OKONJI

I now drive my w124 200E in fear of any minor flood of water on the road.

Please I want to be armed with ideas before going to my mechanic or auto electrician.

The car is w124 200E with engine M102.963 - 1993?

Early September 2014 rain caught up with me while driving. All of a sudden the car started to cough and behaved like it had bad plugs. I looked at the operating temperature it was as it used to be 80, the car almost stalled but I was lucky I got home.

Recently again as I drove, very slowly, through flood water during rain, which inch was not upto half the wheel of the car. The car stalled as I pressed the throttle to increase movement. It restarted after about 15 minutes. As the rain continued I got to another sport of water, right in the water the car stalled again only to restart after another 20 minutes.

In all, immediately it stalls I always made several restart attempts of which the car would crank well, but as if it was starved of fuel, but you can hear the fuel pump run without issues.

On dry normal weather and dry land this does not happen. The car runs normal and smooth.

The plug wires and air hoses on the air filter are tight as should.

Please has anyone had such problems or have any idea of likely components of this particular M102.963 engine that are allergic to water even in drops?

When I opened the engine compartment I carefully inspected the wires and hoses but I did not see any apparent lose wire or opening through which water gets into any strange place.

I heard that water injection through the intake manifold effectively condemns the engine if on top speed.

Does anyone know why it should resist throttle while in the flood.

I don't know any rain doctor to consult before putting the car on the road.

This car was not behaving like this. Please advice.

Plutoe

"Does anyone know why it should resist throttle while in the flood"----yes-the M102.963 is not and MB marine engine!!!---look to the wheel well coverings are they still there or have they rotted off

OKONJI

Thanks for your prompt comment.

The wheel well coverings are in good looking condition i.e. if it is same as that place housing the tyres that I think. Or is there other place called wheel well?

Even though M102.963 is not amphibious or marine engine it has been wading through such water during rain before now. For a vehicle at operating temperature of 80 to experience rain and minor flood water on the road and begin to cough and wanting to go off is very strange.

It is as if something that forbids water got touched by it and it reacts making the engine to stall. And allows it to restart after drying up. Along this thought, can touch of water on the ignition coil put off the engine? The robber cover on top of the coil is no longer perfectly seated due to age.

This car had no issues with water before.

More professional advice would be highly appreciated.

ptoro01

Your cap and rotor are sensitive to humidity. It's either cracked, worn or has a leaky seal.

But then again, I'm fairly certain the car is trying to tell you that it doesn't fancy water. I'd listen.

ptoro01

Or you dipped your fuel pump deep enough to short out and overheat a failing ovp relay.

But perhaps, it's just angry with the conditions it has to operate in and refuses.

Have you tried reasoning with it?

ptoro01

Another possibility is that the fan was catching water and spraying it all over the engine bay and everything shorted out, the engine sucked in water and therefore didn't have enough power to keep going and quite literally drowned.

If you dipped it deep enough and the lower part of the air intake is cracked, water could have rushed in. Does it usually make wierd howling sounds like an owl?

Have you considered therapy? For the car I mean. A couple hour spa treatment at your local MB dealer could do wonders!!!

Saijin_Naib

Check your plug wires. Mine had small fractures in the insulation jacket that would cause my car to stall when it was really humid (heavy rain out).

OKONJI

Thanks to all for your advice. I have booked an appointment with my local mechanic this Saturday for proper check-up on the car. I will arm myself with your advice just in case he becomes confused. I will keep you posted.

Thanks.