HVF

Having a problem with starter not running when switch turned on.
with switch in start position there is nothing. no click nothing. I check the backup lights thinking it might be neutral safety switch but backup lights work. I have tried starting the car in park and neutral. Nothing. I did notice not all the dash warning lights come on when i turn on the ignition key. Only about half of them are on.

Yesterday I stopped at a store and that was the first time it wouldn't start. I played with several things and even the fuses. Then it decided to start. It started several times when I got home. Now today it started once and then nothing again.

I was wondering about the overload protection relay. Not very familiar with all that it does, but in the back of my mind I kind of remember that it can cause a no start problem, but don't know if that also affects the dash warning lights.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You.

QVHK

It appears that the no-start was caused by an electrical rather than a mechanical problem, particularly when half of the warning lights did not light up upon turning of the key. I found a post in another forum that explains the role of the OVP, Here it is
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w124...94-1995-a.html
It is possibly the culprit to your no-start problem, but also check that your battery, battery terminals and ground contact points are in good condition.

HVF

Found the problem.

I should have paid more attention to the fuses. It was a case of the dreaded ceramic fuses. None of them appeared to be blown, but a couple of them were oxidized where they make contact with the fuse box contacts.

I tried replacing the ignition switch and of course that didn't fix it. I had the car towed to a European repair shop I use when I can't do the repairs on my own. They looked at several things and then looked at the fuse box. They ended up replacing all the fuses with a newer version that will not oxidize as easily as the original ones. At least they were fair with their service fees and now all is well.

Just wanted to pass this on and remind all of us not to forget the fusees, even though they look good.

QVHK

Interesting; fuses and relays are the first place to look for trouble-shooting, and double check if problems persist. An example was in my air-con issue. Changed the relay but then after a while the random shut down of the air-con returned. Went the other route by replacing rare parts such as air-con control unit, the low pressure and high pressure hoses, and finally the in-cabin temperature sensor cable. The last item got replaced and did not cure the problem, so ordered a factory original sensor cable but still did not fix the problem. Trying the illogical by installing a used relay bought from eBay and the air-con returns to normal after almost two years of unstable operation. The learning is, double check your relays, fuses and connection points before throwing money on other parts. Also, the new, after-market relays did not sit well in the original socket, and certainly did not last very long.

optimusprime m1

First thing i say in any post thats electrical .Is remove fuses, do this one at a time clean them after inspecting for wear on the ends spray a little WD40 on s rag wipe the end and refit. And if you still have the silver type, then ditch them for copper or brass ends.All earth points need cleaning up, and grease the body that they are fitted to .And you will have less things to bother about .

Fallinggator

That would be fuse #5, and should always be your first check when you have a no-crank/no-start situation. There is a 3 prong terminal block under the hood that you can jumper to the battery to bypass everything but the starter itself in an "emergency" situation like this. It's gotten me home once or twice. It is located to the left of the power steering reservoir towards the top right/middle portion of the engine bay right against the firewall. You disconnect it, and put a low voltage wire between the middle prong and the battery + terminal. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK BEFORE DOING THIS!!! Otherwise you will either kill yourself, someone else, and/or wreck your car & whatever it hits that brings it to a stop. You will then hear the starter crank, and you can drive home or to a mechanic. This is also a useful test for ruling out the starter as the source of your trouble. The other potential causes are in order of the circuit Ign sw >NSS>K38 interlock>X27. For anyone with a no crank situation I highly recommend a thread created by Arthur Dalton on pelican parts forums. He is the one who taught me everything I know about the starter circuits on the W124, and how I was able to diagnose & fix my car. It is a very straightforward, easy, detailed step-by-step procedure for diagnosing & fixing a bad starter circuit.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...p-anybody.html