w124 change over day

[doug]

With the MOT due and lots of clunking/whining noises coming from the lotto w124 it was about time for a change. So the ex Dave Chaserace and was it Dollywobbler? W124 has been retired from service after 18 month and 12000miles .of wafting around. Only one FTP caused by dirty plugs and my lazyness for not investigating a slight misfire until in stopped running completly.

 

Spot the difference.Entre stage left the ex Jerzy Working(?) Borneidentity W124.

 

 

 

This weeks grand plan is to keep first one for spares and come summer if its still in big bits sort it up. All plans subject to change of course.

 

 

 

 

[Roverageous]

Crikey those are so handsome. 

[mercrocker]

Or you could just leave it like that to park next to.....Good luck with the change-over, they are nice cars!

[rantingYoof]

I absolutely love these cars. The two door coupe versions are utterly stunning.

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[forddeliveryboy]

Grand cars - they'd have to be priced at £60k plus for the company to break even, today.

 

They don't appreciate neglect and misuse in the way a modern will and although the pre-92 cars resist rot well, corrosion-prevention is time well spent.

[BorniteIdentity]

95% of the cars I sold last year should have gone into my imaginary barn to be used sporadically until the zombie apocalypse.  That W124 would still have been running too.

 

Never did get to the bottom of why it's an utter PITA to idle when cold, so good luck with it Doug. 

[chaseracer]

That car was so comfortable.  Unless you were trying to sleep in it in a field outside Llangollen...

[kinkersaab]

if its a 230 and its getting broken, and its got an alternator on it, I could do with one for mine...its been sat a year or two...or three... must do something with it....

[doug]

Oh well the honeymoon period didnt last long. Up this morning and no start. No ignition lights. Can hear what sounds light the fuel pump priming, all other electrical things seem to work.Starter not turning. Only dash lights coming on is the parking brake light and the ABS light comes on for a few seconds. Removed and cleaned all fuses. Charged up battery. Tried jump leads. Nothing. Any ideas? Bad earth, bad relay? Where do I even start looking??!!

Bearing in mind this car has not run since November last year but started and run no problems yesterday and I was running about in it all day yesterday with no hint problems.

[richardmorris]

What's the engine? Are you sure the battery is ok? There's a fuel pump relay that does give problems but wouldn't prevent the starter spinning. But there's also an OVP relay - more than a relay really, but that's what it's called. Big silver thing behind the battery. That controls lots of things.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I'll give most cars a chance, but I just don't get the 'hewn from granite' aura surrounding the W124. They were okay but the build quality was nothing special at all. The Carlton/Senator were better.

 

Good luck getting it going though. Sounds like a starter relay...?

[HMC]

I recon the ovp relay with such a random set of issues all at once.

[Guest Hooli]

What's the engine? Are you sure the battery is ok? There's a fuel pump relay that does give problems but wouldn't prevent the starter spinning. But there's also an OVP relay - more than a relay really, but that's what it's called. Big silver thing behind the battery. That controls lots of things.

 

 

This sounds right. I'm pretty sure almost all the ignition circuits are powered through the OVP relay so would explain the lack of dash lights etc.

[doug]

Thanks folks, I will try the OVP in the morning morning. Its a 300E W124, 1989 model.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

I hope it turns out to be something simple.

[chaseracer]

Thanks folks, I will try the OVP in the morning morning. Its a 300E W124, 1989 model.

 

Assuming it's the new car that's U/S, the OVP relay on TVO was new about six months before you had it.

[doug]

Changed the OVPrelay, no better. Changed fuel pump relay(because it was easy to do), no better. Put jump lead from +ve onto the engine in case it was a bad earth, same. It has a full tank of petrol but the fuel gauge seems to shoot up as though its shorting out.So disconnected plug from sender unit in the boot,still no start. Getting 12 volts at all fuses except fuse 11 which it says is "carburetor electrics"WTF??

 

I am wondering if it might be the ignition switch?  Any ideas folks?

[doug]

Thanks Dave,

 

Assuming it's the new car that's U/S, the OVP relay on TVO was new about six months before you had it.

 

I fitted the one from TVO, it looked new.Cheers.

[chaseracer]

I'm still using the old one as a paperweight! 

[richardmorris]

some useful help information here.

 

http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/DoItYourSelf

[doug]

Think I have fixed the fucker!!! I wired up the starter direct from the battery with a switch and got it running. So after a google it pointed to a ignition switch or a neutral safety switch problem. Cut a very long story short(a weeks work!) both checked out ok so started following the wires and testing along the length to see where it lost volts. I found a juncton box thingy all wrapped up in shitey insulating tape, so opened it up. The main wire feeding the starter had been cut and two wires spliced in (off to an alarm??). Cutting these two wires out and re-joining the starter feed wire and it starts up fine. Just loads of trim/panels to put back on now and I will be a happy bunny.

[BorniteIdentity]

Glad you've got it licked, Doug. You've obviously had it apart more than I ever did, because I don't remember any remnants of alarms. JW may do though.

 

90s aftermarket alarms are relentless bastards.

[richardmorris]

After market immobiliser perhaps?

[doug]

After market immobiliser perhaps?

Looks like it Richard. Ran out of daylight so didnt get a chance to trace the wires.

[dollywobbler]

Just catching up with this one. I think it's pretty much four years to the day since I bought TVO. Has it managed to join the 200k club?

[doug]

No DW it didnt make the 200000ml club. On its way to its retirement home it turned 195000 so I gave it a wee blast to celebrate, on a bit of private road of course.

 

[chaseracer]

Speedo needle still wobbling?

[doug]

No it was me!! Sorted the wobbly needle by oiling the cable.

[Jerzy Woking]

There was a Scorpion branded alarm siren thing under the bonnet on the nearside inner wing - but this was disconnected long before the car was in my possession. Quite common to disconnect them as they tended to go loopy after a few years

 

Similarly the Saab I now have had the alarm disconnected by a Saab dealership) a fortnight before I purchased it, as it was going off randomly. Again, fairly common after a few years to do so - none of my 9-5's have had functioning alarms.