R129 help please...desperate now!
Discussion
Hi All,
I've had my 93 500SL for 3 years now and she's been great until she sat for a couple of months whilst life took over. This was about a year ago.
I now have this issue that nobody (including a merc specialist) can seem to solve.
The car fires up first time, no problems at all. If I drive it the 5 miles to the petrol station and switch off it will not start again until it's cooled off. I have to leave it 2-3 hours before trying again. Recently it's started to cough, splutter and cut out before it reaches the garage. Only once it warms up though?
It will turn over fine, although after a while it will pop as though it's overfuelling.
I don't use the car at all now and I need it off the drive but I really don't want to sell with an issue (not that I wouldn't mention it, I'd just rather the car be in good working order).
I'm started to be tempted to get a ticket and sell as is but not knowing what the problem is will mean losing a fair amount of £££. I just don't have the time nor finances at the moment with a new business starting to take off and the thoughts of spending £100s if not £1000s does not appeal as the business needs the cash.
Anyone have any advice, seen the problem before?
Thanks.
I've had my 93 500SL for 3 years now and she's been great until she sat for a couple of months whilst life took over. This was about a year ago.
I now have this issue that nobody (including a merc specialist) can seem to solve.
The car fires up first time, no problems at all. If I drive it the 5 miles to the petrol station and switch off it will not start again until it's cooled off. I have to leave it 2-3 hours before trying again. Recently it's started to cough, splutter and cut out before it reaches the garage. Only once it warms up though?
It will turn over fine, although after a while it will pop as though it's overfuelling.
I don't use the car at all now and I need it off the drive but I really don't want to sell with an issue (not that I wouldn't mention it, I'd just rather the car be in good working order).
I'm started to be tempted to get a ticket and sell as is but not knowing what the problem is will mean losing a fair amount of £££. I just don't have the time nor finances at the moment with a new business starting to take off and the thoughts of spending £100s if not £1000s does not appeal as the business needs the cash.
Anyone have any advice, seen the problem before?
Thanks.
S-Express said:
Worn out/cracked distributor caps perhaps? Has the bio-degradable top engine loom been replaced?
The merc specialist did mention the caps and rotar arms but asking about no one could think why this would affect it only when warm and not when cold?Top engine loom not been replaced as fas as I am aware?
chazola said:
Sounds like vapor lock that some of the older Mercs used to get, maybe dodgy coil pack? Fuel pump? Distributor cap/arm like previous poster said?
This is my issue. I could spend a fortune on things that aren't the cause. Does anyone know what the availablity of seconds are like for these? Can't imagine that many have been broken up recently.
There are two possibilities, neither will cost the earth.
1. Crankshaft position sensor. Classic symptom: car will not start when hot.
2. Distributor caps. Condensation forms. Car comes up to temperature. Condensation turns to water vapour. Vapour causes arcing. Car runs rough or cuts out and refuses to restart.
I would go with dizzy caps first. You should do the rotor while you're at it.
1. Crankshaft position sensor. Classic symptom: car will not start when hot.
2. Distributor caps. Condensation forms. Car comes up to temperature. Condensation turns to water vapour. Vapour causes arcing. Car runs rough or cuts out and refuses to restart.
I would go with dizzy caps first. You should do the rotor while you're at it.
r129sl said:
There are two possibilities, neither will cost the earth.
1. Crankshaft position sensor. Classic symptom: car will not start when hot.
2. Distributor caps. Condensation forms. Car comes up to temperature. Condensation turns to water vapour. Vapour causes arcing. Car runs rough or cuts out and refuses to restart.
I would go with dizzy caps first. You should do the rotor while you're at it.
Great, think I'll bite the bullet on the caps and arms and sensor If still no joy then it'll be an ebay as is job. 1. Crankshaft position sensor. Classic symptom: car will not start when hot.
2. Distributor caps. Condensation forms. Car comes up to temperature. Condensation turns to water vapour. Vapour causes arcing. Car runs rough or cuts out and refuses to restart.
I would go with dizzy caps first. You should do the rotor while you're at it.
Merc guy told me to get Bosch only for the caps. Any suggestions on where to get them as I'm guessing Mercedes will not be the cheapest!
Not sure how good your specialist is!
