1987 Mercedes 560 SL - New no start issue????
 

Good evening all,

I have a 1987 Mercedes 560 SL with156,000 miles. I purchased the car in June and had some work done. I had the following items repaired.

1. Steering box replaced because it was leaking.
2. Steering coupler and damper replaced because of rattling and excessive play in the steering.
3. Lower ball joint and control arm bushings replaced.
4. A wiring short in the radio circuit repaired. It was a wire above the windshield the was the culprit.

Now my problem: I picked the car up yesterday evening and drove it the 1 mile home. After getting home I attempted to go out about 2 hours later, and the car would not start.

When turning the key, all lights come on an when I crank it, nothing happens. The engine doesn't turn over at all. No sounds are made. I checked the battery with a jump an it made no difference.

I called back to the shop and was told it ran fine every time it was moved in and out of the garage.

Where should I start checking? The starter does no engage. All electricals go out briefly when attempting to start it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Ron

I would start by confirming the battery has 12.5+ volts. If it clicks and has 12 volts it is likely the starter or its power connections. If it doesn't then you need to start looking at grounds, the main power lead to the starter, posts on the battery, and signal to the solenoid.

Not to be flippant but this is something you can google a guide for. This is not going to be vastly different between a R107 and a 90's GM.

Thank you MaxC for your response.

Thanks to all for your assistance. The problem was a corroded starter and loose ground strap. It seems that when the steering box was installed, the ground strap wasn't tightened properly.

With the starter cleaner and the ground strap tightened, the car is functioning properly.

Ron