms (died while pulling out of driveway and surged on occasion)

Look in Hot Rods for alternator/wiring harness issues. The 119 is notorious.

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Bryan Harter
1992 500E Smoke Silver
2002 CLK55 AMG Cab Silver/Black
2001 Harley Fatboy - Pearl White
2004 F150 FX4 Silver/Grey
1969 GTO Liberty Blue
1956 F100 Black

Read my post, it may help you save time and money.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=123795