Not Starting

[rio678]

HI everyone


My Merc is not starting, it's turning over and sometimes sort of wanting to start but doesnt, fuel is getting there, i can smell it!, but i think the coil is dead but what tests can i do to check?

 

[television]

HI everyone


My Merc is not starting, it's turning over and sometimes sort of wanting to start but doesnt, fuel is getting there, i can smell it!, but i think the coil is dead but what tests can i do to check?

Is it the car in your advatar,looks like a 68 SE, any model number please.

Malcolm

 

[rio678]

Opps, forgot to mench, it's my 1985 190e

 

[television]

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...+++765.903&CT=M&cat=504&SID=15&SGR=060&SGN=04


Is it the same as this.

Malcolm

 

[Silver Arrow]

If it is of that age, you might remove a plug lead and hold it near to a plug (or earth) to see if you get a spark accross the gap. I use a timing light, which is easier if you have one and you can do it single handed.
Or you could disconnect the king lead and try the same trick.
On the obvious side, Is the inside of the distributor damp? Paper towel and or WD works on my old Range Rover when it gets damp.

 

[mattkh]

starting

fuel is getting there, i can smell it!

Hi

Soooo your plugs are covered in petrol. How is the spark going to jump between the electrodes ?
Remove the plugs, dry, clean, reset the gap and insert Or
put new plugs in.

 

[rio678]

Only because i was trying to start it so much......, I shall try to test the coil in the morning and see if it sheds any light. It's odd, was working fine the day before?

 

[television]

The way to test the coil is to make sure that you have 12 volt on the + terminal, the - wire goes to the points in the distributor. If you take the high voltage wire off the center of the cap and hold it ½ inch from a ground point, and turn the engine over, where you should see a spark.

Has your car got normal points under the rotor arm (a single wire going in the side) or do you have electronic ignition ( multi wires going to photo cell/hall effect switch)

Malcolm

 

[Silver Arrow]

Using the king lead as Malcolm and I suggested will check the coil if it is a simple system.
If there are other inputs, such as crank sensors etc, failure of these will inhibit the spark.

 

[television]

As Silver Arrow points out == crankshaft sensor
http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...&L=765.902&CT=M&cat=488&SID=15&SGR=090&SGN=05

An easy way to test the primary coil circuit is to join up a meter or a very low wattage lamp (pea bulb) to the - lead on the coil , when the engine is cranked there will be 12v or lamp will light 4 or 6 times per revolutiion when cranking.

Malcolm

 

[Stevie A]

Test king lead for spark at distributor. If there is a spark, your distributor may be worn or damp, or it could even be badly worn capute spark plugs.

 

[rio678]

Help!!!

Replaced the coil, spark is getting to the engine, but it is still not starting at all, and it smells of petrol now

I tried cleaning up the spark plugs, it almost started then went back to being the same.

 

[Ultymate]

Sounds to me like you've had it extremely flooded ie cylinders awash with petrol hence the strong smell of petrol, this not only wets up your plugs but it also washes the oil off the cylinder walls and the cylinders become far less effective at drawing in a fresh charge of air. You could try several things, remove dry and clean the plugs, while they're out squirt a little oil down each plug hole and crank the motor a few times to oil the cylinders. Once you've done all this refit the plugs, before you try to start the engine do two things 1/ make sure your battery is fully charged this will give you maximum cranking speed and a good spark 2/ If your engine has a carb with automatic choke remove the air cleaner and or trunking to gain access to the choke flap, open the choke flap manually and jamn it open with a screwdriver (make sure whatever you use cannot fall down the throat of the carb. Then and only then you can try and start your engine.
P.S. If you have petrol injection and not carb you may have to use other methods to dissable the cold start to prevent further flooding. I hope this helps it's very hard to diagnose this type of thing over the web and not hands on but I've dealt with this on a daily basis as an AA patrol now retired good luck Another PS you may if its manual trans go for a tow start I'm sure once it's fired up it'll be back to it's normal self

 

[rio678]

Thank you very much ! i shall give that a try first thing tomorrow

 

[television]

I too was going to say exactly the same as Ultymate, even leave the plugs out for an hour to help dry it out.
I see that you do have injection, not sure that if you open throtle fully it will clear as it does with a carb version.

Malcolm

 

[rio678]

ah right, i thought it was just a carb?

 

[television]

ah right, i thought it was just a carb?

E normally mean Injection, and I have answered your other thread as for a carb.

Malcolm

 

[Ultymate]

If it is injected you can either pull out the fuel pump fuse which will stop the pump altogether or you can bridge the two pins of the temperature sensor loom which will make the engine assume normal running temperature and hence no excess fuel for cold start first you must find out whether it's carb or injection

 

[rio678]

Definitely Carb

 

[television]

Definitely Carb

Then all you have to do is in the other thread to clear it,do not pump the pedal as it will make things worse, just hold it right down.

malcolm