380SEC Convertible... problem starting!
#1
380SEC Convertible... problem starting!
Hi all! I need someone's expertise so I thought I would post on all the Mercedes forums and see if anyone can solve my dilemma. First of all the car.... I bought this about 6 months ago, love everything about it. Not factory convertible and probably not everyone's cup of tea but I could drive this thing forever.
![](http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/ferociousfish/IMGP4704Copy.jpg)
![](http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/ferociousfish/IMGP4701Copy.jpg)
![](http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/ferociousfish/IMGP4706Copy.jpg)
![](http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/ferociousfish/11044683.jpg)
Has 137000 on the clock, everythings in great working order, and the only problem I have is that it does take a bit of starting on very cold mornings, the water pump has recently developed a leak, and I have been topping up with about 2 litres of water per day for the last week and a half (on it's way to be fixed next week). I can see where the water is leaking from but waaaay to awkward for me to get in there to fix. Apart from that all was good.
Now I go to start the car last week, it turns over twice and then....nothing. No click, no crank....nothing. I get power, everything works, I can hear the hiss from the fuel pump but the engine wont turn. It's not the battery as everything is powered on and there is not dimming of the lights (at all!) if I try to crank with the lights on. I even charged the battery to be sure but still no go. So over the next three days I tried everything. Checking power to ignition coil, etc cant reach starter motor to give it a bang, wriggle gear lever bang and forth forever in case it is neutral safety switch, all to no avail - it just wont turn over. So, being a truck driver I go away for 5 days, thinking I will have to get it towed when I get back home. So when I get back I try it again, not expecting anything to have changed and lo and behold IT STARTS! WTF! Nothing had changed, the car hadn't been moved, etc, nothing had been wriggled or adjusted, it just decided to start. It has me completely baffled. So, any ideas? When I tried to start it again I was just leaning through the window so I hadn't touched the gear level or the accelerator if that adds to the mystery.
![](http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/ferociousfish/IMGP4704Copy.jpg)
![](http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/ferociousfish/IMGP4701Copy.jpg)
![](http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/ferociousfish/IMGP4706Copy.jpg)
![](http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/ferociousfish/11044683.jpg)
Has 137000 on the clock, everythings in great working order, and the only problem I have is that it does take a bit of starting on very cold mornings, the water pump has recently developed a leak, and I have been topping up with about 2 litres of water per day for the last week and a half (on it's way to be fixed next week). I can see where the water is leaking from but waaaay to awkward for me to get in there to fix. Apart from that all was good.
Now I go to start the car last week, it turns over twice and then....nothing. No click, no crank....nothing. I get power, everything works, I can hear the hiss from the fuel pump but the engine wont turn. It's not the battery as everything is powered on and there is not dimming of the lights (at all!) if I try to crank with the lights on. I even charged the battery to be sure but still no go. So over the next three days I tried everything. Checking power to ignition coil, etc cant reach starter motor to give it a bang, wriggle gear lever bang and forth forever in case it is neutral safety switch, all to no avail - it just wont turn over. So, being a truck driver I go away for 5 days, thinking I will have to get it towed when I get back home. So when I get back I try it again, not expecting anything to have changed and lo and behold IT STARTS! WTF! Nothing had changed, the car hadn't been moved, etc, nothing had been wriggled or adjusted, it just decided to start. It has me completely baffled. So, any ideas? When I tried to start it again I was just leaning through the window so I hadn't touched the gear level or the accelerator if that adds to the mystery.