1991 300e 3.0 almost stalling

[lebstyle]

i got a 1991 300e with the 3.0 engine. engine was running fine on my 2 hour highway drive during the day. but on my way back at night, somethng wierd started hapenning 100km into my trip back.

first i noticed the abs light came on, then right after it the srs light came on, then the lights started getting dimmer, the cruise stopped working, so did the radio and blower motor. then the engine started cutting off, and all the needles in the dash went up and down, then just about when you think its gonna turn off, it kicks back in to normal, and drives fine. then for the next 80km, it hapennd about 5 more times, same scenario.

i stopped the car at a stop station, but when i pulled in it was running normal, so i turned it off and back on, thinking it was the alternator, but it doesnt seem like it.

has this problem occured with anyone?

any help would be appreciated.
thanks

[david s poole]

sounds like an intermittent voltage regulator on the alternator,do you have oil leaking onto alternator?

[saumil]

Bad battery ? From the diagram, if it is not the alternator, battery or regulator, then there is an intermittent short somewhere. There is an electrolytic capacitor hanging from the main distribution system, if this is shorted in a voltage dependant manner. But it would explode if it were drawing so much current. The only part that I know of that could draw so much current without exploding or making sparks is the battery.

[lebstyle]

it was wierd, but i did notice that every time it hapenned, right when all the power was gone, and the car stalling and almost gonna turn off, like its last breath, then boom, everything starts working again, and thecar drives fine, then 10 mins later, same thing.

i did notice some coolant leak on the drivers far side of the rad, and a few drips of oil in the same area come from 2 thin metal lines going into the rad on that corner of the rad.

the battery is fairly new.

but i looked at the alternator, and i didnt see any new oil, other than the regular grime on the parts.

[saumil]

I noticed that the capacitor I was referring to is not on your model.

And because it starts so rapidly after failure, the battery cannot be so dead, it can still provide the crank amps to the starter. But then it is also wierd that it did not support the operation of the car right before the crank.

When you said that the lights dimmed, did they almost turned off before the car turned off ?

[lebstyle]

ya, like i was driving normal. then all of a sudden the abs light came on, then the srs, then at the same time, the radio stoppped, then the lights in the dash and headlights started dimming slowly, then i noticed the gas gauge started going down, and the rpm went haywire. while i felt it almost turning off, then ipressed the gas all the way and wouldnt accelerate, then as it almost turns off, if kicks back in like it was normal. and that hapenned like 5 or 6 times in about a 80km range.

hope that helps