I have a 93 500SL - one of the first 067 cars, it started doing the same thing, it would be fine when cold then start missing and running on less than 8 cylinders after a few miles and was sometimes very difficult to start once this started happening. I removed and cleaned both rotor arms and caps, they were dirty, wet and corroded and covered in tracking marks, the wet in them tasted very strongly of acid. I thoroughly cleaned and dried them and the problem went away for a few months, the moment the issue started to return I repalced all four items with new parts from GSF, about £140, no issues since.
I suggest you remove and clean caps and rotor arms and see what happens, if they are in bad condition replace them anyway.
I have a 93 500SL - one of the first 067 cars, it started doing the same thing, it would be fine when cold then start missing and running on less than 8 cylinders after a few miles and was sometimes very difficult to start once this started happening. I removed and cleaned both rotor arms and caps, they were dirty, wet and corroded and covered in tracking marks, the wet in them tasted very strongly of acid. I thoroughly cleaned and dried them and the problem went away for a few months, the moment the issue started to return I repalced all four items with new parts from GSF, about £140, no issues since.
I suggest you remove and clean caps and rotor arms and see what happens, if they are in bad condition replace them anyway.
r129sl said:
There are two possibilities, neither will cost the earth.
1. Crankshaft position sensor. Classic symptom: car will not start when hot.
2. Distributor caps. Condensation forms. Car comes up to temperature. Condensation turns to water vapour. Vapour causes arcing. Car runs rough or cuts out and refuses to restart.
I would go with dizzy caps first. You should do the rotor while you're at it.
+11. Crankshaft position sensor. Classic symptom: car will not start when hot.
2. Distributor caps. Condensation forms. Car comes up to temperature. Condensation turns to water vapour. Vapour causes arcing. Car runs rough or cuts out and refuses to restart.
I would go with dizzy caps first. You should do the rotor while you're at it.
had both of these issues before ( albeit years ago! )
first with a 300 te auto estate.... would travel 18 miles ( bang on! ) then die...had to wait untill is was cold. in this case it was crankshaft sensor.
second with SL500 of '94 vintage.... would cut out infrequently when stationary; it was about to go in to MB anyways for a service and we replaced (if i reacall correctly) 2 distributor caps and rotors. this may of been how your SL started out before developing into cutting out and not restarting.
i would defo try both of these relatively inexpensive ideas before offloading 'with a problem' at a huge discount.
hope this helps, and do post what, if anything you discover.
I'd normally suggest Eurowrongparts for the bits, but they have another company that is normally cheaper than even their 30% discount prices.
Might be worth trying www.cartparts4less.co.uk to see how the prices compare.
Might be worth trying www.cartparts4less.co.uk to see how the prices compare.
Thanks for all the replies.
The 'specialist' did give the caps a damn good clean. The car ran fine sat on the drive but took it for a spin and it died. Think I'll go with the crank shaft sensor to start with.
Am I right in presuming I am looking for one of these?? http://www.gsfcarparts.com/929me0181
Major ball ache of a job or could a novice have a go?
The 'specialist' did give the caps a damn good clean. The car ran fine sat on the drive but took it for a spin and it died. Think I'll go with the crank shaft sensor to start with.
Am I right in presuming I am looking for one of these?? http://www.gsfcarparts.com/929me0181
Major ball ache of a job or could a novice have a go?
Depends where it is on the car. When mine was done by the mobiloservice fellow took only a matter of 30 mins (that also included clearing the STAR machine and resetting to make sure all was working)
The part itself seemed to be buried in the very bowels of the engine so access was awkward. Needed a long handled tool of some kind but should be reasonably easy to do for someone who is not completely inept (unfortunately this ruled me out)
The part itself seemed to be buried in the very bowels of the engine so access was awkward. Needed a long handled tool of some kind but should be reasonably easy to do for someone who is not completely inept (unfortunately this ruled me out)
I'd be looking at plug/coil breakdown due to heat.
Also (had this on a V6 Pug 406 Coupe) - started and ran fine when cold, popped and spluttered and wouldn't start when hot, symptoms of overfuelling. It was the thermistor that controlled the auto choke; car thought it was cold all the time so, effectively, was keeping the fuel mix rich.
Also (had this on a V6 Pug 406 Coupe) - started and ran fine when cold, popped and spluttered and wouldn't start when hot, symptoms of overfuelling. It was the thermistor that controlled the auto choke; car thought it was cold all the time so, effectively, was keeping the fuel mix rich.
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