Just picked up my MB last weekend and love it to bits. It's an '87 auto.
I'm not too mechanically minded, but to the best of my knowledge it seems to be in top condition. It runs like a dream, but there is a small problem...
Twice now in the last week, it has refused to start for me. The first time got me totally off guard because it had been perfect up til then. I was in town, so had just been driving it 20 mins ago. Starter was ticking over but there was no way in hell it was starting. So I left it for a while, came back about 2 hours later and it started first time. Then just earlier today I started it up at the servo, drove about 10 metres in 1st and it stalled (choke was still out) and wouldn't start for me again (it was back in P/N, just to clear that up!). So I pushed it off the road, sat there for 15 mins and sure enough, it started first go.
I'm guessing the battery might be on its way out, which explains why it has no trouble starting after it's had a bit of time to build a charge. Any tips/advice would be much appreciated!
Temperamental starter... Battery/Starter prob?
Sounds like it could be a fault with the battery leads, the coil, points, or anything in the ignition system.
Trial and error is about your only solution!
Trial and error is about your only solution!
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.
Thanks Brayden.
The contacts on the battery are a bit rusty, I was meaning to clean that up today anyway. I hope it solves the problem but I'm not entirely convinced something that simple would be the cause. I'll have a good search through all the contacts and leads for the battery and ignition as you suggested.
The contacts on the battery are a bit rusty, I was meaning to clean that up today anyway. I hope it solves the problem but I'm not entirely convinced something that simple would be the cause. I'll have a good search through all the contacts and leads for the battery and ignition as you suggested.
Next time it stops if the motor turns over ok with the starter, and when you take the air cleaner top off and look down into the top of the carby and operate the throttle you should see fuel squirt into the carby from the accerator pump; (if this all checks o.k.) then replace the wire from your coil to the side of the distrubitor (quite often the plastic support has broken/come off and the wire is not supported and wiggles around this leads to an internal break giving intermitant go-nogo fault) 
Get with it ,Get over it ,Get on with it .....OR LEAVE
I've had two cars where crappy battery connections caused exactly these symptoms - give your battery posts and connectors a good brighten up with a wire brush (AFTER disconnecting them!) and then reassemble and snug up quite firm... You might be quite surprised...
Tez
So the adventure continues...
So the adventure continues...
More than surprised, I'm stunned!Tez wrote: You might be quite surprised...
For the last few days I've been crossing my fingers with the choke lever right out every time I start it, even when the engine's warm.
I just gave it a real good scrubbing and decided, for the sake of it, to try starting it without adjusting the choke, and it started INSTANTLY no worries at all. That was the easiest I've seen it start since I've had it by far. Thanks a million guys, Tez especially!