Wont Start!! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

JoeinNigeria · #1 01-16-2004, 08:52 AM

Hey Guys got a problem!
Imported from Deutchland, 1993, 230E, 4Cyl, Gas, fuel Injection, Aircon, and Automatic. Okay hears what I know, 2 days ago the plugs were coco brown, the car ran fine, The driver got back late and didn't explain but the jest of his story; CAR NO GO, now the plugs are BLACK and the engine wont run, I killed the battery trying to trouble shoot the problem.. With the plugs out and the key on 3/4 way the fuel pump runs and I think fuel is being sqirted into the cyl, without any pressure on the gas pedal, when I crank it over fuel sprays out of the plug holes. That isn't right, is it??? Please give me any ideas to help..

Capt'n Joe McGlynn

porkface · #2 01-16-2004, 06:40 PM

is this a ke-jet car? if so, take 3mm allen and move the adjustment counter-clockwise until the injectors stop squirting with the key on. once you do that, replace the plugs and start the car. you will have to fine tune it then. good luck, chuck.

Larry Delor · #3 01-17-2004, 09:06 AM

I'm not sure what injection sys. is in there either. But, I imagine there has to be at least a little fuel coming out of the injectors during cranking, or else whats going to ignite?
If you have huge amounts of fuel coming out of there, then I would suspect the injection. But...maybe with all that dust, the air filter is clogged and its not getting enough air... Or.. maybe during the bumpy ride, the ignition timing is off. (which makes me want to urge you to inspect all of the ignition wires before you take anything else apart)

...my (edited) two cents

(for what they are worth)

-Larry

RobertFini · #4 01-17-2004, 09:38 PM

Joe,

An internal combustion engine needs three things to run: 1) fuel, 2) compression and 3) ignition. Since you're getting fuel spraying out of the plug holes when you crank it, it sounds like you're good on that front. It's very rare that compression suddenly goes bad, so I'd concentrate on the spark. Connect a spark plug to one of the wires and hold the plug it against a good ground to see if the plug sparks when you crank the engine (but be sure to keep any fuel spray away because you could have an explosion on your hands). Good luck.

Best Regards,
Rob

ejsharp · #5 01-18-2004, 05:21 PM

Joe,
More info about the cars behavior prior to it quitting would be helpful. However chances are that either the over voltage protection relay or the fuel pump relay went bad.

#6 01-19-2004, 05:23 AM

I had the same problem as you did. I checked all things like your post replies. The only thing I haven't gotten around to check was the crankshaft sensor. It was suggested by another member. I will have to wait until I am off crutches before I can do this.

JoeinNigeria · #7 01-21-2004, 03:59 AM

Dear Guys,
You know sometimes we just have to shake our heads, I use this forum, and it has helped greatly, without it I/we, my wife and I would be at the mercy of Nigerian thiefs... BUT, As I wrote CAR WONT START, now lets see, WHAT IF..This is only a theory... Our Nigerian driver went to the filling station and used my good money to buy bootleg gas from a container, so he wouldn't have to wait in line mmmmmmmm... A very hot engine will run on any F'n thing till it gets home, sputtering smoking reving the living hell out of it. (we had No knowledge of these conditions) Then the next day, out of the blue; CAR WONT START, no prior knowledge!! So I go to this Forum and try to solve our dilemma.... We had fuel & pressure, had spark, had air.... NO START, SO Laura and I pulled out the 4 gas Injectors, they were completely coated, clogged with a sticky gooey oil smelly substance.... 45 minutes of hard elbo grease on each with everything we could come up with finallly I got a can of WD 40 "red tube" to make a spray nice pattern.... Re installed everything, still not indentifing the ??FUEL?? as the source!! She refused to start!!!! Out of Ideas and of left field, I changed the plugs, pulled the fuel relay and poured different fuel from my drum straight into the open throttle body... Sounds crazy, but I saw my dad do this 30 years ago... Well anyway 1/2 a turn with the starter and she started up reved, and idled for 40 seconds before quitting.... So I removed the high pressure fuel line from BOSCH unit, ran it in to a clean large glass jar, gee yellow oil smelly gas..... So now we know, The car ran 7 hours straight after that, AC on Ice cold, Idled fine, had our Local mech come over and do the Allen key adjustment to the AIR/FUEL mixture. The car has performed very nicely since!! Fingers crossed, Knock on Nigerian wood!!

Cheers
Joe & Laura
Deepest Darkest, sometimes dumbest Africa

porkface · #8 01-21-2004, 08:25 AM

one of the worst problems with customers and "sudden" problems is getting the whole story. have fun, chuck.

ejsharp · #9 01-21-2004, 12:11 PM

Sounds like the gas in your tank may have gotten contaminated with diesel fuel. I dont know which is lighter or if the two fuels will mix but my guess is that the oil is lighter than the gas and will separate... particularly in the hot climate... so that when the tank is near empty the oil that floats on the top, will drop and reach the intake of the fuel pump.

If so, and according to your theory, diesel could have entered the fuel system just prior to the low tank being filled with fresh gas. Any remaining oil would then have floated to the top of the tank and away from the fuel intake.

If so then there is the strong possibility that there is still diesel lurking in the tank waiting to strike again!

Solution: Wait till tank is near empty and then drain it.