New 300CE Owner problems!!!

[Fightgear]

Hi Guyz
Yesterday I bought my first Merc. A 1990 300CE. Its a wonderful beast! However, now I've come to start getting her even better, I've come across a couple of problems (with no doubt more to come!). Firstly, driving her home yesterday, I discovered that it is not the easiest car to start from cold. Turns. runs lumpy and dies if you try a little throttle. If you don't try throttle it dies quicker. Seems to take ages to start. Now I thought I'd have a look under the bonnet and check the plugs, filter and oil. However, when I came to try and open the bonnet, the lever under the passenger footwell didn't seem to do anything. Checking the front to see if it was already open, I discovered the level/tag to open the bonnet was missing. There seems to be a couple of little plastic bits which I presume was where it was located but no tag.

Any help on dealing with this would be a welcome start to my new ownership!

Thanks guys in advance
Roy

 

[C220GJS]

If the release lever actually moves without any effect it sounds like the bonnet release cable has broken, the plastic secondary catch is easy and cheap to replace once you get the bonnet open . I can only suggest you remove the release lever,1 philips screw, and if you are lucky you may be able pull on the inner cable with pliers or molegrips, it all depends on where the cable has broken, get someone to press down on the bonnet and it will come more easily. Other than that I can't help but I am sure there must be someone here who can.
Geo.

 

[Richard Moakes]

The M103 equipped cars of that era are never that keen on starting cleanly, it's mainly down to the fuel injection system and old injectors.

New injectors would transform the starting, it made a world of difference on my 1989 W124. However, a cheaper temporary solution is to run some injector cleaner through the system. It always made mine easier to start and run smoother as well.

I think they also run a bit rough after startup sometimes due to hydraulic lifter leakdown, which makes them run rough for the first few seconds until the engine oil pressure has refilled them with oil and taken up any slack.

Good Luck,

Richard

 

[LNM]

Never used injector cleaning stuff; does it really work ? I'm always a bit loath to add stuff like this; I feel it might dislodge some shoite that will cause a blockage elsewhere or make something starte leaking...

New injectors; how much, about?

 

[Richard Moakes]

I have used it numerous times, and prior to changing the injectors, it always made the old girl start easier and run smoother.

It's a concentrated detergent, similar to what is in quality petrol, only stronger in concentration I guess.

The old style injectors fitted to K/KE jetronic are spring loaded pintle valves which open when fuel pressure is applied from the fuel distributor, a major problem is leakdown when the engine is switched off, this allows fuel into the cylinders and makes it difficult to start again.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mercedes-Benz...ryZ10398QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem is the kind of thing I bought, except you need 6 for your engine. Oh and you need new seals from MB to fit them properly, but they cost pennies.

Richard

 

[television]

Hi Guyz
Yesterday I bought my first Merc. A 1990 300CE. Its a wonderful beast! However, now I've come to start getting her even better, I've come across a couple of problems (with no doubt more to come!). Firstly, driving her home yesterday, I discovered that it is not the easiest car to start from cold. Turns. runs lumpy and dies if you try a little throttle. If you don't try throttle it dies quicker. Seems to take ages to start. Now I thought I'd have a look under the bonnet and check the plugs, filter and oil. However, when I came to try and open the bonnet, the lever under the passenger footwell didn't seem to do anything. Checking the front to see if it was already open, I discovered the level/tag to open the bonnet was missing. There seems to be a couple of little plastic bits which I presume was where it was located but no tag.

Any help on dealing with this would be a welcome start to my new ownership!

