Car just died out....any advice???

[AMG POWER]

Hello everyone,

Two days ago my 96 E320 just died out on me. I stopped to get some food at my favourite restaurant, went back to the car, and it wouldnt start. All I hear is a clicking noise, and it wont even attempt to crank. My battery seems okay, all the interior lights, music, and headlights are running strong. The alternator was replaced a little less than a year ago. So I am beginning to think it is the starter. Long story short, I had my car towed home, now I'm just trying to diagnose the problem before I get it towed to a shop and be at their mercy.

I read alot of forums before posting this thread, many people have had similar problems, stating it was the starter, the CPS sensor, or something about the key?? I've tried a few things some buddies have recommended, someone told me to start the car in neutral, and someone told me hit the starter with a broom to get it going. The thing is I cant even find the starter under my hood, it seems hidden somewhere! I cant get my car started, I even attempted to boost it, with no luck!


So if anyone could give me some feedback on what they think it could be and anyone who has posted a past thread with the same issue, how did it turn out? Any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated

[ohlord]

battery voltage with a multimeter.should be 13plus volts.
check and clean cables on the battery,if loose or corroded lights may light but under load starter won't turn over.
get a small charger and charge the battery overnight,boosting a dead battery is not enough to turn over the starter if it is way drained.

ohlord

[Kajtek1]

Ditto on checking the battery and connectors. This car has computer controlled starter.
So when the voltage drops, the starter will not engage.
What size of booster cables did you use?

[AMG POWER]

Thanks ohlord, I will get a battery charger from a local part source and leave it to charge. I will keep that 13v in mind when I check tomorrow.

Kajtek1, Im not too sure which size booster cable it is, it was my brothers, we tried boosting from his 89 bmw 735il.

So basically you guys think its more my battery than starter? The only reason I was thinking it wasnt the battery was because all the electronics seem to be functioning flawlessly. I guess its hard to assess without me reading the volts. I will keep you guys posted when I find out in the morning.

[Kajtek1]

Even voltmeter might not tell you everything, unless you have one with memory.
The computer is much faster than human eye, or meter inertia. Meaning it might abort the start in 1/10 second (actually I don't know how fast it is, but it is possible )
So I would get heavy jumper cables and try it again. The #10 wires commonly sold are good for 4-cylinder Fiats.
Or new battery.

[raymond-]

Originally Posted by AMG POWER

<....>So basically you guys think its more my battery than starter? The only reason I was thinking it wasnt the battery was because all the electronics seem to be functioning flawlessly. I guess its hard to assess without me reading the volts. I will keep you guys posted when I find out in the morning.

If you have a traditional incandescent bulb flashlight and it goes dim, you toss
the batteries. but!.....if you take these same batteries and use them on an
LED bulb flashlight, it will usually power this flashlight beautifully.

Too often, the mistake is made in concluding that the battery is good because
one views the radio and light operation of the accessories as a healthy indicator.
The fact is the power draw and requirements of the starter is a bazillion times
higher than that for the frugle, solid state electronics. One must factor
in the *load* requirements as part of your diagnosis.

[ohlord]

have a multimeter,check alternator output or battery voltage with the climate control diagnostics.key on with engine not running should read about 12 volts,engine running about 13.2-13.6 volts on value #24 in the diagnostic program.
always charge in lieu of a jump when you have a choice.Always use the jump post(in the engine comp) and a good ground ,when you have no other way(away from home).Always charge with the key out of the ignition.
ohlord

[jlomon]

Checking the strength of your battery is proper diagnostic procedure. If you determine that your battery is showing the correct voltage right now, then I'm going to suggest another direction for you.

Your car has the inline 6 cylinder M104 engine. This motor has problems with a defective Overvolt Protection Relay (OVP) that fails. When it fails you will exhibit a no-start condition that seems most prevalent when the car has been run a short distance and then shut off again, before reaching full operating temperature. When you go to star the car, the symptons you described will happen. After letting the car sit for 15 or 20 minutes, if you try to start it again it will start like there wasn't anything wrong with it. I'm assuming you had this much time transpire if you tried to have boost the car, which is making me think it is probably the battery. But I wanted to give you this information just in case.

Good luck, and please keep us posted on your progress.

[AMG POWER]

Thank you everyone for your insight. Well I left the car to charge for about 3 hours with my newly purchased 10amp charger, it reads the battery is now at 100% full. I had a friend read the voltage of the battery it showed about 11.47v. Now even with the 100% full battery, it still refuses to start.

At this point I really dont think it is the battery. I still get the same thing, a clicking sound then a low hum. It doesnt even attempt to crank

Does anyone happen to know where the starter is located?? I really want to take a look at it but cant find it, any pictures would be helpful.

[jeff3839]

Did you ever figure this out. I have the same problem. I replaced the battery.
Still wont start, only randomly. It will start with a heavy Charger, but decide not to start randomly 2 days later.