Electrical Mystery 1970 Merc 230 W114
05-07-2016, 02:54 AM
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Mercedes 230 1970 (W114)
Electrical Mystery 1970 Merc 230 W114
Hey guys, new to the forum this is my first post.
I picked up this beautiful old Mercedes from the other side of the country with no papers, it was a thousand bucks and i drove it home without any issues other than a faulty stereo unit. It looks amazing for its age and drives well.
After getting home I got straight into the electrical issues that would be causing the stereo to emit the high pitched squeal whenever its turned on, I suspected an earthing issue as the unit did get quite hot so I cleaned all the connections and replaced the block connector and checked everything was okay...
The result is that the stereo although very crackly and still warm now works and the entire rest of the electrics in the car except the clock have stopped, only they occasionally come back but die again whenever high power is drawn either from turning on the headlights or trying to start, its extremely frustrating to have traded off a perfectly working car for a semi working stereo haha I have wired motorbikes before but for the purpose of shedding light lets assume I am a complete newbie to wiring and the like. Also its worth noting that whenever a battery is connected the negative terminal gets covered in corrosion (see photo), even if cleaned within a fortnight its back.
The car had a complete repaint/rebuild overhaul 6 - 10 years back so most components and wires are reasonably happy, as I said I drove it across the country without any major issues, started first pop every time, very well maintained.
Any help or insight would be appreciated,
I am getting the vibe that I will have to rip most of the interior out and go over every wire in the car but I would rather avoid the many headaches associated with that route.
Cheers
I picked up this beautiful old Mercedes from the other side of the country with no papers, it was a thousand bucks and i drove it home without any issues other than a faulty stereo unit. It looks amazing for its age and drives well.
After getting home I got straight into the electrical issues that would be causing the stereo to emit the high pitched squeal whenever its turned on, I suspected an earthing issue as the unit did get quite hot so I cleaned all the connections and replaced the block connector and checked everything was okay...
The result is that the stereo although very crackly and still warm now works and the entire rest of the electrics in the car except the clock have stopped, only they occasionally come back but die again whenever high power is drawn either from turning on the headlights or trying to start, its extremely frustrating to have traded off a perfectly working car for a semi working stereo haha I have wired motorbikes before but for the purpose of shedding light lets assume I am a complete newbie to wiring and the like. Also its worth noting that whenever a battery is connected the negative terminal gets covered in corrosion (see photo), even if cleaned within a fortnight its back.
The car had a complete repaint/rebuild overhaul 6 - 10 years back so most components and wires are reasonably happy, as I said I drove it across the country without any major issues, started first pop every time, very well maintained.
Any help or insight would be appreciated,
I am getting the vibe that I will have to rip most of the interior out and go over every wire in the car but I would rather avoid the many headaches associated with that route.
Cheers
05-26-2016, 02:31 PM
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500E
Had a very similar thing some years back with a Ponton. Start with the simple things first....check to make sure the negative cable to the battery is nice and clean and tight where it attaches to the body of the car so your main earth is good. Over the years this critical connection will deteriorate causing issues....no return to the battery...! While you at it also check the main cable earthing the engine to the body is clean and tight....this cable is typically connected by one of the engine/transmission bolts under the car and then to the body somewhere. No guarantees...just simple thing to check first.
