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Car not starting or cranking!!

4K views 30 replies 10 participants last post by  SChalmers 
#1 ·
Hi my 2000 s500 hasn't been starting or cranking for the past few days, I've already replaced the battery and the starter, I also had checked all the fuses and relays but is there anything else that is causing it to both not start or crank?
 
#3 ·
1. When you stated that you have already replaced the starter & the battery, was that before this cranking problem, or since?

2. What is the voltage at the battery terminals before you try to start.

3. Can you hear any clicks (starter relay or starter solenoid) when you reach the Start position with the key?

4. When you turn the key to position 2, do all the lights come up on the cluster?

5. When you stated that you had 'checked all the relays' - how did you do that?

Forget the start, and concentrate on the crank. The starter motor will not crank unless the starter relay K40/7 kL energizes the starter solenoid. If the relay is pulled out, and a jumper wire is connected between terminals 30 & 87 on the relay socket - the starter motor should crank. The starter solenoid will now have +12v on it.

If you try this, take care, and be prepared for the engine to crank

If you do get a crank, then you can move on to discover why relay k is not being energized. If you do not get a crank, your starter motor might not be connected properly.

Your problem could be as simple as a bad starter relay.
 
#4 ·
Yes all the interior lights and dash lights work, and the radio does turn on.

*made a mistake didnt replace battery just starter

Since the problem began i replaced the starter, but the battery terminals read 12.5v, i do hear a click when i turn the key to the start position, all the lights in the cluster come on when i turn the key to position 2, i checked the relays by looking at the chart that was given in the manual and everything seems to be right.
 
#5 ·
Have you checked the neutral safety switch? Try moving the gear selector to N and see if it starts.
I had this happen once I thought my car was all they way in park but it was just a bit off it would not start.
I my S430 sometimes it will go into reverse but not engage the tip down mirrors as I am not right at the R stop
 
#9 ·
I tried starting the car and it did come on but then suddenly just turned off and when i tried again it didnt crank at all and yes my car is all the way in park but i dont know why my car turned off right away or wont crank.
The key is in your statement above. Why did the motor just stop?? Changing the battery and/or the starter would not solve why the motor quit running suddenly. Something turned the motor off or it may have seized??

A puzzler for sure!

Bob
 
#8 ·
Let's start at the begining. When this all started, start from when you last started the car. What happen to make you replace the starter. Did the car just not start one day or did it start and then shutdown and not start again after that? What else has happened to the car? Did you leave it in heavy rain? Change any of the hardware ie Radio? Full story please this will help us more then you know?

Dean
 
#12 ·
This all started about last week on saturday, i started it then it just turned off and never turned back on, i tried again and it started fine but the gear shifter wasnt moving so i turned it back off then when i tried again it never started. from time to time (atleast once a day) the car would start perfectly like nothing ever happened but for the remainder of the day it just wouldnt start or turn off or just not change gears, nothing else has happened to the car before and i always keep it in my garage so no weather problems could occur, and i never replaced the radio or anything electrical besides the starter.
*note bought brand new battery yesterday still the car isnt starting or cranking.
 
#13 ·
Check the CPS first. If you have access to a scanner that can get all the MB codes, scan the car for them. When it has started did it run long enough to warm up? Has the gear selector been difficult to more from park recently? This sounds like a sensor on the way out.

Dean
 
#14 ·
I dont have a scanner that gives all the codes so i may need to go to Canadian tire to check it out, when i start it doesnt run long enough to warm up and i also noticed that when it does start and everything is fine then it doesnt give any trouble changing gears either it changes fine or doesnt change at all. do you have any idea on which sensor in particular that this could be?
 
#16 ·
If you are thinking of bringing it to Canadian Tire I could send my two lap dogs over they will diagnose better then Canadian Tire and save you a ton of money. Sorry not trying to be an A** but Canadian Tire is great for lawn furniture, half price sales on tools and holiday decorations not getting your Mercedes serviced or any car in my opinion.
If you are in Toronto or the GTA McNally's is where to bring it. Same price if not lower then Canadian Tire but amazing with Mercedes only place I bring mine if I do not want or cannot do the repair. Even if you are outside the GTA but close enough( Newmarket,Oshawa, Burlington etc) to have CAA tow it in I would do it.
Search McNally on this forum and all you will find is positive postings
If not in Ontario fill in your profile and I bet there are members in your area that know a great indie shop.
 
#15 ·
Don't take it to Canadian Tire. Take it to a Mercedes dealership: they know what they are doing. Your approach reminds me of the time when I had a very bad cold and asked the walk-in clinic physician for certain antibiotic that I knew would work from having had a similar kind of cold the previous year, and he would not prescribe it, for he knew best. I took his alternative and my simple cold turned into bronchitis: I later found that he was actually a gynecologist who was moonlighting at the clinic. He was an expert on one hole, but not anther.

