W124 230e Help pls - rough running intermittently
Discussion
Hello
Odd problem with my W124 1992 230e (automatic). I’m clueless and this post is long, sorry.
Had it about 18 months without any issues. In early September it stalled as I backed it out of my driveway, just before it stalled it was running rough and lumpy (hunting?). I gave it a minute and started it again and it was a tiny bit rough at first but when it warmed up it was back to normal. I put it down to possibly being damp. Had been raining hard for a week and car not been used for ten days. No garage, car sits on drive.
After that it behaved normally, used it several times. Until a month later, taking it in for the MOT, it did it again - but this time it wasn’t OK after a minute and had to be taken to MOT on the back of a lorry. Another wet day.
Two weeks later and MOT done. Garage said lots of moisture in ignition system which they dried out. Drove it off and car seemed normal. After 10 minutes stopped at a junction and car was shuddering and rough again, just managed to crawl across junction and continue journey. Car becoming smooth again after about 10 seconds. Stopped for petrol 5 minutes later and same thing again. This is the odd bit though - In Park or Neutral it revved up normally, only when I put it into Drive did it stutter and stall. Tried this three times and finally only got it moving if I used 2 to move off instead of D. Got it down the road using 2 and 3 and seemed fine. Put it into Drive later and everything OK. By the time I got home it was back to normal. It’s a half hour drive in total, petrol station about halfway.
My husband, who was driving behind me, said it happened because I drove through some really deep puddles too fast (very heavy rain here all day - half the roads flooded). But if it is just moisture why does it make a difference what gear it’s in? This is what I don’t understand. Can anybody explain? Or confirm it could be just moisture?
Sorry for long post, I hope you can understand what I mean. I’ve driven various 230e’s for the last 18 years and never had this problem in wet weather before with any of them. On the other hand, one of the MOT advisories was gearbox leaking...could it be a gearbox problem? :0(
Car has done 170,000 last serviced 166,000. Thank you for reading.
Odd problem with my W124 1992 230e (automatic). I’m clueless and this post is long, sorry.
Had it about 18 months without any issues. In early September it stalled as I backed it out of my driveway, just before it stalled it was running rough and lumpy (hunting?). I gave it a minute and started it again and it was a tiny bit rough at first but when it warmed up it was back to normal. I put it down to possibly being damp. Had been raining hard for a week and car not been used for ten days. No garage, car sits on drive.
After that it behaved normally, used it several times. Until a month later, taking it in for the MOT, it did it again - but this time it wasn’t OK after a minute and had to be taken to MOT on the back of a lorry. Another wet day.
Two weeks later and MOT done. Garage said lots of moisture in ignition system which they dried out. Drove it off and car seemed normal. After 10 minutes stopped at a junction and car was shuddering and rough again, just managed to crawl across junction and continue journey. Car becoming smooth again after about 10 seconds. Stopped for petrol 5 minutes later and same thing again. This is the odd bit though - In Park or Neutral it revved up normally, only when I put it into Drive did it stutter and stall. Tried this three times and finally only got it moving if I used 2 to move off instead of D. Got it down the road using 2 and 3 and seemed fine. Put it into Drive later and everything OK. By the time I got home it was back to normal. It’s a half hour drive in total, petrol station about halfway.
My husband, who was driving behind me, said it happened because I drove through some really deep puddles too fast (very heavy rain here all day - half the roads flooded). But if it is just moisture why does it make a difference what gear it’s in? This is what I don’t understand. Can anybody explain? Or confirm it could be just moisture?
Sorry for long post, I hope you can understand what I mean. I’ve driven various 230e’s for the last 18 years and never had this problem in wet weather before with any of them. On the other hand, one of the MOT advisories was gearbox leaking...could it be a gearbox problem? :0(
Car has done 170,000 last serviced 166,000. Thank you for reading.
Hi MrScroggs,
When I owned my 1990 230E I had problems very similar which was traced to a faulty distributor cap.
I am far from mechanically minded, but I would be surprised if a slight gearbox leak was the sole cause of your problems.
