1986 Mercedes 300E Fuel Question...

[arhcitect1803]

1986 Mercedes 300E 6-Cyl (125000K Miles)
I hope someone can really help me out with this expensive problem. My car's economy guage is reading all the way to the red, which indicates that it is using way too much gas. I just changed out the fuel distributor(used) last night, and still it reads to the red, smells like gas, and now won't even turn on unless I slighty push down on the throttle air passage hole (brass circular platform, opens and closes the air passage) and give it a little bit of gas. I turned the oil cap and opened the valve cover to smell any burning oil or gas, it smells like gas, not even like oil anymore. It is burning too much gas. I have no idea what to think or do next. Might it be the Fuel Regulator? Fuel Sending Unit? Or do I need a new engine? The car was working fine (it smoked a little from sitting a long time on the driveway) and never did this. This happened from one day to the other, and I have had it with the car and the awful gasoline smell. Please email me back at architect1803@yahoo.com. I will greatly appreciate any angel of God who can give me a solution to this problem. I have had it with putting money and time into the car. My next objective will be to take it to an open field, light it on fire, and enjoy a cigarette while I watch the damn thing blow to shreds. So please, can anyone help me out? If you need a better and more detailed explanation of the problem with my car, email me and I will be more than delighted to give you my phone number.

Thanx!
Carlos P.

 

[sooper coop]

I'll post you a lighter.

Go to an indie and get your wad out.

 

[Benzblue]

Sounds like your car may have a vacuum problem, all that gauge does is measure vacuum in the intake manifold. It has got NOTHING to do with fuel system.
Check main vacuum connection at the intake manifold, remove instrument cluster and test the instrument with a vacuum pump..... etc.

 

[jberks]

As above, the economy guage is actually nothing more than a fancy intake vacuum guage. The lower the vacuum the poorer the economy if all is ok (I think but correct me if I'm back to front on this), but if you have an air leak, you might actually find that the car is running leaner and using less fuel!!
I wouldn't read much into the guage, it was never much use if I remember (1984 E280 wouldn't move unless it was in the red). Do an MPG check and as above, test the vacuum system. You may also find locking and headlight adjustment problems if the vacuum system has sprung a leak.

 

[soundbud]

mercedes 300E starting idleing backfiring economy gague problem

hi, i have a solution to what i just discovered the other day was the problem with my merc 300e. happy now! :grin:

car was dead for a week and a half, the probelm was the over voltage relay from these cars had a week soldering joint from the factory. after a while of use! or years! they need changing. mine started to back fire and had and had a problem with starting and cutting out. the back fireing caused the breather hose from the air inlet sensor to come off and caused the big problem! car wouldnt start, and i didnt know what was wrong!

found out from the guy who purchased the car off, common problem with the 300 mercs!

this OVP relay stops over voltage to the ECU and the ABS ECU's and cause incorect amounts of voltage, so that the mixture of air/fuel is not correct!

hope this helps!

paul :-D

 

[Arnie]

The Bosch KE Jetronic is usually very reliable and probably you have made the starting worse by swapping out the distributer for one not tuned to your engine. If it is using too much fuel, it could be the pressure control value or a blocked fuel return pipe or faulty cold-start enrichment valve, but the best thing for you to do is to visit a Bosch fuel-injection system specialist who should be able to sort it out easily.

As mentioned, its also worth checking the OVP relay, as this supplies power to the fuel injection electronics, which will otherwise run in a basic-setting mode.

The fuel economy guage is not the problem, but you do seem to be flooding your engine.