Canadian tire mechanics know as much about an S-class, as a gynecologist knows about throats.
 
#20 ·
From his statement that sometimes it starts but won't shift , sometimes won't start at all and sometimes it will start then turn off, it could be the eis , the shifter , neutral safety switch , etc. needs a good mb specialist so you don't throw all those parts at it
 
#21 ·
I know that everyone is trying to help by guessing here but at this point I believe he really needs to have the codes checked. It could many things causing it not to start. By getting the codes read, he will know exactly what is going on and what needs to be replaced. Good luck OP.
 
#22 ·
Yes the OP does need the codes read, as I stated earlier sounds like something on it's way out. Not yet dead, but will be soon. Scan it before anything else.

Dean
 
#24 ·
Very well done keyhole, you just proved to us all you don't read all the posts before you comment. Since the OP has given us more information as requested, we have found out that the car does crank over sometimes and somtimes it does not. Also it has started since the problem occurred, so great idea in 3 but not needed in this case. As for the starter being toast - he has a new one installed, not likely to be toast just yet. Don't mean to upset you but why try something that won't help in this case. Since it does crank sometimes and not others more likely to be something else on the way out related to the drive authorisation.

Dean
 
#26 ·
Very well done keyhole, you just proved to us all you don't read all the posts before you comment. Since the OP has given us more information as requested, we have found out that the car does crank over sometimes and somtimes it does not.
Thanks :) I do read all the posts, but as you said earlier we might not have all the facts. We know from the forum history that sometimes unexpected information is revealed later.

OK, the OP has 'changed the starter'. Was this a DIY? Are all the electrical connections tight?

OK, sometimes it cranks, sometimes it does not. My method would prove a continuous crank, so no uncertainty there about the starter solenoid and starter motor. Then move on. The test costs nothing, and I'm sure that's the first thing a workshop tech would do.

With a fault like this, the OP must eliminate every possible cause before replacing parts.
 
#27 ·
Hey Keyhole you took the dig well. If you want to check the connections the best way is with a multimeter. You connect the leads betwwen the battery terminal and the starter motor connection post + to + then try to crank the motor with the meter set to volts, if it show any voltage then the connection aren't right. To find the bad connection you just move one lead along to the next point of connection (i.e. from battery terminal to the cable clamp) and try again. once you have good connections on the + you repeat with the - side. This is a good video of what I am talking about

As for this issue the OP has I don't thnink it will be the Starter, maybe the connections since they have been moved. I also don't think it is likely to be the CPS as that would not cause the gear change issue, as for the gear position switch as that would stop the cranking only and not the starting. This is the reason I think it is to do with the components of the DA. In saying this it could stillbe a combination of problems working together to throw us a curve ball. Best bet is to first get any codes out.

Dean
 
#28 ·
I enjoyed the video. If only all starting problems were so simple to locate. :)
I also don't think it is likely to be the CPS as that would not cause the gear change issue, as for the gear position switch as that would stop the cranking only and not the starting. This is the reason I think it is to do with the components of the DA. In saying this it could stillbe a combination of problems working together to throw us a curve ball. Best bet is to first get any codes out.
That was my point about the 'forced crank'. It bypasses the conditions (above) that enable the starter relay K40/7 kL to operate. If that is OK, then you can start thinking about fuel, ignition, shifter, drive authorization etc, that can also affect starting, I agree. However, any stored CODES could be useful also.
 
#29 ·
Seems like there is more than one intermittent problem which will most likely be a pain, but with patience you will get it figured out. I personally think you have at least two issues, the first being your shifter lock mechanism and the second sounds like a bad grounding issue (as mentioned above).
 
#30 ·
Alright so thanks everyone so far on this i had eliminated any possible problem that is causing this but everything seems fine, but for some reason when i tried starting it today of course nothing happened but instead the car locked itself and when i unlocked it and tried to start it actually started, but does the security system have anything to do with this like the car not starting or changing gears?
 
#31 ·
You need to get it in and have the codes pulled. If not you are just drawing straws!. You will end up replacing a part to try and solve the problem, might get lucky on the first one you try but if not it will cost a fortune. Like I said if you are in the Toronto area McNally's Auto is the place to bring it. Or like I said I have a scanner might be able to pull the codes for you I do not have a ton of faith in it i980 but it might pull your codes.
If not in Toronto area post where you are and people in this forum will recommend a good indie shop in your area. Most people on this forum repair our cars our self but we all know of the good indie shops because there are somethings you just cannot do in your own garage
 
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