Hi, I have a 1989 Mercedes Benz 260E which is not starting at all. We have tested the battery and it is working fine and I bought a new battery a few months ago.

i went away on a 3-week trip in August and it was giving me a little problem starting the car before I left. When I came back it started no problem but was struggling just a bit. I didn’t initially take it for a spin but the next day I tried to start the car and it wouldn’t start. My partner gave me a jump and it eventually started. I took it for a spin and when I approached a hill going up the engine just stopped and all the lights came on. I was able to get it towed to my house. We have been trying to start it here and there and both time even when he tries to jump the battery and give it juice it just doesn’t start.

We,ve been searching to see what a solution of the problem may be and not sure which direction to go. When we try to start it I did a video and right under the engine there is a lever that moves side to side to try to start the engine but it’s week and doesn’t start it.

we don’t know if it’s the starter, starter relay, alternator or what it could be.

Any ideas to what to look for would be great.

Where I have a white box is the lever that’s supposed to move from side to side. It very weak and sometimes it moves but doesn’t have enough power to start the engine.

This lever should b moving from side to side and it doesn’t. It tried but tried a bit and stopped.

 

That is just your throttle actuator and is not even needed to start your car. Did you have to press on the throttle to get it to start in the past?

You can take the air filter box off to take a better look there but I doubt any of that is your issue. When you take it off perhaps post another picture.

If the car is not starting, the engine is not getting fuel or the ignition system is toast. You have to decide which one is your problem.

If it died as you were driving (and not idling) I would suspect and ignition system issue. You can check for spark in your plugs but you need to be careful there is 10K volts of energy there.

I would start with taking a spark plug out to see what condition it is in.

If you do not know how to do all this you will need to take it to a mechanic.

 

get a blink tester and start testing---fyi you dont have a starting/charging system problem---the tester will tell you the direction to go and if all this is greek to you then find a good MB mechanic and take a longer trip the next time

 

On a '89 the CA version the blink tester was built in at the 9 pin diagnostic port. Not sure if this was included in shipments to other locations around the world.
Indeed blink testing is a good place to start. If there are no codes then the OP will need to roll up the sleeves for sure.