Strandded!!!

[koan]

Went out yesterday afternoon drove a few hundred meters and flicked the left turn signal on and no flashing or dash indicator, something to fix when I get home I thought. Tried the right indicator, no flashing either.

Started to think about the possibilities as I quickly tuned into the traffic to avoid getting stuck behind a tram, maybe it's the flasher relay, tried the hazard flasher and that worked, not the relay then. Covered about two hundred meters thinking what else could it be, maybe just the fuse, but ... then the engine stopped. Tried to start it, cranked OK but no fire.

Three o'clock in the afternoon, tons of traffic, all the mums picking up the kids and a tram behind me dinging his bell. I got out and indicated I (We) weren't going anywhere, the trammy continued to ding his bell hoping it's magic powers would rectify the situation.

A man and a woman helped push the car round the corner into the next side street. Pondered for a while what would stop the indicators and then a short time later stop the engine. The usual crank in "R" revealed the fuel pump not running. A look at the fuse card showed fuse 4 for the indicators but nothing for the fuel pump. After some inspection of fuses in the fading light and getting nowhere I decided to walk home and grab a meter and have a look at the wiring diagram.

When I got back to the car a bit of probing with the meter showed fuse 4 had blown, replaced that, the indicators now worked but still no fuel pump. I could hear the fuel pump relay switching when I pushed on the k-jet air flow flap, next thing in the circuit to the fuel pump is the immobiliser relay. After some probing around there with the meter I couldn't find any Volts anywhere on the relay or the alarm wiring. Back to the fuse box and found fuse 1 blown, replaced that and the engine started.

I suspect I may have blown fuse 1 at some stage in probing because the central locking was working, then it wasn't, not sure.

Don't know what happened, unlikely two fuses burn out at the same time, nor can I work out why the engine ran for 30 secs after the first sign of trouble.

Question without notice - do you know how the fuses in box are numbered?

I didn't, I do now!

koan

[robertd]

Ahh! fun and games of owing a classic, at least we can fix them ourselves.
try doing that with a current model car.
Cheers

[koan]

Ahh! fun and games of owing a classic, at least we can fix them ourselves.
try doing that with a current model car.

Just a bit embarrassing, you just know everybody is thinking, "Poor guy can't afford a new car and he thinks an old Mercedes has class, tut tut" (class and me don't normally appear in the same sentence).  If they only knew the costs!

Anyhow I've found why fuse 1 went  Those two wires with the spade terminals on the ends, the ones that go to the secret alarm disable switch, they have hung there for about five years, since when I took out the heater duct, well when one gets grounded it blows the fuse. It happened again today while I was checking the wiring.

koan

[gavin116]

Hi Koan

It's always a little disappointing getting stranded, even more so in peak hour traffic with the tram up your rear!  You will recall last time I brought Mrs White home she threatened to do a similar thing on the M4 elevated section.  Luckily, I do not have the alarm/immobiliser option fitted.  (Our high petrol price is my immobiliser, ha,ha.)

I am really interested in your fuel pump diagnostic test.  When you put the car in reverse and try to start it, how do you know if the fuel pump is working or not?  Does it make some sort of noise from the right rear?  And how long would you crank the engine when doing this test?

Great that you got her going again.  I do know from the card insert in the fusebox, that number 4 also supplies the fuel supply shut off valve, but that is suffixed by a 'C' meaning on carby engines only (280S).  I assume you've got a V8 in which case it is strange that the number four fuse stopped the engine.

Thanks

Gavin

I am assuming you have seen this picture on the 'org' before:

Fusebox insert

[koan]

I am really interested in your fuel pump diagnostic test.  When you put the car in reverse and try to start it, how do you know if the fuel pump is working or not?  Does it make some sort of noise from the right rear?  And how long would you crank the engine when doing this test?

Yes, you should hear the pump running and possibly the cold start valve squirting if it's cold enough, not sure about that though. Duration as long as it takes to hear the pump. Same technique can be used to pressurerise the fuel system for a quicker start if the car has been standing for a while.

