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Intermittent Stalling

1K views 28 replies 6 participants last post by  ehawk01 
#1 ·
My 380SL starts, idles and runs fine for a few miles then starts sputtering and then stalls. Pressing the throttle does not seem to do anything once it starts sputtering. Most times I can put the car in neutral and it will start right up again. It seems to happen recur quicker if I accelerate. So I just baby it back home.

Recent projects: New injectors, holders and hoses, transmission fluid/filter change, lubrication of throttle linkage, adjustment of bowden cable, replacement of brake booster, brake lines, calipers, pads and master cyl.

Can't find any vacuum leaks.

Could it be EGR valve or Fuel Pump Relay?
 
#5 ·
Well, check the fuel system as Beast mentioned. Use a 46mm socket and take out the fuel sender to get a view of the inside of the tank. If you see any corrosion, pull the tank and clean it out and determine whether or not it’s worth holding on to. I did the pump, filter, accumulator and strainer all in one go for peace of mind. Very important parts and not terribly expensive!
 
#6 ·
When I first got the car 4 years ago, there was some corrosion in the tank. It was cleaned out, but not re-sealed or coated or anything. I suspect that as little as I drive it, that there is a chance that some sediment is in there. I have the socket to remove the sender since I replaced it a couple years ago. I just filled it up last night...I will need to pump out the gas to get a good look inside.

Has anyone had an experience with replacement tanks? I saw one online for less than $400. I was looking at some threads where people have spent a lot of time cleaning, dissolving rust and re-coating the inside of the tank. I am wondering if replacing it would be easier. Maybe I will sell the original one to someone who wants to refurbish it?
 
#7 ·
I'm probably the last person who should be giving advice on tanks... I spent an entire summer restoring a tank that I should have replaced right out of the gate.
Having said that... if there is any corrosion you can see in your tank... and it's an original tank... then the corrugated neck is hiding even more corrosion. Don't waste your time and money trying to salvage a corroded tank... replace it... and don't waste your time and money buying somebody else s piece of crap... buy new.

Now new can get expensive but depending on what you buy it can actually be cheaper than you think. I bought a new aftermarket tank for less than I paid for a piece of crap used tank from California that was advertised as rust free. Bull crap! It was loaded with rust, not to mention the hole in the side of the tank. I wound up sending it back and because I bought it on eBay, I got every penny I paid for it refunded... including shipping.

I bought a new after market tank for less than the used piece of crap but it had it's share of problems as well. The first problem was that the tank didn't accommodate the in-tank screen... the supply tube to the damper cage screws directly into a fitting on the bottom of the tank that was way too small for the in-tank screen. No big deal, the in-tank screen is probably overkill anyway. The next problem was the return line nipple on the new tank... it was welded at the wrong angle and I had to enlarge the hole in the tank compartment floor to allow the return line to fit. Again, not a major problem but a large PITA.

Now that the new tank is in I can finally fill the tank without the smell of fuel in the cabin and wetness in the trunk. Two years of mystery that could have been avoided had I just replaced the tank to begin with.

Your mileage may vary. Good luck.
 
#11 ·
Glad you're back on the road ehawk, and great that you were able to precisely root cause what was wrong. If you do replace the tank you ought to consider replacing the fuel package too, and also I think there's another filter between the fuel line and the distributors - a tiny mesh that sits within a nut that screws fuel line into FD.
 
#12 ·
There is a strainer in the bottom to the tank before the pump. Based on the contents of the pump, I am not sure how well that is working.

I believe that there is also the canister filter and accumulator after the pump before the pressure regulators and the distributor.
 
#13 ·
The in-tank strainer is a very fine mesh... no way the crud you described in the pump could make it through the in-tank strainer unless the strainer is torn.

The canister filter should be sufficient to the job… the accumulator has nothing to do with filtration. The porous filter/strainer in the inlet to the FD is for super fine particles that make it through the downstream filtration system. Might be a good idea to change it. :thumbsup:
 
#15 ·
Would the strainer spontaneously rupture? Maybe the PO cut a hole in it or left it out on purpose? Do the aftermarket tanks use the same strainer or a strainer at all?

I have a spare fuel filter, I could throw on. Do you have a part number for the inlet filter?

Is the filter located here?
 

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#14 ·
Indeed ehawk, which is why you ought to consider swapping the whole fuel package i.e. fuel pump, filter, strainer and hoses if they're perished / on the way out. That way with the new fuel tank you'll be guaranteed clean fuel ?
 
#26 ·
Was it common for mechanics to remove the tank strainer from a 107? Would the tank rusting be a chronic sort of problem that some PO may have bypassed the strainer? Just asking because my pump was full of rusty debris. If that could only happen if the strainer was not doing it's job. That mean that either the strainer is missing or damaged.

I saw this youtube video where a 450 was missing the strainer.

2:13 is where he show the part.
 
#27 ·
The fuel strainer is shared part across many, many models rather than being 107 specific. I'm not sure if it was a common practice to remove it, but if someone was in for a cheap and cheerful fix then probably yes. Usually take nothing at face value when it comes to cars with many POs and less than perfect service history, which is probably 99% of used cars.
 
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