Howdy,

I have noticed for the past few days that the charge light is coming on intermittently when the car (1984 190D 2.2) is just started. I glow as usual, then start the car. The car starts fine but for about 1 minute, the charge light flickers. This is only really a problem in the morining. Restarting the car during the day doesn't seem to cause a problem.

The car starts fine, but it seems that the battery isn't cranking over the car as fast as it used to. I put an optima in about 1.5 years ago.

Is this a sign of an alternator about to fail, a regulator, or do I have a battery drain somewhere?

Thanks much,

Sholin

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What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.

It might be the brushes in the regulator wearing out. They wore out prematurely in our '84 190D 2.2. Fastlane sells the Bosch replacement regulator for $44.25. A dealer will probably charge you $75.

Ours went out on a trip and even though every electrical component on the entire car went out, that diesel kept running all the way to a Mercedes dealership.

Yeah, I bought a set of brushes (with integral regulator I believe) just for this occasion. I'll check them out this weekend.

Thanks,

Sholin

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What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.

Just an update. I replaced the regulator/brush assembly and that indeed fixed the problem.

Thanks much Bud.

If anyone out there owns an older Benz with a replaceable brush/regulator assembly, it is a good thing to replace it.

sholin

__________________
What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.