Hopefully some more learned PH folk will be along shortly to offer more technical advice
Hope you get it sorted soon
Darren
When I owned my 1990 230E I had problems very similar which was traced to a faulty distributor cap.
I am far from mechanically minded, but I would be surprised if a slight gearbox leak was the sole cause of your problems.
Hopefully some more learned PH folk will be along shortly to offer more technical advice
Hope you get it sorted soon
Darren
After garaging the car and drying it out fully I would examine the distributor cap, then check all the vacuum pipes under the bonnet.
If the car has KJetronic or similar injection then the brass plunger in the fuel metering head can stick through corrosion, a light polish often sorts this out.
If the car has KJetronic or similar injection then the brass plunger in the fuel metering head can stick through corrosion, a light polish often sorts this out.
DS129 said:
Hi, sounds like damp in the distributor cap, I suggest changing the cap and rotor arm.
Thank you So damp/ignition seems to be the consensus so far.Anybody have any thoughts about why it happened in Drive but not in P, N or 2? Or would it be too techy to explain to a self-confessed techno-dunce?
Looks like you were all correct. Hubby took the distributor cap off to inspect it and saw something loose inside it. Turned out to be this piece of plastic, which has broken off the dust cover.
There is more missing than that little piece, but he couldn’t find any more. Luckily my old 230e has an intact one to swap. Would this dust cover come with a new cap, or does it have to be bought separately? The one on Auto Doc is a different part no. and for a car with cat converter, which mine doesn’t have AFAIK.
There is more missing than that little piece, but he couldn’t find any more. Luckily my old 230e has an intact one to swap. Would this dust cover come with a new cap, or does it have to be bought separately? The one on Auto Doc is a different part no. and for a car with cat converter, which mine doesn’t have AFAIK.
I changed the rotor arm and cleaned up the distributor cap on my 190e as I had these symptoms, now totally fine. I'm going to buy a new cap though.
Bosch or Beru are the only makes you should buy, Mercedes will want about £90, ECP will want about £35.
Bosch or Beru are the only makes you should buy, Mercedes will want about £90, ECP will want about £35.
Edited by W201_190e on Sunday 1st November 10:24
Edited by W201_190e on Sunday 1st November 10:24
Thanks all.
Changed the broken dust cover for a complete (but equally old) one. Took it out for a spin today and it seemed fine, but will order a new distributor cap/rotor anyway.
I was thinking about getting a more recent car after it broke down the other night, but I can’t get excited about them. Nothing makes me smile like a 124
Changed the broken dust cover for a complete (but equally old) one. Took it out for a spin today and it seemed fine, but will order a new distributor cap/rotor anyway.
I was thinking about getting a more recent car after it broke down the other night, but I can’t get excited about them. Nothing makes me smile like a 124
MrScroggs said:
Thanks all.
Changed the broken dust cover for a complete (but equally old) one. Took it out for a spin today and it seemed fine, but will order a new distributor cap/rotor anyway.
I was thinking about getting a more recent car after it broke down the other night, but I can’t get excited about them. Nothing makes me smile like a 124
Good to hear it. Someone is coming to view my W201shortly, I will miss it, but I think I'd prefer something a bit bigger like a 124 next time I go old Merc. Changed the broken dust cover for a complete (but equally old) one. Took it out for a spin today and it seemed fine, but will order a new distributor cap/rotor anyway.
I was thinking about getting a more recent car after it broke down the other night, but I can’t get excited about them. Nothing makes me smile like a 124
Thanks all.
Changed the broken dust cover for a complete (but equally old) one. Took it out for a spin today and it seemed fine, but will order a new distributor cap/rotor anyway.
I was thinking about getting a more recent car after it broke down the other night, but I can’t get excited about them. Nothing makes me smile like a 124
Changed the broken dust cover for a complete (but equally old) one. Took it out for a spin today and it seemed fine, but will order a new distributor cap/rotor anyway.
I was thinking about getting a more recent car after it broke down the other night, but I can’t get excited about them. Nothing makes me smile like a 124
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