This only works with k-jet 116s, later 123 k-jets have a clever relay to build up pressure prior to starting and to detect a stalled engine and shut off the pump.

I've got the card in my fuse box. Don't know if the cards are model specific.

my question is effectively which is fuse 4?

4th along the top row?

No.

koan

[gavin116]

Hi Koan,

No, I make fuse four to be second row i.e. closest to the radiator, and second along  from the driver's side (fender) in a RHD car.  That's the one I used when doing the tach.  If you have a very close look at the black plastic there was some lettering within the plastic itself.

Thanks about the fuel pump info.  I have a K-jet too.

Perhaps Joe can confirm the above.

Regards

Gavin

Yep, found this picture of Mrs White's innards, and it confirms my fuse position:

[koan]

No, I make fuse four to be second row i.e. closest to the radiator, and second along  from the driver's side (fender) in a RHD car.

That's right, odd numbered fuses are in the top row closest to windscreen, even numbered in the bottom row, increasing numbers left to right in the "looking at it direction", not the Mercedes-Benz "driving direction". Had me fooled, my unassisted aging eyes in the dying afternoon sun couldn't make out the numbers so I assumed fuse 4 was 4th in top row, WRONG!

koan.

[1980sdga]

Just a bit embarrassing, you just know everybody is thinking, "Poor guy can't afford a new car and he thinks an old Mercedes has class, tut tut"

koan

Well, in the states you get a pass for driving a "musclecar".  "They" probably have no idea that you're driving a musclecar 

[TJ 450]

When I broke down in the 6.9 (loose battery terminal), people were yelling "get a Holden" haha. It is quite embarrassing though.

I don't like the sound of breaking down in the path of a tram in peak hour. That would be a moment of panic.

Tim

[calvin streeting]

I have boken down many times (in various cars), even had a stearing column catch fire on a busy roundabout in rush hour... I never under stand why people think beeping there horn and shooting you helps. I never curse, or laugh, I either pull over and help or carry on and ("touch wood" proper dash ) hope it dosenot happen to me..

calvin

[Big_Richard]

When I broke down in the 6.9 (loose battery terminal), people were yelling "get a Holden" haha. It is quite embarrassing though.

Thats when i shout out GAGF!

Also, when younger and saw a holden on tow or broken down, I'd shout out "take it to the rubbish tip"

It goes both ways anyway, and those p.o.s. vehicles are more often on the side of the road than anything else anyway so i've no idea what theyre gloating about.

[jjb-w116-hu]

yes its embarrassing but i'd not be caught in anything else, much like im sure we all feel.... the tram up the trunk does take a special "throw arms in air and smile" moment. similar thing happened to me pre my new radiator core/coil heatup issues. peak oclock - bottom of downtown Auckland , iddling . perplunk. no start. = didnt make many friends that day lol and only way in any direction was uphill! you had to laugh. for ten minutes there was no other option! lol

occasionally my coil still plays up and i have to wiggle the coil wire that goes to the ICU or the disty (cant recall now) - does anyone have a foto of what that connection is supposed to look like - i am not sure why mine is/seems loose in the coil top....

[Big_Richard]

occasionally my coil still plays up and i have to wiggle the coil wire that goes to the ICU or the disty (cant recall now) - does anyone have a foto of what that connection is supposed to look like - i am not sure why mine is/seems loose in the coil top....

If your talking about the green coaxial cable, they are available new. I replaced mine but cant remember whats involved at the distributor end. Clearly it wasnt that difficult or i would of remembered it 

[koan]

If your talking about the green coaxial cable, they are available new. I replaced mine but cant remember whats involved at the distributor end.

Couple of screws hold the connector to the distributor, remove them and it should just pullout.

Expensive green wire if I recall.

koan

[Big_Richard]

I think when i purchased it, it was $35, immediately after the price went to $80, no idea how much now.