starting a 1996 S600
 

Need to help a friend next week start his father's 1996 S600. The car has been sitting a few years thanks to Covid and the battery dying, so they let it sit some more.

I've never touched a W140 before (the W109 is more my speed) and I'll be the only car literate person there.

As I understand it, the first hurdle will be to get the trunk open? They have the keys they drive with, is that sufficient? What's plan B if it isn't?

If I can get it running for 2 seconds with a fresh battery and ether, I'll consider the effort to be a smashing success.

If it somehow does stay running, I will probably asked to deal with more issues because it's been sitting so long. What is the right scanner to pick up for a 96? I found several old threads about the speed bumps and dead ends with 95 and earlier models in the pre-ODB2 world.

Does a 96 S600 have the ubiquitous, generic ODB2 connector, or is the 38-pin connector the thing to scan (or both, subject to caveats)? If so, what's a reasonable scanner to purchase, considering I'll be doing this more than once, I want something that actually works, but I won't be doing this enough to justify a 500$ purchase?

With warm regards,

-CTH

Fresh battery, drain the gas, fresh filter and refill it with some good gas and fire it up.

The key they drive with will open the trunk.

Unfortunately, it's parked "poorly" and I have to get it running to move it to drain the gas. But the car hasn't been sitting more than 2 years, so the gas is old, but it burns. -cth

2 years shouldn’t be too bad. Toss a few bottles of water remover in

That first Italian tune up will be a blast I'm sure!

It has some dodgy tires apparently too. I have a "better" pair of 500SL tires that have been keeping the air on the inside that I should probably bring along "just in case". I have to remember to ask my friend what the existing tire size is.

-CTH

When you use the either let someone else turn the key and crank the engine. As the engine is cranking you can use/spray only the minimum amount of either needed.

Don't bother with the ether. Its not an old diesel and will either run or it won't. Ether won't change that but could lead to things like blown out elbow boots.