[SineMacula]

My 1991 190E 2.6L started having a serious acceleration problem this afternoon... from stop lights, when I started moving forward again I found that the car was really hesitating, almost no power at all... and would then suddenly kick in and start accelerating. This happened several times over the course of a 20 minute drive... and just as I was getting near home, as I tried to accelerate from a stop sign, it sputtered and almost stalled.

I then noticed that the radio wasn't working... wouldn't turn on at all. And the interior lights aren't working either.

This morning, on an earlier trip a few hours before, the radio and lights were fine, as was the acceleration... so it seems that the electrical problem, and the acceleration problem are either related, or it's a really odd coincidence of timing.

Any ideas of what I should be looking for to fix this?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[190E-Boy]

Fuses

You just bought this car right? Was it from an auction where it had been sitting around for a while? If this is true it could just be a simple fuse issue. Mine had similar problems but with other components. Even if the fuse looks OK, it may be corroded or "mucky" at the terminals. Have a look. Your fuel pump/relay is electronic.

Also, I highly recommend changing the battery. Its $100 investment but you'll know the history. An old battery with a short can do some serious damage. Fried my alternator!

good luck

ssb

 

[SineMacula]

Several things at once...

Well, there was indeed a blown fuse (don't know how I missed it when I first looked)... replacing it fixed the radio and interior lights... but did nothing for the acceleration problem.

Drove it a bit this morning, and it seemed fine... at first. After a few miles, the acceleration problem started again... so, since I was in the area, I took it to my mechanic to have him take a quick look. We decided to start with the fuel filter - turned out it was almost completely clogged. So, we thought we had nailed it... I drove off and it seemed fine... for a few miles, then the problem resurfaced so I turned around.

After a little more testing and tinkering, we think we found a slight leak in one of the air control hoses (I think that's what it was, can't remember the exact name of it right now). Anyway, it was appearing to be a lean misfire problem, and spraying a bit of quickstart around that hose resulted in a brief increase in idle RPM. So, now I have to wait for him to get the hose and install it... we're hoping that'll do it... since the fuel pumps seem to be operating fine. My fingers are crossed.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Kiwi_bloke]

plugs

id advise checking spark plugs, leads and things like that. Or another thought is it could have moisture in it. Dads 260e (same motor as the 190e 2.6) sat for 3 months and after using it, it was hesitating for days, a good thrash on the open road for 50 kms cured it.