Mercedes 320TE - 1993 - 152K (driven daily)
Since November we have been experiencing an intermittent starting problem with our Mercedes W124 Estate. Normally the car starts without fault on the button, but occasionally the starter motor will turn over and over without the car firing into life. Turning the ignition off and and commencing the starting sequence again with the key, the car will start immediately (80%) or it will just turn the starter motor over as it did on the previous attempt (20%). It seems that by restarting the ignition sequence again helps the car to start. When the problem first occurred we use to leave the car for 10/20/30 minutes and then restart the car with success. The problem seems to happen after a short journey when the engine is warn (and on a warm day), not when cold, but that maybe coincidence.
I am inclined to think that the problem is more electronic than to do with fuelling, as I have tried on many occasions to depress the accelerator whilst the starter motor has been turning over.
The problem hasn't happened for the last 3 months, but started again on Monday when my wife pulled into a garage to get fuel and couldn't start the engine again, until I arrived 1 hour later and started the car on the 2nd attempt, after turning the key on/off twice. (she wasn't happy). She then used the car all day on start stop journey's without the problem re-occurring.
On Tuesday evening (after sitting outside my friends house for 3 hours) I was fortunate enough for the problem to occur again, in the presence of my mechanic and we tried different starting sequences so I could show him the problem. He's going to have a detailed look at the car and suggested that we take it to a diagnostic specialist he knows, but as the problem doesn't occur very often it may be difficult to trace and may need the problem to get worse before it can be diagnosed. Since Tuesday the car has started on the button and the problem has disappeared, again.
I was wondering in anybody else has heard of anybody experiencing this kind of problem and knew what may be causing it?
Thanks
James
PS - Next time it happens I will see if I can video it to capture then problem. I will also post any findings/solutions to the problem as I find them.
Since November we have been experiencing an intermittent starting problem with our Mercedes W124 Estate. Normally the car starts without fault on the button, but occasionally the starter motor will turn over and over without the car firing into life. Turning the ignition off and and commencing the starting sequence again with the key, the car will start immediately (80%) or it will just turn the starter motor over as it did on the previous attempt (20%). It seems that by restarting the ignition sequence again helps the car to start. When the problem first occurred we use to leave the car for 10/20/30 minutes and then restart the car with success. The problem seems to happen after a short journey when the engine is warn (and on a warm day), not when cold, but that maybe coincidence.
I am inclined to think that the problem is more electronic than to do with fuelling, as I have tried on many occasions to depress the accelerator whilst the starter motor has been turning over.
The problem hasn't happened for the last 3 months, but started again on Monday when my wife pulled into a garage to get fuel and couldn't start the engine again, until I arrived 1 hour later and started the car on the 2nd attempt, after turning the key on/off twice. (she wasn't happy). She then used the car all day on start stop journey's without the problem re-occurring.
On Tuesday evening (after sitting outside my friends house for 3 hours) I was fortunate enough for the problem to occur again, in the presence of my mechanic and we tried different starting sequences so I could show him the problem. He's going to have a detailed look at the car and suggested that we take it to a diagnostic specialist he knows, but as the problem doesn't occur very often it may be difficult to trace and may need the problem to get worse before it can be diagnosed. Since Tuesday the car has started on the button and the problem has disappeared, again.
I was wondering in anybody else has heard of anybody experiencing this kind of problem and knew what may be causing it?
Thanks
James
PS - Next time it happens I will see if I can video it to capture then problem. I will also post any findings/solutions to the problem as I find them.
