Ignition wetness misery 190E content

[mercrocker]

The 190 started playing up again in the recent "showery" weather. I had a problem with it a couple of years back and now its back. Fluffs and misses and needs very delicate throttle just after beginning to warm up. After it clears its fine all day. Now, last time this happened I spent a lot of money on genuine MB leads, dizzy cap and rotor arm. Help on the 190E forum tends to suggest affected cars benefit from annual cap changes but I wonder if any other W201 bods on here have suffered similarly (or indeed anyone else with otherwise reliable cars...)

[scaryoldcortina]

I'm sorry, I thought the title said 109E. I was going to suggest encasing the distributor in an old rubber glove with the HT leads poking through the fingertips.

 

Maybe that would work anyway?

[richardmorris]

Distributor cap would be my suggestion.

[dollywobbler]

Another vote for dizzy cap. There should be a seal I think. Certainly is on the six pot engines.

[dieselassist]

Had similar probs with my old 190E 1.8; new leads and rotor arm made a difference, but in the end I changed the 'over voltage' relay up near the battery - a red one with 2 fuses is the 'upgarde' from MB - the forum et you tube vids advise n give 'how to's' on opening up the relay n 'resilvering' the solder connections on the old relay... this did revive mine, a bit but it was still hard to start... in the end I opted for the new MB dealership over-voltage relay for €85... a fecked over voltage relay can throw up a load of various running n starting probs on the 190E....

 

The dizzy cap is a screw on job; it can suffer from hairline splits - mine was probably the original one; checked it with a magnifine glass n looked okay - I wouldn't be changing such a thing every year!! there is a cap below the rotor arm to protect the inner dizzy 'gubbins'  - check it is there - mine wasn't (was in the glovebox)...

[Tamworthbay]

I'm sorry, I thought the title said 109E. I was going to suggest encasing the distributor in an old rubber glove with the HT leads poking through the fingertips.

 

Maybe that would work anyway?

Exactly what I would do, at least that way you know where the issue is. If it doesn't solve it then it's not moisture getting in causing the issue.

[Squire_Dawson]

Would it help to spray it with an anti-damp solution? I'm afraid that's as much as I can help.

[mercrocker]

Thanks for the help chaps. Wish it was a bloody 109E TBH as I could then adopt the old car attitude. However, the Merc is the newest thing I have and ought to be better behaved. I have tried sprays to no avail, the inner cup is still present and the MB garage I go to is telling me the four pots have no additional sealing ring twixt cap and dizzy body. That relay sounds worth a poke. Guess I will just cough up for a new cap - its worth it to save the earache from Mrs Rocker who just expects the thing to blow up like her 260E did. Last time the car refused to start on a really damp day I took the outer black shroud off the cap, wiped the cap proper off and left off the black bit. It started that day OK but fucked about again the following day. A proper new MB cap did cure it that time but - they aint cheap!

[Taff]

I'm sorry, I thought the title said 109E. I was going to suggest encasing the distributor in an old rubber glove with the HT leads poking through the fingertips.

 

Maybe that would work anyway?

 

I also thought he said 109E and was mildy curious as to where he had found a WW2 german fighter plane