W126 560sec Odd Fault? Please Help!

[Merc560sec]

I have owned my 560SEC for over 3 years now, I have lovingly kept it and tried to restore it back to its original factory spec by sending it to our local MB Dealer.

After over £10000 of work done on suspension and a reconditioned engine, the car was running really well and I felt I was slowly but surely getting on top of the restoration and was planning to send it to our local body shop to get it resprayed.

I was returning home from work, sitting at a roundabout waiting for the road to become clear and all of a sudden the car left the roundabout (so an eye-witness says) and plunged through a set of trees over the edge of a car park then through another set of trees at full throttle! It came to rest, axle deep in mud still at full throttle and on fire! I was knocked unconscious and was rescued by the fireman who kindly cut me out. Luckily, this incident happened on the grounds of our local police station, the 1st policeman on the scene was able to switch the engine off, while it was at full throttle and still in "drive."

As stated previously, I was knocked unconscious and have amnesia from about half a mile before the crash until I woke up on the stretcher, not understanding why I was there and what happened to my beautiful Mercedes!

Can anyone shed some light on this incident? Are w126s known to become erratic, any advice would be welcomed.

Cheers

Richard

PS Please find a pic of the car as it lies in the recovery yard

[Johnhef]

on that model- I'd be more inclined to find a bent throttle linkage stuck WOT somewhere- have someone check, and lube, all the throttle linkages.


edit: had an afterthought- if the cruise control malfunctioned it could possible accelerate on its own lkike this too.

[ILUVMILS]

Are you saying that the car accelerated at full throttle without warning, while you were waiting to drive off?

[Merc560sec]

According to the eye-witness, i took off at speed!

I have amnesia, even 3 months after the crash!

[86560SEL]

Land sakes. You were lucky indeed. Looks like structurally, the car held up well. What model year was it? Is that a RHD car?

I am a little muddled however. At what point did eye-witness say that the car ignited? After you hit the trees? And the car just bolted off when you were setting at the rotary? What is the very last thing you remember- setting at the traffic circle, or do remember bolting off from here?

I personally have not heard of this issue on the W126.

[Merc560sec]

All the emergency service men were suprised I was up and walking about the next day.

I am a Brit, so it was a RHD, it was 1988 560SEC, stupidly the original owner didn't specify to buy an airbag fitted to the car!

It apparently caught fire when it was digging itself into the ground. I supposedly hit a boulder which may have been the 1st impact.

The eye-witness said that it took off from the giveway line of the roundabout. I don't remember anything from about half a mile before the accident.

[86560SEL]

Oh yes... I would say so! So, airbag was optional even in 1988 on the RHD models? Standard in 1986 on the USA models (all) and I think on the "SEC" models, it was standard by 1985.

So you blacked out even before the first impact? I cannot imagine what would have set the car ablaze. Perhaps the fuel lines were leaking? Remains a mystery. Still strange as to why the car charged out of control like that.

@ any rate- luckily all turned out well.

Originally Posted by Merc560sec

All the emergency service men were suprised I was up and walking about the next day.

I am a Brit, so it was a RHD, it was 1988 560SEC, stupidly the original owner didn't specify to buy an airbag fitted to the car!

It apparently caught fire when it was digging itself into the ground. I supposedly hit a boulder which may have been the 1st impact.

The eye-witness said that it took off from the giveway line of the roundabout. I don't remember anything from about half a mile before the accident.