1996 W124 E200 Estate 192K miles
So 1 mile from home after an afternoon spent trying to excavate the top of my desk, I stopped to buy a box of chocs and when I went to start the car again the engine spun like a top as always but didn't fire - it has always started first-turn with never even a hiccup.
So, electrics or fuel I felt, though surprised at the suddenness as it was running perfectly just before. Or maybe it just preferred different chocolates!
My knowledge is limited and equipment more-so, however in the growing gloom and on a pub car-park it appeared that electric was available but not reaching the fuel pump as it didn't click with ign but woke up if a live line was run in to it. Didn't have time/light/enough hands to do much more, ended up getting it towed home (oh the ignomy! - plus now a seriously flattened battery!)
So I am prompted to suspect the fuel pump relay but would bow to expert opinion or personal-experience before I install a new relay, as a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and at those prices test-by-replacement gets painful fast!
Does anthing else share this relay for example and would be found not to be functioning if I looked, thus supporting the diagnosis? Is there a direct test that can be carried out on a suspect relay to get a definitive answer? Is a rebuild/repair an option?
Or does something different to that relay shout out to anybody and I was just too numb with cold lying on the car-park to make 2+2=4 at the time? I have seen coupled-references to the OVP relay - is there potential for that to be suspect too perhaps? Fuses/holders clean and clear and fine, wiring/etc. good as far as can be quickly run-over; Just double-checking here!
And if it is likely to be the Fuel Pump Relay after all, from looking under the bonnet I have NO idea which piece of kit it actually is and on these pages I have seen three different engine-bay locations given plus one inboard by a rear wheel-arch and another down by the fuel tank, so could someone who knows where and what it actually is for my lowly but delightful E200 please point me towards it so I can identify it (any useful marks/numbers?) and end up replacing something that needs it and not something else that doesn't?
Please?
Thanks
Hannay
So 1 mile from home after an afternoon spent trying to excavate the top of my desk, I stopped to buy a box of chocs and when I went to start the car again the engine spun like a top as always but didn't fire - it has always started first-turn with never even a hiccup.
So, electrics or fuel I felt, though surprised at the suddenness as it was running perfectly just before. Or maybe it just preferred different chocolates!
My knowledge is limited and equipment more-so, however in the growing gloom and on a pub car-park it appeared that electric was available but not reaching the fuel pump as it didn't click with ign but woke up if a live line was run in to it. Didn't have time/light/enough hands to do much more, ended up getting it towed home (oh the ignomy! - plus now a seriously flattened battery!)
So I am prompted to suspect the fuel pump relay but would bow to expert opinion or personal-experience before I install a new relay, as a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and at those prices test-by-replacement gets painful fast!
Does anthing else share this relay for example and would be found not to be functioning if I looked, thus supporting the diagnosis? Is there a direct test that can be carried out on a suspect relay to get a definitive answer? Is a rebuild/repair an option?
Or does something different to that relay shout out to anybody and I was just too numb with cold lying on the car-park to make 2+2=4 at the time? I have seen coupled-references to the OVP relay - is there potential for that to be suspect too perhaps? Fuses/holders clean and clear and fine, wiring/etc. good as far as can be quickly run-over; Just double-checking here!
And if it is likely to be the Fuel Pump Relay after all, from looking under the bonnet I have NO idea which piece of kit it actually is and on these pages I have seen three different engine-bay locations given plus one inboard by a rear wheel-arch and another down by the fuel tank, so could someone who knows where and what it actually is for my lowly but delightful E200 please point me towards it so I can identify it (any useful marks/numbers?) and end up replacing something that needs it and not something else that doesn't?
Please?
Thanks
Hannay
Last edited:
