Ignition coils affected by the cold weather
 

Could the ignition coils in my 400E be affected by the very cold weather? the car won't start in very cold and the pass side coil not throughing a spark??

Anything's possible. It sounds like an intermittent open or short circuit. Check all electrical connections. If the coils are the same, swap 'em and see if the problem follows the coil or not. It's possible that the coil is shorted or has a broken wire that only shows up with the contraction of the materials when cold. A poorly fitting ignition or coil supply wire could do the same thing.

Then you can get a heat gun and see which components need warming up.......

AHHH heat gun good idea!!!!!!!!

I would think only a failing one would be affected by the cold. My 300E starts and runs the same at 0F as it does at 85F......only difference being slower cranking at 0F....

I found another thread, and he had the same symtoms and it was he coils!!

Digging up an old thread :P

My 400e is almost harder to start at 10* than any of my diesels. Once it starts it has a noticeable miss at idle till it's good and warmed up. I even have to shift to neutral at stop lights.

Add to that a weird 'rattle/knock from around the trunk area till its warm(exhaust?). THEN "clicks" from perhaps the rear headrests till warm.

Once it's warm, like 80C, all these problems go away.

Coils?

Keep in mind I know next to nothing about gas MB's :cool: