I think many of us will find this post of interest.
After having sidelined my S420 for over 2 years, and getting ready to move, I have finally decided to get the W140 fixed. The car has been garage kept for 2 years.
This problem existed even when the Benz was on the road, and did not develop due to it being garaged/unused. It may have magnified a bit.
The car starts off fine, then as the car reaches operating temps, the car starts hesitating, loses power, backfires, and runs HOT!!! Then it dies. I have to let it cool of for 2 hours or more before refiring, and then it runs fine. Then the problem repeats itself endlessly. I believe several of us have experienced this problem, and are scared to take her in for the cost of repairs. Well, I had to bite the bullet.
I took suggestions from friends here and changed the spark plugs, battery, fuel filter, air filters, had the fuel injectors blown and MAF cleaned with electronic fluid. Nothing helped.
Finally I took it to independent world class Mercedes mechanic "Michael Lucci" in Fairmont West Virginia. He has 35 years of experience working on MB cars. He has all the latest tools and gizmos, that he claims even the MB dealerships don't possess. Dealership mechs don't even come close to that level of experience and expertise.
I had the car towed to him, and he fired it up, and as soon as the car heated up, he said I know exactly what is wrong with it, but he said he'll tell me after he has had a chance to diagnose it on his computer. 35 years under the hood of a Benz can do wonders, I suppose. I'll find out.
He says MB S-classes have always been a very rewarding experience mechanically to fix, and he gets a thrill out of them, but he has seen the quality drop over the years and he would personally NOT buy a new Benz any more. He spoke highly of Lexus, their level of engineering, simplicity, complexity, and reliability, but does not fix them, too many Toyota/Lexus Machanics running around. He had nothing nice to say about BMW or Porsche, they were not rewarding in terms of satisfaction for him to fix, he quit working on them 20 years ago, and just focusses on MB. He has also restored classic Ferraris. Great cars, but not practical to own or repair. His personal favorite is Subaru, go figure.
There were cars from NY, PA, NJ, CA, WA and even Canada, S classes and E classes, and even a classic 1957 SL, cars from all eras ranging from 1950 onward in his shop. People from all over get expensive classic MB cars towed to West Virginia to get them fixed from him!!!! I could not believe it.
Well, while the car is there, I have also asked him to give me a quote on the A/C (blows hot air), and find out what else is wrong with my baby, and give me an estimate. He said he will give me a great deal. Parts will be well below dealership cost, and labour will even be cheaper he has stated. We'll find out in a day or two, and I'll keep you updated. If anyone is interested or has similar problems, please post.
BTW, I am relocating to FL, and if anyone knows of a good MB/Lexus mechanic in the Tampa/Orlando area, please update me. If anyone is interested in Michael Lucci, and wants his car fixed by towing from the world over, I can give you his contact info - please PM me. He comes highly recommended from a couple of friends with a new E320, C240, and an older E300. I'll find out for myself and keep you posted on the work performed versus the price charged. Touch wood.
I just got the car towed back (no license tag or insurance until month end), and it is fixed, but I have yet to test it. The parts that were bad and were replaced were the 2 distributor caps, and some wiring (not the wiring harness), and also the spark plugs, which were fouled up by the distributors not functioning.
The A/C is also fixed. There were no major flaws in the A/C, maybe a slow leak, that he was NOT able to locate. But he filled it with the refrigerant/sealant and tested it, and it is supposedly fine. Nothing is wrong with the evaporator I was told.
Here was the problem described - The car starts fine, but as the temperature increases, the resistance in the wiring and distributors goes up, and if the distributors are already bad, they stop functioning. Hence the car runs like crap. It has nothing to do with fuel filter or engine temperatures. This was the explanation.
Total damage was $1100.00 USD. It seems high, but it could have been worse. I truly think the stealership cost would have been much higher, considering they quoted me $300 for changing spark plugs, $110 for oil change and $370 for tranny flush when I first purchased the car. I am pleased with the cost. Any feedback is welcome.
I'm surprised distributor caps aren't mentioned as part of routine maintenance.
In my 1978 911, it's routine maintenance to put in a new distributor cap every 10-15,000 miles. Spark plug wires are a good idea every 8-10 years or so.
RE: I'm surprised distributor caps aren't mentioned as part of routine maintenance.
I wish I would have known that, as the problem was diagnosing what was wrong. The caps are fairly easy to replace. The mech told me that the originals were duds, and once he has replaced them with the newer material caps, he has never had them come back.
Here is another bit of info:
He has told me to remove and discard the bottom engine cover, the big piece of underbody plastic. Is is used for some aero gains, but mainly for sound proofing. Unfortunately, it traps a lot of heat leading to the "get this" - wiring harness deterioration, distributor caps, spark plug wires, and tranny overheating, and oil degradation. Discard that cover at once he has told me. I am going to remove the thing, once I move to Florida, and then check the temperature guages. If it makes no difference then I'll put it back on. If it does help, then the thing is going to be tossed.
Thanks for your input Brett.
Quote:
Brett San Diego - 6/8/2005 9:39 PM
In my 1978 911, it's routine maintenance to put in a new distributor cap every 10-15,000 miles. Spark plug wires are a good idea every 8-10 years or so.
RE: I'm surprised distributor caps aren't mentioned as part of routine maintenance.
Quote:
ychachad - 6/9/2005 9:48 AM
I wish I would have known that, as the problem was diagnosing what was wrong. The caps are fairly easy to replace. The mech told me that the originals were duds, and once he has replaced them with the newer material caps, he has never had them come back.
Here is another bit of info:
He has told me to remove and discard the bottom engine cover, the big piece of underbody plastic. Is is used for some aero gains, but mainly for sound proofing. Unfortunately, it traps a lot of heat leading to the "get this" - wiring harness deterioration, distributor caps, spark plug wires, and tranny overheating, and oil degradation. Discard that cover at once he has told me. I am going to remove the thing, once I move to Florida, and then check the temperature guages. If it makes no difference then I'll put it back on. If it does help, then the thing is going to be tossed.
Hmmmmnnn...
__________________
The Mighty AckVig
1997 S320 SWB
The MB Tech and I went for a test drive. The car runs perfectly. The parts replaced were 2 dist caps, 2 dist cap covers, 2 dist rotors, full refrigerant fill of 2.5lb R134A.
The wiring harness is deteriorating, but still in good shape.
Next we ran the car at 55 mph for 4 miles and he hooked his MB analysis machine to it. There are no fault codes in any sector. The engine temp was 98°C. Mind you, this is NOT the temp shown in the instrument cluster. The ambient temperature was 90°F.
Next we took the bottom engine pan/cover off. Drove again for 4 miles at 55 mph, and hooked the machine up again. This time the engine temp registered 93°C, a drop of 5°C, which is significant. I am going to leave it off.
He also tested the ignition spark time, ingnition timing, MAF voltage and pressure in each cylinder and all were in perfect condition. All this work was done free of charge in front of me. His evaluation was that the car is in "pristine condition" for its age. All in all, I think that was great business. The car has never run like this before.
I still have the front most panel, the one that was eliminated was mainly under the engine behind the front panel (maybe also called oil pan cover).
If you look down in the gap between the engine and the side on the passenger side, you will now see asphalt.
I still have the front most panel, the one that was eliminated was mainly under the engine behind the front panel (maybe also called oil pan cover).
If you look down in the gap between the engine and the side on the passenger side, you will now see asphalt.
So, what of the noise issue? Any noticable difference?
I feel like I've benefited greatly from you sharing your experiences. I believe the distributor and wiring resistance info is priceless. I, too, think that the encapsulation panels do more harm than good. After reading this string, I'm going to remove the engine and tranny panels from beneath my 1992 600SEL. I want that engine to have as much air circualtion as possible! I'll save the panels for the day when I decide to more to a different Mercedes. Thank you, thank you.
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Jim, Tulsa, OK (Member MBCA - Eastern Oklahoma Section)
'94 W140 - S420 (040 Black w/Black leather) "Xray"
'94 W129 - SL600 (Imperial Red w/Parchment leather) "Tucson"
'88 W124 - 300TE (Smoke Silver w/chocolate MBtex) "Hammer"
'84 W201 - 190D (Signal Red w/saddle tan MBtex) "Little Dark Red"
'98 Jeep - Wrangler SE (Moss Green w/medium gray vinyl) "Army"
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