Thanks guys in advance
Roy

Can you open the bonnet at all.

malcolm

 

[Fightgear]

Well thanks to you guys and the previous owner, I got the bonnet open. Checked the spark plugs and one was cracked so replaced them all. Unfortunately, only could get NGK copper (I wanted something more up market with multi contacts to help starting) but no others seemed to fit the Merc. Am trying to run some injector cleaner through the system now but am wondering if it (the difficult starting) might be down to air filter or the cold air sensor in the filter? (the sensor that decided to use warm air from the engine crack rather than outside). While checking the air filter, I noticed that the plastic fitment pipe that goes from the crank case to the filter pan, had been broken and bodged back together using tape to cover the break. It seems a decent join but isn't too firm. Also, what is the best air filter to use and where is the best deal for it? Mine is the squarish one.
Thanks again for all the help guys.
Roy

 

[Blobcat]

Never used injector cleaning stuff; does it really work ? I'm always a bit loath to add stuff like this; I feel it might dislodge some shoite that will cause a blockage elsewhere or make something starte leaking...

New injectors; how much, about?

VAG have had a problem with dirty injectors. They became clogged and instead of producing a fine mist of fuel, they sent a jet into the combustion chambers this has caused havoc with the bores.

 

[Orlando 300E]

Hello Fightgear,
Welcome to Mercedes ownership. I presume your 300CE has a M103 engine? -M103 is the 12 valve engine.

If it is, it could be like mine, not starting, even stalling at traffic lights just as I was about to pull off -that was fun trying to start it, until I remembered to put the gear lever in park!

They all came down to the distributor cap & rotor arm corroding and even damp getting in. I recommend that you take the cap off to have a look- mind you it’s not the easiest of tasks. It’s a tight squeeze, you will need to remove the fan shroud (other wise you will loose claret) & then find the wide gap between the fan blades to undo the captive allen key bolts. With the cap off, you should be able to clean up the contacts; if they are badly corroded you will need to replace probably both arm & cap.

I agree with the use of fuel injector cleaner. Initially I used a stronger dose than recommended, on a quarter tank. After that it was every 4-6 months. I did eventually end up getting the injectors cleaned at a Bosch service centre -can not remember how much that cost!

Sources for parts-
I use Euro car parts, they are OK, but I am skeptical about the quallity of some of their stuff. Tend to usually go to the dealers -not everything is expensive & you can get a lot of help & advice from the parts people; so be nice! There are breakers you can get used bits from, but I dont recomend that route unless you really have to -my experience with 2 seperate mail order breakers has put me off for good.

cheers
Orlando

 

[Fightgear]

Hi Orlando
Thanks for the welcome. Have to say people are more welcoming and helpful here than in other motoring forums (other marques) I have experienced.

My 300 is the 24 valve. Not sure if that makes any difference to the distributor positioning? Mine is difficult to start first thing. Once warm its fine. If I leave it for a few hours and it cools down, its a bind to start again. Turns but doesn't run. It sounds like its catching but won't continue after the the turn of the key. It's also very sluggish initially pulling away. Feels like it needs a 'bang' to get the power there. It's embarrassing in some ways as it looks and (once running) sounds so good but it its power during the first half mile or so is like a car running on three cylinders if that makes sense?

I did as you have suggested as well. I asked at the local motorfactors and got some injector cleaner (I asked which was the best as I wasn't convinced the Redex was that good). I used a full bottle of the stuff recommended in about half a tank so if that is the problem then we'll see.

The car has only done about 20,000 in the past 6 years with some years only getting 3k worth of miles on the clock.

It's good that users are so willing to help and makes a marked ('marqued' even!) change from previous experience with Saab and Citroen forums.

Thanks again guys!

 

[LNM]

These cars are complicated; this forum is testimony to those who appreciate them and want to keep them going which is why you get such a good response, but don't be bothered if you never get one; people need day jobs to afford maintainance !!!

Many people on here have years of know how and we're lucky to be able to draw on that experience. I have none in that respect; instead sending small, probably already known advice (see below) forward as a pittance payment to the forum in general for the £'000s saved because of its existence.

You can do it without removing anything apart from the cover thing but it took me _ages_ to get the bottom allen key off the distributor cap on my 103; got less than a 1/4 turn each go and it seems the bolt is as long as the head itself... I don't know if its the same setup on 104. Apparently using a ball ended key helps enormously.

Given the responses here, I'm going to try some injector cleaner now.

Ta chaps.