1988 230TE Estate - Cold Start Issue

[Mad Professor]

Good Day All.

In the last few days I have brought a 1988 230TE Estate.

When the car is 1st started or cold you can not touch the throttle or the engine will splutter or die, if it starts without needing the throttle you have to let the engine idle for up to 5mins before you can use the throttle.

The car is just sat on my driveway at this point in time wile I am waiting for all the paper work needed to get it on the road, so now is the best time to try and get any problems sorted.

I don't know when the car was last serviced so I am going to change the fuel filter, oil filter, oil, plug, rotor arm, and dizzy cap, and air filter, so that I know they are all good.

Due to its age I am also going to put some fuel cleaner in the tank, what would you say I should use? Redex, ect?

I have not looked into the problem yet, over the last few days I have just been making a To-Do list.

What do you think the problem might be, and what should I look at?

Thanks for your time.

 

[jibcl500]

Mine did this and after changing just about everything bit the bullet and got another TE instead and broke the other for parts.

The old bosch injection system on these cars is very difficult to fettle but there is a needle inside the plenum that gets dirty and sticks, they can be cleaned but they need specialist adjustment for correct running.

I know this doesnt help but im about to strip the induction system on a 1993 190 2.6 which is basically the same system.
jib

 

[television]

it will be the cold start valve not operating

 

[thatfatbloke]

I have been having exactly the same problem with the '87 230te that I recently saved from the scrapyard. Splutters (but never stalls) until the temperature gauge reads about 60 and then runs nicely after that. I was wondering whether it might be more practical to get a manual choke fitted or to get the cold start valve fixed. Perhaps someone on this wonderful forum could enlighten us!!. Hope you have lots of fun when she is running right again as I intend to - full of character these old W124's. I was 'Benzless' for three weeks before I bought this one - it was probably the worst three weeks of my life since I discovered them years ago!!. Good luck.

 

[television]

The first test is to disconnect the wiring from the cold start valve, remove the valve and hold it over a suitable container.

Next by pass the fuel pump relay by connecting pins 7 and 8
so that the pump runs all of the time, then apply a battery 12volts to the cold start valve. the spray angle should be around 45 degrees

 

[television]

Another simpler way to start with would be to join a volt meter up to the cold start valve when the car is cold,the see if 12 volt is present when starting,,no 12 volts here could be a faulty sensor,,and on these cars for what the sensors cost it almost worth changing them all as they are getting on in life

 

[Mad Professor]

Thanks for eveyones replys.

I've not had the time yet to test the cold start injector due to the weather, but as soon as I get a nice dry day I will test it, and report back.

Best Regards.

 

[Mad Professor]

It's been some time since my last post.

It's just been cold to work on the merc, but due to it being so cold latey the merc is very hard to start, so I have had to brave the cold, and see if I can find out what the problem is.

The cold start valve is working fine, when you remove the plug and feed 12volts to it, It has an ok spray patten.

But when cranking or just after start there is no power to the cold start valve.

There is a good earth to the valve, but there is no 12v feed from the relay.

Looking at the haynes manual the relay that feeds the cold start valve is the fuel pump relay.

Pin 87 - Feed to fuel pump & O2 sensor.
Pin 30 -
Pin TD -
Pin TF -
Pin 50 -
Pin 31 -
Pin 15 -
Pin 87v - Feed to cold start valve.

Before I go out and buy a new relay can anyone tell me witch pin is the trigger input from the ECU for the cold start, so that I can test that the ECU is sending out a signal.

Thanks for your time.

Best Regards.